Multiple Marist athletic teams from the 2023 fall season qualified for the IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award. These Marist teams include the boys’ cross country, golf, football, and soccer, and the girls’ cross country, golf, swimming, tennis, and volleyball. 

This program, initially introduced by Riverside-Brookfield High School, is designed to reward teamwork not only in competition but in the classroom. It recognizes the teams that maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher throughout their respective season. That amounts to 83% or higher in every class.

 “It wasn’t easy but I made sure I had time for practice and homework,” says Anna O’Leary, a member of the girls’ cross country team.

The rewarded teams receive a  13″ x 10 1⁄2″  walnut-finished plaque, along with 15 individual plates with adhesive backing to be placed on the plaque. The plaque comes with words of inspiration printed in the columns where the team plates will go. 

If a qualifying team achieves a 3.0-grade point average for their entire season, a representative at Marist will simply have the sport and year engraved on the plate and attached to the plaque.

“I can’t wait to see the plaque hanging up in the hallway to remind me of my hard work,” says Mia Sherri, a member of the girls’ cross-country team.

Most of these teams have remarkable wins in the past years including girls volleyball getting 1st at state in 2017 and 2018, and 3rd in 2019. Also, the football team was Conference Champs in 2017 and 2018, and cross country won the invitationals this year. 

“I joined cross country this year because I enjoy running and challenging myself to work hard at something I love to do,” says O’Leary.

Fueling their success, cross country has gained about 25 members this year, most of them freshmen. 

“I joined cross country this year because my sister did cross country and she inspires me,” says Sherri.

The coaches and staff here at Marist are very proud of their teams.