Bowling:

OliviaFranklin

On Feb. 8, juniors Gabby Birkel and Sami McCormack competed in the state bowling competition at Sun Valley Lanes in Lincoln. The two girls competed against schools from all around Nebraska. 

Qualifying for state was an entire season’s effort. Birkel and McCormack qualified for state after being within the top five bowlers with the highest score in the district competition. Each girl played four games at state. Birkel had an average score of 138, while McCormack’s average score was 132. 

Birkel finished in 23rd place and knocked down 553 pins in total. McCormack ended up in 26th place with 528 pins knocked down.  

State was not what Birkel expected. She was surprised by the competitiveness of the other bowlers. She is on the bowling team at Marian because of her love of “the other girls on the team,” Birkel said. 

After she found her groove, she was able to relax and enjoy her time at state. She recalls the great time she had at state and the “many laughs and memories made” during this season, which is one of the most important things about being on the team. She “just happened to do decent this year, making it twice as fun,” she said. 

Basketball: 

RuthieBarrett

On Feb. 23, the basketball team competed in the final round of districts against Lincoln Northstar at Lincoln Northstar. 

Their 49-37 loss came after an exciting win against Columbus High School at home, beating the Discoverers, 57-42 on Feb. 21. 

The basketball team’s season came to a close with a 16-8 record. Junior Elsa Vedral, who was the top scorer with an average of 12 points per game, said, “although the team did not make it to state, the success the girls had should not go unnoticed. 

Their record has not been this successful in years.” 

The team is excited for their season next year and a big thanks to all the seniors on the team that made this year’s season so successful. 

“This season was by far one of the most amazing ones I have been a part of.” 

Senior McKenna Stover

Wrestling:

MiaButler

Good things come with time however, Marian wrestling doesn’t need the wait they are already setting records, celebrating victories and making history. 

After just three short years of building the program, the 2023-2024 season has proved the team’s dedication. Marian headed to State on Saturday, Feb. 17, sending senior Martha Hinneh onto the final round. 

Hinneh’s day started at 5 a.m. with weigh-ins at 6 a.m., although she did not have to wrestle until 10 p.m. 

In the meantime, to ease anxiety, “I was just scrolling through TikTok and got one of the audios stuck in my head,” Hinneh said, “which, you know, it may have helped me; I kept a clear mind throughout the day and wasn’t worried about my opponent.” 

Up until Hinneh’s historical win, she “would work hard during [practice] drills to build [her] stamina,” as well as “mental stability and breath work.” She focused on envisioning herself facing her future State opponent at each practice, as last season, the wrestling coach, Lauren Barefoot, and her team “knew that first place was mine if I worked for it, so I made sure to work for it,” Hinneh said. In her final match, Hinneh was up 4-1, until her determining pin, resulting in a fall. After pinning the opponent, Hinneh felt “everything went quiet for a moment,” until her victory truly set in, and she went running to Barefoot. 

Evidently, her pure dedication and commitment to herself and the team prevailed with her Girls State Champion title, a well-deserved label that was “an awesome experience [because] I made everyone proud and paid [Marian back for their support], so it was amazing for me.” 

The State wrestling victory is an unforgettable accomplishment for Marian and for Hinneh, whose passion for wrestling will exceed beyond her senior year. “Wrestling is so important to me, because it has done so much for me,” Hinneh said.

This State victory is only the beginning of the success of the Marian Wrestling program to come.