HaydenBlaney

At Marian, excellence is not just reserved for the students. Marian faculty also have many different accolades and even some Hall of Famers. 

   Coach Jake Moore was one of the coaches in this year’s group of Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame inductees for his success as a volleyball coach. He credits this success to the athletes. 

   “I’ve been very fortunate to have lots and lots of good athletes,” Moore said. 

   Before he came to Marian, he was the volleyball coach at Lincoln Pius X High School, where he won seven state championships. He’s brought his years of experience to Marian, building a program that carries on a tradition of success.

  “I always am a big believer in you’re only as strong as your weakest player. So, if the weaker player gets better, the team gets better,” Moore said. 

   The ceremony was held on Sept. 14 at Lincoln East High School. 

   “It took a while, but it was pretty cool. They introduced the person and then that person had a chance to make some brief comments,” Moore said.

   In his fourth year at Marian, his excitement for the program only continues to grow. 

   “All of my other schools were co-ed, so you always had to teach the girls empowerment. There was a lot of comparison between the males and females, whereas here, you don’t have to worry about that. Empowerment is what we are,” he said. 

   “They believe in what I’m trying to get them to do,” Moore said. Under Moore, the team has a winning record of 27-8.

English teacher Ms. Susie Sisson is another teacher whose name is in a hall of fame.

   She was inducted into the Grand Island Central Catholic High School Athletic Hall of Fame for her work as a volleyball team manager back in high school. The team that was inducted won two Class B state championships in 1987 and 1988. 

   “I mainly did it because my friends were athletes. I was the kid in high school who kind of just did everything,” Sisson said. 

On the weekend of Sept. 26, she headed back to her high school for the ceremony. 

   “On Friday night, we went to the high school football game and they introduced everybody at halftime,” she said.

   The next morning, the ceremony was held over breakfast. “They had one person giving a speech introducing the inductee and then the inductee gave a speech. It was really special,” she said.  

   “I was very proud of [the team] because they were a really special group of girls and they worked really hard, so it was exciting to see them get that recognition,” Sisson said. 

   If there’s one thing Sisson hopes students can take away, it’s to get involved in high school.

   “Finding something that you’re passionate about or something that interests you can make such a difference,” she said. 

   With both students and staff always going above and beyond, one thing can be said for certain about Marian: excellence walks these halls.