The Marist Hall of Fame recognizes graduates who made a profound impact on Marist athletics. He or she must be at least seven years removed from high school graduation and during his or her time as a Marist athlete would have displayed exceptional talent and ability, incredible work ethic, dedication to the team, and exemplary leadership and sportsmanship.
Save the date: September 25th – Ceremony during halftime of varsity football game vs. Loyola Academy (kickoff at 7:30pm)
The Marist Hall of Fame recognizes graduates who made a profound impact on Marist athletics. He or she must be at least seven years removed from high school graduation and during his or her time as a Marist athlete would have displayed exceptional talent and ability, incredible work ethic, dedication to the team, and exemplary leadership and sportsmanship.
Jeff Swallow ’91
Soccer
Jeff Swallow’s impact on the Marist Boys Soccer program will not be forgotten. From early morning to late evening practices with teams or friends, Jeff’s dedication to the sport of soccer and to Marist High School, firmly cements him as a pioneer in the history of the Marist soccer program.
A four-year player and three-year varsity starter, Swallow helped lead the team as a captain to win the 1990 Regional Championship his senior year. Although the 1990 season was one to be remembered, Jeff’s on-field success began long before his senior year.
Jeff was named to the All-Area team his sophomore through senior seasons. In both 1989 and 1990, he received All-Conference honors. And, in his stand-out senior season, he received All-Sectional, All-State, and All-Midwest honors.
Compiling 36 assists and 50 goals as a varsity player, Jeff graduated from Marist as the all-time leading scorer.
His success on the pitch did not end after Marist. At the University of Saint Francis, Jeff was a two-time All-Conference player, and was thrice named the Conference Player of the Week. While at St. Francis, he also appeared in The 1993-94 edition of “Who’s Who in Athletics in American Colleges and Universities.”
Jeff continues to give back to the sports community, and has since gone on to own his own business, Action Sports, which offers “team uniforms, custom apparel, corporate apparel, spirit wear” and more to athletes of all ages.
Eric Fussell ’01
Baseball
Eric Fussell goes down as one of the most consistent pitchers in Marist High School baseball history. His dedication to the sport of baseball, to his team, to his teammates and to the Marist community, exemplifies the Marist spirit. His work ethic and leadership are second to none.
Eric was a three-time baseball captain who finished his varsity career with a dominant 21-3 record and had a sub 2.00 Earned Run Average. During his senior season in 2001, Eric led the baseball team to a third place finish in the IHSA state tournament with a 13-1 record. Eric was the recipient of the prestigious Block M Award for baseball his senior year.
A two-time ESCC conference selection in 2000 and 2001, Eric was also named to the All-Area team twice, and was a First Team All-State selection his senior year.
Following his career at Marist, Eric was heavily recruited by Division I schools such as Florida State and Wichita State, but elected to attend St. Joseph’s College to play with his brother, Dave.
During his college career, Eric earned Freshman All-American and All Great Lakes Valley Conference honors. He went on to play summer ball in Virginia, and independent league ball, including playing locally for the Windy City ThunderBolts.
Eric has remained deeply connected to Marist. He often returns to Marist to help with camps and give lessons to help coach the next generation of baseball players.
The sense of community and willingness to help others that he learned during his time at Marist has never left him. Since retiring from baseball, Eric has continued to help those around him. Eric contributes to food banks, coaches his son’s travel baseball team, and during the COVID-19 pandemic donated to his brother’s restaurant, The Country House, contributing to in their efforts to feed over 200,000 veterans and seniors.
Jacob Murphy ’04
Soccer
Jacob Murphy’s wrestling career at Marist High School was dominant in a program with a long history of success. Jacob was a four-year varsity letter winner for Marist, competing under the legendary Coach Mark Gervais.
During his senior year, competing at 160 pounds, Jacob finished with a commanding 42-3 record and won the IHSA Individual State Championship in a 5-1 decision.
Jacob’s success was not just recognized in the state of Illinois. Following the success of his last season at Marist, Jacob was named a High School All-American.
His success on the mat at Marist continued in college. After graduating from Marist, he went on to wrestle at the Division I level for Purdue University. His sophomore year as a Boilermaker, Jacob qualified for the NCAA D I National Tournament when he placed seventh overall in the BIG Ten tournament. He also earned an All BIG-Ten nod that season.
Jacob’s professional career did not end after his time at Purdue, either. He went on to have a five-year professional MMA career from 2009 through 2013.
Since moving on from professional competitions, Jacob has been coaching wrestling with his brothers in the Chicago Heights area, helping young athletes pursue wrestling at Marist High School.
Nick Valla ’10
Basketball
As a basketball player at Marist High School, Nick Valla consistently turned out performances on the court that were so dominant, you knew while watching him play that he would end up in the Marist Hall of Fame one day.
A four-year varsity letter winner for Marist Boys Basketball, Nick was a prolific scorer. He was a starter beginning his sophomore year averaging 15 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He continued progressing throughout his senior year, where Nick averaged 20.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Nick’s scoring abilities were so exceptional that he set several new records at Marist. At the time of his graduation, he held the Marist record for points scored in a single game with 42, all-time points scored with 1,493, and free throws with 17.
After his senior year, he was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State team, was named the Regional Player of the Year and earned All-Conference and All-Area honors.
Nick went on to play basketball at the collegiate level for Missouri State University and Lewis University. At Lewis, he was named All-Conference twice and earned the Br. David Delahanty Award which honors athletes who achieve balance between academics and athletics.
Nick has continued the Marist tradition in his life after basketball, applying the life lessons and skills he learned in the Marist classroom to the company, ShiftUp, which he built with his father, Ken, which trains salespeople across the world.
Madison Naujokas ’16
Softball
Madison Naujokas’ incomparable career with the Marist Softball program clearly demonstrated that Madison was one of the best players in the team’s history.
Madison was a four-year varsity starter for the RedHawks, including their 2015 State Championship season. During those four years, she amassed some of the best offensive numbers imaginable.
Still holding the program record for most doubles with 47, Madison is also in the record book for the top-five offensive categories with 222 hits, 14 triples, 149 total RBIs, 159 runs, and a whopping 64 stolen bases.
Madison’s offensive capabilities landed her three All-Conference nominations. She was twice named to the All-State and All-Area teams, and she was named an All-American in 2016.
Following her success at Marist, she went on to play Division I softball at James Madison University, where she would make history with her team as a senior. In one of the most remarkable “Cinderella runs” in Division I history, Madison was a star for JMU in the Women’s College World Series where they upset some of the best Power Four teams and finished third in the country – they were the first-ever unseeded team to reach the semifinals of the tournament.
Although Madison was busy with her career at James Madison, she stayed connected and committed to Marist softball, coming back every summer to help with camps and give back. After her playing career was over, Madison found her way back to Marist, this time as a coach with the varsity team, showing up every day ready to motivate and push her players to the next level.
1987 Wrestling Team
State Champions
The team that is undeniably the best Wrestling team in Marist history has earned their spot in the Marist Hall of Fame.
Marist wrestling dominated the 1980s as a consistently top-ranked team in the state. Additionally, they were a force to be reckoned with at the national level. After the program’s first state title in 1983, there was always the desire to reach the top again.
The 1987 team, coached by the legendary Mark Gervais and led by captains Jerry Joyce, Dan O’Brien, Mike LaMonica, and John Griffin, finished the 1986-87 season undefeated, with a 25-0 record. This 1987 state championship team also saw their season-long, statewide dominance nationally as they finished the season ranked 2nd in the nation – the highest national finish ever for a Marist Wrestling team.
This remarkable season also saw several Individual State Medal Winners: Dan O’Brien, Paul Andreotti, and Mike LaMonica all took home third place finishes in their respective weight classes.
Following their careers in the Marist Wrestling program, multiple members of the 1987 State Championship team went on to wrestle at the collegiate level, including Jerry Joyce at Yale, Paul Andreotti at Northwestern, and Kevin Nolan at Oklahoma.
Lessons in faith, leadership, and community learned during their time at Marist have called this team to give back to those around them. Several members of the 1986-87 team have volunteered their time to coach youth wrestling, helping further build the strong community of wrestling on the Southside of Chicago.
Team Members Coaches
John Griffin ’87 Tom Strilko ’88 Mark Gervais – Head Coach
Phil Glynn ’87 Bob Wrona ’88 Don Stuckly – Assistant Coach
Dan O’Brien ’87 Tom Salvino ’88 Marty Griffin – Assistant Coach
Mark Rizzo ’87 Tom Derro ’89 Doug Booth – Assistant Coach
Paul Reidy ’87 Bill O’Brien ’89 Mike Ferchau- Assistant Coach
Sean Cantorna ’87 Paul Andreotti ’89
Jason Tabour ’87 Dom Diori ’89
Mike LaMonica ’87 Dave Neybert ’89
Jerry Joyce ’87 Brent La Roche ’90
John Barker ’87 Tim Houston ’90
Justin Gaeta ’87 Jeff Heine ’88 – Mgr.
2008 Girls’ Basketball Team
4th Place in State
The Marist Girls’ Basketball team made an impressive run during the 2007-2008 season, capturing the first girls’ IHSA state trophy in Marist history.
Led by legendary Head Coach Mary Pat Connolly, they opened the season with a decisive win over Lincoln-Way Central and the RedHawks set the tone for the year. With a hardcore, gritty group of players, they knew what they were capable of, even if no one else did. The team took first place in the prestigious Hillcrest Holiday Classic, sweeping the tournament with four commanding wins.
Opening the playoffs in the regional round against Sandburg, Marist came out on top with a 59-36 win capturing the Regional Championship and proving that they were going to be a formidable team throughout the playoffs.
After defeating Marian Catholic in the Sectional Championship, they took on Edwardsville at the Illinois Wesleyan Super-Sectional where they took home the program’s first Super-Sectional title, thus becoming the first-ever Marist girls’ athletic team to advance to the IHSA State Finals.
Members of the 2008 State team stayed connected to the girls basketball community, including Maureen Mulchrone and Renee Chimino. Maureen is the current Head Girls’ Basketball Coach at Chicago Agricultural High School, and Renee is the Head Girls’ Basketball Coach here at Marist.
The athletic accomplishments of this team laid the foundation for success for not just the Girls Basketball program, but for girls athletics at Marist as a whole.
Team Members Coaches
Lauren Niemiera ’08 Jen Abercrumbie ’09 Mary Pat Connelly – Head Coach
Aileen Gorman ’08 Ashley Nodomski ’09 Don Richardson – Assistant Coach
Kelsey Yerkes ’08 Haley Stercic ’10 Judy Mulchrone – Assistant Coach
Maureen Mulchrone ’08 Megan James ’11 Katie Dunne – Assistant Coach
Maggie Hopkins ’08 Casey Rowan ’09 – Mgr. Annie Lotito – Assistant Coach
Renee Chimino ’08 Jena Gust ’09 – Mgr. John Sanchez – Assistant Coach
Meg Zeman ’08 Bridget Hopkins ’09 – Mgr.
Cailee Corcoran ’09
Erin Kelly ’09
