Welcome to another edition of the Ave Maria University Weekly Recap, where we look back on the highlights of the past week's campus events, including softball games, women's basketball, the Lenten retreat, and the much-anticipated Mr. Gyrene competition!
The AMU softball team advanced their winning streak to six games on Friday with two wins over Trinity Baptist College. The Gyrenes took a 16-0 victory over the Eagles in the opening game, marking the 100th career victory for head coach Juliaclare Plezbert, then walked off with a 2-1 extra inning win in the second game. In game two, Trinity Baptist was shut out for the remainder of the game by starter Kaedyn Sutton, who did not allow an earned run across eight innings in the circle, striking out three opponent hitters. The team also won both of their away games in West Palm Beach, Florida. We can't wait to watch their continued success throughout this spring!
AMU students had the opportunity to start their Lenten journey with a retreat presented by Fr. John Riley, a priest from the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. This retreat focused on a basic introduction to the spiritual theology of St. Thérèse of Lisieux from her autobiography, A Story of A Soul. It’s such a gift for students to have spiritual tools such as these on campus, especially during the season of Lent.
With a 66-62 win over St. Thomas University, AMU women's basketball is looking to tie for first place in The Sun Conference with one week left to play. The final 10 seconds of the game—which featured two free throws and a massive defensive play—were crucial in moving AMU atop the SUN standings. Key players included Maria Kuhlman with 25 points—15 of which came from long distance—Colleen Shanahan, who scored 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Emily Rapacz, who had 13 points, nine rebounds, six steals, four blocks, and three assists. The Gyrenes are just two wins away from a share of The Sun Conference Championship!
Mr. Gyrene is an annual event put on as an RA project. It’s a competition between eight men nominated by the rest of the students. They all began with a creative introduction, and prepared a talent for the show. Following round one eliminations, the remaining men participated in a series of surprise competitions, shared embarrassing stories and more to determine the next “King of Ave.” This year’s winner was senior Jerry Marchand, with sophomore Kyle Elsner coming in a close second, and junior John Suran, taking home the people’s choice award.
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