To put the past year of local high school sports in perspective and to get a preview of the new year, Pioneer Press interviewed Notre Dame athletic director Mike Hennessey.
Q: What was the highlight for Notre Dame’s athletic programs in 2016?
A: The basketball team’s run to the (Class 4A) supersectional, and the (supersectional game) at Northwestern. Those kids played some great basketball (during the season) and (coach) Tom Les had them well prepared. That atmosphere at the supersectional was great. Even though they were not able to pull it off (a 65-62 loss to Curie), it was a great scene with so much of our student body there and (getting into the game).
Q: What was one team that stood out in 2016?
A: The baseball team, who were (Class 4A) Evanston Regional champs. I think (coach) Nelson Gord did a great job and did something a little different with his pitching staff (by using several pitchers). He kept it fresh and it was a different way to do it, and it made everybody on the team ready and kept the opposition off balance.
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Q: Who was one athlete who surpassed expectations on the field or in the classroom, and why?
A: (Current Dayton football player and 2016 graduate) Tim Simon was probably one of the best athletes we’ve had here at Notre Dame. I’d really rate him in the top 10 (ever). I don’t like to say who is better, but he is somebody you’d want everyone else to watch and model themselves after. In (football), he was an all-area selection, an academic all-stater, team MVP and captain. (In baseball), he played center field, pitched, was the leadoff hitter and was a leader just like he had been the previous calendar year for me in football (where he was a wide receiver, defensive back, kicker, punter and kick returner).
Q: Who was one coach who went above and beyond in 2016?
A: Steve Jankowski is our head tennis coach and (co-head) swimming coach, and he does a great job taking care of both sports. The tennis team is doing as well as they’ve done in the last 10 or 15 years and that’s due to Steve’s hard work. With swimming, the numbers we have out there (are impressive) for a school without a pool. You need people like (Jankowski) in the department, they make the whole program vibrant.
Q: Looking back on 2016, is there anything that you wish would have gone differently within the program?
A: You always have woulda, coulda, shoulda, and you always want to win every game and competition you played across the board. But our programs did well and I’m most proud (of how our athletes) played with a lot of pride and class, and the coaches held them to a high standard. That’s what the school is all about.
Q: When you look ahead to 2017, what is your athletic program’s New Year’s resolution?
A: We want to sustain success. In order to do that, we have to work hard. It’s easy to say, but not as easy to accomplish. That’s why we’ve been a successful program: Our coaches stress hard work and we talk about it in school on a daily basis with our guys, whether it’s in athletics or academics.
Q: What are you most looking forward to about Notre Dame athletics in 2017?
A: Our soccer team has really (improved) leaps and bounds the last two or three years. (Coach) Mike Smith has great numbers for two straight years and they’ve won (a game) in the state playoffs. I think it’s the program that has made the most significant strides. They have a great staff, many of whom, like (Smith), are alums, and they’ve come back to help big time.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
Twitter @Pioneer_Press