Rambler fans,
 
What a year!
 
From Lindsey Brewis becoming the first Loyola student-athlete to win the individual title at the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship, to Kevin White competing at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the 2017-18 academic year was quite a memorable one for Loyola fans. 
 
Of course, no one will ever forget the incredible ride our men's basketball team took us on this year, beginning with a victory at No. 5 Florida in December. The first MVC regular season and tournament titles in program history would follow, culminating with a march through the NCAA tournament that ended with an appearance at the Final Four in San Antonio, the program's first trip to the Final Four since winning the national championship in 1963. 
 
Even more impressive than the play of the team on the court was its performance off the floor, and how along with our beloved Sr. Jean, they captivated the hearts of the country, restoring pride and spirit among our student body and alumni.
 
Like the men's basketball program, men's volleyball wrapped up the season ranked No. 7 in the country and posted 23 wins, claiming a share of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association title. Senior Jeff Jendryk closed out his illustrious career by becoming just the 12^thplayer in NCAA Division I-II history to be a four-time All-America selection.
 
But, in addition to all of these impressive accomplishments in the respective sports, we continue to marvel at the unprecedented work of our student-athletes in the classroom. For the second straight year, Loyola owned a share of the No. 1 spot in the nation with a 99 percent Graduation Success Rate and in the Spring 2018 semester, nearly 80 percent of our student-athletes posted a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. 
 
In June, we broke ground on the Alfie Norville Practice Facility, which will provide additional court space for our teams. We are indebted to Loyola Hall of Famer and alum Al Norville for his passion and vision for Loyola Athletics and also for his generosity by stepping forward with a cornerstone gift for the facility. However, we still need your support to help enhance the experience of Loyola student-athletes so I encourage you to make a donation to the Norville Challenge for the Loyola Athletic Fund. For more information on the Norville Challenge, please visit loyolaramblers.com.
 
Thank you for your continued support of Loyola Athletics and enjoy the summer. Onward LU!
 
 
Steve Watson
Director of Athletics