A number of former Loyola University Chicago student-athletes are on the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. Below, we profile some of those former Ramblers.
Women's Volleyball
Kristen Haggenjos
Class of 2012
Position: Emergency Room Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Playing in Alumni Gym! I loved a good battle in a hot and tight-knit atmosphere. I loved taking a set from Stanford on their home court. There are so many wonderful memories from Loyola and I miss having fun opportunities like Cubs games, live music and awesome restaurants at my fingertips. I am most grateful to have met some of my very best friends in my time there and I know we will be friends for life.
Advice to the Public: Consider the health of the elderly, immunocompromised, and otherwise vulnerable before your own needs. A coworker of mine just got off a ventilator so it is a serious matter that can affect anyone. The sooner we combat this virus, hopefully the sooner we can enjoy ourselves this summer. Loyola's student-athletes are in a unique position right now to get creative with their health and workout regimens – put the work in and good things will come!
Maddy Moser
Class of 2019
Position: Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: It's hard to pick a specific one! Overall being a part of such a supportive athletics community and being able to play the sport I love while getting a great education.
Advice to the Public: Follow the recommendations of health care officials and try to stay positive during these difficult times.
Men's Volleyball
Mike Hutz
Position: Chief resident in Otolaryngology
Favorite Loyola Memory: Beating No. 1 Penn State and the crowd storming the court, led by a rowdy, Loyola men's soccer team, in front of a sold-out crowd at Alumni Gym!
Advice to the Public: Please, please, please respect the stay-at-home order. The more people that go out for non-essential reasons, the more they risk contracting COVID-19 or spreading it to others which will overwhelm already stressed hospital systems.
Men's Golf
Kevin Emmerich
Class of 2009
Position: Emergency Room Doctor
Favorite Loyola Memory: Winning the team event at the IPFW Fall Classic in a two-hole team playoff my freshman year in 2005. I think it was Loyola's first team tournament win in program history. Our team camaraderie is something I miss all the time.
Advice to the Public: Wearing masks and gloves in public won't do anything for you if you keep touching your face. We are all guilty of this. We all don't know what to do with our hands during a group photo, but touching your face is not the answer. Keep your hands clean and away from your face.
Sean Lannon
Class of 2009
Position: Orthopaedic surgeon
Favorite Loyola Memory: Loyola is a special place for me. I met my wife at Loyola (both Class of '09) and I was lucky enough to stay at Loyola for medical school. My favorite memories as a student-athlete on the golf team were the first practices when everyone returned to campus in the fall. Also, Thursday morning practices at Winnetka ("The National") Golf Course.
Advice to the Public: Wash your hands, stay calm and listen to the experts at the CDC/local health department. We are all taking measures to decrease the burden on our hospitals, doctors, nurses and all other healthcare workers and it
is working. I am hopeful we will be able to incrementally get back to normal life soon.
Men's Basketball
Ben Averkamp
Class of 2013
Position: Prisma Health-Upstate (Greenville, S.C.)
Favorite Loyola Memory: Our 2011 game at Toledo. We were down to six scholarship guys available for the game. I was fortunate to hit the buzzer-beater to win by two on the road. That bus ride home was an absolute blast!
Advice to the Public: Gloves should only be used when completing one task such as pumping gas. By continuing to wear the same gloves across multiple locations/tasks, you can actually cause the virus to spread more. Frequent hand washing is the key.
Billy Clark
Class of 2014
Position: Anesthesiologist
Favorite Loyola Memory: Winter break with the team. Wake up, hoop, team nap at my place while watching Entourage, hoop, team dinner and 2K. First memory though is Joe, CT and London late to our first meeting because they were learning about their role in Loyola basketball history from Father Joe.
Advice to the Public: Do the things your mom always told you – wash your hands, cough in your elbow, stay away from strangers! This will all be over soon enough.
Grant Moehring
Class of 1993
Position: Emergency Medicine Physician
Favorite Loyola Memory: The camaraderie of my teammates, the competition and the friendships formed.
Advice to the Public: I think the media has done a good job of informing the public how to stay safe. Follow the guidelines of social distancing, hand washing and hygiene. If you become ill, call your doctor or local coronavirus hotline for advice. We are very appreciative of the outpouring of support we have gotten from the public and I would like to thank them for their support.
Christian Thomas
Class of 2015
Position: Supply chain manager for health care company
Favorite Memory: Winning the CBI in 2015. I think all Loyola would agree that was a major turning point for the program. It was exciting to see the careers Ben and Donte would have from that moment on. That team bonded well on and off the court and the friendships will last a lifetime.
Advice to the Public: Stay informed. It's tempting to want to resume your normal routine now that some establishments are opening and the weather is nice. However, we need to remember the pandemic isn't over. Let's use our best judgment.
Women's Basketball
Lyndsey Booker
Class of 2013
Position: Resident in inpatient rehabilitation unit
Favorite Loyola Memory: Off-season Italy trip with the team in the summer of 2013.
Advice to the Public: Please continue to stay home and practice great hygiene by washing your hands!
Lisa Schultz (Samplawski)
Class of 2012
Position: Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Beating No. 17 Green Bay in 2010.
Advice to the Public: Check in on your loved ones, especially those at risk, and make sure you take some time to get out and get some fresh air.
Abby Skube
Class of 2013
Position: Oncology/Hematology Stem Cell Transplant Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Seeing my family in the stands nearly every game.
Advice to the Public: Don't watch the news.
Women's Soccer
Maggie Doe
Class of 2011
Position: Family medicine and sports medicine physician
Favorite Loyola Memory: It's a tie between winning the Horizon League championship in 2007 against Milwaukee and getting to watch the NCAA tournament selection show with my teammates AND when the entire women's soccer team dressed up as different mascots for the infamous Mascot Halftime show at a men's basketball game.
Advice to the Public: Life moving forward is going to look much different than it did before the pandemic. The basic, but vitally important, philosophies of stay home when you are sick, wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough will remain central to the health and well-being of our communities. Moreover, everyone is about to get a real-time look into the importance of vaccination. Stay up to date on your vaccines including, but not limited to the flu shot!
Ashley Funk
Class of 2011
Position: General Pediatrician
Favorite Loyola Memory: Winning the Horizon League Tournament my freshman year. We were losing initially, came back to tie the game and the eventually won in a penalty shootout – one of the most exhilarating ways to win a game!
Advice to the Public: This is a trying time for us all. It is so important for everyone to do your part in stopping the spread of coronavirus. Stay at home. Wash your hands. Don't touch your face. Wear a mask if you need to go out. But also, take care of yourself! Get dressed in the morning, eat healthy, try to exercise at least 30 minutes each day, and try to reach out to at least one family member/friend daily. Even though the coronavirus is keeping us all apart, it is also bringing us together - embrace that.
Vivien Schultz
Class of 2018
Position: Surgical Cardiac ICU Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Winning the MVC championship my senior year and going to the NCAA tournament. It was such a cool experience to play the team that ended up winning the national championship.
Advice to the Public: Continue to social distance and stay home. I know that can be really hard to do but it's the only way we can control this pandemic and keep everyone safe.
Laura Trevillian
Class of 2011
Position: Cardiac telemetry unit nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: No doubt the 2007 conference championship where I scored the game-winning penalty kick to send us to the NCAA tournament. But the absolute best part was seeing a video from the stands where my dad yelled "It's all over!" right before I kicked and then him and my moment crazy laughing/crying/screaming/hugging. I'll love that moment forever.
Advice to the Public: Wash your hands, stay home as much as you can, and pray for those who can't. It's a gut-wrenching feeling waking up to uncertainty. Sending good vibes/nice texts/loving words to those that need it will always be well received. I messaged Penny Livermore (All my Loyola people know who this is!) with my anxiety when all this started and she sent back: "O, be brave, dear heart, keep on, day-by-day, cherishing the Little Things, each breath…knowing I love you so!"
Cara Van Weelden (Morawski)
Class of 2011
Position: Orthopedic Trauma Doctor
Favorite Loyola Memory: There are too many to really pick just one, so being a part of the Loyola Athletics community, our team making it to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and still to this day, the life-long friendships I have made, and of course, also meeting my husband of six years!
Advice to the Public: Continue to find joy and time for your hobbies while remaining safe at home! We are all heroes by just doing our part!
Softball
Carole Gorecki Fitzgerald
Facebook: Carole Gorecki Fitzgerald
Position: Internal Medicine Physician
Favorite Loyola Memory: I will never forget the friendships developed with my teammates. Those relationships are lifelong and feel unchanged even after years apart…just like a true family.
Advice to the Public: This virus is real and it is scary. Because this is a novel virus, we are still learning how to treat it and to keep people safe. Therefore, recommendations are going to change as we learn more about it. Healthcare workers have families too, that we want to protect as much as anyone, so trust that our advice is genuine. Unfortunately, staying isolated is the best way to keep deaths down until we have a real, proven treatment.
Hannah Jenkins
Class of 2016
Position: Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Entire senior year! Our team became a family. We all still talk and go on trips together!
Advice to the Public: To those outside of healthcare, please do your part and trust when we say it's bad.
Stephanie Mullen (Cihlar)
Class of 2010
Position: Emergency Resident Physician
Favorite Loyola Memory: Being surrounded by my teammates and best friends.
Advice to the Public: Stay smart, stay home, stay safe!
Jacquelyn Murphy
Class of 2017
Position: Neuroscience ICU Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Making it to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament final my freshman year!
Advice to the Public: It's simple – stay home! This crazy virus doesn't discriminate!!
Kaycee Nickell (Tharp)
Class of 2009
Position: Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: The infamous Berkeley Mile! Shoutout to all of my teammates from 2006-07!
Ashley Rogers
Class of 2016
Position: Physician Assistant in Chicago
Favorite Loyola Memory: Pitching against the University of Arizona in at their home field in 2015.
Advice to the Public: Spend this time reaching out to loved ones!
Track & Field
Ericka Laviste
Class of 2016
Position: Nurse
Favorite Loyola Memory: Participating in the Jock Jams of 2014. T was so fun to sing and dance on stage with all my teammates and fellow athletes!
Advice to the Public: Stay healthy, maintain social distance, check in on loved ones with health issues and pray and keep the faith always!
