One of the biggest lessons I have learned through the COVID-19 pandemic is to never take anything for granted. 

Since stepping on campus in the fall of 2018, I have been a John Carroll Sports Information Department member. 

My duties vary from working in the office throughout the week preparing for game days by creating game notes to updating bios on the website. Outside of our office hours, our primary job is to make sure events run smoothly.

On Saturday, Nov. 6, our office had the opportunity to give our athletes the recognition they deserved as the John Carroll Men’s Soccer team faced off against the Otterbein Cardinals in an Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. 

Throughout the whole season, I have been the primary play-by-play broadcaster for our John Carroll Men’s Soccer team. Likewise, on Saturday, I had the opportunity to call the game for the Blue Streaks as they looked to win their fourth consecutive OAC Championship. 

After 90 minutes of play on a cold Saturday night, John Carroll and Otterbein sat at a 0-0 score, sending the game to overtime. Less than two minutes into overtime, the Blue Streaks claimed their fourth straight OAC Championship ring courtesy of a Ben Hryszko goal, lifting John Carroll to a 1-0 victory in an overtime victory against the Cardinals. 

I have broadcasted other OAC Championship games in the past, but the difference is that this OAC Championship game was the first one that seemed ordinary since nearly two years ago. When I broadcasted the John Carroll Women’s Basketball OAC Championship game in the winter of 2021, the fans were not allowed to attend, and that game would be the end of the season with no NCAA Division III Tournament bid on the line. 

Saturday’s game had an opportunity for the winner of going to the NCAA Tournament once again. 

As a senior, I am very glad that I will have the opportunity to broadcast at least one more time at Don Shula Stadium for the John Carroll Men’s Soccer Team when they host the NCAA Men’s Soccer Tournament this upcoming weekend. 

Everything seems to be coming full circle. When things were normal pre-pandemic during my sophomore year, I was on the call for John Carroll’s NCAA Tournament game against Washington and Jefferson. Flash forward two years later, I get to do it once again with normalcy back in place. 

One different thing is that I am now under the leadership of John Carroll Sports Information Director Joe Ginley. 

During my sophomore year, John Carroll’s late Sports Information Director, Chris Wenzler ‘90, was the leader of our SID office, but passed away due to cancer in June 2020. 

I have learned a lot in those past two years. I could not be where I am today without Wenzler allowing me to begin broadcasting my freshman year. Ginley trusted me to continue my work as a broadcaster in the department and I have grown immensely since the beginning of my broadcasting career at JCU. 

Even though Wenzler was not present at Saturday’s victory, the Wenzler Warriors were in full effect as a cardboard head out of Wenzler sat beside the John Carroll bench the whole game.

You never know what could happen or what could change. And, as we learned throughout the pandemic, you never know how much something could change. 

Cherish every moment you get, and cherish every memory that is made. Most importantly, don’t take anything for granted.