Four individuals and two teams to be inducted at third-annual athletic hall of fame weekend

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI (February 5, 2024) - The 2024 Marian Athletic Club (MAC) Hall of Fame celebration on Sunday, March 24, 2024 will mark the third consecutive year that deserving individuals and teams will be inducted to the Marian Athletics Hall of Fame.

A year ago, four individuals were recognized for their contributions to the rich athletic history of Marian High School. They included Stephanie Storen-Jett '93 (basketball), the late Denny Flynn (contributor) and Mollie Pultie '15 (swimming). Legendary tennis coach Julie McKnight was also posthumously inducted. Additionally, the school's first-ever state championship team was honored with the addition of the 1988 basketball squad to the hall of fame class.

The 2024 hall of fame class builds on this already outstanding group. The hall of fame committee has selected All-American basketball player Nicole Anaejionu '99, track and field standout Dana Carey '11, lacrosse legend Caroline Forester '15 and longtime Marian Head of School, Sr. Lenore Pochelski, IHM, who was instrumental to the growth of the athletic program and a guiding member of the Catholic High School League's (CHSL) Executive Committee. Additionally, former student-athletes representing the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) state championship soccer teams of 2003 and 2004 will be on campus to represent both teams' induction to the hall of fame.

Once again, Jennifer Hammond, FOX 2 Sports Reporter and 2024 National Sports Media Association (NSMA) Michigan Sportscaster of the Year, will be the evening's host for the third consecutive year. Hammond will lead the inductee panel in an interactive talk show-style format that promises to be entertaining for all ages.

While tickets are free of charge, attendees are encouraged to register and contribute to the Hall of Fame effort, if possible. Additionally, registrants and sponsors can write personalized messages to the inductees through the registration process.

Sponsors will take part in a private meet-and-greet event with inductees that will include photo opportunities and a champagne reception. Hors d'oeuvres and light refreshments will be served to all.

For more information, please contact Amy Carroll, MAC and Hall of Fame Committee President at amycarroll@mac.com or John Bingham, MAC Co-President at jfbingh@gmail.com.

To RSVP for the event, or to become a sponsor, please click the button below:

2024 MARIAN ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS
(listed alphabetically)

2003 & 2004 VARSITY SOCCER TEAMS

After falling to East Grand Rapids in the 2002 Finals, Head Coach Barry Brodsky and the Mustangs were hungry and ready for a long run in the MHSAA Division 2 tournament. However, the season didn't start the way the Mustangs envisioned, losing to Detroit Country Day, 1-0 and tying with Flint Powers Catholic. Marian only had one more tie and won the remainder of their games to finish with a 21-1-2 record in 2003, but the path was far from easy. In the Catholic League final, the Mustangs finally broke through against Bishop Foley, winning 1-0 in overtime to break a 10-year drought against the Ventures. In the MHSAA Final against Forest Hills Central (21-2), goals were at a premium and Mustangs keeper Lea Perz made 11 saves on the day, blanking the Rangers. Tied at zero in the second overtime, Chris Wasniewski buried a pass from Meghan Garrity in the 103rd minute to lift Marian to its first program title, 1-0.

Marian soccer in 2004 can only be described as dominant. Not only did the Mustangs return to the MHSAA Finals for the second straight year, they did so in dominating fashion, going undefeated (25-0). Marian owned a then-MHSAA record 49-straight victories reaching back to the 2003 season. Amazingly, opponents scored more than one goal against Marian only twice all season: A 3-2 victory over Stoney Creek to open the season and a 3-2 win over Avondale in the District tournament. In fact, opponents only scored a total of ten goals against the Mustangs all season, with the Marian defense posting 15 shutouts. 

In the state championship held at Forest Hills Central High School, Marian dominated play over East Grand Rapids, tallying 23 shots to the Pioneers' five and earning a 12-0 advantage in corner kicks. Up 2-0 at the half behind a pair of goals from Courtney McCracken, Meghan Garrity added a goal in the 61^st minute and the Mustangs cruised to a 3-0 victory and a top-25 national ranking to end the 2004 campaign.

NICOLE ANAEJIONU '99 (STUDENT-ATHLETE)

It had been four years that Marian, under the direction of hall of fame coach Mary Cicerone, had captured a MHSAA Class 'A' championship after winning it all in 1988 and then again in 1992. Joining a solid nucleus of players, Southfield native Nicole Anaejionu came into her own as a sophomore on varsity. She controlled the paint and helped lead the Mustangs to a 25-3 record, Cicerone's third state crown and a top-25 ranking in the final USAToday poll in 1996. After returning to the Finals in 1997 and falling just short to Grand Rapids Christian, the Mustangs returned to reclaim the Class 'A' championship at Rose Arena in Mt. Pleasant. Anaejionu, now a senior, scored 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the 1998 championship. Initially enrolling and playing a year at Penn State, Anaejionu transferred to University of Detroit Mercy, leading the Titans in blocks each of her three years there. Nicole led Detroit Mercy in scoring (313 points) and rebounds (501) in her final season. Anaejionu is currently Vice President for Communications, Special Projects & Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at NBCUniversal in Los Angeles.

DANA CAREY GANGE '11 (STUDENT-ATHLETE)

In what can only be described as a stellar career at Marian, Dana Carey earned three track & field letters as a Mustang, was named all-Catholic and all-Region each of her final three seasons before graduating in 2011. Carey also earned all-Oakland County and all-State honors in her junior and senior seasons. At the 2011 Midwest Meet of Champions, Carey finished second in the 300-meter hurdles, earning her All-Midwest honors as a senior. Dana was also twice recognized as an All-American by way of a fifth-place finish in the 400-meter hurdles at the 2011 Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Junior Olympic Games and a fourth-place finish in the 4x800-meter relay in 2010. At the University of Michigan, Carey continued to achieve on the track, competing primarily in hurdles, sprints and middle-distance events and notching several top-10 finishes in the 2012 outdoor season before eventually competing for the Wolverines on both the indoor and outdoor squads. Carey led the U-M 4x400-meter relay to wins at Michigan State (indoor), in the CAL-UVA Tri-Meet and at Big Ten Championships in her redshirt junior season. Carey earned the U-M Athletic Academic Achievement Award in 2015 and graduated from the School of Kinesiology with a bachelor of arts in Sports Management. She is employed by Quicken Loans and a Mortgage Processor.

CAROLINE FORESTER CROWE '15 (STUDENT-ATHLETE)

As a prep athlete, Caroline Forester became not only one of Marian's most remarkable lacrosse athletes, but one of the most remarkable in Michigan history. After earning Michigan Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (MWLCA) All-State honorable mention in 2013 and second team All-State following her junior season, Forester helped lead head coach Jamie Francek's 2015 Mustangs team back to the MHSAA Division 1 Finals for the first time since 2009. Second-ranked Marian, down 9-4 at the half in the Final to Rockford, charged back behind Forester's pair of goals, but fell to the Rams, 10-9. Forester earned All-Catholic, first team All-State, first team All-Midwest and All-America honors following the season. Forester moved on to the University of Tampa as Michigan's all-time career scoring leader (322, currently sixth). At Tampa, Forester led the Spartans' ascension as one of the top programs in the nation. The midfielder played 66 games (fifth all-time at Tampa), starting 53. She also scored 114 career goals (fourth all-time). In fact, Forester is ranked in the Spartans' top-ten in 12 career statistical categories. As a senior team captain, Forester led Tampa to the school's highest-ever national ranking (No. 3) and a number-one seed in the 2019 NCAA Division II tournament. Although Tampa fell in the opening round by a one-goal margin, Forester was selected first team All-Sunshine State Conference (SSC) and was a member of the SSC All-Championship team. Additionally, Caroline earned All-South Region second team honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and was selected to compete in the IWLCA senior all-star game. Forester earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Tampa and later earned a master's degree in School Counseling from the University of Denver in 2022. Lacrosse runs deep in the Forester family. Caroline's brother J.P. played lacrosse at the University of Richmond and recently, Caroline was married to James Crowe, a former Brother Rice standout and a member of the Mercyhurst University lacrosse team.

SR. LENORE POCHELSKI, IHM (ADMINISTRATOR)

Sr. Lenore, who retired from Marian in June of 2023, dedicated 31 years to Marian High School and was instrumental in promoting the Catholic school's reputation for academic excellence which in turn attracted female student-athletes from around Southeast Michigan seeking exceptional athletics in an empowering environment built on faith and sisterhood.  She led Marian's capital campaign to raise the funds needed to build a state-of-the-art gymnasium on campus, which has become home to many state-champion basketball and volleyball teams, in addition to hosting tournaments for the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) and MHSAA.  During Sr. Lenore's tenure, the athletic facilities, including the locker rooms, tennis courts, and sporting fields, have seen renovations or upgrades. She has had a front-row seat to 34 of the 35 Mustangs state championship teams. In 2010, Pochelski was inducted into the CHSL Hall of Fame. In 2023, she earned the CHSL Ed Lauer Person of the Year Award, becoming only the second religious woman, the first school administrator and only the sixth non-coach to win the award since its inception in 1983.

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