by Bill Huesken ’14
Every Ignatius student has heard Brian Hoyer’s name, a name fervently repeated by Browns fans hoping for relief from season after season of drudgery. The 2004 graduate is, despite the Manziel media circus, on track to be the Browns starting quarterback this fall.
But names like Derek Dietrich, Justin Morrow, and Tim Mack are far less frequently repeated on campus. The school’s numerous successful athletic programs have sent many talented athletes on to the next level. But these three, in baseball, soccer, and pole vault, respectively, have reached the top levels in their sports. Their time at Ignatius was, for each, instrumental to their later success.
Derek Dietrich, ’07, was taken in the third round of the 2007 MLB draft by the Astros but opted to play collegiately with Georgia Tech. He signed with the Rays after being chosen in the second round of the 2010 draft. After the 2012 season, Dietrich was traded to the Miami Marlins, with whom he made his Major League debut in 2013. He made the 2014 Opening Day roster and has seen regular playing time holding down second base while veteran Rafael Furcal rehabs from an injury.
Dietrich currently sports a .241 batting average with three home runs and 11 RBI in 28 games. He figures into the Marlins’ long-term plans. A star for the Ignatius team, Coach Brad Ganor spoke of him as a player with the “drive and the passion to succeed.”
“He was great student, but his main focus was to be an MLB player, and he never let anything get between him and his dream,” Ganor said.
Justin Morrow ’06 was an All-American at Ignatius, helping lead the Soccer Cats to two state championships in 2004 and 2005, and and a national championship in ’05. He served as a captain his senior year, went on to play for Notre Dame, and earned Big East Academic All Star awards his sophomore and junior years while being named the team captain his senior year of college. An MLS All-Star in 2012 with the San Jose Earthquakes, he was traded before the 2014 season to Toronto FC, where the hope is that his play at left back can help to change the team’s fortunes.
Like Dietrich, Morrow stood out not just because of talent.
“Talent gets you so far,” said Coach Mike McLaughlin. “But ultimately, what separates a guy is his will and desire to compete. Justin was always talented, and as he went through high school and college, he really discovered the importance of working hard to be his best every day. “
Tim Mack, ’90, is a different story. At the high school level he was a talented but not exceptional pole vaulter. His high school record was 13 feet, 6 inches. He never made the state meet and signed to compete collegiately at Malone University near Canton.
He would, however, become more and more talented as he aged. He transferred to the University of Tennessee, where he won the 1995 NCAA Indoor Pole Vault title.
After failing to make the 2000 U.S. Olympic team, Mack earned a spot on the 2004 team for the Athens games. Once in Greece, not only did he win the gold medal, Mack set what was, at the time, the Olympic record at 19 feet, 6¼ inches.
After competing professionally for several more years, Mack now resides in Tennessee, coaching talented pole vaulters from around the country.
The vast majority of high school stars go on to lead lives influenced b y sports, but not dominated by them. But a school the size of Ignatius has produced several athletes who have not just great talent, but also great work ethics. The combination of those two traits has allowed them to succeed as they have, earning professional contracts, acclaim, and even gold medals.
