Loyola Chicago & The Legend of Sister Jean
Senior Cameron Krutwig celebrates a win for Loyola Chicago
March 25, 2021
In 2018 the Loyola Chicago Ramblers college basketball team pulled off one of the biggest upsets in March Madness history. They defeated the number one seed Virginia Cavaliers in the first round of the NCAA March Madness Basketball Tournament–becoming the second 16 seed to ever do so. The team rallied behind their biggest supporter, 98-year-old Jean Delores Schmidt, otherwise known as Sister Jean. Sister Jean brings the team together for prayer before every game and has received fame and love from her fans of college basketball all over the country.
It has now been three years and the Ramblers are back in the tournament as the eighth seed, and Sister Jean is right alongside them at the age of 101, and fully vaccinated. Once again the Ramblers are breaking brackets by upsetting the number nine seed Georgia Tech in the first round. As they headed into the round of 32, things weren’t looking too bright, as they would be matched up against the number one seeded Illinois.
Instead, the Ramblers pulled off the biggest bracket buster of the year, blowing out Illinois 71-58, shocking everyone, except WHS librarian Mrs. Cellucci, who has Loyola Chicago taking the championship home. She currently sits in second place in The Lobby Observer Bracket Challenge, behind sophomore Connor Nagi, who was also on the Sister Jean-train, having the Ramblers making it to the round of 32.
Senior Drew Lewis-Keddy who sits in 21st place in the bracket challenge is certainly not on the Sister Jean-train.
In Lewis-Keddy’s opinion, “The media puts too much attention on Sister Jean, and she overshadows the basketball team, taking away the credit that the players deserve.”
It’s not all love for Sister Jean, but she seems to bring good luck to the Ramblers every year in the tournament.
The Ramblers will face 12-seeded Oregon State in the sweet sixteen on Saturday afternoon at 2:40. The Ramblers will once again need to prove they are one of the elite teams in the tournament, with hopes of reaching the elite eight, final four, and eventually winning it all.
