St. Ignatius's The Eye: Volume LXXIX Number 1

     And so ends another school year, all the sports seasons have either come to a halt or are in the process of coming to a halt, and the seniors are upon completion of their academic and athletic careers at St. Ignatius. Every year, the students select a senior to be the John Wirtz Athlete of the Year. In order to win this prestigious award, one must excel in at least two varsity sports, display a strong academic curricular in their years at Ignatius, show signs of being a dedicated leader, a coach-able player, and be a well-behaved student. The award is very prominent and is celebrated by many; including the occasion when the winner accepts his plaque and induction during half time of a varsity basketball game. This year there was a strong pool of perfectly acceptable candidates running for the Wirtz Athlete of the Year Award, such as standouts Brian Hoyer, Josiah Kedzior, Mike Massey, Ed Hills, Andrew D'Atri, Brent DeCoster, Jim Chmelik, and many more superb St. Ignatius athletes and students. Upon the completion of the voting period, the students of St. Ignatius chose Jim Chmelik as their 2004, John Wirtz Athlete of the Year.
    In his years at St . Ignatius, Jim has been a highly respectable football running back, defensive back, and punt returner. Jim especially found his niche in track and field, where he became one of the greatest runners Ignatius has ever had the privilege of calling their own. When asking yourself whether or not Jim posseses the qualities of a Wirtz Athlete. Just ask any of his friends and they will tell you that Jim eloquently embodies the characteristics of a true Wirtz Athlete. When asked what he thought of Jim Chmelik, his defensive back coach Mr. Tom Rini responded by saying, "Jimmy Chmelik is the ideal student athlete whose hard work and dedication has shown dividends now and will continue to do so."
    In the 2003 football season, Jim stood out at defensive back. On the year he managed to record 21 tackles and 8 assists, providing a defensive threat that made opposing quarterbacks think twice about throwing his way. Jim also contributed greatly on the offensive side of the football. At runningback, he rushed the ball 30 times for 133 yards, which for the record, is a very impressive 4.4 yards per carry. In these carries he reached the end-zone twice. Jim was an important factor to the special teams as well. He returned 20 punts on the year for 464 yards and one touchdown. This averages out to an astoundingly dangerous 23.2 yards per return; the highest on the team. When asking football/track coach Chuck Kyle about his coaching experience with Jim, he says "Jim is a very cooperative player with a tremendous work ethic...his drive earns this award." The question one must ask when referring to Jim's football abilities is, "What can't this guy do?"
    Must we even mention the track "rapsheet" of Chmelik. Jim ran all four years at Ignatius. He won a state-championship as a freshman and broke and tied school records his senior years. This year, Jim broke the Ignatius 300-meter intermediate hurdles record with an implausible 38.35 second finish. When Jim wasn't busy breaking track records, he kept himself active by trying other records such as the 110-meter high hurdle record, which is 14.0 seconds. No one has touched this record since Pat Walsh in 1986.
     Jim's friends all agree that he is the type of player who wishes that the outcome of the game will rest in his hands. Jim is an incredibly hard worker, a dedicated teammate, student, and true Ignatius man for others. The student body is aware of the qualities you possess and have made the decision. Congratulations Jim, you deserve to be called the 2004 John Wirtz Athlete of the Year Award and we wish you the best of luck at Coastal Carolina.