It was no typical Chicago Spring morning when the 5th Annual MaxPreps Girls' Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard arrived at the Whitney Young Magnet High School on April 18, 2012. There was heightened awareness and excitement for a trophy presentation about to happen in recognition of the Lady Dolphins Basketball Team. Twice in the past four years the Whitney Young Lady Dolphins have been a successful State Champion in the 4A Class Division therefore qualifying for the prestigious "Minuteman" trophy presented by the Army National Guard. The Lady Dolphins are an outstanding girls' basketball team ranking No. 9 nationally in the MaxPreps Freeman poll and No. 1 in the State of Illinois! It's not surprising after you meet the coach. Head Coach Corry Irvin continues to mold young women into elite athletes at the high school level but endorses collegiate play and this year two of her players will continue shaping their skills for programs such as the University of Kentucky and the University of Missouri.
We were greeted on campus by Athletic Director and Coach Chris Cassidy. Coach Cassidy would also be the first to kick off our Tour of Champions presentation with a welcome and the introduction of Karl Wilhelm of MaxPreps. Karl congratulated Coach Irvin and the Lady Dolphins on their remarkable 34-0 season as the crowd cheered! His encouraging words brought many smiles to the team's faces. Karl then introduced Sergeant Eddie Cox of the Illinois Army National Guard. Sergeant Cox captivated the crowd with the description of the Minuteman trophy or as the hardware is officially known as, the Army National Guard national ranking trophy, and the qualities the trophy stands for. His comparison to the attributes of the trophy and the Lady Dolphins were dedication, teamwork, loyalty and honor and he was clear that the team had exhibited each of those to make their season a success. As he presented the coveted trophy to Coach Irvin, she quickly passed it along to her team sharing in the honor with them, always recognizing them for their hard work. Each player made her way to at least "touch" the trophy! Then Sergeant Cox presented Coach Irvin with the championship rafter banner which will proudly hang high in the rafters of their gymnasium for many years to come in honor of a year to be remembered. Coach Irvin thanked the Army National Guard and MaxPreps for their recognition and graciously accepted awards on behalf of the Whitney Young Lady Dolphins.
The crowd cheered as pictures were flashing all around. The girls' faces beamed with excitement and several gave video interviews to thank MaxPreps and the Army National Guard for this day of honor!
