AIDAN POLLARD
Assistant Sports Editor
There is no better consolation than Sister Jean.
After Loyola-Chicago lost to Michigan in the Final Four of the NCAA March Madness tournament, 98-year old Sister Jean gave comforting words and hugs to the Ramblers whose teary eyes could certainly use it.
“She said she was proud of us,” said Cameron Krutwig, Ramblers’ freshman.
Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt has been the chaplain for the Loyola-Chicago men’s basketball team since 1994, and she has received an honorary doctorate from the school, as well as a “Sister Jean Day” in 2012.
Sister Jean’s popularity skyrocketed after the Ramblers’ unlikely upset of Miami in the first round of this year’s NCAA tournament. From then on, Loyola-Chicago continued to upset teams as well as sports analysts and bracket-holding fans as they moved forward through the tournament.
Sister Jean’s “Divine Intervention” has been credited for their upset of Tennessee as well as Miami. Both games were won in the closing seconds, making Sister Jean a rising star whose bobblehead has sold for over $300 on eBay.
The win against Tennessee took the Ramblers to their first Sweet 16 in 33 years. They went on to best Nevada and Kansas State to make it to the Final Four played against Michigan. Loyola lost 69-57 to the Wolverines, ending their 2018 run in the tournament.
For an 11-seed who was not projected to make it past the first round of the tournament, the Ramblers have made quite a name for themselves in 2018. They spent the whole tournament squeaking by and edging further and further with the help of both Sister Jean and a rabid fanbase.
With two strong teams making the championship game, it’s hard to see much of a downside to Loyola-Chicago’s loss.
Sister Jean has decided to take a social media hiatus after the loss, and she accepted no questions before leaving the Alamodome on Saturday.
For now, nobody but the players who she so lovingly consoled after the loss will be the only ones to know how she currently feels. Though, for a personality like Sister Jean, it’s hard to imagine anything but optimism and forward-thinking.