John Knebels

Perseverance, fortitude, grit and calm in the face of a storm often accompany the description of prominent athletes. At the funeral Mass of deceased brothers Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau Sept. 9 at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Media, however, it was their wives who emulated the aforementioned attributes as they took turns giving words of remembrance for their fallen husbands.

As family, friends, teammates, coaches, media, acquaintances and even strangers struggled mightily to make sense of the devastating tragedy Aug. 29 that took the lives of National Hockey League star Johnny Gaudreau, 31, and his brother, Matthew, 29, no expression adequately conveyed the sense of loss that tore apart the fabric of a popular, much-loved family with deep Catholic roots. 

Jackie Young's ability to make her presence felt in virtually every basketball category symbolically reflected the 17 Notre Dame current or former athletes who represented the Olympics in six sports and six countries. Ultimately, eight of them collectively garnered a staggering 10 medals.