When the Marquette men’s basketball team hoisted the Big East Tournament championship trophy last March, it was a historic moment for both the program and the university.
It was the Golden Eagles’ second ever Big East championship, as well as its first since joining the conference. Not only was it historic, but it was a legacy defining moment for that team.
Legacy is largely defined by winning at Marquette. Whether it’s having its Big East trophies scattered in display cases all around the Al McGuire Center or all of the banners hanging in Fiserv Forum, Marquette is proud of its athletics programs and their successes.
The teams that win championships always get remembered, it’s a tale as old as time. But, how does an athlete cement a legacy for themselves?
Look no farther than Dwyane Wade. The newly inducted NBA Hall of Famer cemented his legacy at Marquette just over 20 years ago when he was averaging 21.5 points per game in 2003, leading the Golden Eagles to the Final Four.
After being drafted fifth overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, Wade quickly became one of the most prominent faces of the league. Three NBA titles and 13 all star games later, Wade’s legacy extended much past his time at Marquette.
Or you could find legacy in former Marquette’s men’s soccer player Lukas Sunesson.
By the end of Sunesson’s career with the Golden Eagles, he had tallied 27 goals, a tie for the tenth most in program history. Sunesson also led Marquette to its second ever Sweet 16 berth in 2021, tied for the farthest that the program has ever gone in the NCAA Tournament.
Maybe you turn to former Marquette women’s lacrosse player Lydia Foust.
Named to the All-Big East First Team for the past three seasons, Foust had a successful career during her time as a Golden Eagle. The Redwood City, California native scored the third most goals in program history with 156 and was also named Big East Midfielder of the Year in 2023.
Foust currently sits in second place in program history for shots, all time games played and points. She was the leading goal scorer on the 2023 team that went to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
While on-the-field success often translates to leaving a legacy, there are other ways to be remembered as well.
Some might remember Chloe Marotta for the career she had with Marquette women’s basketball. However, the 2023 all Big East First Team selections’ impact went way beyond the court.
This past February, Marotta started Rebounds for Research, a campaign to honor her father, Marc, who passed away in 2015 due to a brain aneurysm. Even after Marotta’s departure from Marquette, her campaign is still growing, as it has raised over $26,000 for the Brain Aneurysm Foundation.
Marotta is living proof that the legacy left behind at Marquette can extend past the playing field.
Ultimately, these are all great examples of athletes and teams whose legacies still remain throughout Marquette’s campus. Some may be the standard of achievement within their respective programs, while others may boast a message of inspiration that there is more to having a legacy than being successful on the playing field.
To leave a legacy at Marquette is to leave a standard. Those who can reach that standard will be remembered for great reason. Who will be the next to leave their legacy at Marquette? Will Tyler Kolek do it? Maybe it’ll be Aubrey Hamilton. Could it be Jordan King?
Only time will tell.
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
