1. Tang, Munshi deliver in playoff penalty shootout
After their pre-counter season tie in Houston, the soccer team went into a rematch with Awty at DISD’s Loos Sports Complex in the first round of the SPC tournament on Feb. 10. The Lions went down 1-0 early to the Eagles in the first half due to a defensive lapse. The team was forced to play push for an equalizer the rest of the game. After some big saves from junior goalkeeper Tyler Tang kept the lead to one, junior captain John Ma curled in a free kick with 10 minutes left to of regulation to level it. For the last 10 minutes and the overtime periods, the Lions dominated the possession and created several chances on goal; however, they were unable to find a game winner – sending the game to a penalty kick shootout. Despite key players missing two penalties early in the shootout, Tang sent the boisterous Lions student section—which included the basketball team who rushed over from their first-round win—into absolute euphoria by saving three Eagle penalty attempts. After 12 kicks from the spot, the shootout was still even. With their seventh penalty, an unlikely hero emerged. With the Awty goalkeeper diving left, senior Akash Munshi pushed his kick in the bottom right of the net. His score his broke the tie and sent the Lions to the semifinals. Students rushed the field to celebrate.
2. School breaks ground on new athletic complex
Since a tornado tore through campus in October of 2019, destroying Hicks Gym and adjoing athletic facilities, the community long awaited news about the buildings’ successor. After months of fundraising and releasing the plans in the October 2022 ReMarker, the school finally gave a decisive answer when they broke ground on May 9. The ceremony just in front of Hicks’ former location was well attended and included guests from the community and the city. Headmaster David Dini and Board President Jeffrey Hillier ‘76 were joined on the program by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Chair of the Athletic Complex Planning Committee Carl Sewell, III ‘02, Athletic Director Sean Lissemore and student council President Sal Hussain. The Marksman Athletic Complex, which is supported through the financial contributions of the Wikert, Wisenbaker and Hill familes, will both replace the old building and expand the facility to meet the needs of an evolving student athlete base. The new complex will include features such as an 850-seat gymnasium, a 12-lane natatorium, a locker room fitted with top-grade Longhorn Lockers, offices for athletic and security staff, a brand new concession stand and alumni meeting spaces. The project is set to be open in January of 2025.
3. Class of 2024 shatters record
On Oct. 8, the class of 2024 held their installment of the famed senior auction in the Decherd Fine Arts Center. The event, led by co-chairs Bennet Applbaum, Lucas Blumenthal, Nathan Meyer and Grayson Redmond, featured 28 unique offerings for community members to bid on. Half of the items were on display in the Blackbox as part of a silent auction. Some of these items included a football signed by all of the Lions’ football team’s seniors and a one-of-one painting of the Grandparents’ Courtyard by senior Holden Browning. The more sought-after items were bid on in a live auction hosted by Director of Admission and Financial Aid and longtime auctioneer David Baker. The items sold for the most was a dinner with Dallas Cowboys legend Troy Aikman hosted by the Elevated Cooking Club for $17,000. Some of the other big ticket items included Christmas caroling with SMAcapella and a night Trick-or-Treating with a group of seniors. Overall the auction raised more than $173,000 for the school, smashing the previous record by over $50,000.
