As four-year, multiple-sport athletes, recent Riverside Brookfield High School
graduates Emily Organ and Cooper Marrs were constantly busy.
“I loved it. It’s a grind, but it’s definitely fun, and you get to meet so many people and be with your friends,” Organ said. “It feels good putting in all of that time and seeing positive results.”
Organ and Marrs were honored for their excellence as the 2024 RBHS Senior Athletes of the Year.
Organ will play softball at Bradley University (Peoria), where she will major in marketing and minor in sustainability. Marrs will play baseball at Denison University (Granville, Ohio) and major in data analytics.
“It’s a super-fun time playing as many sports as possible. It’s just nice to get recognized for the effort I’ve put in the last four years,” Marrs said.
“I get really bored really easily. I don’t like having down time. Sports have given me something to do, something to focus on. I’m a more complete person when I’m in a season.”
Organ was a four-year varsity starter in softball, earning second-team all-state this past season and All-Metro Suburban Conference honors three times. She was all-conference in basketball, playing three years on varsity and four overall. In the fall, she played three years of volleyball and her senior year on varsity, missing the 2022 season to focus on traveling softball.
“I’m going to miss the diversity part of it and getting something from each sport,” Organ said. “The energy from each sport is so different. But I love softball, and I’m really excited to put all of my time into one sport and perfect my game.”
Marrs excelled in baseball and reached state in his other three sports.
Marrs was this season’s MSC Most Valuable Player as a third baseman/pitcher and All-MSC three times after being a postseason freshman call-up. That year, he also qualified for the Class 3A track and field state meet in the 1,600-meter run and with the 4 x 400 relay.
In cross country, Marrs was a three-time top-25, all-stater and the top finisher (5th) for the Bulldogs’ 2022 2A state championship team — the school’s only state title for any sport. He also was a four-year swimmer, earning his first trip to state this past season with seniors that included twin brother Hayden.
“Running and swimming, I’ll miss having those physically demanding practices,” Marrs said. “I’ll miss the big days of running. I’ll miss spending time in the water. I love having that feeling like a full-body workout.”
Marrs continues working on pitching and hitting to prepare for whatever his needed role at Denison. Moving to outfield is a possibility.
“I’m excited to see what focusing on a sport year-round will potentially unlock for me,” Marrs said.
At Bradley, Organ expects to be a utility player, a role she’s already proven with traveling softball. Her new teammates include older sister Hannah, the 2022 RBHS Senior Athlete of the Year with Owen Murphy.
“I feel like it’s going to be a new opportunity for me, my last four years playing [softball], to home in on everything I need to work on and be the best player and version of myself,” Organ said.