GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Each month during the academic year, Aquinas College Athletic Communications celebrates the performances, personalities, and people who make Saints Athletics special by naming the Saints of the Month. For April 2026, the honorees represent national-level excellence, championship ambition, academic distinction, and the spirit-filled support that makes Aquinas unlike any other college athletics experience in the country.
This month's Saints of the Month include Madison Rempalski of Women's Track & Field as the Female Saint of the Month, TJ Murphy of Men's Lacrosse as the Male Saint of the Month, and Fr. Jordan DeGuire, O.P. as the Saint Support Superstar.
Together, they tell the story of what makes April at Aquinas so special — postseason performance, national recognition, and a campus community that shows up for one another in unforgettable ways.
Female Saint of the Month — Madison Rempalski (Women's Track & Field)
If April is about rising to the moment, few Saints have done it better than Madison Rempalski.
The Grand Rapids Northview product closed the indoor season in spectacular fashion at the NAIA Indoor Track & Field National Championships, earning First Team All-American honors with a fourth-place finish in the mile while rewriting the Aquinas record book. Her time of 4:51.17 shattered the previous school standard by more than five seconds and instantly cemented one of the most memorable performances of the AQ indoor season.
That national-stage moment was simply the latest chapter in an already brilliant year.
At the WHAC Indoor Championships, Rempalski was named the Most Valuable Performer after piling up 26 points, winning the 5000 meters, capturing the mile title in 5:00.08, and placing third in the 1000 meters. Her continued rise has made her one of the most decorated distance runners in recent Aquinas history.
But what makes Rempalski such a perfect Saint of the Month selection is how fully she embodies the AQ mission.
A double major in Environmental Science and Political Science, she continues to thrive academically while serving as a leader in Aquinas' sustainability initiatives. Last summer, her internship at Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park included work on the institution's first-ever pollinator survey, where she helped identify 1,384 pollinators — the kind of impact that reflects both scholarship and service.
Head Coach Michael Wojciakowski says Rempalski's excellence extends far beyond the finish line.
"Madison is everything you hope for in a student-athlete. She competes with toughness, poise, and an incredible drive to keep getting better, and what she accomplished on the national stage was truly special. To break a school record at nationals and earn All-American honors speaks to the kind of competitor she is. What makes it even more impressive is the way she balances elite athletic performance with outstanding academic work and leadership in sustainability. Madison represents Aquinas at the highest level in every sense."
Male Saint of the Month — TJ Murphy (Men's Lacrosse)
There are great players, there are program-changing players, and then there are players having the kind of season that can define an era.
That is where TJ Murphy lives right now.
The Vicksburg native has been nothing short of electric for the No. 3-ranked Aquinas Men's Lacrosse team, helping position the Saints as one of the premier national championship contenders in the NAIA.
Through 11 appearances this spring, Murphy has piled up 42 goals and 17 assists for a team-leading 59 points, numbers that place him among the most dangerous offensive players in the nation. His 104 shots, 40.4 shooting percentage, and 66.3 shots-on-goal rate reflect both volume and elite efficiency, while his six man-up goals and one game-winner prove his ability to deliver in the sport's biggest moments.
The national recognition has followed.
Murphy has already earned three WHAC Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and has twice been named the NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week, placing him firmly in the national spotlight.
Yet what makes Murphy such a compelling choice is the way his performance has elevated the entire program's ceiling. Every possession feels dangerous when the ball is in his stick, and his leadership within one of the nation's top locker rooms has helped fuel AQ's championship-level confidence.
Head Coach Peter Treppa says Murphy's impact reaches every corner of the program.
"TJ is playing with the kind of confidence and command that changes games before the opponent can even settle in. He has been absolutely electric for us, and his ability to create offense, finish in big moments, and elevate the players around him is a huge reason we're ranked where we are nationally. What stands out most is that he never lets the attention change his approach — he just keeps working, keeps leading, and keeps pushing this team toward the bigger goal of competing for a national championship."
Saint Support Superstar — Fr. Jordan DeGuire, O.P.
Some supporters cheer. Some encourage. Some inspire.
Fr. Jordan DeGuire, O.P. has done all three, and he has done it in a way that has become one of the most beloved sights in Aquinas Athletics.
After three years of dedicated service to the Aquinas community, particularly through Campus Ministry and the Philosophy & Theology Department, Fr. Jordan will conclude his time as chaplain at the end of this academic year before beginning a doctoral program in liturgical theology at the University of Notre Dame.
His next chapter is remarkable, but his impact at Aquinas will endure far beyond it.
Whether it has been standing along the fence line at a lacrosse match, cheering from the bleachers at Sturrus, or simply being present for student-athletes in moments big and small, Fr. Jordan has embodied the Aquinas mission through visibility, joy, and unwavering support.
Michael Ingram, M.A., Director of Campus Ministry, says Fr. Jordan's presence has become part of the Saints experience.
"When people think of college athletics, they likely don't imagine a fan in a flowing white habit that feels straight out of the Middle Ages. Yet at Aquinas, it's one of the most natural sights on campus. Thanks to Fr. Jordan's unwavering support for our students, it has become both familiar and almost expected to find him in the stands or posted along the fence line, passionately cheering on whichever Saints team is competing that day."
His departure for Notre Dame is a tremendous next step, but for April, it also makes him the perfect choice to honor the spirit, faith, and community that define AQ.
Final Thoughts
From record-breaking laps in the Sunshine State to highlight-reel goals on the lacrosse field and the unmistakable sight of a Dominican friar cheering from the stands, this month's honorees capture the full heartbeat of Aquinas Athletics.
Madison Rempalski, TJ Murphy, and Fr. Jordan DeGuire remind us that greatness at Aquinas is measured not only in championships and accolades, but in purpose, presence, and the way we lift one another up.
That's what makes it — every single day — a great day to be a Saint.
And for Fr. Jordan, thank you doesn't seem like enough, but it's sincere and from the heart. Thank-you Fr. Jordan, you will be missed.
