Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2009

SPRING/SUMMER 2009

V E R I T A SThe Magazine of Bishop Montgomery High SchoolThe Magazine of Bishop Montgomery High School

BMHS ATHLETICS: EXERCISING OUR

KNIGHT PRIDEEXERCISING OUR

V E R I T A SE R I T A SE R I T A S

EXERCISING OUR

LETTER FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Again, thank you. You are in our daily prayers. I hope that you keep us in yours.

Dear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

There is a quotation by John Burroughs: “The lure of the distant and the diffi cult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.” I often speak to the students about the importance of truly living God’s gift that is the present moment. The past is done, the future is not yet; we have the here and now and we must not waste this gift. This is the only way that I know how to teach our students to live with meaning—not in the past, not in the future—but present moment by present moment. “The great opportunity is where you are.”

In April, we lost Mike Murphy, who served as our plant manager for twelve years and who was my friend for over 35 years. Mike was wholly dedicated to Catholic education and to its mission as manifested in this special place, Bishop Montgomery. He gave generously of his time and talents, never measuring the cost of that generosity. For him, it was always about the students, and what could be accomplished to improve their environment. Mike lived present moment by present moment. He took each opportunity where he found it—and in making the present better, also improved the future.

In July, we lost Sue Meyer, who served the communities of St. Lawrence, Mount St. Mary’s, and Bishop Montgomery in many, many ways, not the least of which was her witness to the power of faith. She, too, was wholly dedicated to Catholic education and to its mission. Certainly, we here at Bishop benefi ted not only from her participation but also from her example as a member of our Parent Committee and our WASC Team, but also through the gift of her four amazing children, Jonathon, Katie, Jenny, and Andrew. Sue, too, lived present moment by present moment. She, too, took each opportunity where she found it—and in making the present better, also improved the future.

Both Mike and Sue were exceptional and inspirational people—always giving more than they received. A scholarship will be established in each of their names, a small way to honor two larger-than-life people who touched so many, many lives. We seek to honor them by supporting the students at Bishop Montgomery, by supporting Catholic education to which each of them gave so much of their lives and so many years of service.

“The lure of the distant and diffi cult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you are.” As you peruse this issue of Veritas, I know that you will see numerous examples of our students’ efforts to give themselves wholly to the moment. That is, after all, what every student is asked to do in the classroom and what every athlete is asked to do during practice and during a game. This is no small task and it is, indeed, a task that once mastered, will serve them in every aspect of their future. I hope you enjoy reading about their accomplishments—achieved by living present moment by present moment—each one God’s gift.

Your contributions make many things possible; not the least of which is the education of students whose parents could not afford to send their children here, or who could not continue their enrollment given the current economic situation. I can’t tell you how many families have found themselves in the position of having to ask for fi nancial help who never imagined they would have to do so. As our contributions from our Foundations have lessened because of the state of their investments, we have relied more heav-ily on your donations for tuition assistance. I have always believed that God would send us whatever money we need to support our students—that the money would come. It has. This happens because of your faith and your generosity. Your willingness to contribute in this present moment has been a sign of God’s grace to our community.

Sincerely,

Rosemary LibbonPrincipal

COVER STORY

BMHS Athletics: 4Exercising Our Knight Pride

SPIRITUALMan on a Mission 10Richard Sunwoo ‘96 11

SOCIALBlack & Gold Night 17

PHYSICAL Recruiting Q & A 14Athletic Wrap-Up 16

ACADEMICCommencement 2009 12Class of 2009 Matriculation 13

DEPARTMENTSDevelopment 18Class Notes 20Feedback 22

VERITAS Spring/Summer 2009 3

10

12

19

Contents

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COVER STORY

BMHS ATHLETICS: EX OUR KNIGHT PRIDE

Christ-centered. Academically dedicated. Physically knowledgeable. Socially responsible.

Chandler Jones ‘09

Nicole Toomey ‘09Nicole Toomey ‘09

In every classroom and in every offi ce at Bishop Mont-gomery, there is a poster that displays these words. They are the words that describe what our students should be

by the time they walk across the stage at graduation and are handed their diplomas. They are words with which all current students and recent graduates are familiar. They are words that formed the basis for Bishop Montgomery’s most recent ac-creditation evaluation just a little over a year ago. They are also words that could describe all of the 14,609 graduates of Bishop Montgomery, from the fi rst class in 1961 to the Class of 2009.

It has always been the goal of Bishop Montgomery to develop the whole student. Producing students who will excel in all aspects of their lives is at the heart of the mission of Bishop Montgomery, and this is as true now as it was when the doors of the school fi rst opened in 1957. Bishop Montgomery stu-dents volunteer hundreds of hours to serve the school com-munity and the communities in which they live. They dedicate themselves to their studies in order to become better thinkers and problem-solvers and they lead active social lives that help them interact positively with their peers and develop lasting friendships. Nourishing a healthy physical lifestyle is also an important part of what it means to be a BMHS graduate and athletics is at the forefront of this commitment.

Chandler Jones


TWO FORMER KNIGHTS WIN NATIONAL TITLES

Dedicated Student-Athletes and CoachesAthletics play a vital role in the lives of many Bishop Montgomery students. Sixty-six per-cent of students participate on one or more athletic team and juggle the demands of their academics with the demands of their sport. “Our student-athletes are here for an education fi rst,” explains Steve Miller, BMHS Assistant Principal in Charge of Athletics. “Being able to excel in the classroom and on the fi eld is part of the challenge for all those who choose to play sports, and our students do a great job of handling both.” A testament to this is the fact that three of the eight students honored as students-of-the-semester for their respective grades during the fall semester last year were athletes. Eddie McLaughlin ‘10 (varsity baseball, 4.67 GPA) was the Class of 2010 male honoree, Alan Natsumeda ‘11 (varsity tennis, 4.67 GPA) was the Class of 2011 male honoree, and Constance Moorhead ‘11 (frosh/soph basketball, 4.67 GPA) was the Class of 2011 female honoree.

AJ Kissinger ‘10

So what is the key to staying on top of one’s studies while performing at a high level in a sport? Rachel Clark ‘10, a senior standout on the girls’ volleyball team, says the key to success is making time for everything: “Time management is incredibly important to staying on top of all that is expected of us as students and athletes,” explains Clark, who has made a verbal commitment to play at the University of Virginia next year. “At the beginning of my junior year, I pretty much went without sleep trying to fi t everything in – practice, school, studying, games, family and fun. That didn’t work, so I had to manage my time better. I learned when to turn the television and computer off and get to my studies. I learned to get my sleep, but many times I would wake up early and get to school when the library opened and get my work done.” When asked how she is able to maintain a 3.5 GPA, play competitively, and keep a balance, Clark says that being close to her family is essential. “It is just as important to make time for family and fun so that you don’t go crazy.”

As she prepares to graduate in June, Clark is confi dent that she is ready for the challenges that college brings. “College will be different and being 3,000 miles from home will make things diffi cult, but Bishop has prepared me in terms of time management and excelling in the classroom and on the volleyball court. The teachers here are great – as an athlete, they sit down and work with you and they understand the demands of doing well in all aspects of school life.”

Who would have thought that less than one month apart, two BMHS alumni would win na-tional championships? That is exactly what happened this spring when Rudy Garbalosa ‘85 coached Lynn University (FL) to the NCAA Division II National Championship and Carmelita Jeter ‘98 won the women’s 100m at the U.S. Track & Field Championships.

On May 30, Garbalosa, in his ninth season at Lynn, led the Fighting Knights to the pro-gram’s fi rst national title with

a dramatic 2-1 victory over Emporia State. Lynn fi nished the season with a 46-16 record, including going 8-0 in the NCAA south region and national tournament, all versus nationally ranked opponents. While at BMHS, Garbalosa was an outstanding player and later returned as the head coach (1991-94) before moving on to the col-lege coaching ranks.

Rudy Garbalosa ‘85, left, holds the national championship trophy with one of his players, Gabe MacDougall.

Less than a month after Garb-alosa hoisted a national cham-pionship trophy, Jeter won her fi rst national title in equal-ly dramatic fashion, winning the women’s 100 meters at the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon on June 26. Jeter, who earlier in the year ran the fast-est 100m time in the world, ran the race in a time of 10.776, edging Muna Lee be a thou-sandth of a second.

After being named 1998 BMHS Female Athlete of the Year, Jeter went on to become an All-Ameri-can sprinter at Cal State Dominguez Hills before embarking on a decorated professional career. In 2005, Jeter returned to BMHS to be the track coach, a position she held until 2008.

For more on Garbalosa, visit www.lynn. edu. For more on Jeter, and to see video of her race, visit www.usatf.org.

Carmelita Jeter ‘98 checks the score-board after the 100m on June 26.

Justin Cobbs

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Athletic ScholarshipsAthletic ScholarshipsIn addition to the many league, CIF and state titles, hundreds of stu-dent-athletes have continued their careers in college and the profes-sional ranks. In just the last ten years, 77 student-athletes have earned sional ranks. In just the last ten years, 77 student-athletes have earned college athletic scholarships:

By Year By Sport1999-00 (10) Baseball (7)2000-01 (10) Boys’ Basketball (9) 2001-02 (6) Girls’ Basketball (10)2002-03 (8) Crew (1)2003-04 (8) Girls’ X Country (1)2004-05 (4) Football (10)2005-06 (7) Gymnastics (1)2006-07 (6) Boys’ Soccer (2)2007-08 (10) Girls’ Soccer (15)2008-09 (8) Softball (4) Boys’ Volleyball (2) Girls’ Volleyball (15)

Athletic ScholarshipsIn addition to the many league, CIF and state titles, hundreds of student-athletes have continued their careers in college and the professional ranks. In just the last ten years, 78 student-athletes have earned college athletic scholarships:

By Year By Sport1999-00 (10) Baseball (7)2000-01 (10) Boys’ Basketball (9) 2001-02 (6) Girls’ Basketball (10)2002-03 (8) Crew (1)2003-04 (8) Girls’ X Country (1)2004-05 (4) Football (10)2005-06 (7) Gymnastics (1)2006-07 (6) Boys’ Soccer (2)2007-08 (10) Girls’ Soccer (16)2008-09 (9) Softball (4) Boys’ Volleyball (2) Girls’ Volleyball (15)

A unique aspect of athletics at BMHS is that many of the pro-grams have alumni on their coaching staffs. Currently, 19 alum-ni are employed as coaches at the school. “I think having former players come back to coach is proof that their experience as a student-athlete at BMHS was positive,” says Andy Marafi no, Director of Development & Alumni and Head Baseball Coach. Marafi no, who has three former Knights on staff, sees that hav-ing former players on staff does not go unnoticed by his current players. “My players appreciate that the alumni on staff have a love for the school and they have a tremendous amount of pride. After all, these guys wore the same uniform, maybe even the same number, as the players they are coaching; they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t care about the kids, the program and the school.”

Justin Cobbs ‘09

The dedication of the coaches is also important to the success of the student-athletes and teams. Of the 18 varsity head coach-es, ten are on-campus teachers or administrators and many more lower-level coaches and assistant coaches are classroom teachers as well. Twelve of the varsity head coaches have been at their posts for over three years, with boys’ basketball coach Doug Mitchell the longest tenured coach at 19 years. “Hav-ing continuity on the coaching staff is an important part of a program’s success,” explains Miller. “We are blessed to have so many coaches with years of expertise and experience. They continue to coach at Bishop Montgomery because the kids are great to work with.”

Clark is not alone in the belief that success lies in proper time management. “Balancing homework and sports can be pretty hard at times, but there are two ways to deal with it,” offers Leslie Salisbury ’10, a top runner on both the girls’ cross coun-try and track teams and an ASB offi cer. “You can either learn how to manage your time well, or, if you’re like me and can’t do that, you take as many naps as you possibly can to catch up on sleep.”

Nicole CaluagNicole Caluag ‘11

times. The players also know times. The players also know that these coaches had suc-cess on the very same court; cess on the very same court; they just have to look up at they just have to look up at the wall of the gymnasium the wall of the gymnasium to see some of their coaches’ to see some of their coaches’ names and some of their high names and some of their high school accomplishments.”

Eddie McLaughlin ‘10, an All-League and All-CIF pitcher for the Knights who is being recruited by some Ivy League schools, knows what he needs to do in order to excel in the classroom and on the diamond: “Student-athletes generally have to do in a few hours what most have the whole day for (papers, projects, etc). You need to know when to make sacrifi ces if your grades or game needs attention.”

It is no surprise, then, that the work the coaches do with their student-athletes has led to success on the fi eld. In just the last three years, BMHS coaches have led their programs to a com-bined 22 league titles and an amazing 41 CIF playoff appear-ances. “It is a testament to our coaches and our student-ath-letes that many of our programs have a chance to compete for a CIF title on a yearly basis,” adds Miller.

Mitchell, who also has three alumni on the boys’ basketball staff, agrees that having former players back gives him an ad-vantage. “The alumni on staff know exactly what we are try-ing to teach because they went through it themselves. When a practice or drill gets demanding, I think the players respect that

these guys went through the same drills or the same toughthese guys went through the same drills or the same tough

ATHLETICS AT BISHOP MONTGOMERYREFLECTION BY TAYLOR NIEMAN ‘09


A History of Athletic SuccessThe walls of the BMHS gymnasium are adorned with banners celebrating champion-ship teams; All-CIF performers; athletes, sportsmen, and women-of-the-year; and All-Americans; but, that only begins to tell the story of a rich athletic history at BMHS. When the school opened in 1957, only a handful of sports were offered (baseball, boys’ basketball, football, track, swimming and girls’ volleyball to name a few). It didn’t take long, however, for Bishop Montgomery to establish itself as a force in the South Bay and in California’s Southern Section and state levels. The Knights’ baseball team won the 1960 Camino Real League title and advanced to the CIF semi-fi nals in its fi rst year of varsity play. Although the boys’ basketball team struggled in its fi rst few years, they quickly rebounded and qualifi ed for the playoffs for the fi rst time in 1962-63. The foot-ball team earned their fi rst league title and CIF berth in 1966 in only the seventh year of varsity action. Soon, boys’ golf, boys’ tennis, and girls’ basketball and softball were added and the athletic program was in full swing.

Kristen Ale ‘11

During my four years at BMHS, athletics has played an important role in my high school experience. Athletics has allowed me to play my favorite sport with my friends, while becoming disciplined in my skills. It has also provided me with many extraor-dinary opportunities, such as playing volleyball in Holland and receiving a college scholarship. As a student-athlete, I am ex-

pected to attend practice everyday after school. Although practices end late into the evenings, I must fi nd the balance between intense hard work and concentration during practice and fi nishing homework and studying for exams. Thus, through the guidance of my par-ents and coaches, my time-management skills improved and I successfully mastered my schoolwork as well as dominated in games.

I will always possess fond memories playing as a Bishop Montgomery Knight. The bonds that I formed with all the girls on the varsity volleyball team are indescrib-able. The girls helped me realize the cohesive nature of a team and how it truly be-comes a family. Throughout my four years, we played together through blood, sweat, and tears, which undoubtedly propelled our friendships and team forward. The feeling of sacrifi cing your body for the good of your teammates is irreplaceable. We never played as individuals, but for each other and with each other. Each year, we learned how to play together to utilize our individual strengths in order to make our team strong. I learned how to use pressure to my advantage and not let it turn into stress. In addition, I was able to positively, yet constructively, hold my teammates as well as myself account-able. Every week, I would wait in anticipation to perform in front of all my classmates, fans, and family. The endless support shown in the packed gym during a semi-fi nal CIF playoff match or a simple ride to practice was overwhelming. Bishop Montgomery High School is unquestionably a community that never ceases to support its sports programs. I will defi nitely miss playing as a Knight on the varsity volleyball team, but I feel that I am now prepared to move on to college.

The 1966-67 school year was not only the fi rst outstanding year for BMHS athletics, it was arguably one of the greatest in the school’s history. The football team fi nished 11-1, won the Camino Real League with an undeafeated record of 5-0, and advanced to the CIF semi-fi nals. The boys’ basketball team fi nished 20-4 and were the league champions with a 10-0 record. Boys’ track & fi eld (8-0 in dual meets), boys’ tennis (12-0) and soft-ball also went undefeated in league play to win titles. Not to be outdone, the baseball team (21-3) went 15-0 to win the league and brought home the school’s fi rst CIF cham-pionship behind CIF Player of the Year Dan Graham ‘67. Paul Wolfe, a columnist for the Daily Breeze in the 1960’s, summed up Bishop Montgomery’s 1966-67 athletic year: “That Daily Breeze in the 1960’s, summed up Bishop Montgomery’s 1966-67 athletic year: “That Daily Breezeadds up to about 50 straight wins in the league, and if you throw in the 1966 baseball season, that is 10 more,” Wolfe wrote. “The last time anybody lost anything at Mont-gomery, it was a penny under a desk.”

Taylor Nieman ‘09 played four years of volleyball at BMHS and earned many athletic and academic awards. In 2008, she earned First Team All-CIF honors and the BMHS Distinguished Athlete Award. In 2007, she led the Lady Knights to the CIF Finals and earned Second Team All-CIF honors. In 2005, she won the Junior Varsity Coach’s Award. Academically, Taylor was a BMHS Scholar-Athlete and was on Principal’s Honor Roll all four years. She was named a George Montgomery Scholar in 2006 and she won academic department awards in Girls Physical Education, Honors English 1 and French III. She earned a scholarship to Cornell University where she will continue her volleyball career.

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Shelbie LunaShelbie Luna ‘09

BMHS has had many other outstanding seasons of note over the years and every decade has had its share of great teams and athletes. The 1974-75 athletic year featured fi ve league champions (baseball, boys’ cross country, boys’ soccer, girls’ basketball and girls’ volleyball). The highlight of the season was the dramatic ending to the baseball season. The Knights, playing against Lynwood in the CIF Finals at Dodger Stadium, scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to win 1-0. The Knights, coached by Ernie Martinez, were led by Bill Bordley ‘76, who is regarded as one of the greatest pitch-ers in California prep history. Bordley went on to star at USC and reached the major leagues with the San Francisco Giants. Another star during the year was quarter-back Kevin Starkey of the football team. Starkey went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League. The 1970’s also produced the greatest tennis player in school history in Anna Maria Fernandez ‘78. Fernandez was named CIF Player of the Year in 1975, 1976, and 1977 and led the tennis team to the 1977 CIF team title.

The 1983-84 athletic season produced an amazing seven league champions (base-ball, boy’s cross country, boys’ soccer, boys’ volleyball, football, girls’ volleyball and softball). The 1983 football team, coached by Bill Norton, turned in the fi nest season in school history by advancing to the CIF Finals. The Knights, 12-1-1, were led by quarterback Bryan Bero ‘84, who completed 172 of 297 passes for 2,533 yards and 22 touchdowns on his way to being named Daily Breeze Player of the Year. Bero later Daily Breeze Player of the Year. Bero later Daily Breezeplayed in the NFL for the Chicago Bears. The 1980’s also featured two CIF soccer championships, one each for the boys and girls. The boys’ soccer team captured the 1982-83 title and the girls delivered the crown in 1985-86. Another outstanding stu-dent-athlete in the 1980’s was Mike Fay ‘83, who starred on the baseball diamond. After his senior season, Fay was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 8th round of the baseball draft, but opted to continue his playing career at UC Irvine.

In Loving MemoryMike Murphy, 1949-2009

On April 10, 2009, BMHS lost a longtime friend, dedicated coach, and loyal employee when Mike Mur-phy died of a heart attack at the age of 59. Murphy served for many years as the boys’ JV basetball coach and as the school’s plant manager for the last 12 years. Prior to coming to BMHS, Murphy and

Principal Rosemary Libbon worked together at Cantwell-Sacred Heart and Daniel Murphy High Schools.

“He was fantastic,” said Steve Miller, BMHS’ assistant principal in charge of athletics, who worked closely with Murphy. “He was loyal to the school and to the kids, to his family and to his friends. He just had a gi-ant heart.” Today, Murphy’s infl uence is felt all over the BMHS campus. As plant manager, he was directly involved in every aspect of the maintenence of the school, including the construction of the Student Activity Center. “Murph,” as he was affectionately known, was also instrumental in helping maintain Bishop’s high standards in basketball. When the JV season fi nished, he did all of the advanced scouting in the playoffs for the varsity, traveling all over southern California.

At his funeral, Libbon addressed a packed church to pay homage to a man who touched so many lives: “Mike chose to live as that ‘superb meteor, every atom of him in magnifi cent glow.’ His proper function was to live, not merely to exist. He did not waste his days. He used his time. Through his tasks, through his en-counters, with every person—members of his family, his colleagues, his basketball players, the many, many people with whom he came in contact outside of the Bishop Montgomery community,--through every act or ordinary living, Mike chose to live, not merely to exist. For him, it was always about making something better—whether it was something he wanted to do for his sons, his players, for the plant—he was always about making things better. With Mike you knew, whether you were a close friend or an acquaintance that the moment that he was with you mattered. He saw you, he recognized you, he met you where you were and he created a space in which you could be yourself. He lived by ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’.”

A scholarship in Murphy’s name has been established at Bishop Montgomery. Murphy is survived by two sons, Paul and Ed, and two brothers, Roger and Patrick.

“I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnifi cent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not merely to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.” Jack London


Knights in the ProsBaseball

Mike Zuanich ‘04 (Colorado Rockies)

BasketballGabriel Hughes ‘99 (Los Angeles Defenders - NBDL)

Errick Craven ‘01 (Stade Clermontois - French Pro League)Noelle Quinn ‘03 (Los Angeles Sparks - WNBA)

FootballOmarr Smith ‘95 (San Jose SaberCats - Arena League)

David Davis ‘98 (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers - Arena League 2)Stanley Wilson ‘00 (Detroit Lions - NFL)

Terrance Pennington ‘01 (New York Giants - NFL)

SoccerMiguel Benitez ‘04 (Los Angeles Galaxy)

TrackCarmelita Jeter ‘98 (USA Track & Field)

VolleyballKatie Olsovsky ‘00 (AVP Tour)

Chrissie Zartman ‘01 (AVP Tour)Mike Zuanich ‘04

Noelle Quinn ‘03

Chrissie Zartman ‘01

Errick Craven ‘01

Travis Roberts ‘09

In all, Bishop Montgomery has produced 23 CIF southern section team titles and three CIF individual titles to go with the 11 state championship banners. These are impressive accomplishments, but what is more remarkable is the number of student-athletes who have excelled at a high level on the fi elds and courts and in the classroom. Since 1957, it has been the mission of Bishop Montgomery to prepare all of its students to go out into the world and become successful members of societyall of its students to go out into the world and become successful members of societyall of its students to go out into the world and , and student-athletes are no different. Over the years, hundreds of BMHS graduates have gone on to play at the collegiate level and the last decade alone has produced 78 student-athletes who have earned full or partial college scholarships (see page 6). The very fi rst issue of the yearbook, Excalibur, perhaps states it best when describing BMHS graduates: “We know the ways of man and love the ways of God. We are prepared.”

The last two decades have been a particularly fruitful period for Bishop Montgomery athletics. In all, 76 league championships have been won at the varsity level and 18 CIF championship banners (7 for girls’ volleyball, 5 for girls’ basketball, 4 for boys’ basketball, 2 for girls’ soccer) have been added to the walls of the gymnasium. Additionally, 11 state titles have been captured by Bishop Montgomery since 1990 (5 for girls’ basketball, 4 for girls’ volleyball, 2 for boys’ basketball). In fact, according to the re-cent edition of the CalHiSports.com State Record Book and Almanac, BMHS’ 11 state titles ranks fi fth in state history, an amazing feat to say the least.

The last twenty years have produced some of the school’s fi nest athletes. Peter Hargraves ‘90 was an All-CIF sprinter at BMHS and went on to become an All-American at UC Riverside. Carmelita Jeter ‘98 was a standout on the track team who became an All-American at Cal State Dominguez Hills and is one of the fastest women in the world today. Noelle Quinn ‘03 led the Lady Knights’ basketball is one of the fastest women in the world today. Noelle Quinn ‘03 led the Lady Knights’ basketball is one of the fastest women in the world today. Noelle Qteam to three CIF and four state titles and was named CIF and State Player of the Year all four years and an All-American as a sophomore, junior and senior. She went on to star at UCLA and is currently playing for the Los Angeles Sparks. Katie Olsovsky ‘00, Chrissie Zartman ‘01 and Kristen Castillo ‘04were 3-time All-CIF performers in volleyball and went on to excel in college. Olsovsky won a national championship. Zartman was an All-American at UCLA, and Castillo had an outstanding career at San Diego State. Nykia Peace ‘04 was a 4-time All-CIF basketball player and went on to play at USF. Stan-ley Wilson ‘00, a football All-American for the Knights, went on to play at Stanford and in the NFL. Twins Errick and Derrick Craven ‘01 led the boys’ basketball team to consecutive CIF and state titles before heading to USC. Fred Washington ‘03 led the basketball team to the 2001-02 CIF title before becoming a standout on the court and in the classroom at Stanford. Recent graduate Justin Cobbs ‘09 is the only male in school history to be named All-CIF all four years in one sport (basketball). Miguel Benitez ‘04 is arguably the greatest soccer goalkeeper in school history. He was a 3-time All-CIF player and he recently led CSUDH to the Division II national title. Mike Zuanich ‘04 holds many BMHS hit-ting records and is currently climbing up the Colorado Rockies system.

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SPIRITUAL FEATURE

ABOVE:Jonathan Curtiss ‘09 delivers t-shirts to children in a village in Nigeria.

Man on a Mission

When Jonathan Curtiss ‘09 heard that his grand-hen Jonathan Curtiss ‘09 heard that his grand-parents were planning a mission trip to Nigeria, he wanted to join them. He had always wanted he wanted to join them. He had always wanted

to visit Africa. What started out as a desire to take a vacation to a foreign land soon turned into something much more for Curtiss, a budding entreprenuer who owns his own tee shirt graphic design business, Alpha & Omega Graphics. In Febru-ary 2008, after learning more about his grandparents’ project to reach out to impoverished villages in west Africa, Curtiss became more than just a young man interested in visiting; his grandparents’ mission became his mission.

One of the original goals of the mission was to help raise funds to build six borehole wells in Nigeria, a country where clean, drinkable water is scarce. When Curtiss realized that the peo-ple in the villages of Nigeria were lacking basic needs, he decid-ed to take action. “These people are living in poverty and I felt a strong need to help,” explains Curtiss, who credits much of a strong need to help,” explains Curtiss, who credits much of his inspiration from his grandmother, who opened the doors to the Word of Life Bookstore as few years ago. It is at the bookstore where Curtiss’ journey in business began. “It’s almost as if Alpha & Omega Graphics found me because all the resources I needed found me because all the resources I needed were right in front of me at my job at the bookstore,” recalls Curtiss. With his business up and running, and all the tools he needed at his disposal, Curtiss began forming ideas to help on the mission trip.

“My original goal was to make 1,000 t-shirts to deliver to the children in Nigeria,” recalls Curtiss. With that goal in mind, Curtiss began calling local busi-nesses in an effort to fi nd companies willing to do-nate t-shirts or money for the project. Curtiss even reached out to the BMHS community for help, and was delighted to learn that one of the monthly “Denim Day” collections would ultimately raise $800 toward the project. In all, Curtiss raised over $3,000 and he was soon hard at work designing and producing t-shirts to hand-deliver to Nigeria.

In August 2008, Curtiss, his grandparents and the rest of his contingent began packing as many t-shirts as they could into suitcases for the three-week trip to Nigeria. “Shipping the t-shirts was going to be very expensive,” recalls Curtiss. “We decided to bundle as many as we could together and we stuffed them in suitcases.” In all, Curtiss and his business produced over 700 t-shirts to be distributed to children in Nigeria. Each day, Curtiss traveled to different villages and churches and word soon spread that he was giving out t-shirts. “In many cases,” recalls Curtiss, “people heard we were coming and they waited all day for us to arrive.” What made the trip a success for Curtiss cannot be measured in numbers. “Seeing the kids’ faces light up when we handed them a shirt made the whole experience worth every bit of hard work and was something I will never forget.”

BMHS graduate uses his business to help others.

RIGHT:Jonathan Curtiss ‘09 shares a moment with the children from the village

A MISSION REALIZED: SPIRITUAL ACADEMIC PHYSICAL SOCIAL


On May 30, 2009 BMHS alumnus Richard Sunwoo ‘96was ordained a priest by the Archdiocese of Los An-geles. The celebration took place at the Cathedral of geles. The celebration took place at the Cathedral of

Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles and was presided over by Cardinal Roger Mahony. Fr. Richard is the second alum-nus in as many years to be ordained by the archdiocese. In 2008, Ricky Viveros ‘97 was ordained and is currently at St. Ricky Viveros ‘97 was ordained and is currently at St. Ricky Viveros ‘97Genevieve Church in Panorama City.

Richard Sunwoo ‘96 Ordained

ABOVE:Fr. Richard Sunwoo ‘96 at his ordination on May 30, 2009.

Sunwoo’s fi rst Mass as a priest was less than 24 hours after his ordination, when he returned to his home parish, St. Raphael Ko-rean Catholic Center in Norwalk. Sunwoo, who was born in Guam, said the Mass in Korean and English. His fi rst assignment is at St. Lawrence Martyr in Redondo Beach. On becoming a priest, Sunwoo states: “I am humbled to be a new priest and know that I have to pay my dues and earn my keep - so to speak. It is my goal to try to be as good as those priestly heroes that have been present in my life. May we strive to live the Gospel!”

Prior to attending Bishop Montgomery, Sunwoo attended Holy Trinity School. After graduating from BMHS in 1996, he attended St. John’s Seminary College where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and English. Upon earning his degree, Sunwoo returned to BMHS where he taught English from 2002-2004 before returning to St. John’s Seminary to formally begin his training to be a priest. “I was inspired by the witness of father Alex Chung and Father Mark Choi in their ministry,” explained Sunwoo. “I was also infl uenced by the life and example of Pope John Paul II, St. Bernadette and many of the Conventual Franciscan saints like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joseph of Cupertino and St. Bonaventure.”

BMHS graduate becomes latest to join the priesthood

Susan Stark-Meyer ‘73

On July 2, 2009, Susan Stark-Meyer ‘73 passed away after a 19 year battle with breast cancer. Sue served the BMHS community over the course of many years, as a student, an alumna, and a par-ent. She and her husband of thirty years, Gary, also a 1973 alumnus, are the parents of four BMHS

graduates (triplets Kathryn ‘04, Jennifer ‘04 and Jonathon ‘04, and Andrew ‘09). She was also an active member of her chuch, St. Lawrence Martyr in Redondo Beach.

Sue spent her life devoted to her Catholic faith and to helping others. After graduating from BMHS, she earned her nursing degree from Mount St. Mary’s College and then worked for 25 years as a registered nurse at Daniel Freeman Memorial Hospital. She then returned to Mount St. Mary’s to serve as an Associate Pro-fessor of Nursing and later, as Chair of the Nursing Department before retiring in January of 2009. At her funeral, attended by hundreds of family and friends, Sue was remembered as a woman who cared very deeply about others and as a woman who was passionate about her family and her faith in God. St. Lawrence As-

sociate Pastor Fr. Kevin Schindler-McGraw described Sue as “a woman of great strength, of great tenderness, and of great gentleness.” Speaking for his siblings, Sue’s eldest son, Jonathon, remembered his mom as a true example of God’s love: “Mom was a woman of inspiration, courage and tremendous faith. She will be remembered for her dedication to her kids and for the love she radiated to everyone else.”

Sue and her family have a long association with Bishop Montgomery. In addition to being the mother of four graduates, all of her siblings graduated from BMHS: Mike ‘68, Rick ‘70, Teri ‘75, Tim ‘83 and Tom ‘84. As a BMHS parent, Sue volunteered tirelessly while her children were in school. She served on the Parent Board, helped work at the Black & Gold event and served on several WASC accreditation committees. Two years ago, in an interview with Veritas magazine, Sue refl ected on the impact Bishop Montgomery High School had on her life: “[BMHS] has given me the faith and love I have for our Lord Jesus Christ and the Catholic values that support social justice issues. The BMHS community has surrounded my family with prayers many times.”

The Meyer family has set up a scholarship at Bishop Montgomery High School in Sue’s name. For more information, or if you would like to make a contribution to the Susan Stark Meyer Memorial Scholarship Fund, contact the BMHS Development Offi ce at 310-540-2021 ext. 246 or email amarafi [email protected].

12 www.bmhs-la.org

WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

THEN: Michael participated in CSF and played football and baseball and ran track. He was a 1971 All-CIF selection in football and was the 1972 BMHS Athlete of the Year. He also enjoyed watching the Drama Club presentations. After graduation, he earned a business degree from National University in ed a business degree from National University in ed San Diego. He earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration and TQM from the University of Redlands in 1998. “As I have gotten older I often scan through the collage of memories and still see the faces of friends and teachers, some popular, many not so popular, yet still impacting me with fl ashes of their own brilliance in personality and activity. Teachers had their quirks, yet created images I now associate with the lessons I still remember: Father Berry (Geometry, which I never understood), Mr O’Keefe (English with an ac-cent and thousands of new words), Mr. Regalado (Shakespeare, football players not really invited), Sr. Elizabeth (French I,II, III), Friar George and his class on primitive religions. The memories are about me only in the essence that I got to participate in creating some and mostly about how I got to secretly observe the grand activity going on around me. The other students, their humor and their individual talents, that in the long run were far supeior to my athletic ability of the moment.”

NOW: Michael will retire in 2010 from UPS, where he worked for 32 years, 31 of those years in management. He has served as an industrial engineer manager, a center manager and a project deployment manager, and for the last four years, he has been the Southeast California District Center of Future Manager and Telematics Manager. Michael and his wife of 30 years, Carol, have two grown daughters, Julie and Laura, and one granddaughter, Hailey, who “makes me sparkle every time I see her,” says Michael. “I got lucky and married well.”

ON BMHS: “I learned that hard work is okay. You choose your own path and must accept the outcomes. Sometimes it doesn’t work out the way you expected andyou expected andyou expected , oh well, your principles of right and wrong are still important. The way you treat people is important. Nobody can actually make you violate the principle; if you do, you have made that choice. Those years [at BMHS] helped me make choices in relationships and personal work ethic.”

MICHAEL HARRISON, Class of 1972

ACADEMIC FEATURE

COMMENCEMENT 2009

On an unusually drizzly and overcast graduation day, the 336 members of the Class of 2009 convened for one last time at their commencement on Friday, May 29. De-

spite the wet weather and gray skies, a sense of celebration and joy fi lled the air. The moment these students had anticipated for four long years had fi nally arrived.

Greeting the seniors and their families, Ms. Libbon welcomed Bishop’s forty-ninth graduating class to the culmination of their years of hard work, effort, and perseverance. She applauded them for their commitment to their studies, to their faith and, most importantly, to each other.

Though this class was one of the largest to gradu-ate from BMHS in re-cent years, the ceremony moved along quickly, and no sooner than Ms. Lib-bon welcomed those in attendance, she called forward the nine valedictorians (see page 13). Carolynn Vuong, who will attend Stanford in the fall, pre-sented the valedictory address. In her speech, Carolynn fi rst re-minded her class of the burdens of freshman year -- “huge back-packs double our size” and “running the other way when we saw [the deans] in the halls,” and then remarked on who and what they had become: “As I look over the many faces I behold today, I no longer see people as they were. Instead, I see them as the

One of the nine valedictorians, Van Pham, was also honored as the class’ salutatorian. Van, who will become a Bruin this fall, learned in April that he was one of 1,000 students across the nation who

had been named a Gates Millennium Scholars re-cipient and, through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was award-ed a “good-through-graduation” scholarship

to UCLA with additional partial funding for graduate school. Before looking ahead to his college career though, Van used his salutatory speech to offer a unique perspective on the journey he and his classmates had just completed: “This ceremony marks the end of a four-year ritual. Our English teachers call this ritual a rite of passage. Our health teachers name it puberty, while our science teachers consider it a time of an imbalance of hormones. We just call it high school.”

people they will be. People of greatness, people of great poten-tial, and people of great love.”

As I look over the many faces I behold today, I no longer see people as they were... I see them as people of great potential, and people of great love.”

-- Carolyn Vuong, Valedictorian

Class of 2009 College Matriculation

• 336 Seniors • 258 (77%) Seniors attending 4-year institutions • 75 (22%) Seniors attending 2-year colleges • 2 (.01%) Seniors attending vocational schools • 335 (99%) Seniors attending college • 303 (90%) Seniors who applied to 4-year institutions • 285 (94%) Applicants accepted to 4-year institutions• 122 (36%) Cal State System• 49 (15%) UC System• 50 (15%) Private California Colleges• 77 (23%) Junior Colleges/Trade Schools• 37 (11%) Out of State Colleges

99% of Seniors to Pursue Higher Education

Members of the Class of 2009 were accepted to:Boston University Santa Clara UniversityCal Poly SLO Stanford UniversityCornell University UC BerkeleyHarvard University UC DavisHarvey-Mudd College UCLAHoward University UC San DiegoJohns Hopkins University UC Santa BarbaraLoyola Marymount University University of the Pacifi cNew York University University of San DiegoPepperdine University USCPurdue University University of Virginia



After the diplomas were awarded and the ceremony concluded, the sun fi nally broke through the clouds, sending the graduates off the fi eld and into an afternoon of beautiful skies and warm weather. As the newest alumni of Bishop Montgomery, the Class of 2009’s celebration was just beginning.

Class of 2009 ValedictoriansVivian Okonta - Loyola Marymount University

Francesca Paterno - UC BerkeleyJennifer Paz - UCLAVan Pham - UCLA

Christopher Vezzutto - USCDaniel Vollmer - UC San DiegoPierce Vollucci - UC Berkeley

Carolyn Vuong - Stanford UniversityCurtis Wagner - Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Van ‘s moment in the spotlight, however, did not end when his speech did. After returning to his seat, the student body presi-dent and recipient of the Archdiocesan Christian Service Award was called back to the stage and named one of the Class of 2009’s Outstanding Graduates. Along with fi ve of his classmates, Van was heralded for embodying and exercising the qualities of an ideal BMHS student: academic success, spiritual fortitude, and strong character. It was also noticeable to many in attendance, as Van stood on stage with no less than three large award medals around his neck, that he had achieved what no other student in Bishop history ever had. Receiving three of the highest honors awarded to a graduating senior, Van was celebrated as class vale-dictorian, salutatorian and Outstanding Graduate.

Class of 2009 Outstanding Graduates

Brandon Bibbins - The Master’s CollegeShelbie Luna - University of New MexicoAndrew Meyer - University of the Pacifi c

Van Pham - UCLAElizabeth Sur - Santa Clara UniversityBrenda Van - University of San Diego

ABOVE:Carolyn Vuong ‘09 delivers her valedictory speech.

ABOVE:The 2009 Outstanding Graduates, from left, Brenda Van, Elizabeth Sur, Andrew Meyer, Shelbie Luna, Brandon Bibbins, and Van Pham.

14 www.bmhs-la.org

PHYSICAL FEATURE

The recruiting process for student-athletes aspiring to continue their playing careers at the collegiate level can be both an exciting and confusing time.

Veritas sat down with University of New Mexico women’s soccer coach and BMHS alumna Kit Schwartzman-Vela ‘86 to answer some questions that student-athletes and to answer some questions that student-athletes and parents might have about recruiting and the college life of astudent-athlete.

Recruiting From the College Perspective

Q: What is the NCAA Clearinghouse?

A: The NCAA Clearinghouse establishes each individual student-ath-lete as a qualifi er or non-qualifi er and establishes their amateurism. A qualifi er is a student-athlete who has achieved a qualifi ng score on the SAT and/or ACT and has an acceptable GPA in their core classes. A non-qualifi er is usually someone who has not completed their core classes. Student-athletes should register for the clearinghouse during the second semester of their junior year. Students should be pro-ac-tive and take care of this themselves and not just rely on their high school counselor. Today, student-athletes can’t even take an offi cial college visit until they have been cleared through the NCAA.

Q: When should student-athletes begin the recruiting process?

A: Every sport is different and the timing of each sport is different, but all student-athletes should start researching schools during their freshman and sophomore years. With the Internet today, everything they need to know about a college or university is on-line. They should start looking at which schools offer the majors they are interested in and if a school will fi t their individual needs in terms of size, location, academics, and athletics. The early research done by the athletes is important because they can establish their interests from the begin-ning of the process. The more homework they do on the front end of the process will be less work they have to do later. Student-athletes also need to know at which level they would like to play, whether it is Division I, II, III or NAIA. All have different things to offer. In wom-en’s soccer, we start really looking at athletes during their sophomore year and look to get commitments during their junior year, but it is different for each sport.

Q: What do you see as the role of the high school in the recruiting process?

A: As a college coach, I am only permitted to evaluate an athlete so many times. Watching one high school game counts as one visit,

Q: What is the best role a parent should take in the recruiting process?

A: It is all about guidance. I want the student-athlete to take the initiative. I want to hear from the athlete, not the parent. It is noth-ing personal, but we want to hear from the student because they are the ones we are going to coach. Parents should certainly help their children with the research and help them search for academic schol-arships that are available, but a parent should not be over-bearing. There are many academic scholarships available that often go to waste every year. People don’t apply for them because they don’t know about them. Parents can be a big help in guiding their kids in this regard. At New Mexico, for example, we have an out-of-state academic scholar-ship that can cover 50% of the cost of tuition. Each school is different so parents can certainly help with the research.

Q: In terms of the recruiting process and college athletics, what do you see as the ideal parent?

A: The ideal parent is someone who is genuinely interested in their child’s success, but not over-bearing. Parents need to help their chil-dren weigh the pros and cons, but they should not be the ones mak-ing all the decisions for their kids. Other than probably the fi niancial aspects, parents should remember that it is their child who is going to attend the university and play and go through all the work that it takes to play collegiate sports, whether it is at the Division I level or another level.

whereas watching one club tournament in which we can see an ath-lete play multiple times only counts as one visit. For me, watching an athlete play for their high school is important in terms of an athlete’s motivation. Are they playing hard at all times? Do they have pride in their school? Do they play hard even if they are playing against infe-rior competition? It is important to me that they have pride in their school. If they don’t, then who is to say they won’t have pride in their school once they get to college?

Kit Schwartzman-Vela ‘86, BMHS alumna and current Divsion I collegiate soccer coach, answers recruiting questions.


A MISSION REALIZED: SPIRITUAL ACADEMIC PHYSICAL SOCIALPHYSICAL SOCIALPHYSICAL

Q: Is there anything else that student-athletes and parents should know about the recruting process?

A: Knowledge is power. Student-athletes need to do their homework about schools and it is easier today with the Internet. If they don’t know something, they need to ask. Don’t go into things blindly and don’t believe everything you hear from everyone. Do your own home-work. Ultimately, the research and the fi nal decision is on the stu-dent-athlete.

Q: Are athletic scholarships guaranteed for four years?

A: A scholarship is guaranteed for one year. Student-athletes should know about the ethics of a coach before they commit. Unless a stu-dent-athletes has bad grades, breaks a team or school rule, breaks the law or something of this nature, then an ethical coach should honor a committment to the student-athlete.

Q: With the growing number of club, travel, and AAU teams and private coaches out there, how much stock do college coaches put in the recommendation of club and/or private coaches?

A: College coaches in every sport try to get as many evaluations as possible and make their decision based on those evaluations. The ath-letes and parents have to do their homework on these club and private coaches, but what they say is not the be-all-end-all. There are club and private coaches out there that claim that they get their athletes college scholarships. It is not the high school coach, the club coach or the private coach who is getting the athlete the scholarship. College coaches take everything into consideration and at the end of the day, we make an evaluation and award scholarships based on OUR evalu-ations, not the evaluations of others.

Q: Once enrolled and on-campus, what can a student-athlete expect that might be different than any other student?

A: All students, whether they are an athlete or not, need to be dis-ciplined to go to class on their own. There are checks and balances. They need to establish relationships with their professors. The big difference for a student-athlete is that once they set foot on campus, they are a part of their own fraternity or sorority right away. They are a part of the athletic department from the moment they arrive. A non-athlete, on the other hand, usually has to fi nd their way, fi nd their niche, on their own at fi rst. At New Mexico, we treat our program like a family. Our student-athletes have a support system built in from the time they arrive on campus their fi rst year and they are already a part of something bigger than the university.

Q: Knowing that all schools will be different, what is the academic support system for athletes like at the collegiate level?

A: The bigger schools are obviously going to have more resources available. For example, the athletic departments at the bigger schools are going to have their own academic advisors who are there for the athletes. They help them stay eligible in terms of what courses to take and provide tutors and mentors. At UNM, we have a learning special-ist in the athletic department who helps students who might have learning disabilities or other needs. We also have a clinical/sports psychologist available to our student-athletes. The way we look at things at UNM, if you fail out of our environment, then you probably intended to do so anyway. When student-athletes take their college visits, they really need to explore what is available to them in terms of the support system.

Q: As a BMHS graduate and a coach who successfully recruited a BMHS soccer player (Shelbie Luna ‘09), do you see a difference in the student-athletes at BMHS compared to other schools?

A: The main thing is that BMHS provides great discipline for its stu-dents. The school was very responsive to our needs in our recruitment of Shelbie and she is a very responsible young woman and represents BMHS very well. It is important that we get disciplined student-ath-letes because they have to acclimate themselves to a whole new envi-ronment when they arrive on campus.

For answers to more of your quFor answers to more of your quFor estions, visit the NCAA websites at www.ncaa.org. www.ncaa.com and www.ncaastudent.org.

ABOVE:Shelbie Luna ‘09, a University of New Mexico recruit, dribbles past a defender.

While at BMHS, Schwartzman-Vela was a 3-time All-CIF selection in soccer, in-cluding being named the 1985-86 CIF Offensive Player of the Year when she led the Lady Knights to the CIF title. She then went on to be a 4-year letterwinner at Brown University in both soccer and softball. She returned to BMHS to coach the girls’ soccer team from 1992-1994 and led the Lady Knights to three Mission League titles and the 1993-94 CIF Division II championship. She was named the 1993-94 CIF Coach of the Year. At the collegiate level, she has served as an as-sistant coach at Loyola Marymount and USC. She has been the head coach at New Mexico since 2001. Recent BMHS graduate, Shelbie Luna ‘09, will play for Vela at the University of New Mexico.

16 www.bmhs-la.org

Athletic Wrap-upBoys’ Basketball

oys’ basketball (28-5) made it all the way to the Division IV state title game before losing to Richmond Salesian, 65-64, on a buzzer-beater at Arco Arena in Sacramento. The Knights, coached by Doug Mitchell, won the Del Rey League title and advanced to the CIF semi-fi nals before moving on to the state tournament. Minnesota-bound guard Justin Cobbs ‘09 led the Knights, averaging 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.8 rebounds in being named Del Rey League MVP, 1st Team All-CIF, Daily Breeze Player of the Year, and Division IV John Wooden Award winner. Michael Panaggio ‘09 was named 1st Team All-CIF and Brandon Bib-bons ‘09, who signed a letter-of-intent to The Master’s College, was named 2nd

Girls’ BasketballGirls’ basketball, coached by Bryn Britton, fi nished 21-9 and won the Del Rey League title. The Lady Knights advanced to the CIF semi-fi nals and were led by freshman Devon Brookshire ‘12 and junior Tiffany Hicks ‘10, both of whom were named 1st Team All-CIF. Brookshire led the Lady Knights in scoring, averaging 15 points and 6 rebounds per game.

Devon Brookshire ‘12

Boys’ Socceroys’ soccer fi nished the season by quali-

fying for the CIF playoffs. The Knights, coached by Clive Hulbert, fi nished the season 7-9-5 and they were lead by a pair of All-CIF performers. Scott Rodriguez ‘09 was named 2nd Team All-CIF and Alex Pena ‘09 was named to the 3rd team.

Michael Panaggio ‘09

Boys’ track, coached by Martin Haynes ‘94, had a strong showing in league. Clar-ence Chima ‘09 won the high jump (6’4”), Andy Cannata ‘10 fi nished 2nd at 1600M (4:39) and the 4x400M relay team of Chi-ma, Collin Mack ‘10, Matt Simmons ‘10and Chandler Jones ‘09 fi nished 2nd. In addition to these athletes, Daniel Vollmer ‘09 (800M) and Travis Roberts ‘09 (400M, 300M hurdles) qualifi ed for CIF prelims. Jones (100M) and Mack (400M) also quali-fi ed for CIF. The 4x400M relay qualifi ed for the CIF Finals and the CIF Master’s meet.

Track & Field

Girls’ SoccerGirls’ soccer battled through key injuries to win the Del Rey League title and advance to the CIF quarterfi nals. The Lady Knights, coached by Shannon Martinez and Dan Martinez, fi nished the season 10-7-3. The season got off to a rough start with the loss of two All-CIF performers to injuries, McKenzie McGoldrick ‘09 and Maiya Cooper ‘09. McGoldrick signed a letter-of-intent with the University of Michigan and intent with the University of Michigan and Cooper signed with Southeastern Loui-siana. The team was led by Shelbie Luna ‘09, who will play at the University of New Mexico in the fall. Luna was a 1st Team All-CIF pick. Juniors Ashley Foster ‘10 (3rd (3rd Team All-CIF) and Kristin Mihara ‘10(2nd Team) and freshman Jessica Flores ‘12 (3rd Team) were also integral members of the team.

BaseballThe Knights’ baseball team, coached by Andy Marafi no, fi nished 11-16 overall and qualifi ed for the CIF playoffs for the sixth time in the last seven years. The team, led by fi rst team All-League selections Chris-tian Koppenhaver ‘09 and AJ Kissinger ‘10, lost in the Division IV wild card round after moving up from Division V in 2008. Koppenhaver will play at Lynn University (FL). Tony Kissinger ‘09 will play colle-giately at the University of La Verne.

Boys’ GolfBoys’ golf, coached by Sue Ella Monreal, fi nished 6-8 overall and 2nd in league with a 3-3 record. The Knights were led by junior Kevin Cruz ‘10

Boys’ TennisBoys’ tennis, coached by Jeremiah Brun-ner, had a 5-8 overall record and fi nished 3rd in league. The team was led by singles players Joseph Quimson ‘10 and Michael Aquino ‘10 and the doubles team of Eric Stratton ‘09 and Tim Rebudal ‘09.

Boys’ VolleyballBoys’ volleyball, coached by Kevin Nor-man, won the Del Rey League for the 3rd , won the Del Rey League for the 3rd consecutive year and fi nished 24-6. They advanced to the 2nd round of the CIF play-offs. The Knights were led offensively by middle blocker Nick Steinauer ‘09 and and setter Andrew Newlee ‘09.

Nick Steinauer ‘09

Co-Ed SwimmingBMHS swimmers, coached by Amy Traxler, had a strong showing in league. Kathleen Dung ‘12 was the Del Rey League Champion in the 100 breaststroke. She also fi nished 3rd in the 100 free. Melissa Jaquez ‘10 fi nished 5th in the 100 backstroke.

Track & Fields’ track had an outstanding league fi -

nals meet. Annie Grove ‘12 won the 1600M (5:19) and 3200M (11:45) and Camille Far-fan ‘09 won the 800M (2:26), Farfan also qualifi ed for CIF in the 1600M and 3200M. Emily Meyer ‘11 qualifi ed in the 800M. The 4x400M relay team of Leslie Salisbury ‘10, Meyer, Arrington Burghardt ‘09 and Grove fi ed for CIF.

SofSofSoftballGirls’ softball, coached by Jimmy Legaspi, fi nished 14-17 overall and advanced to the 2nd round of the CIF playoffs. The team was led by Minnesota-bound Alex Davis ‘09 and pitcher Mia Magalona ‘09.



2008-09 year, Anne (Corso) Salisbury ‘72 and Scott Salisbury ‘71. Alumni of Bishop themselves, Anne and Scott are also the proud parents of three BMHS alumni, Ian ’00, Jill ’03 and Stephen ’05, and one current student, Leslie ’10. The school was proud to honor two amazing members of the community who, over the last three decades, have given back so much to their alma mater.

The evening was in full swing by the time the DJ turned up the music and got the crowd on their feet. Then, as the auction tables emptied and the event drew to a close, guests slowly made their way to the exit, lingering awhile to relish the last minutes of a very successful evening and to enjoy a great night, full of great fun and great friends.

BlackBlack & Gold Night

Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman may remem-ber that a kiss is just a kiss, but for those guests at Bishop’s Casablanca-themed annual Black & Gold

Night on March 28, the memories are certain to be more vast and even more unforgettable. Gathering for an evening at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach, over 230 parents, alumni and friends of Bishop Montgomery celebrated the school and raised money for tuition assistance. Guests of “As Time Goes By” began their night with a hosted cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres in the ballroom’s foyer while perusing auction

tables with over 200 one-of-a-kind items. Highlights included getaways to the Ritz-Carlton’s Half Moon Bay and Lake Las Ve-gas resorts, a Lakers game for four in Ticketmaster’s Staples Cen-ter Suite, Big Bear cabin and La Jolla condo vacations, luxury spa treatments and a variety of beautiful jewelry.

ABOVE:Principal Rosemary Libbon, center, welcomes Anne and Scott Salisbury to the Bishop Montgomery Hall of Fame.

The silent auction tables were not to be outdone, however, and the evening’s live auction not only provided great entertainment, but also raised thousands of dollars for Bishop. With only two items in the live auction—the very coveted ten extra graduation tickets and VIP parking, and a Super Student package (snack bar pass and choice of any on-campus parking space and top locker in the school)-- bidding was fast and furious. The winners certainly walked away with invaluable items and, perhaps even more ex-citing, the knowledge that their students would be thrilled with such lucrative prizes.

During the live auction, guests dined on a duet of steak and sea-food and enjoyed California wines with their meal. After the bid-ding concluded, BMHS’ Director of Development Andy Marafi no inducted two new members into the BMHS Hall of Fame for the

THEN: Kerry was the BMHS Female Athlete of the Year in 1982. She was a varsity letter-winner in cross country, track, soccer and softball in addition to serving as the president of the Letter Girl Club. “I loved playing sports at Bishop because there was always so much support for the athletic teams,” says Kerry, who credits Christine Collette with being a strong infl uence. In addition to athletics, Kerry’s favorite moment at BMHS was serving as the Master of Ceremonies at the Senior Talent Show with her co-host, Andy Grove. “The show was a big hit,” says Kerry. “Our friends still laugh about it today.” After graduation, Kerry graduated from Loyola Marymount in 1986 with a degree in History and a minor in Businein History and a minor in Businein History and ss Administration.

NOW: Kerry is married to Andy Grove, BMHS Class of 1982 Salutatorian. They have three children, Charley (BMHS class of 2010), Annie (BMHS class of 2012) and Jimmy, a 7th grader who is already looking forward to be-coming a Knight. After college, Kerry taught and coached at several schools, including St. Bernard High School and

St. Anthony Catholic School. While at St. Bernard, she led the girls’ soccer team to their fi rst playoff appearance. “I am retired now, but I loved every minute of teaching PE to kids,” says Kerry.

ON BMHS: “Bishop made me realize that you can do anything in life if you work hard enough... Bishop gives you a lot of opportunities, so you learn to take advantage of that and make the most out of everything. Bishop is a great school to be a part of and I am very excited that my kids get to experience such a great school. It is also great to see so many alumni friends send their own kids to Bishop.”

KERRY BATEMAN-GROVE, Class of 1982WHERE ARE THEY NOW?

SOCIAL FEATURE

ADVANCING THE MISSION OF BISHOP MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL

18 www.bmhs-la.org

D E V E L O P M E N T

April was a diffi cult month with the passing of longtime plant manager and basketball coach Mike Murphy. “Murph” was an inte-gral part of the campus in so many ways and his love for the school and the students was clearly evident at his funeral inside a packed and the students was clearly evident at his funeral inside a packed

church in Paramount. It was amaz-ing to see so many faculty, staff, current students and parents, past players and their parents, and fam-ily and friends gather to celebrate the life of a great man who dedicat-ed his life to Catholic education.

Welcome to another issue of Veritas magazine. We hope that you enjoy reading the magazine and hearing about all the amazing things that are happening in the Bishop Montgomery community. As always, we are proud of what our students, teachers, alumni and friends are doing and we want to tell as many of those stories as possible.

Dear Friends of Bishop Montgomery,

One of the most touching moments of the school year was the outpour-ing of support for Nichole Bencomo ‘97 by her classmates and other members of the community. Nich-ole suffered a stroke in 2005 that left her partially paralyzed. When she became a candidate to receive a device to aide her in walking again, her classmates and others were overwhelming in their generosity. One of Nichole’s classmates, Rev. Ricky Viveros ‘97, led a campaign to raise the $5,000 for the walk aide and soon the donations came rolling in. In all, over $3,200 was raised in just a few weeks. In speaking with Nichole, she can’t even begin to express how grateful she is to have the support of the Bishop Montgomery community and she sends her personal thanks to everyone.

On February 7, Mrs. Virginia Schneider, the mother of eleven BMHS graduates, was honored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at the Cardinal’s Award Dinner. Mrs. Schneider, a longtime supporter of Bishop Montgomery, continues to volunteer at Little Company of Mary Hospital and her dedication to her community is inspiring.

players from every decade were present, including some members of the 1967 and 1975 CIF championship teams. It was truly an honor to have them all come back to the fi eld. Before the fi rst pitch, the BMHS players and coaches made a donation to the Jimmy V Foun-dation for Cancer Research. It was the fi rst of several donations made throughout the year by the baseball team in their support of one of their players whose parents are both fi ghting cancer.

On June 3, we received news that Julie Vaughn, the mother of BMHS senior Adam Mitchell, passed away. The students quickly orga-nized a “denim day” collection to raise money to help pay for funeral expenses. The one day collection

raised $2,406, which is made even more remarkable because it was done without the assistance of the seniors,

who had already graduated and were no longer on campus. This is a true testament to the generosity and love that our students have for one another.

The past school year certainly had its high and low points, but it was not lacking for memorable moments. As I look back on the year, I am reminded of some of the people who made the year special and some of the events, games and accomplishments that defi ne what our community is all about.

ABOVE:(L to R): Pat Carmody ‘81, Jim Carmody ‘75, and Mike Fay ‘83 enjoy themselves at the 10th Annual BMHS Alumni Baseball Game.

As the baseball coach, one of my favorite days of the year is the an-nual alumni baseball game held every February. This year’s game was especially memorable, not only because of the number of alum-ni who showed up, but for the outpouring of support shown by the community in the fi ght against cancer. This year, close to 40 former players returned to BMHS to play in the game and enjoy a meal with the current players. What made the turnout so special is that

These and many other stories are proof that our students, alumni and friends are open to God’s grace and are sharing their talents for the good of their neighbors. Once again, we hope you enjoy this is-sue of Veritas. We are proud of the accomplishments of all the mem-bers of our community and we enjoy bringing their stories to you.

Andy Marafi noDirector of Development

Sincerely,Sincerely,


A gift of only $10 from each BMHS alumnus

would provide the school with over $150,000.

Consider making your gift to Knight Pride today!

Your tax-deductible contribution to Knight Pride is used to:*Enhance school programs - academics, music & arts, technology, athletics

*Provide facility renovations & upgrades*Provide tuition assistance to students who would otherwise not be able to afford a BMHS education

Bishop Montgomery High School relies upon the generosity of our entire school community - alumni, parents,

past parents, faculty, staff and friends - to assist us in providing our students

with a quality, Catholic education.

The 2009 Bishop Montgomery/Morgan Miranda Memorial Golf he 2009 Bishop Montgomery/Morgan Miranda Memorial Golf he 2009 Bishop Montgomery/Morgan Miranda Memorial Golf Tournament, held on June 26 at Lakewood Country Club, brought together BMHS alumni, parents, faculty, coaches, and friends for

an exciting day on the golf course to raise money for the Morgan Miranda Scholarship and tuition assistance at the school. Morgan Miranda was a 2000 BMHS graduate who passed away in 2002. His father, Ed Miranda, has been the chairman of the tournament since its inception in 2003. This years’ tournament attracted a record number of alumni, including more than ten members of the Class of 2000 who came out to play golf and support their classmate. “The best part of the day was seeing all the alumni,” said their classmate. “The best part of the day was seeing all the alumni,” said Andy Marafi no, BMHS Director of Development. “It was nice to see so many members of Morgan’s class gather together to support the school. I know it means a lot to the Miranda family and to Bishop.”

In all, close to 60 golfers took to the course and over 80 people gathered together for dinner, prizes and awards after the round was over. One of the highlights of the day was the presentation of the three awards that are given out annually by the Miranda family. These awards, which are on permanent display at Bishop Montgomery, are given to members of the school community who hold a special place in the success of the tournament. The Linda Award, named after Ed’s wife, was presented to George and Shir-ley Taylor. The Nelson Award, named for Morgan’s brother, was presented to the Rod Mendoza Family. The Spirit Award was presented posthumously to Mike Murphy, BMHS’ plant man-ager who passed away in April. Accepting the award were Mike’s sons, Paul and Ed.

KNIGHT PRIDE ALUMNI GIVING 2009-10

BMHS/MirandaGolf Tournament

ABOVE:(L to R): Sam Prouty ‘00, Mark Woods ‘00, Matt Elias ‘00, Paul Leach ‘00 and past parent Wayne Elias pose before teeing off on the fi rst hole.

Plans for the 2010 tournament are already underway. The date and tournament information will be posted at www.bmhs-la.org in the coming months.

ABOVE:(L to R): Ian Salisbury ‘00, Matt Blanco ‘00, Steve Salisbury ‘‘05 and Tim Zimmerman ‘00 get ready to tee off.

20 www.bmhs-la.org

CLASS NOTES

1990’s1980’sAllison McGuire-Young ‘93 andPaul Young ‘93 welcomed Brendan Patrick, left, on October 4, 2008.

Ellen Bryant-Claude ‘97 and Ste-ven Claude, left, were married on January 31, 2009.

Mairah Santarina-Malana ‘89 and her husband, Joseph,and her husband, Joseph,and wel-comed their fi rst child, Joseph Elijah, on October 5, 2008.

Christian Julien ‘96 is a Merchant Marine Offi cer with the United States Coast Guard.

Christine Glymph ‘09 has been selected as the new feature twirler for the Fresno State University Bull-dog Marching Band after receiving a four-year scholarship. Christine was heavily recruited by the band directors, who were searching for a replacement for their graduating twirler. With only twenty-seven feature twirler positions available in the country, only one-third of which offer scholarships, and with over 10,000 competitive baton twirlers in the U.S., landing the top spot with the 280-member Fresno State Marching Band is an incredible achievement.

Like many student-athletes, Christine had to submit videos and materials in order to audition and receive the scholarship. The Bulldog Marching Band hosted Christine and her parents on two different weekends during her recruitment. She even had the opportunity to be on the fi eld with the band and football players during Fresno State’s game against Wisconsin. Fresno State athletics are on the rise (the baseball team won the College World Series in 2008) and the entire Fresno community is a thriv-ing metropolis with a hometown feel.

Christine, a nationally competitive baton twirler since the age of 5, has won over 300 ribbons, medals and trophies for her skills in 1-, 2-, and 3-baton twirling. She was the 2007 World Open 2-Baton Twirl-ing Champion. She continues to practice for several hours everyday and is joined by her two sisters (Michelle ‘11 and Caroline) who are also on the path to earn college scholarships. Go Bulldogs! -- Patty Glymph

2009 Alumna Earns Prestigious Scholarship

Mark Waronek ‘86, above left, received the California Cham-ber of Commerce Small Business Advocate of the Year Award in ber of Commerce Small Business Advocate of the Year Award in ber of Commerce Small Business Advocate of the Year AwardMay. Waronek is the owner of Waronek and Associates.

Bryce Hadley ‘95 received his Bachelor’s degree in history and communications from St. Mary’s College (CA). He also earned a Master’s degree in education from Pepperdine. He taught 8th grade language arts and social studies at Hawthorne Middle School for fi ve years and has spent the last two years teaching English at North Torrance HS. He also is a member of the girls’ softball coaching staff at North and helped guide the team to the CIF title in 2008.

Joana Alvarez-Delgado ‘88 and her husband, Alonso, welcomed their second child, Aidan James, above, on March 27, 2009.

Charles David ‘96 and Kathleen Laforteza-David ‘97 welcomed Laforteza-David ‘97 welcomed Laforteza-David ‘97Cale Francis, right, on December 31, 2008.


In Loving MemoryBishop Montgomery extends its prayers to the

members of our community who have passed away:

AlumniTerrence Hicks ‘65, March 28, 2009

Mildred Nicksich-Marcum ‘65, February 25, 2009Steven Harbaugh ‘68, May 5, 2009

Susan Stark-Meyer ‘73, July 2, 2009Cindy Trites ‘76, March 2009

Mary Eleanor Ruffolo ’79, May 8, 2008Eunice Park ‘06, May 10, 2009

Alumni ParentsEmile Lippman, February 28, 2008

(Gil ‘65, Joan ‘66, Dorothy ‘68, Pat ‘69, Bill ‘71, Teri ‘72, Ron ‘77)

Ruth Reidt, April 20, 2008(Deborah ‘89, Douglas ‘91, Donna ‘95)

Charles Reis, May 27, 2008(Rose ‘88, Gregory‘90)

Orlando Guhit, December 27, 2008(Jennifer ‘98)

Richard Dargen, February 9, 2009(Gail ‘73, Lee Ann ‘75, Bill ‘77)

Joseph Rohlinger, February 15, 2009(Nancy ‘72, Patricia ‘75, Karen ‘77, George ‘84)

Roger Washington, April 7, 2009(Gerald ‘06)

Eileen Starkey, April 17, 2009(Christine ‘71, Joe ‘73, Kevin ‘76, Matt ‘83)

Susan Pasquarella, June 2, 2009(Clem ‘95, Nick ‘99)

Current ParentsJulie Vaughan, June 3, 2009

(Adam Mitchell ‘10)

Current Faculty/StaffMike Murphy, April 10, 2009

Christopher Wendell ‘05 recently spent eight months in Germany as part of a UCLA study abroad program where all of his courses were conducted in the German language. Chris, a his-tory major, is presently applying to law schools.

2000’sMatthew Elias ‘00, a 2004 graduate of the University of Ari-zona, received his Juris Doctorate degree from Drake Univer-sity Law School in May 2008. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar Association and is living in the Phoenix area.

Miguel Benitez ‘04 signed a contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy in February 2009. He and his wife, Christina Aguini-ga-Benitez ‘04, have a daughter, Alessandra.

Renee Vignery-Suzuki ‘00, a member of the 1998 BMHS volleyball state champion-ship team, graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 2005 with a degree in education and received her general edu-cation teaching credential from Mount St. Mary’s Col-lege. She also received a cre-dential in special education from Cal State Dominguez Hills. She taught at York Elementary School in Haw-thorne where she received the 2008 Teacher of the Year

Award. She is married to Kurt Suzuki, the starting catcher for the Oakland Athletics and they reside in Torrance during the baseball off-season. Also in the picture are siblings Michael Vignery ‘02 (far left) and Patricia Vignery ‘09 (far right).

Sgt. Gregory Dillon ‘03, recently re-enlisted for fi ve years in the United States Marine Corps. He will be stationed in North Carolina at Camp Lejeune and will be working as an intelli-gence analyst in the 2nd Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force.

Mary Whalen-Sweeney ‘00 and Michael Sweeney were mar-ried on May 9, 2009 at St. John Fisher Church. Send us news of your new job, marriage, birth, latest adven-

ture, or other signifi cant event for publication in VERITAS.

Send in your news by e-mail to amarafi [email protected] by mail to:

Development Offi ce Bishop Montgomery High School

5430 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503

James Ruiz ‘00 married Mer-sedeh Imani-Ruiz, left, on March 21, 2009 in Solvang.

Tina Woods-Kratz ‘97 and Aaron Kratz wel-comed Kayla Rose, left, on April 24, 2009. She weighed 5 pounds, 1 ounce and was 18 inches.

Nate Clark ‘04, left, graduated on May 22, 2009 from the United States Naval Academy with a Bachelor’s degree in economics. He and his wife, Angelique, also a Naval Academy grad-uate, were married on May 23, 2009. They are stationed in San Diego.

22 www.bmhs-la.org

FEEDBACK

Letters to the EditorLetters to the EditorI read the Veritas magazines and I must congratulate you on a wonderful job! BMHS has evolved into an impressive place since I last visited. I was sad to hear about the deaths of some of my friends, Wolf, Chuck [Vogler] and Joe Callahan; they were a great bunch to work with. I’m also impressed with some of my former students who have now joined the faculty. I’m also happy to see Dorothy Pittelkau return to BMHS. She was a rock for me when I taught there. I learned to teach during my time at Montgomery and now that I’m fi nishing my 23rd year, it seems like yesterday...I must be getting older!

I was sad to see the picture of the old friary being demolished. I spent six wonderful years there and will always cherish the fun we had...Fr. Anthony, Alex, Greg and Bruce...what a crew! Life was pretty simple and even though we had those huge classes of 35-40 students, we managed to get all the papers graded and somehow, the students learned the material...amazing!

We were back in LA in 2003 and 2006 and I had the opportunity to visit with the then English department chair, Jennifer Egan, who was my student and whose mom, Sue Egan, was my mentor and department chair when I fi rst Jennifer Egan, who was my student and whose mom, Sue Egan, was my mentor and department chair when I fi rst started at BMHS in 1986. That’s the beauty of BMHS, the intangible family that one never forgets and that remains in one’s heart no matter where life takes us.

Michael Deschamp(former Bro. Michael OFM Conv.)

V E R I T A SThe Magazine of Bishop Montgomery High School

The Latin word Veritas is defi ned “truth.” In Roman mythology, Veritas was the goddess of truth, a daughter of Saturn and the mother of Virtue. Veritas is also the name given to the Roman virtue of truthfulness, which was considered one of the many virtues any good Roman should have possessed. “Veritas” is included in many university mottos as well, including Yale University’s Lux et Veritas (Light and Truth). Veritas is also the motto of Harvard University, and the Dominican Order of the Roman Catholic Church. The BMHS motto is “justice, truth, honor” and the case can be made that all pursuits, if they are valid, must fi rst be rooted in truth. We, as a school community, certainly strive to achieve that goal.

VERITAS magazine is published two times a year by the Development Offi ce of Bishop Montgomery High School. For more information or to send comments or suggestions, please contact:

Andy Marafi noDirector of Development

Bishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance Boulevard

Torrance, California 90503

(310) 540-2021 ext. [email protected]

www.bmhs-la.org

Publisher: Rosemary Libbon, Principal

Editors: Andy Marafi no, Director of Development Dione Dierks, Asst. Director of Development Amy Traxler, Asst. Director of Development John Hong, Publications Director

Photography: Ron Alpine, BMHS Yearbook Staff, Jonathan Curtiss, Dione Dierks, Jan Fitzpatrick, John Hong, Bob Knight Photo, LifeTouch, Andy Marafi no, University of New Mexico

Contributors: Patty Glymph, Taylor Nieman ‘09, Kit Schwartzman-Vela ‘86 Printer: Malecki Printing Company

Dates to Remember

October 23: Girls’ Volleyball Alumni Game BMHS Gymnasium 5:00 pm

December 4: Open House Students 12:00 - 2:30 Families 5:00 - 7:00

November 16-24: Thanksgiving Food Drive

November 3: Undergraduate Awards BMHS Gymnasium 9:00 am

December 15-17: Fall Semester Exams

February 6: Black & Gold Night

For more information, go to www.bmhs-la.org For more information, go to www.bmhs-la.org or check the school calendar located

in the student agenda book.

November 7: Class of 1969 Reunion Pamela Watson-Maran 310-375-1423

Homecoming Football Game

4:00 pm - Knight Stadium

Homecoming BBQ

Student Lunch Area

Homecoming Pep Rally12:45 pmBMHS GymnasiuBMHS Gymnasium

ALALALL ALUMNI WELCOME!

HOMECOMING 2009FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2009

NONPROFIT ORGU.S. Postage

PAIDTorrance, CA Permit No. 317

VERITASMagazineBishop Montgomery High School5430 Torrance BoulevardTorrance, California 90503(310) 540-2021 www.bmhs-la.org

Documents

Veritas Magazine Spring/Summer 2009