June 2009 - Bishop Ward High School

AfterWard
VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 Ju n e 2009
The Gift of Music
Inside
Ellen Larson ’12
was the first student
to play the donated
baby grand piano
as classmate Juliana
Alvey ’12 listened.
Alumnus Donates Piano in
Honor of Late Wife
When aspiring pianist Ellen Larson ’12
saw the new Cristofori baby grand
piano in Bishop Ward’s auditorium, she
couldn’t wait to play it.
“It’s really fun to play,” she said. “I think
it’s one of the smoothest pianos I’ve ever
played.”
Dr. James Pretz ’41 recently donated the
piano to honor the memory of his late wife,
Bernadine (Martin) Pretz ’41, who passed
away in April 2008.
Bernadine began playing the piano at a
young age after her father bought a baby
grand piano for her and her two sisters. Her
early love of music stayed with Bernadine
throughout her life.
“She played a lot of popular music and
played it for her own enjoyment,” Dr. Pretz
said.
The couple first met in grade school at
St. Rose of Lima and then began dating at
Bishop Ward. They married in June 1946
and had four children: Steve Pretz ’65,
Ann (Pretz) Faison ’67, John Pretz ’69,
and Barbara Pretz.
The grand piano
received a special
blessing at the senior
Mass on May 6. As a
tribute to Bernadine,
Ellen Larson played
Beethoven’s
“Sonatina in G.”
“We are so grateful
to Dr. Pretz for
this special gift to
Bishop Ward High
School. Bishop Ward
now has a first-class piano for our all-school
Masses and choir performances,” Fr. Hermes
said. “We will remember Mrs. Pretz every
time we play this piano.”
Dr. James Pretz ’41 and
Bernadine (Martin) Pretz ’41
2 Reunion News
Made It Through Another
Year Luncheons
Alumna Co-Authors Book
3 Hall of Fame
Students Walk ForWARD
4 2009 Graduates
5 Student Achievements
6 Zupanecs Establish
Endowment Fund
Father Michael Hermes Appointed Full-time President of Bishop Ward
President Fr. Michael Hermes
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has appointed Fr. Michael Hermes
to be the full-time president of Bishop Ward High School. Fr.
Hermes will no longer be pastor of Our Lady of Unity Parish as of
July 2009. Fr. Hermes has been the president of Bishop Ward the
past four years, but only working part-time as president due to parish
responsibilities.
“I look forward to being able to devote full concentration and
energy toward Bishop Ward,” Fr. Hermes said. “This change will make
it easier for me to do the best job possible for the Bishop Ward High
School community.”

Made It Through Another Year Luncheons
Chair Marilyn (Luckett) Flemming ’54
(second from left) honored ladies from
the class of 1949, who were the original
founders of the women’s luncheon. They
included (left to right) Donna (Hains)
Ashley, Anita (Monley) Strumillo, Carole
Kobets, and Kathleen (Hughes) Stubbers.
Alumni got together over Spring
Break for the Made It Through
Another Year Luncheons.
The Women’s Luncheon, for
alumnae ages 60 and older, was on
March 18 and was organized by
the class of 1954. Seventy-seven
women gathered together for this
event. The earliest class in attendance
was 1934, represented by
Freida (Mejak) Bader.
The Men’s Luncheon, for alumni
ages 55 and older, was on March
19. Dick Lyons ’56 and his calling
committee helped bring together
Men from the class of 1950 were the first to show up for the
lunch: (back row, left to right) Richard Miller, Tom Lacy,
Dan Ogan, Edward Mayfield, (front row) Edward McShane,
Claude Supplee, and Roy Wilcox.
70 alumni for this event. The earliest class represented was 1940,
represented by Floyd Culp and “Smokey” Joe Schmitz.
Alumna Co-Authors Book
Pat (Slaughter) Antonopoulos ’56, pictured here with her husband Bob Antonopoulos ’54, is sharing her
story in a new book she has co-authored with three local women. “Four Ordinary Women” tells the story
of four women leading ordinary lives. They hope that through their stories, they can encourage other
women to reach out, share their lives and build empowering friendships. The book is now available at
Barnes & Noble, Rainy Day Books, and Amazon.com. Visit their web site at www.fourordinarywomen.com.
Wiedner Family Benefit
A Taco Dinner, Bingo, and Silent Auction
will be held to assist Steve and Lori
(Manning) ’84 Wiedner with expenses
they have incurred during Lori’s
hospitalization and cancer treatments.
The event is 7-11 p.m. June 26 at the
Cathedral St. Peter gym, 425 N. 15th St.
The cost is $20 per person.
To donate or sponsor the event, please
contact Cheryl at 913.221.3502 or
cmanning9@kc.rr.com.
CALENDAR
August 21, time TBD
Cyclone Night Activities
Kick-Off
October 24, 6 p.m.
Bishop Ward High School
Annual Auction
2
Cyclone Alumni & Friends
News
1967: Jerry Brown passed away April 12, 2009.
Since 1973, he was employed with the Unified
Government as a coordinator of Wyandotte
County District Court Process Servers. He is
preceded in death by his wife Gerry (Wilson)
Brown ’73. Survivors include two children and
five grandchildren.
1976: Connie (Anson) Davidson passed away
on May 4, 2008.
1996: Vanessa (Anaya) Seifert was named the 2009
Employee of the Year by Providence Medical Center.
She is a Vascular Laboratory lead technologist.
2005: Theresa Hoytal, a Benedictine College
student, and her Students in Free Enterprise
team, won the Midwest Regional title.
Reunion News
Class of 1949 – Sept. 12 at the Lone Star Steak
House at The Legends. Contact Carol Kobets at
913.962.6364.
Class of 1954 – July 25 at St. Patrick’s Parish.
Contact Helen (Hughes) Leverich, “Bitsy,” at
913.742.1292.
Class of 1959 – Oct. 10 at Bishop Ward.
Contact Mike Connor at 913.486.8750.
Class of 1965 – TBD. Contact Sharon Perry at
vettejack@sbcglobal.net.
Class of 1969 – June 26-28. Contact Jim
Gorman at whs_classof69@kc.rr.com.
Class of 1979 – Oct. 17 at Bishop Ward.
Contact Becky Calvert at racalvert6@earthlink.net.
Class of 1989 – Sept. 19 at Falcon Lakes in
Lansing, Kan., with a tour of Bishop Ward
on Sept. 18. Contact Alicia Brown at
aliciapetteybrown@kc.rr.com.
Class of 1999 – Friday, Aug. 21 from 7 p.m.
to 12 a.m. at Painted Hills Golf Course. Cost is
$33 per person. Includes drinks and appetizers.
Please RSVP by July 11 by sending your check
to Aaron Swarts, 14604 Brentwood, Lenexa,
KS 66215. Questions? Email Aaron at
AaronSwarts@810whb.com.
For information on reunions, contact Paula
Gettles in the Development Office at
913.371.6901.

2009 Hall of Fame Dinner
Elegant Evening Enjoyed by Record Crowd
Bishop Ward inducted the 2009 Hall of Fame Class at the Hall of Fame
Dinner on April 18 at the school. Over 160 alumni and friends of Bishop Ward
attended this elegant event to honor the accomplishments and contributions
the inductees have made.
The 2009 Hall of Fame Class includes Nicholas Tomasic ’50,
Lee (Beougher) Labinski ’66, Don Stump (Coach ’56- ’65),
and Mike Savage ’76. Not pictured is Fr. Raymond Davern,
who was awarded posthumously.
The Hall of Fame recognizes a few individuals each year who have shared
their time, talent, or treasure with the school and community while exhibiting
the principles of Catholic education. A permanent photo display of the Hall of
Fame was established in the cafeteria and unveiled at the event.
To see photos from the Hall of Fame dinner, visit www.cyclonecountry.org.
Jenny (Yoakum) ’87 and
Andy ’82 Bartolac with his
mother, Carole Bartolac ’50.
Vicki (Monslow) ’70 Heider and Athletic Director
Joel Heider.
Students Go the Distance
Students show off their t-shirts at the end of the walk: (from left to right) Airon Webb ’11,
Colin Kochsmeier ’11, Geoffrey Kump ’11, Kylie Burns ’10, Evan Burns ’11,
Nick Bartolac ’11, and Jennifer Valdez ’11.
Students Walk Five Miles and Raise $35,000
for Student Scholarships
On April 24, students completed their student spring fundraiser,
Cyclones Walk ForWARD. The walk event was a great benefit to the
Wyandotte County Community and raised $35,000 for student
scholarships at Bishop Ward. Learn more about our student fundraisers
at www.wardhigh.org.
Thank you to the Cyclones Walk ForWARD sponsors:
Black and White Sponsors: Dr. Lee V. Ludwig; and Annette LePique,
Prudential Realty, Kansas City.
Ward Country Sponsors: Neff Packaging, John Latenser; Denise ’71
and Bob Beaman ’69; Mike ’63 and Patty Bartkoski; John Tiszka; and Tom
and Cindy Creal.
Students Get Fit
New Wellness Center Now Open;
Equipment Still Needed
Over 50 students are taking part in the Summer
Wellness Program at the new Cyclone Legends
Wellness Center at Dorney Field. Construction of
the center was finished in late April, and some new
equipment has been purchased. Andy Harding ’81
and his Wellness Center team continue their fund
raising efforts to fully equip the space. To help us
complete the project, please contact Kristen Thayer
in the Development Office at 913.371.6901 or
kthayer@wardhigh.org, or visit www.wardhigh.org.
Shannon McCarty ’11 spots Megan Marquardt ’12 as she lifts free
weights.
3

Bishop Ward High School Class of 2009
On Tuesday, May 12, Bishop Ward hosted the graduation ceremony for the Class of 2009
at Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kan. Over 95 percent of the 76 seniors will attend
college in the fall. Following Bishop Ward’s strong Catholic tradition, over a third of the class
has chosen to continue their education at a Catholic college. Together the students have earned
$2 million in scholarships.
Kirklyn Brynn Adams-Miller
Yuri Elizabeth Alvarado
Michelle Alexandra Alvarez
Rebekah MacKenzie Baughman
Peter Alexander Bernardi
Helen Terese Blessington
Anne Elise Breitenstein
Elizabeth Erin Brock
Alfredo Calderón
Selena Nicole Calderón
Dane Francis Calvert
Nathan Joseph Docman
Margaret Grace Duggan
Sarah Jean Dumovich
Sarah Marie Epping
Madje Adjoe Esse
John Wade Fogarty
Jacqueline Galvez
Lonnie Paul Gilbert Jr.
Robert Bercero Grindstaff
Eric Joseph Hendricks
Krista Nicole Huitt
Alexander Patrick Jaksetic
Jeffrey Michael Keller
Meghan Alexandra Kempf
Jordyn Leigh King
Megan Nicole Lee
J. Efren Lobatos Jr.
Charlena Patrice Lockheart
Nancy Luna
Amber Marie Mahoney
James John Makona
Zachary James Mann
Ljubomir Maracic
Anna Michelle Mark
Ernesto Alejandro Marquez
Dylan Ryan Ramos McCombs
Lindsey Kay McIntosh
Jacob Daniel Miller
Alexander Ryan Mills
NeKiya She’na Mosby
Ricardo Nuñez Palomares
James Benjamin Ogan
Mario Alexander Ontiveros
Mercedes Angelica Ontiveros
Francisco Angel Pineda
Photos by Nick Balliett ’11
Ariel Nicole Plumberg
Brittany Ann Ramirez
Joseph Michael Ramirez
Christopher Charles Redmond
Astrid Michelle Reyes
Thomas Alan Richmond
Elisa Yvonne Rios
Brittany Ann Rodkey
Jacqueline Saavedra
Dalia Azusena Sandoval
Daniel Rene Sandoval
Nicholas Anthony Santa Cruz
Anthony Michael Santoyo
Jesus Manuel Sarmiento
Anna Elizabeth Scott
Ellen Louise Sixta
Caleb Patrick Slupski
Larry Joe Smith Jr.
Jaime Mireles Solis
Beau Michael Stoker
Matthew Jose Torres
Emily Marie Twitchel
Adam Michael Tyrrell
Andrea Yvette Vargas
Gabriell Marie Vega
Vittoria Villa
John Christopher Waggoner
Ellen Jule Wiedner
Kevin Allen Wright
Katherine Elizabeth Yadrich
Vebian Mary Zamora
Get Connected
Want to connect with fellow alumni? Log on to www.cyclonecountry.org,
where you can stay in touch with your old classmates, plan reunions and gettogethers,
register for events, and stay up-to-date on happenings at Bishop
Ward. To log on for the first time, use the “Constituent ID” number listed
above your address on the “AfterWard.” If you have questions, contact
Paula Gettles at 913.371.6901 or at pgettles@wardhigh.org.
Seniors Rebekah Baughman, Liz Brock and Anne Breitenstein.
4

All Charged Up
Bishop Ward Takes 1st at National Solar Bike Race
Bishop Ward High School’s first Solar
Bike team came out in the lead in the
National Solar BikeRayce U.S.A. competition
on May 23-24 in Neosho, Mo.
The team of 10 students, under the
guidance of science teachers Truman Snow
and Anthony Barber, worked on designing
and building the bike, which ran on an
electric motor charged by solar panels.
The Bishop Ward solar bicycle.
Solar bike teammates pose in front of a solar generator: (left to right)
Louie Rebeck ’12, Josh Williamson ’10, Emily Cushing ’10, Amaury
Marquez ’10, and Lee Carpio ’10.
Bishop Ward took first place in the sprint and third place in the 60 mile
relay race. The team plans to return to the competition next year with
additional bikes to defend their title.
Scholastic State Champions
Bishop Ward’s Academic Decathlon Team Takes 1st at State
Bishop Ward High School’s Academic Decathlon team took first place
at this year’s state competition and brought home 43 medals.
Under the guidance of team sponsor Mary Lane, the team went on to
compete in the National Academic Decathlon on April 23-24.
The team included (front row, left to right) Josh Williamson ’10, Miguel Torres ’11, Elisa Rios
’09, Stephanie Duenas ’10, (second row) Emily Cushing ’10, Louis Rebeck ’12, Maria Solis ’10,
(third row) Benson Turkovic ’11, Liz Brock ’09, Rebekah Baughman ’09, Heather MacPherson
’10, (back row) Nick Balliett ’11, Anna Scott ’09, John Waggoner ’09, and Amanda Garcia ’10.
It’s a Double Play
Both Baseball and Softball Teams Compete at
the State Tournament as Regional Champs
It was an intense weekend in Salina when both the Bishop Ward baseball
and softball teams played in the Class 4A State Softball and Baseball
tournaments on May 29-30.
This was the baseball team’s 14th straight year of going to state. This year
Bishop Ward took fourth place after they defeated Louisburg 12-2, lost to
Topeka-Hayden 5-0, and then lost to Ottawa 9-8. They finished their season
20-6, and have an active streak of 43 consecutive regional wins.
“It was a very successful season, and there’s a lot to be proud of,”
Head Coach Dennis Hurla said. “True champions handle success
and failure in the same fashion, and I believe all these young men
did.”
This was the Lady Cyclones’ first time back at state since 2004. At
this year’s tournament, the Lady Cyclones lost their first game against
Rosehill 6-1. They finished their season 12-10.
“It was a pretty big accomplishment to make it to a state tournament
without any seniors,” Head Coach Natalie Muehlberger said.
“We are excited to see what this group of girls will do next year.”
Liddy Maurin ’10 races to first base after a bunt.
Jacob Kolenda ’10 slides in at home plate in the game against Louisburg.
5

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P r e s i d e n t
Father Michael Hermes
P r i n c i p a l
Mr. Dennis Dorr ’73
P u b l i s h e r
Ms. Mary Pat Beals
E d i t o r & Pu b l i s h e r
Mrs. Laura Nelson
Save the Date for the
2009 Auction
Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009
Reardon Center at Hilton
Garden Inn
Now’s the time to mark your
calendars and get involved!
Volunteer
Sponsor
Donate
Contact Sarah Dee at
sdee@wardhigh.org
or at 913.371.6901.
Don’t miss the excitement
this year!
Leaving Their Mark
Zupanecs Establish Endowment Fund
“No love or friendship can ever cross the path of our destiny
without leaving some mark upon it forever.”
This is a favorite quote that hangs in the home of Gene and
Rosemary (Foley) Zupanec, both from the Class of 1948. The
Zupanecs decided earlier this year to “leave their mark” on future
Bishop Ward students by establishing a scholarship endowment
fund. The annual interest will provide ongoing scholarship
support for current and future Bishop Ward students.
The Zupanecs have been loyal supporters of Bishop Ward over
the years.
“The decision by Gene and Rosemary to establish an
endowment is consistent with their Catholic upbringing and
Gene ’48 and Rosemary (Foley) ’48 Zupanec
gratitude for the values-based education they received,” President
Fr. Michael Hermes said. “I am confident that their moral foundation of ethics and fairness served them well over the years in
operating their own successful business.”
If you would like to contribute to the Gene and Rosemary Zupanec Endowment Fund or establish your own, please
contact Mary Spangler ’80 in the Development Office at 913.371.6901 or mspangler@wardhigh.org.