Montgomery Catholic 1950's Reunion Lunch Held at Arrowhead Country Club

A 1950’s St. Mary of Loretto/Catholic High Reunion Lunch was held at Arrowhead Country Club on May 4, 2014. Organized by Kathy Ritchey and Gaynell Downes, there were 19 Montgomery Catholic graduates who enjoyed lunch and catching up with one another. They were: (front row, left to right) Curtis Kirsch ’51, Loy Allen Wood ’58, Louise McGinn Aronald ’55, Alice Smith ’55, Catherine Johnston Cobb ’50; (back row from left to right) Robert Lusk ’55, Yvonne Laun McGinn ’55, Gaynell Downes ’53, Evelyn Monroe Snyder ’53, Pat Erbs Mainor ’53, Mary Lee Edgar ’57, Jane Goins ’59, Nancy Goins ’55, Kathy Ritchey ’54, Patsy Biggio Swain ’52, Tom Brantley ’55, Peggy Cox Struthers ’52, Billy Struthers ’49 and Ed Wheat ’53.

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, founded in 1873, is a K4-12 college preparatory Catholic school, accredited by SACS.

Montgomery Catholic Students Elected to Leadership Positions for 2015 YMCA Youth Legislature Conference

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School had an exciting year participating in the YMCA Youth Legislature conference held at the Alabama State House. The program allows over 500 high school students to take over state government for three days. Participants are required to write a bill on a topic of their choice and take it through the legislative process. Exciting elections and debate take place as students learn about state government and parliamentary procedure.

MCPS junior Mary McLaughlin
named 2015 YMCA Youth Legislature
Secretary of State

This year Montgomery Catholic's Mary McLaughlin, a junior, served as the Assistant Secretary of State where she learned the ins and outs of the office.  McLaughlun was elected to serve as the 2015 Secretary of State where she will assist the Youth Governor with the running of the conference.

Brian Anderson served as the First Year Floor Leader at the conference.  After a strong campaign, Anderson was elected to serve as the First Year Presiding Officer in 2015 where he will govern the debate of the First Year Chamber.  In addition, Anderson's bill was just one of a few signed into law at the conference.  Both Anderson and Cheyenne Hayes were recognized as Outstanding Delegates for the First Year Chamber, while Elizabeth Overton and Rebecca White were chosen to participate in this year's YMCA Conference on National Affairs in Black Mountain, North Carolina.  Overton will be representing Montgomery Catholic at the conference June 28-July 3.

We are also proud of the following students who served in an officer, cabinet, or media position at this 2014 YMCA Youth Legislature conference: Alex Castanza, Brian Anderson, James Sadie, Madison Bednarz, Cheyenne Hayes, Casey Lyerly, Allie Micher, Mary McLaughlin, and Elizabeth Overton. Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's Youth Legislature sponsors are High School History teachers Mrs.
Stephanie Nelson and Mr. Matthew Monson.

Clark and Dennis selected as Coach Tim Turner Memorial Award Winners

Jessie Clark and Parker Dennis were selected for the Coach Tim Turner Memorial Award for excellence in Middle School athletics at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School. The award is selected by the Montgomery Catholic Athletic Booster Club and is given to a male and female eighth grade student for excellence in athletics, sportsmanship, leadership, and academics.

Mr. Charlie Anderson  presented the award after the Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Eighth Grade Completion Mass on May 22, 2014 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on Vaughn Road.

Jessie is the daughter of Jill and Jeff Clark of Montgomery. She played middle school volleyball, middle school and varsity basketball and varsity softball for Montgomery Catholic.

Parker is the son of Leigh and Michael Dennis of Prattville. He played middle school football and basketball for the Knights. Both were named Most Athletic at the Montgomery Catholic Middle School campus.

The award is named in honor of the late Coach Tim Turner who valiantly coached several MCPS Middle School sports teams while bravely battling a terminal illness. (Photos courtesy of The Studio at Eastchase, Keith Hildabrand)

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School, founded in 1873, is a K4-12 college preparatory Catholic school, accredited by SACS..

Montgomery Catholic Student Participates in 2014 Memorial Day Ceremony

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School
seventh grade student Ricky Treloar was honored to play "TAPS" on Memorial Day for the Vietnam Veterans Ceremony held at Greenwood Cemetery on Harrison Road.

Treloar has been playing the trumpet since the sixth grade.  He asked his mother to help him learn to play "TAPS" and  Montgomery Catholic Band Director, Alex Johnson recommended Treloar to play at the Vietnam Veterans Ceremony held on Veteran's Day in November. "He was asked back for Memorial Day to play again. Ricky feels that it is a real honor to be asked to play for such an important occasion, and he is quite humbled by the experience." said his mother Teresa. "It was very emotional when they called out the names  of the soldiers who didn't return from Vietnam (50 years ago) and family members came up to receive commemorative coins with their loved ones' name on it."

Treloar received a coin of appreciation from Major General Perry Smith, Alabama Army and Air National Guard for being a part of the ceremony. He is the son of Teresa and Greg Treloar of Montgomery.

Dimitri Polizos, Alabama State House District 74
with Ricky Treloar and his sister Amy at the
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Day Ceremony in Montgomery

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School Celebrates the 139th Graduating Class: The Class of 2014

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's 139th Commencement Exercises took place in an outdoor ceremony on the grounds of the Athletic Complex at the Vaughn Road Campus.

Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, Superintendent of Education Gwen Byrd, Montgomery Catholic President Anne Ceasar, and High School Principal Chad Barwick were joined by Monsignor Charles Troncale, Father Patrick Driscoll '84,   Father Pat Arensberg, Deacon Jim Labadie, Father Linn Harbour and Father Alex Valladares as the special guests of the class. Salutatorian Andrea Hayes and Valedictorian Madeleine O'Mara addressed their fellow graduates, special guests, family and friends. The class of 2014 sang the Montgomery Catholic Alma Mater "Catholic, Our Refuge" by Christina Banks Barrera and Alex Johnson before heading to the inzone to salute the school one final time.

Members of the junior and sophomore class hosted the graduates and their families at a reception in the Dolly Barranco Activity Center following the ceremony.

Congratulations to the Class of 2014!

Somlee Baek, Ashley Lynn Barranco*, Kyle James Berher, Tara Lynn Bourke*, Chloe Michaela Campbell, Alexander Thomas Castanza, Mackenzie Fleming Colvin, Ann Marie Dean*, Coleman Randy Dixon*, Yakira Michelle Drayton, Parker Russell Drummond, Mallory St. Clair Ellis*, Michael Duane Ester, Brett Franklin Foxworth*, David Yost Fulton, Casey Alan Gurlaskie, Rolanda Danielle Harrison, Andrea Rebeca Hayes*, John Christopher Haynes*, Martha Ryan Hill, Joshua Lee Johnson, Jr., Gyeongmin Kang, Mi Gyn Kim*, Samantha Charles Kocan*, Kaleb Austen Libby, Daniel Joseph LoBello*, Jonathan Lozano, Dylan Thomas Martin, Monica Christine McCann, Anna Aden McCracken, Patrick Laun McGinn, Jr., Samuel James McLaughlin, Alexandra Elaine Micher*, Anna Marie Mills*, Michael Richard Moussalli*, Geoffrey Andrew Myers, Nicholas James Niel, Ryan Christopher Norris*, Sydney Erin O’Connor, Madeleine Marie O’Mara*, Saraelizabeth Nunan Parker*, De’Jamonte Alexander Pierce, Guillermo Auturo Ravelo*, Miles Xavier Rice, Ivan Rodriguez, Jr., Abigail Frances Rohde*, Clayton Patrick Ronan, Sang Won Seo, Mason Wayne Shell, James Thomas Sherman*, Jared Everett Steele, Charles Edward Stewart, Hadley Elizabeth Taylor, Anthony Reshad Thomas, Kristina Margaret Vanella, Howard Raymond Vaughan, III*, Chase Hunter Williams, Kirstin Janel Wood*.

*National Honor Society

Cole Dixon, son of  Marcia and Daryl Dixon, receives his
Montgomery Catholic diploma from Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi
at the school's 139th Commencement Exercise on May 20, 2014.

Montgomery Catholic Varsity Sports Banquet Held in Downtown Montgomery

Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School honored their varsity athletes for the 2014-2014 year at their annual Varsity Athletic Banquet held at the RSA Activity Center, Wednesday May 7, 2014. Montgomery Catholic fields 17 varsity team sports throughout the year. Mr. Chad Barwick, High School Principal, recognized the four nominees for the Jimmy Hitchcock Award. They were Alex Castanza, Saraelizabeth Parker, James Sherman and Kirstin Wood. Also recognized were Montgomery Catholic's ninth grade nominees, Audrey Kim, James Sadie, Lauren Smith and Zachary Van Alst.

Montgomery Catholic has four awards which honor individual team members 

for their hard work and dedication to their sport. Three of these distinguished awards honor individuals who had tremendous influence on our athletic program: Father Patrick Delahunty, Mr. Joe Fields, and Coach Jack Kresek.

The Father Pat Delahunty Sportsmanship Award, named for the founder of our athletic program, honors the athlete who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship. The Fr. Delahunty Sportsmanship Award winners were Eryka Ellington and Maegan Cobb (cheer), Alex Castanza (football), Ashley Barranco and Abby Rohde (volleyball), Annabel Starrett and Angel Padill(cross country and indoor track & field), Ali Harper and Brandon Barker (basketball), Gus Hodges (wrestling), Tess von Gal and Dylan Martin (soccer), Carrie Woodling (tennis), Agnes Armstrong (softball), Chase Stewart (baseball), Sarah Beth Littrell and Grant Walker (outdoor track & field).

The Coach Jack Kresek Coaches Award, named for a much-beloved football coach who led the Knights (then the "Saints") from 1956 until 1961, recognizes the athlete who exhibits strong determination, team effort, dependability, and a winning attitude. The Jack Kresek Coaches Award winners were  Maggie Ward and Courtney Cool (cheer), Jared Steele (football), Emily Barranco (volleyball), Emily Theurer and Grant Walker(cross country), Regine Parker and Miles Rice (basketball), Gabe Keating (wrestling), Claire Mills and Jonathan Lozano (soccer), Audrey Kim (tennis), Jessie Clark (softball), Jared Steele (baseball), Emily Theurer and Jarrett Chesnutt (indoor track & field), Katelyn Stark and Angel Padilla(outdoor track & field).

The Joe Fields Leadership Award, named for an outstanding student-athlete from the 1970s who displayed outstanding leadership while attending Montgomery Catholic, honors the athlete who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills to their teammates. The Joe Fields Leadership Award winners were Kathleen Beesley and Samantha Kocan(cheer), James Sherman (football), Kirstin Wood (volleyball), Mackenzie Colvin and Patrick Gregorious(cross country), Kirstin Wood and Kyle Berher (basketball), Alex Castanza (wrestling), Saraelizabeth Parker and Alex Castanza(soccer), Ashley Karst (tennis), Hadley Taylor (softball), Brett Foxworth (baseball), Katelyn Stark and Patrick Gregorious(indoor track & field), Paige Barranco and Jarrett Chesnutt(outdoor track & field).


Each varsity sport names one Most Valuable Player. Montgomery Catholic's MVPs were Ashley Kim and Brianna Foley(cheer), Brett Foxworth (football), Kayanna McKenzie (volleyball), Katelyn Stark and Dylan Martin(cross country), Iyana Tate, Kirstin Wood and Anthony Thomas (basketball), Zachary Van Alst (wrestling), Carlye Schmidt and Ryan Norris(soccer), Ashley Kim(tennis), Sydney O'Connor and Kirstin Wood (softball), Bryan Rodopoulos (baseball), Emily Tolar and Winston Wright (indoor track & field), Emily Theurer and Winston Wright (outdoor track & field).

Iyana Tate was the first Montgomery Catholic student to receive the
Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by
Caitlyn's family: uncle, James Hause '02; grandfather, William Hause;
parents, Jim and Lisa Wiggins; and aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin '98.
Photo by: The Studio @ Eastchase.

Montgomery Catholic awarded two scholarships for school tuition. The first was the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship, established in 1998. Initiated by a member of his 1946 football team, the intent of this scholarship is to honor one of Catholic's greatest coaches, whose record of 24 straight wins from 1947-1949 remains a school record. The Furlong scholarship is a partial tuition scholarship of $1,000, given to a high school student who demonstrates a commitment to both extra-curriculars and his or her studies. The 2014 receipient of the Coach Ralph Furlong Scholarship was freshman Emily Rayborn. The second scholarship given was the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship, established in December of 2013. A $3,500 partial tuition scholarship awarded annually in Caitlyn’s honor, a 2008 MCPS graduate and varsity athlete who was killed in an automobile accident in 2013. The scholarship is given for one school year to a female student athlete at Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School’s (MCPS) High School Campus.  Caitlyn’s family and friends endowed this scholarship to give another child the opportunity to achieve the type of success that Caitlyn enjoyed in life. Iyana Tate was the first Montgomery Catholic student to receive the Caitlyn Marianne Wiggins '08 Memorial Scholarship presented by Caitlyn's family: parents, Lisa and Jim Wiggins; grandfather, William Hause; aunt, Andrea Hause Durbin '98 and uncle, James Hause '02 .

 Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School's
Knights of the Round Table Athletes of the Year

Kirstin Wood and Kyle Berher. 

Photo by: The Studio @ Eastchase

The top athletes from each sport are nominated for the Knights of the Round Table Award, which recognizes the top male and female athlete of the year. The Knights of the Round Table nominees were Kyle Berher, Alex Castanza, Mackenzie Colvin, Brett Foxworth, John Haynes, Samantha Kocan, Sydney O'Connor, James Sherman, Hadley Taylor and Kirstin Wood. The Montgomery Catholic Knights of the Round Table Winners are Kyle Berher and Kirstin Wood.

To close the banquet, Rev. Patrick Driscoll, Pastor of Holy Spirit Catholic Church led the parents and guests in a final blessing for all of the senior athletes.