Vince Flynn ’84 Posthumously Receives Hames Alumni Award
Spring on the Saint Thomas Academy campus is always a special time of year. As the days grow longer and our campus comes alive with activity, I am reminded daily how fortunate we are to be part of a community dedicated to forming young men of faith, character, and leadership.
Each day, our Cadets are challenged to grow in the classroom, in our leadership program, on the athletic fields, and in service to others. It is inspiring to see the ways they live out our mission and continue the long tradition of excellence that defines Saint Thomas Academy.
As an alumnus, I am especially grateful for the enduring brotherhood and values that unite our community across generations. Terry Flynn speaking to our Cadets when he accepted the Hames Award on behalf of his son, Vince, is just one example. He shared knowledge and experience from our past to prop up our future, while connecting us through our commonality: the lifelong brotherhood. The boys ate it up, and it was not only a joy to hear; it was a joy to witness.
Our alumni carry the lessons of Saint Thomas Academy into their families, professions, and communities, while our current Cadets work every day to build upon that legacy. The portrait in the Kurtz Alumni Room says it all, “Pride of Tradition: Promise of Tomorrow.” At the same time, the support and partnership of our school families remain essential to the strength and spirit of our Academy.
MISSION
Our mission to develop boys into men of character is our promise to our students, our families, our community and the world.
We accomplish this through the transformative power of an educational and life experience deeply rooted in Catholic faith and traditions, academic excellence, military leadership, and an all-male environment.
Like many communities across the Twin Cities, ours has not been immune to the challenges and conversations shaping our region this year. These moments remind us that one of the most important responsibilities we have as educators is to help young men learn how to think critically, engage complex issues with respect and dignity, and seek truth with both reason and respect, with a keen focus on Christ.
At Saint Thomas Academy, our goal is not to tell Cadets what to think, but to form leaders of character who can listen thoughtfully, evaluate ideas carefully, and respond with wisdom and integrity. No matter what challenge we may face, my message to them is simple: we must always be grounded in our faith and in each other. That will get us through anything, together.
In this spring edition of The Saber, you will read stories that reflect the vitality of our community from the accomplishments of our Cadets, stories of alumni, and recent survey results, to the continued engagement of our alumni and families. Together, all of this reminds us that the Saint Thomas Academy experience extends far beyond our campus and lasts a lifetime.
Thank you for being part of this remarkable community and for the many ways you support our mission.
ON THE COVER: Vincent J. Flynn Hall named for Vince Flynn, shown in inset photos.
Sincerely, Mr. Brian Ragatz ’98
President
Brian Ragatz ’98
949 Mendota Heights Road Mendota Heights, MN 55120 651-454-4570
cadets.com
Your comments, story ideas, and suggestions are always welcome. Please contact Deborah Edwards, Director of Marketing & Communications at 651-683-1532 or via email at dedwards@cadets.com
Features/Article Writers: David Jacobson
Designer: Jason Stones
Printing: Dolan Printing
Photo Credits: Tyler Maddaus
Michael Murray Photography Saint Thomas Academy Alumni, Friends, and Family
BOARD OF DIRECTORS LEADERSHIP
Chief Officer
The Most Reverend Bernard Hebda
Chairman
Mr. Marty Schreier ’88
Past Chairman
Mr. Thomas Lee ’85
Vice President
Mr. Danny Queenan ’89
Secretary
Mr. Brian Ragatz ’98
Founding Partner
Mr. Michael Ciresi ’64
Vince Flynn Posthumously Receives Hames Alumni Award
BY DAVID JACOBSON
In most ways, Vince Flynn ’84, recipient of the 2025 Hames Alumni Honor Award, had little in common with Mitch Rapp, the superheroic assassin and protagonist of Flynn’s best-selling political thriller novels. But one trait that Flynn and Rapp did share was their knack for getting difficult things done.
For example, before Flynn passed away from prostate cancer in 2013, his 14 Mitch Rapp novels had sold 15 million copies in the U.S. alone. Including the Mitch Rapp books written by authors who kept the character alive even after Flynn’s death, the franchise has sold more than 75 million copies.
Another thing that Flynn got done as co-chair of a capital campaign for Saint Thomas Academy was the fundraising required to construct the building on campus that bears his name. Vincent J. Flynn Hall, which opened in 2013, is a nearly 100,000-square-foot structure that houses the school’s main gym, athletic
facilities, a fine arts center, classrooms, and meeting areas for faculty and administration.
Both of Flynn’s best-known accomplishments the books and the building clearly meet the criteria of the Hames Award: “advancement of the goals of the Academy and enriching the lives of those around them through professional and civic leadership, intellectual and cultural pursuits, and human welfare activities.”
Terry Flynn ’55, accepts the Hames Award on behalf of Vince Flynn from Alumni Association President Chris Kettler ’15.
And like a twist in a Mitch Rapp novel, many people never saw it coming. After all, Flynn had dyslexia, a neurological learning disability that impacts one’s ability to read, write, spell, and pronounce words.
Flynn’s friend Phil Reim ’83, also dyslexic, has “fond memories of us together in the writing lab. The moms who volunteered there were so inspirational. Vince loved to tell stories, and Mrs. Clark told him he could be a writer. ‘You don’t have to be a great speller to be a writer.’ Writing lab was instrumental in our relationship, along with competing for playing time at defensive end on the football team and later serving on the Academy’s board together.
“Vince carried an aura of confidence about him. He was always super sincere and polite to everyone. He had what it took to persevere through a condition that for young males can be embarrassing. It can put you into a shell. But Vince never went into a shell. He stayed confident.”
For all of Vince’s accomplishments, the highest point of pride for his father, Terry Flynn ’55, was Vince overcoming dyslexia. Even though Terry Flynn has a master’s degree in remedial reading and served at the Academy as a teacher and coach, “Nobody knew what the hell to do about dyslexia,” he said. “Overcoming dyslexia was a big deal. Vince figured if he could do that, he could write books. A lot of the time, dyslexic people are very creative. Vinny asked a lot of questions. He was a good student. He would take the lead, wasn’t afraid to speak up.”
Vince benefited from a staunch family life, and a dad who could tell a story. Terry’s wife, Kathleen, bore seven children in 10 years: Dan ’78; Pat ’80; Sheila and Kelly, who attended Academy of Holy Angels; Vince; Kevin; and Tim ’88. Recalled Terry: “Some of the other coaches would say, ‘There goes Coach Flynn, continuing his one-man war vs. birth control. Vince, Kevin, and Tim shared a room in our house, and sometimes we could hear the boys saying certain names to each other and not all of them very nice. But Vinny was a good brother to his brothers and sisters.”
— Continued on page 4
For all of Vince’s accomplishments, the highest point of pride for his father, Terry Flynn ’55, was Vince overcoming dyslexia.
Vince, left, pictured with his father, Terry
Dan Flynn, left, pictured with his brother Vince, right
The Flynn family, pictured left to right: Pat, Sheila, Vince, Kevin, Kelly, and father Terry. (not pictured –Dan and Tim Flynn)
In the short version of Terry Flynn’s story about Vince becoming an author, Vince gets an economics degree from the University of St. Thomas in 1988, takes a day job or two, “and then one day tells me he quit his job, and he’s going to Colorado to tend bar and write a book. He went out there and got a good start. Then he moved back and tended bar at O’Gara’s. He loved crowds.”
However, as Terry Flynn tells it, some of Vince’s patrons at O’Gara’s expressed skepticism about the fledgling writer’s publishing potential. Years later, all doubt put to rest, Vince spoke at a luncheon, and according to Terry, “Msgr. Deese introduced him, and Vinny got up there and said, ‘Looking out at the crowd, I see people I waited on, who thought I wouldn’t amount to much, and I remember some of you being inebriated and thinking back then that you wouldn’t amount to much, either.’ ”
Like many great storytellers, Vince Flynn associated with other great storytellers, such as Tom Tracy ’84, to whom Flynn dedicated his final book, titled The Last Man. Tracy’s Vince Flynn story starts when the Tracy family moved from Baltimore to the Twin Cities. Flynn and Tracy met at freshman football practice.
With the Flynn’s living in Apple Valley and Vince wanting to attend the season-opening varsity Cadets game, he found a willing overnight host in Tom Tracy and his family. “That was the first weekend of almost
every weekend together throughout high school,” Tracy said. “He got close with my parents and my sisters. I had three sisters and no brothers, so Vince became my brother. He used to visit me when I was in college at Notre Dame, and later we lived together for a couple years in Uptown or Kenwood, and then he moved to Colorado.
“Vince was a character, a larger-than-life personality, gregarious, well-known and well-liked. He was always super-driven. He worked hard, and he was so engaging. He got to be company commander about halfway through our senior year due to some stuff that went on.
“He taught himself to read as he was coming of college age and became a voracious reader Time, Newsweek, Forbes underlining things in those magazines and then being able to share that information off the top of his head. He’d always been very imaginative and creative. He could predict the plots of movies within the first 15 minutes. He decided he could write, so he got going on writing.
“When we lived together after college, he worked in real estate. One day he goes into the office of the CEO, Boyd Stofer, and says he’s leaving to go write a book. Boyd tells Vince he can come back whenever he’s ready. Then, when Vince hits it big, he buys a house down the street from Boyd.
The Mitch Rapp franchise has sold more than 75 million copies.
“At O’Gara’s he would chat with everybody, bounce story ideas off of people and meet people who became characters in his books. He used to print out stacks of chapters for me and another friend, Mike McFadden, to read. I’m like, ‘Dude, three chapters tonight? This week, maybe, but three in one night is crazy.’ My girlfriend, now wife, was into that type of novel. Vince asked her to read, and she told me he was pretty good.”
In that phase of his career Flynn endured some 60 rejections of his first book, Term Limits. He decided to double down on all the bets he’d already made on himself and self-publish. Flynn raised $25,000 to print books, Tracy said, “and then he gave me two boxes of books and told me I had to sell them by the end of the month. I did, and he sold some to Barnes & Noble, and they had a book signing for him. He and his friends and family sold 2,500 books in 30 days.
“That’s when somebody referred him to Sloan Harris, the agent, who brought him to Simon & Schuster, and Vince stuck with them, same agent and team and publisher for all of his books. When Vince went into that office, the whole staff got excited. His books were good, and he could sell the crap out of ’em. He did a reading and book signing at The Reagan Library. He was friends with James Carville and met George Bush. Vince was just driven to do big things.”
Along with his publishing success, Vince Flynn took great pride in his family: wife Lysa, stepson Dane ’14, and daughters Ingrid and Ana, Visitation ’19 and ’20, respectively. He also remained committed to his alma mater. When Terry Flynn asked his son for fundraising assistance, Vince got after it.
Tracy recalls Vince pursuing that task with the same vigor he brought to publishing and book sales.
DID YOU KNOW?
Occasionally, confusion arises around the name of the Cadets’ home basketball gym.
During one game broadcast, an announcer mentioned that Sjoberg/Flynn Gymnasium was named for Vince Flynn. Vince’s brother, Dan, caught that error and informed their father, Terry.
As Terry recalls, “Dan said, ‘Dad, that’s not right. That gym’s named after you!’ And, I said, ‘I know that. My picture’s hanging there!’ ”
Along with his publishing success, Vince took great pride in his family.
“He would say to some people, ‘I know you got a lot of money. I need a million dollars. No, $100,000 is not enough.’ He just convinced people to step up.”
The same drive and confidence fueled his fight against cancer for two-plus years after his diagnosis. “He just kept working hard,” said Tracy, “stayed super-optimistic, took experimental meds, hit it head on, and his cancer team became his best buddies. His funeral was unbelievable, St. Paul Cathedral packed wall to wall. People from all over the country: Rush Limbaugh, Amy Klobuchar, George Brett. Vince was a big deal around here.”
Perhaps Vince Flynn did share some traits with Mitch Rapp: indomitability, right up until cancer took Flynn on June 19, 2013, and the fact that both of their stories are compelling enough to continue being told.
Curling Club Sweeps Up Cadets
BY DAVID JACOBSON
The general public’s interest in the slowest sport on ice curling heats up every four years during the Winter Olympics. But for some current and former Cadets, the Saint Thomas Academy Curling Club is the coolest activity to join every winter.
Club moderator Paul Berg ’81 got swept up in the sport about 10 years ago, thanks to his colleagues at Sunrise Banks competing on “kind of a bar league team.” After catching curling fever, Berg inquired with Bob Slater ’77 about starting a Cadets Curling Club.
Slater was “wildly enthusiastic” about the idea, Berg said. “I went to formation and said we’d be providing instruction, not trying to create the next Olympian. We just wanted to introduce kids to a lifelong sport.”
2018-19
Michael Dyrhaug
L
R: Greg Walsh
(’86), Dillon Lynch (’22), Jay Dichter (’19), Paul Berg - Founder / Moderator (’81), Michael Fafinski (’21), Colin Walsh (’21), Oliver Juaire (’21), Ryan Creamer (’21), Garrison Solliday (’21), Charlie Fafinski (’19), Joe Cloutier - Moderator, Missing - Oscar Berg (’21)
Berg’s sons Charlie ’19 and Oscar ’21 joined, along with a few of their friends and their friends’ dads, such as Greg Walsh ’86 and son Colin ’21, as well as Joe Cloutier and son Logan ’19. After year one with 13 Cadets participating, the club invited participants from Visitation School, upping the club’s count to about 25 students, and pre-Covid, that number reached as high as 60, Berg said.
Post-pandemic membership has steadied between 30 and 40 students, and the club’s typical December-toMarch season consists primarily of intramural play at Frogtown Curling Club, led by Berg, Mike Orme ’81, and his wife, Kathleen. Among the highlights are occasional training sessions with Margie Smith, the 10-time women’s senior national champion.
at the Duluth Curling Club in 2024, Front row: Molly Kohler, Ella Bergeron, Grace Keeley, Caitlin Mulligan (all Visitation Class of 2024) Kathleen Orme - Moderator. Back row: Mike Orme (’81) - Moderator, Charlie Meyer, Jack Orme, Luke Durand, Jaxen Ellingson, Owen Schlehuber, Max Anderson, Nate Aamodt (all Class of ’24), James Barrett (’25), Paul Berg (’81) - Moderator
The
Curling Team, front row L to R: Charlie Berg (Class of ’19), Logan Cloutier (’19), Vince Hubbell (’19),
(’19). Back Row
to
- Moderator
Pictured
The Academy’s curling club also is instrumental in the drive to gain statewide sanctioning as a varsity sport from the Minnesota State High School League. The club has competed in all three of the annual Minnesota State High School Curling Championships (also known as bonspiels), introducing students to 2018 U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist John Shuster at the 2024 event in Duluth.
Even in the heat of competition, Berg and the Ormes keep things chill for their athletes. “They’re competing with kids who all have their own stopwatches to time their sweeping and all have their own curling shoes,” Berg said. “We just teach our teams not to be intimidated.”
A hallmark of the club is an emphasis on life lessons. Berg points to players working on their interpersonal communications skills to resolve any conflicts, rather than relying on coaches to intervene. “They show a great level of maturity,” he said. “It’s amazing to watch them grow as people from their freshman year to senior year.”
Berg helps set the tone with the way he approaches getting through to club members. “I tend to overcommunicate,” he said. “Bob Slater calls me ‘Mr. TeamSnap’ for the app I use to keep in touch. We make the kids responsible for keeping in touch with us about any scheduling conflicts.”
Keeping in touch extends to team alumni, who return to play in the intramural part of the season. “Last year we had four guys from the original team show up with beards and mustaches. They hadn’t curled in five or six years, and when I introduced them as inaugural-season guys, the alumni got a big round of applause.”
CURLING PINS
The 2025-26 curlers who went to the State Tournament, from left to right: (STA) Owen Weber, Evan Budd, Joe Fyten, Evan Horton & Parker Cosgriff; (Visitation) Lily Noble, Mollee Ditzler, Ella Matschina & Anna Fitzgerald
A COLLECTION OF CURLING CUTENESS
Along the lines of softball, bowling, trivia, and a cappela contestants, curling culture also convinces competitors to create cute team names. For example:
Sweeping Beauties
Heatless Curls
Sliced Dice Icers
Sweep Hearts
Sweeper Offer Feet Sweep Cheeks Sweep Carolines
Berg ’19 preparing to release
In the world of curling, the ultimate prize isn’t a trophy it’s a pin. This collection highlights the unique tradition of “pin trading” found in curling clubs and bonspiels across the region.
Featured on the top are the Cadet and Blazer pins, custom-designed by Paul Berg and awarded to every participant at the end of the season. The remaining pins serve as a personal travelogue, collected while competing or coaching at various venues, including the 2024 and 2026 Minnesota High School Championships in Duluth and Bemidji. Each piece represents a specific club’s identity and a shared history on the ice.
Charlie
the stone.
Geraghty Family Establishes Scholarship Fund
BY DAVID JACOBSON
The untimely 2025 passing of Kevin Geraghty ’00, after a brave three-and-a-half-year battle with ALS, has inspired the launch of The Kevin Geraghty ’00 Endowed Scholarship Fund. While the fund has been established in his honor, we are now inviting the community to help us build it. Our goal is to provide a full year’s tuition to a junior-class student-athlete, ensuring they can walk the halls during their senior year as a living legacy of Kevin’s example.
The scholarship is modeled after the Christopher J. Hannigan ’85 Memorial Scholarship, which Geraghty won in 1999, said his father, Mike Geraghty ’65. “Some of Kevin’s classmates were instigators in funding the scholarship: John Bisanz, Jamie Chapuran, Justin Joyce, John Lorence, and Martin Norder. Justin called and said they were kicking around the idea of a fundraiser and asked our permission. Kevin was a guy’s guy. He brought people together.”
Kevin’s classmates worked hand-in-hand on the scholarship program with Kevin’s parents (Mike and Joan) and Kevin’s sister, Molly Contreras. Awarding of the Geraghty Scholarship, according to Contreras, will be based on candidates’ exemplifying Kevin’s personality traits: “leadership, resilience, integrity, growth mindset, accountability, grit, and perseverance.”
Added Joyce: “Kevin embodied what it meant to be a Cadet. The scholarship will serve as a memorial to Kevin and a level of achievement that future Cadet student-athletes can aspire to.”
The award also pays homage to some facts of Kevin Geraghty’s life. “Kevin was not an academic-scholarship type of kid,” explained Joan Geraghty. “But his football experience and the teachers and counselors he connected with prepared him for the battle he had to wage with ALS at the end. He did not back down or yield. He was an advocate for research in ALS, and he was intent on leaving a legacy of advocacy.”
After his 2022 diagnosis, Kevin Geraghty and his wife, Tessa, immersed themselves in the ALS community and research. He participated in clinical trials, volunteered his time sharing his experience on patient advisory boards, and supported others who were newly diagnosed with ALS.
Kevin and Tessa Geraghty
Kevin in his home and road football uniforms
Kevin as a member of the Crack Drill Squad
family
The couple co-chaired “A Love Story” Gala in 2023, which raised more than $800,000 for ALS research. Kevin also decided to donate his brain and spinal tissue to Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center for continued study of neurological diseases.
“Kevin knew he was not going to win his battle,” said Mike Geraghty. “But he offered himself up as a guinea pig to help find a treatment to this disease.”
Kevin Geraghty’s obituary contained this quotation in his own voice: “I made a vow that I would fight this with everything that I have. I will not stop throwing punches in my effort to END ALS.”
That fighting spirit was forged at Saint Thomas Academy, as seen in his mother’s recollection of a sectional champion football game. “Kevin was sick to his stomach, and it was a brutal game. The coaches afterward said that Kevin ‘left everything on the field.’ That was the legacy he wanted to leave for ALS, too.”
Other elements and examples of Kevin Geraghty’s ties to the Academy include his and Tessa’s financial gift to a student whose father died from ALS, enabling that student to enroll. During Geraghty’s Cadet days, his greatest influences academically, through Crack Drill Squad, and football were Frank Blankley, Bill Culbertson, Bob Slater ’77, and Dave Ziebarth.
Applying for admission to the University of St. Thomas, Geraghty followed advice from those mentors, recalled
Mike Geraghty. “They told him to wear his uniform for a meeting at the University and just explain why he wanted to attend there that if he wanted it that badly, it would be a done deal. The people at the University told Kevin they’d never seen a presentation like that.”
That story supports the way Joan Geraghty summed up her son: “He had true grit, and that took him through his whole life.”
Indeed, three messages on his computer shared the philosophy he brought to his battle with ALS:
• “Don’t miss today.”
• “To be rich in friends is to be poor in nothing.”
• And echoing a famous speech by baseball Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, whose name is synonymous with ALS “I am the luckiest guy I know.”
We invite our community to join us in reaching the $500,000 goal required to fully fund The Kevin Geraghty ’00 Endowed Scholarship. Please scan the QR code at right to help us provide a year’s tuition for a deserving student-athlete and keep Kevin’s memory alive at the Academy.
The Geraghty
Hottinger’s Retirement Marks the End of an Era
BY DAVID JACOBSON
Perhaps the only thing that surpasses David Hottinger’s appreciation of what Saint Thomas Academy did for him is the length of the list of what he’s done for the Academy. Hottinger ’85 graduated with what he needed to excel in business before re-joining his alma mater in 2014 as Director of Institutional Advancement.
Since then, he has helped raise the funds needed to:
• Renovate the Chapel
• Launch the Innovation Center
• Replace the turf and track at the varsity baseball field
• Conduct general campus renovations during this decade
• Complete construction on the Michel Family Aquatic Center
• Take over ownership of the Ice Arena
• Add an elevator to bring the Academy into ADA compliance
• Grow Gala revenue from $275,000 per year to more than $1 million
• Boost the endowment from $17 million to $40 million
• Leave the Academy poised to be debt free in 2026
The Michel Aquatic Center, Innovation Center, and Chapel. A few of the spaces on campus that Hottinger helped to raise funds to complete.
However, Hottinger’s greatest professional pride is tied to what the Academy did for him, starting in 1981. “I had a blue-collar dad, a steelworker, and my mom was an office worker,” he said. “I was the first one on either side of my family to attend college and graduate. That’s what inspires me to do the job I do. I’ve been motivated to get up and out every day to go find resources for the school.
“I get to see families that my work was able to help their sons attend our school. Between scholarships, foundations, and endowments, 50 percent of our students get financial aid. People can consider the Academy for their boys and not have the price tag scare them off.”
The seeds of Hottinger’s success were planted during his Cadet years. He hails the influence of Bob Slater ’77, Dave Ziebarth, Bruce Johnson (“best history teacher I ever had”), Frank Blankley, Alice Stifter (“whom the class of ’85 respectfully called ‘Twisted Stifter’ ”), Tom Weber (“whom the class of ’85 respectfully called ‘Spud Web’ ”), and above all, legendary Saint Thomas Academy Football Coach Gerry Brown ’58
“All of them set the standard,” Hottinger said, “but Gerry demanded perfection. I’ve never once dreamt of not being ready for an academic test, but five or six times a year I dream that I’ve forgotten my cleats or helmet. I had a dream recently that I was watching a Cadets game on TV with my teammates, and I asked them, ‘Aren’t we supposed to be playing today?’ They said, ‘No, Hotts, we’re good. The game is tomorrow,’
“Saint Thomas Academy was such a difference-maker in my life so why wouldn’t I work here?
but I was upset, saying, ‘But that’s our team on TV!’ Then I woke up.”
Those formative experiences led Hottinger back to the Academy in 2014. Picking up his daughter from a basketball practice on campus, he walked into Flynn Hall “and was moved,” he recalled. “Saint Thomas Academy was such a difference-maker in my life, so why wouldn’t I work here?”
He had donated to the Academy and stayed in touch with his classmates and with Brown, so he already had a running start toward fundraising success. “Our class rallies to support the school,” he said. “We have a lot of participation, consistently in the top three classes in giving. We just all stayed in touch, even before the internet, and we set up STA Give Day as a competition between classes.”
Even in retirement, Hottinger will remain involved in Catholic education with board work, training administrators in a part-time role for Catholic Schools Center for Excellence, and possibly some substitute teaching. Then there’s golf, fishing, pickleball, reading, writing, and bucket-list hikes on the Camino de Santiago and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Don’t be surprised when he summits.
Retirement brings Hottinger more time for fun and family.
STAFF UPDATES
NEW BABIES
Joe Bezotte has been appointed as the new Director of Safety and Security, bringing 36 years of federal law enforcement and school safety experience to the Academy. Joining him as Deputy Director is Master Sergeant Matt Silsley, who will continue his vital role as a Military Leadership Instructor. Together, this team combines decades of tactical expertise from the U.S. Marine Corps and federal service with a relational, student-centered approach, ensuring a secure environment for all.
Isaiah Gehlen joins the staff full-time as the Events and Facilities Monitor after previously assisting with our home football games last fall. You’ll find him in Flynn Hall and across campus in the evenings, where he will support our programs and care for our facilities.
Luke and Samantha Marks welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Clara Julie Marks. She was born weighing 8 lbs. 7 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long. Big sister Maggie and big brother Arthur are sure to be excited to meet and love their new baby sister.
CRACK DRILL SQUAD
Congratulations to the Crack Drill Squad for their performance at the Vikings Game on Sunday, November 9!
Seamus Kelly and his wife Becky welcomed Gavin Stephen Kelly in December. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 19.5 inches long, he joins his big brother Jameson.
Joe Bezotte Matt Silsley
Isaiah Gehlen
QUIZ BOWL & KNOWLEDGE BOWL
Following a successful regular season, the Saint Thomas Academy Quiz Bowl team placed 6th overall highlighted by sophomore Alex Larson’s third place individual finish while the Knowledge Bowl team secured a fourth place regional finish to qualify for the State Tournament at Cragun’s Resort this April. Congratulations to our scholars on their hard work and impressive climb through the post-season rankings!
HONOR GUARD
The Alumni Association purchased the Honor Guard winter coats and quarter zips from Fully Promoted (an STA alum business, Bill Reilly ’85) for all 50 members.
PARALYMPICS
Senior Liam Cunningham, a Cadet platoon leader and the youngest member of Team USA, made history at the 2026 Paralympic Games in Milan by helping the U.S. Sled Hockey team secure its fifth consecutive gold medal. His journey from the Minnesota Wild sled program to the top of the podium served as a powerful testament to the grit and leadership of Cadets.
(from left to right): Finbar Kelly (’27), Leo Brummel (’28), Alex Larson (’28), Adrian Pieper (’28), Nolan Dorle (’29)
SENIOR OFFICER PROMOTIONS
Saint Thomas Academy named Liam Gottsch as its 2025–26 Cadet Colonel and Brigade Commander during the November Cadet Promotions ceremony. Thomas Wicks was promoted to Cadet Command Sergeant Major, the most senior noncommissioned officer in the brigade. Nine other seniors also received promotions to fill leadership roles for the remainder of the school year.
Gottsch and Wicks will work with Academy administrators and military leaders to oversee Cadet leadership events, including the Brigade’s formal inspection in the spring.
“Cadet Colonel Gottsch exemplifies the qualities of a well-rounded leader, demonstrating excellence in academics, athletics, service, and leadership,” said former U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Nick Honan, Commandant of Cadets. “I’m confident he will collaborate effectively with his peers in leadership and the Academy’s administration to inspire and guide our Cadets.”
BRIGADE COMMANDER C/COL. LIAM GOTTSCH
Gottsch has attended Saint Thomas Academy since ninth grade. He plays football, hockey and lacrosse and was named a captain of the football team. He is active in Model UN, Literature Club, Choose Club and serves as a peer mentor captain.
He has earned three Eagle Awards and was named to the Academic All-State lacrosse team for the 2024–25 season. His honors include the American Legion Award for Academic Excellence, STA Citizenship Award, Saint Michael’s College Book Award and the Commandant’s Superior Performance Award for a Veterans Day presentation. Gottsch also participated in the Best Delegation at the New York Model UN conference and volunteers with Junior Achievement, Saint Thomas Academy youth football camp and the Kenya Oral Health Initiative.
C/COMMAND SGT. MAJ. THOMAS WICKS
Wicks will serve as the Brigade’s standard bearer for uniform, grooming, formations, drill, reviews and conduct. He also advises the Brigade Commander on decisions affecting the Corps of Cadets.
Wicks has attended Saint Thomas Academy since ninth grade and competes in three varsity sports. He is involved in Honors Band and Choir, Model UN, Cadet Fund, Quiz Bowl, Precision Drill Squad, Clay Target Team and Food For Thought. He was named a football team captain and serves as Student Council secretary, peer mentor and school ambassador. His volunteer work includes Junior Achievement, Biztown, church counseling, Feed My Starving Children and West Side Boosters.
Wicks has earned two Eagle Awards, the Commandant of Cadets Medal of Leadership and completed summer leadership programs at the Naval Academy and West Point. He plans to study finance and pursue a career in business after serving in the military.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Brigade Commander and senior leaders are chosen by a selection committee composed of the Academy’s President, Commandant of Cadets, Vice President, Dean of Students, and a senior enlisted member of the Military Leadership Department. Two faculty members representing the faculty, staff, and a vote of the senior class is also considered. The extensive application and evaluation process begins in the Cadets’ junior year. The committee evaluates every senior leader in the Corps of Cadets for promotion, considering academic performance, co-curricular involvement, awards and recognition, merits and demerits, military performance, community service, and leadership abilities.
President Brian Ragatz ’98 presents Gottsch with the Saber.
Five Promoted to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel
Five additional seniors were also promoted from Cadet Captain to Cadet Lieutenant Colonel and named to brigade posts:
DEPUTY BRIGADE COMMANDER C/LT. COL. EMMANUEL SIMS
Sims is a three-sport athlete and senior football captain. He has served four years in Honor Guard, currently as company commander with responsibilities for recruiting and scheduling events. Sims is a peer mentor and member of the fishing and precision drill teams. Honors include Torch and Saber Awards, Superior Cadet Award and Military Excellence Award. He volunteers with Junior Achievement and plans to study computer science and play college football.
CHIEF OF STAFF C/LT. COL. EMMETT LING
Ling participates in football, basketball, swimming and multiple clubs, including Choose Club, in which he serves as captain. He has earned three Eagle Awards, Military Order of World Wars Award and Gold Merit Medal. Ling volunteers with local organizations and plans to major in business administration.
BATTALION COMMANDERS:
BLUE BATTALION: C/LT. COL. LUKE MECHTEL
Mechtel is varsity swimming captain and an All-American swimmer. He also plays football and is active in student leadership and service. Mechtel has earned six Eagle Awards and numerous academic honors. He plans to study finance or economics.
GOLD BATTALION: C/LT. COL. TODD ROGALSKI
Rogalski is a three-sport captain in football, basketball and track. He has earned Eagle Awards, ROTC Award of Merit and Eagle Scout rank. Rogalski volunteers locally and plans to play college football and study business.
WHITE BATTALION: C/LT. COL. EVAN HORTON
Horton is a band drum major, Model UN head delegate and Peer Mentor captain. He has earned multiple leadership and academic awards, including Eagle and Saber Awards. Horton volunteers at veterans’ homes and plans to major in finance.
Those promoted (pictured L-R): President Brian Ragatz, Emmanuel Sims, Emmett Ling, Luke Mechtel, Brigade Commander Liam Gottsch, Evan Horton, Todd Rogalski, and Commandant of Cadets Captain Nick Honan.
Senior Non-Commissioned-Officer Promotions
Five seniors were named to top NCO roles in the Corps of Cadets, which make up about 25 percent of leadership positions. These include one Brigade Command Sergeant Major, three Battalion Command Sergeant Majors and one Operations Chief.
OPERATIONS CHIEF: C/MASTER GUNNERY SGT. ALEX GOLNIK
Golnik serves as Student Council vice president and captain of the baseball team, math team and Peer Mentors. A National Merit semifinalist, Golnik has earned multiple academic and leadership awards and volunteers with NAMI-Minnesota and Junior Achievement. He plans to study mathematics and economics and hopes to play college baseball.
BLUE BATTALION: PETER OLSON
Olson is a varsity football and lacrosse player and Lincoln Society co-president, has earned three Eagle Awards and the Commandant’s Medal for Leadership. He plans to study economics and political science.
GOLD BATTALION: KRISTIAN CERCIOGLU
Cercioglu is a multi-sport athlete who has earned four Eagle Awards and the ROTC Recognition Award. He plans to major in engineering in college.
WHITE BATTALION: REID BARBEROT
Barberot is active in Model UN and multiple sports, is an Eagle Scout and an AP Scholar with Distinction. He plans to pursue mathematics and economics and attend graduate school.
Non-commissioned officers (pictured L-R): Peter Olson, Reid Barberot, Master Gunnery Sergeant Neil Constine, Command Sergeant Major Thomas Wicks, Alex Golnik, and Kristian Cercioglu.
JROB YOUTH WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
VISTA SPRING MUSICAL
Saint Thomas Academy and Visitation will present The Music Man. for the spring musical. The Music Man is about how a fast-talking con man’s plan to swindle a small Iowa town goes harmoniously awry when he falls for the local librarian and finds himself transformed by the very community he intended to dupe. It is a quintessentially American tale of redemption, rhythm, and the unexpected power of a “76 Trombones” parade.
PERFORMANCES:
April 24, 25, and 26 and May 1, 2, and 3
Visitation’s DeSales Auditorium
2455 Visitation Drive Mendota Heights
Visit visitation.net for ticket information and performance times.
On March 1, Saint Thomas Academy hosted the 8th annual JROB Youth Wrestling Tournament with over 550+ wrestlers and their families taking part in the event with proceeds benefiting the United Heroes League and the Donny Wichman Fund at Augsburg College. The tournament was launched in conjunction with Coach J. Robinson, former wrestling patriarch and former University of Minnesota Head Wrestling Coach who recently passed away. Wrestling National Champion and Olympic Wrestler Gable Steveson was also on hand to sign autographs for families.
Paul Schmidt, parent of three alums, enthusiastic STA ambassador and founder of the JROB Tournament, is pictured with Coach J. Robinson at the 2026 event. Mr. Robinson passed away at age 79 a few weeks after the event.
JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT
Kudos to our Cadets for their outstanding performance at JA BizTown and JA Finance Park this past winter. Junior Achievement leadership shared their appreciation for the way our Cadets stepped up as mentors, guiding our middle schoolers through the day’s challenges. We are incredibly proud of the leadership and school spirit our students brought to this community partnership.
VETERANS DAY RECAP
Saint Thomas Academy hosted the annual Veterans Day Assembly on Tuesday, November 11 and honored three alumni with the Fleming Alumni Veterans Award. The Fleming Medal, named for Medal of Honor recipient Capt. Richard Fleming ’35, the Academy’s highest-decorated graduate, was bestowed upon:
Glenn Fadden Jr. ’41
After graduating from Saint Thomas Military Academy in 1941, Fadden attended the University of Minnesota and worked for his father’s company, Fadden Pump and Equipment Co. He enlisted in the U.S. Army on Feb. 6, 1942, and was assigned to the 17th Infantry Regiment and 7th Infantry Division in 1943, just in time to fight in the Battle of Attu. He was a first lieutenant when he was killed in action in 1945 at the age of 23. He was engaged to Betty Ann Harkness at the time of his death. He was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge and the Bronze Star. He was buried in Fort Snelling after initially being buried in Okinawa.
Commander Bryan Swintek ’00
Commander Swintek matriculated to the Coast Guard Academy after graduating from Saint Thomas Academy in 2000. He was commissioned in 2004 and went on to serve the U.S. Coast Guard for 21 years, rising to the rank of Deputy Commander, Sector Northern Great Lakes in July 2023. As Deputy Commander, he helped lead more than 400 Coast Guard men and women. Commander Swintek retired in October 2025 after an outstanding and decorated Coast Guard career. He now lives in Michigan with his wife and their three sons.
Lt. Col. Philip Swintek ’02
Lt. Col. Swintek followed his older brother’s lead in pursuing a military career after Saint Thomas Academy. In 2006, he graduated from Fordham University as a Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned into the infantry in the U.S. Army. He is also a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School, earning master’s degrees in space systems operations and defense analysis. He was further selected as a Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center-Pacific Fellow and received the Association of the U.S. Army Award for Outstanding Army Student, and the Space Systems Operations Award for Academic Excellence. Currently, he is the commander of the 2nd Battalion and 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He is married and has two sons.
Lt. Col. Philip Swintek (left) with President Brian Ragatz ’98.
The Swintek brothers pictured with family at the ceremony. Bryan (center with pink tie), Philip in uniform.
Peter Schneeman ’27 introduces Bryan Swintek for his award.
The Fleming Medal
FOOTBALL
Cadets Football had an outstanding season, led by Captains Todd Rogalski ’26, Dominic Baez ’26, Birk Zeleny ’26, Manny Sims ’26, Thomas Wicks ’26, Liam Gottsch ’26, and Head Coach Travis Walch. The team finished with a perfect regular season finishing 8-0. They defeated Two Rivers to secure the Section 3AAAAA championship for the 8th year in a row and advance to State. Their season came to a close in a hard-fought loss to Spring Lake Park in the State Semifinals.
Several players earned individual honors for their exceptional performances.
Todd Rogalski ’26 was named 1st team All State and District player of the year. Birk Zeleny ’26 was named District lineman of the year. Toren Piltingsrud ’27 was named District Special Teams player of the year, continuing his outstanding performances on both the soccer and football fields this fall. The team as a whole had the highest team GPA in Class 5A football this year; a true testament to the hard work the boys had on the field and in the classroom.
Todd Rogalski was chosen as one of eight Minnesota Scholar-Athletes. Eight outstanding football players in the State of Minnesota are chosen for this prestigious award based on their impact on the field, in the classroom, and in their communities. The eight Minnesota Scholar-Athlete recipients will be honored on April 13 at a presentation ceremony at the Minnesota Vikings TCO Performance Center.”
WRESTLING
Led by captains Brooks Borman ’26, Connor Flanagan ’29, and Gabe Cohn ’26, the Cadets Wrestling team put together a strong season, finishing the regular season with a 12-4 record. In the postseason, the Cadets sent four wrestlers to the individual state tournament and came away with three state placers: Nathan Hoopman ’29 finishing 2nd, Connor Bischof ’30 finishing 3rd, and Gabe Cohn ’26 finishing 5th. The team finished as Section 3AAA Runner-Up.
Three Cadets earned All-State honors, and five were named First Team All-Conference. The team was also recognized by the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association with the Gold Academic Team award, posting an impressive unweighted team GPA of 3.807 a reflection of the Cadet commitment to excellence in the classroom as well as on the mat.
ALL-DISTRICT
• Brook Borman ’26
• Dominic Baez ’26
• Magnus Mehloff ’26
• Manny Sims ’26
• Tristan Karl ’27
• Kristian Cercioglu ’26
ALL-DISTRICT HONORABLE MENTION
• Luke Mechtel ’26
• Anderson Dose ’26
• Grant Young ’27
• Andrew Nelson ’26
• Luke Hudson ’26
• Thomas Wicks ’26
ALL-CONFERENCE
• Nathan Hoopman ’29
• Conor Bischof ’30
• Brooks Borman ’26
• Gabe Cohn ’26
• Jaxon Kraft ’28
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
• Lincoln Schulz ’29
• Colton Kraft ’29
compiled by Michael Korf ’26
SOCCER
While their record may not show it, the Cadets Soccer team had a strong season competing in the highly competitive Metro East Conference, finishing 4-8-3. The team was led by captains Lars Osteraas ’26, Grant Skagen ’27, Toren Piltingsrud ’27, and Finlay Heithoff ’27, alongside Head Coach Brian Kallman. Their season came to a close in the Section semifinals with a narrow 0-1 loss to Simley. With three of their four captains set to return, the program’s future looks very bright.
Cadet Toren Piltingsrud ’27 had a standout year across two sports, earning 2nd Team All-State honors in soccer while also being named District Special Teams Player of the Year in football a remarkable achievement that speaks to his exceptional athleticism and commitment to excellence both on the pitch and on the field.
ALL-CONFERENCE
• Toren Piltingsrud ’27
• Finlay Heithoff ’27
• Lars Osteraas ’26
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
• Grant Skagen ’27
• Oliver Marvin ’26
• Lucas Iverson ’26
HOCKEY
After a remarkable 2024-25 season, the Cadets Hockey team established themselves as one of the top programs in the state. Led by Captain Cole Braunshausen ’26 and Alternates Peter Murray ’26 and Luca Pedri ’26, the team posted an impressive 21-5-2 record. They claimed the Metro East Conference Championship with a dominant 8-0-1 conference record. The team won their Hockey Day Minnesota matchup against Rock Ridge. Their postseason run went 2-1, culminating in a Section 3AA Runner-Up finish.
Cadet Cole Braunshausen ’26 earned individual recognition as a Mr. Hockey Finalist, named among the top 10 players in the state of Minnesota one of the highest individual honors a high school hockey player can receive.
ALL-CONFERENCE
• Cole Braunshausen ’26
• Peter Murray ’26
• Owen Ryan ’29
• Maverick McKinnon ’29
• Will Mikan ’28
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
• Luca Pedri ’26
• Gus Olson ’27
• Reed Smith ’27
SWIMMING
The Cadets Swimming and Diving team put together one of the most dominant seasons in program history, led by Captains Luke Mechtel ’26, Kayden Greeley ’26, Sam Quinn ’26, and Leo Ritzenthaler ’26
The team finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record before going on to claim three championship titles: the Metro East Conference Championship, the True Team State Championship, and most importantly the MSHSL Class A State Championship. This Championship was the 17th in program history for the Swimming and Diving team.
The individual honors matched the team’s excellence. Sixteen Cadets earned All- Conference recognition, seven were named All-State, and four received All-American honors — a remarkable achievement at the national level. Four athletes were also nominated for Class A Swimmer of the Year. Head Coach, John Barnes, was nominated for State Coach of the Year. Adding to the accolades, the team recorded the highest team GPA of any Class A program in the state, a testament to the Cadet standard of excellence in the classroom as well as in the pool.
BASKETBALL
ALL-STATE
• Parker Miller ’29
• Luke Mechtel ’26
• Paidon McGuire ’28
• Kayden Greeley ’26
• Sam Quinn ’26
• Leo Ritzenthaler ’26
• Pascal Zeruhn ’28
• HM All State
• Andrew Deeb ’28
AUTOMATIC
ALL-AMERICAN
• Parker Miller ’28 – 200 MR
• Luke Mechtel ’26 –200 MR and 100 Breast
• Paidon McGuire ’28 –200 MR
• Kayden Greeley ’26 – 200 MR
The Cadets Basketball team finished the season with a 12-14 record. This year’s captains were Dominic Baez ’26, Lars Osteraas ’26, Todd Rogalski ’26, and George Anderson ’26. Competing in a tough Metro East Conference that featured an undefeated Tartan squad and a 13-3 Mahtomedi team, the Cadets tied for 3rd place in the conference a respectable finish against stiff competition. The team went 1-1 in the postseason, falling to South St. Paul in the Section Semifinals.
Several Cadets earned individual recognition for their performances throughout the season. Lars Osteraas and Max Hayes were named to the All-Metro East Conference Team, while Dominic Baez and Todd Rogalski received All Metro East Conference Honorable Mention honors.
ALL-CONFERENCE
• Lars Osteraas ’26
• Max Hayes ’27
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
• Dominic Baez ’26
• Todd Rogalski ’26
ALL-AMERICAN CONSIDERATION
• Luke Mechtel ’26
• Kayden Greeley ’26
• Leo Ritznthaler ’26
• Pascal Zeruhn ’28
NOMINATED FOR CLASS A MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR S/D
• Parker Miller ’29
• Luke Mechtel ’26
• Kayden Greeley ’26
• Pascal Zeruhn ’28
NOMINATED FOR CLASS A GUYS SWIMMING COACH OF THE YEAR
• John Barnes
NORDIC SKI
The Cadets Nordic Ski team had a season defined by perseverance and depth, finishing 4th in the Metro East Conference with 411 points in a fiercely competitive field. The Cadets competed week after week against powerhouse programs, with conference champion Hastings finishing at 472 points, Mahtomedi at 456, and Two Rivers at 450. Throughout the season, Saint Thomas posted a 3rd place finish at the January Classic Meet at Battle Creek Park as their best individual meet result, before finishing 4th at the Metro East Conference Championship and 9th at the Section 1 Pursuit Race.
What made this season stand out was the team’s depth and strategy. Cadets in the 6th and 7th positions consistently made late-race moves to displace opposing scorers small margins that made a real difference in the standings. Younger varsity skiers gained valuable experience while upperclassmen provided steady leadership throughout. A special congratulations to Jude Bakeman ’29, who was named the team’s Rookie of the Year after an impressive first sectional appearance.
CROSS COUNTRY
The Cadets Cross Country team competed in a tough Metro East Conference, led by captains Parker Cosgriff ’26, Dan Reimann ’26, and Gabe Frommelt ’27. The Cadets finished 4th out of 8 teams at the Metro East Conference Championship and 6th out of 12 teams at the Section 3AA Championship. Cadet Gabe Frommelt earned All-Conference Honorable Mention honors for his standout performance throughout the season.
Advancement Update: A Legacy of Service and a Future of Growth
BY TONY MULLEN ’93 DIRECTOR OF ADVANCEMENT
The strength of Saint Thomas Academy has always been rooted in its people. From the dedicated faculty and staff who mentor our Cadets daily, to the alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends who invest their time and resources into our mission this community is what makes developing boys into men of character possible. As we move through the spring semester, I want to share a few important updates regarding our team and the work we are doing together.
A Legacy of Service: Thank You, David Hottinger ’85
On February 27, 2026, David Hottinger ’85 officially retired after twelve years on the Advancement team. David’s impact cannot be overstated. During his decade as Director of Advancement and his recent time as Major Gifts Officer, he was a driving force behind over $90 million in philanthropic support.
From the successful conclusion of the A Defining Moment campaign to the landmark Honoring our History, Building our Future initiative which brought us the Michel Aquatic Center and transformed our classrooms David’s leadership has left a physical and cultural mark on our campus. More importantly, David is a relationship builder who led with trust and institutional wisdom. While he is moving on to parttime mission-based work within the broader Catholic community, we are a stronger institution because of his twelve years of service. Thank you, David!
Looking Ahead: Two Years of Momentum
As we transition, I am also reflecting on my own milestone. This June will mark my second anniversary leading the Advancement team at Saint Thomas Academy. These past two years have been incredibly special; I am honored to serve our students, faculty, staff, and alumni in advancing our mission and building upon the strong momentum we have created together.
We have spent this time thoughtfully strengthening our department to ensure we are prepared for the Academy’s next chapter. I am proud of the dedicated professionals currently in our office individuals who bring a high level of expertise to donor stewardship, operations, and community engagement. By blending our deep-rooted traditions with modern, data-driven strategies, we are ensuring that our team has the capacity to support the ambitious goals of our school. We are poised to build upon the Academy’s storied history of success and are fully prepared for the growth and opportunities ahead.
Tony Mullen ’93
David’s leadership has left a physical and cultural mark on our campus.
Save the Date: The 61st Annual Gala
Finally, our team along with our Chairs, Laura and Mike Cashill, Susan and Phil Ebner, Shana and Tom Murray ’88, and Johanna and Jim Zavoral ’91—and a dedicated group of parent volunteers, has been working tirelessly to prepare for our biggest night of the year. Please join us on April 25, 2026, for the 61st Annual Community Gala: “Illuminate the Legacy, Light Up the Night.” This event is a vital part of how we support our students and maintain the excellence of an STA education. We look forward to seeing many of you there as we celebrate our shared commitment to the Academy. Thank you for your continued partnership. Go Cadets!
Tony Mullen ’93 Director of Advancement
61ST ANNUAL ALUMNI OPEN
SAVE THE DATE
April 25, 2026
The 61st Annual Alumni Open took place at Mendakota Country Club this past summer and featured over 130 golfers.
Save the date for the 2026 event!
June 8, 2026
Mendakota Country Club
SAINT THOMAS ACADEMY
upcoming EVENTS
SPORTING CLAYS
April 23, 2026
Horse & Hunt Club
SAINT THOMAS ACADEMY GALA
April 25, 2026
Saint Thomas Academy
FATHER SON BANQUET
May 3, 2026
University of St. Thomas
ALUMNI OPEN
June 8, 2026
Mendakota Country Club
ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND
September 24-26, 2026 (Class of 1976)
October 1-3, 2026
Saint Thomas Academy
5:00 p.m.
Arrival
7:15
8:15 p.m.
1950s
The Farley family went to Rudy’s Redeye Grill at White Bear Country Inn for their Breakfast with Santa event. The Santa, is our very own BILL FOUSSARD ’72! (Top) PATRICK FARLEY ’56 and his great grandchildren Carson (future class of ’41) and Emmy; (bottom) GREG FARLEY ’79, CONNOR ’11 and his wife Briana Farley, kneeling is Deb (Greg’s partner), Carson Farley (’41), Bill Foussard and Emmy.
The CLASS OF 1959 got together at The Downtowner Grill for their Christmas gathering. Pictured clockwise from left are: DENNY FINN, RAY SCHWARTZ, JOHN MORGAN, MIKE O’CONNELL, RON GAGNON, and BOB MISKINIS. Cross to top right TERRY NAGLE, JIM MORIARTY, STU PIHLSTROM, JOHN STURNER, TOM SPENCE, and JERRY HAGEN
1950s
Happy 90th birthday to HUGH PATES ’53! We hope you had a blast celebrating with your friends and family.
Advancement team member DAVID HOTTINGER ’85
spent a few days in California visiting with some of our amazing west coast alumni, including HUGH PATES ’53.
TERRY TROY ’55 is Chairman of Real Estate Equities, is married to Isabel Troy, and has 4 kids, 15 grandkids, and 25 great grandkids!
BRIAN RAGATZ ’98 and TONY MULLEN ’93 had dinner with Mary Gerry Lee, widow of TOM LEE ’55 on a recent trip to Scottsdale.
CHRIS ROBERT ’58 has been working to improve food stability in Africa through his project, Jenga Tanzania Africa. An article in Daily News – The National Newspaper describes the work of the project. Congratulations Chris!
TONY MULLEN ’93 has been busy catching up with these STA alumni: TOM GALLIVAN ’78 (top), JOHN DEWES ’54 (bottom left) and PAUL COSTA ’94 (bottom right) while in Northern California.
1960s
Members from the CLASS OF 1962 got together for their annual Christmas lunch at Southview Country Club. Present at lunch and in the picture were: JIM BURTON, JOE COMMERS, JAY COONAN, DOUG HOFFMAN, BILL BEDNARCZYK, TERRY DAVERN, FRANK KIESNER, BRUCE RYDELL, MIKE SALSCHEIDER, PAUL CRAMER, and GEORGE ROEDLER.
BRIAN RAGATZ ’98 and TONY MULLEN ’93 caught up with LARRY and Patti TIMMONS ’59 recently in Scottsdale.
1960s
DAVID HOTTINGER ’85 caught up with JIM LING ’60 in California. Jim was a pole vault champ during his time at STA. Though Jim is now retired, he worked in the movie industry on the movie Jaws (sound), which celebrated it’s 50th anniversary this past summer! Great to see you’re doing well, Jim!
TOM BRABECK ’65 served two tours in the U.S. Navy then went into the Real Estate business out in California. He’s been married to his wife, Barbara, for 56 years and counting and has two sons, Chris and Matt.
AL KELLY ’68 has been out enjoying the wintertime.
BRIAN RAGATZ ’98 and TONY MULLEN ’93 shared coffee and some laughs with TOM KREBSBACH ’69 on a recent trip to Scottsdale.
1970s
BRIAN RAGATZ ’98 and TONY MULLEN ’93 caught up with CORKY SILVER ’71 recently in Tempe, Arizona.
WILLIAM DREXLER ’72 retired American Airlines Captain celebrated their grandson’s 3rd birthday (STA class of 2040)!
1960s
Advancement team members, TONY MULLEN ’93 and DAVID HOTTINGER ’85 spent a few days in California visiting with some of our amazing west coast alumni. Pictured (from top down): Dr. BILL CARLEY ’66, JIM MULALLY ’70, ROGER JOLICOEUR ’63, MIKE ROBERTSON ’65, and RYAN MALONE ’94 (below).
Members of the CLASS OF 1964 got together for lunch at the Pool & Yacht club on January 27. Pictured are: (back row) BILL MARSHALL, MIKE BARCELOW, KEN WELDON, MIKE MARTIN, and MIKE BATTIS (front row) PETER BEAGAN, TIM HILGER, JIM WHEATON, GARY SIREK, and VINCE TROY
Members of the CLASS OF 1967 got together for their annual Christmas lunch. Photo in the link above; pictured are: MIKE PELUSO, CHIP MICHEL, CHARLIE MISHEK, TIM GALLIVAN, BUCK JANDRIC, MARK CLARK, GEORGE SONNEN, BILL LINDSAY, and SCOTT OLSON.
1970s
Members of the CLASS OF 1972 got together for lunch at the Pool & Yacht Club. Pictured int he front row: GABBY HARNETT, BILL SIMONET, BILL FOUSSARD, TOM MAUN, BILL MARZOLF, and BOB JEANETTE; middle row: BOB MCNAMARA, VINCE BRADFORS, MATT FINLEY, GREG ROEDLER, JOHN MORK, ED RYAN, BILL KREBSBACH, ANDY O’CONNELL, TOM JOHNSON, GREG RIBOTTO, PETE HINSCH, JOHN MACH, and PHIL BOYLE; back row: PAT SCALLEN, JOE HORAN, JOHN CULLIGAN, CHRIS BALDWIN, BILL KLEINMAN, STEVE SCHNELL, and PAUL BARD
Two STA Alumni were present in the Oval Office when President Trump honored the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team. Included in the picture above are TOM EMMER ’79 and DAN BROOKS ’86.
Members of the CLASS OF 1973 have seen each other quite a bit recently. from the STA Naples Alumni & Friends Event, and the Quarterly Breakfast and Monthly Memorial Lunch events.
Pictured in Naples: MATT NORMAN, ED O’PHELAN, and TIM PLUNKETT.
Pictured at breakfast: JOHN MCQUILLAN, JOHN MAGUIRE, KEVIN DALY, CHRIS LEE, MIKE MCGROARTY, TOM COSGROVE, and TIM PLUNKETT
Pictured at Lunch: MIKE BRECKMAN, JOE VANKIRK, JOHN MCQUILLAN, TIM PLUNKETT, MIKE MCGROARTY, JOHN HUBER, JOHN MAGUIRE, TOM COSGROVE, LARRY FRYKLUND, and CHRIS LEE
Members of the CLASS OF 1973 gathered at their monthly memorial lunch to remember classmate TOM KEANE who recently passed away.
Pictured clockwise from left: CHRIS LEE, JOE VANKIRK, JOHN MAGUIRE, LARRY FRYKLUND, TIM PLUNKETT, ED O’PHELAN, JIM MILEY, and MIKE BRECKMAN.
BILL FOUSSARD ’72 and BILL MARZOLF, JR. ’72 met Miss America, Cassie Donegan, at the Taste of the NFL event in San Francisco.
T. MOORE ’74 has begun his 40th year in association with Men’s/Boys High School, Junior College, NCAA III, NAIA Scholarship schools and working for the NBA Minnesota Timberwolves in the front office. Twelve consecutive appearances to the Collegiate National Tournament, one trip to the National Junior National Tournament, five appearances to State High School Tournaments and assisted with NBA All-Star game at the Target Center. His longtime wish was to someday coach at the Academy, but the timing was never right. Congrats on these many accomplishments!
JOE NUÑEZ ’77 has decided to go “Of Counsel” at Vantage Law Group to free up some time to travel with his wife and spend more time with his family.
Congratulations Joe!
1980s
DAVID HOTTINGER ’85
visited JOHN SHEAHAN ’80, North American Director of Global Physical Security, at the Oracle headquarters in Austin, Texas.
TOM JUREWICZ ’82
watched LEO BLUHM ’22 and the Yale Bulldogs beat Stonehill 47-7 on Saturday, October 18. Tom and Leo both played football at STA and Yale, just 40 years apart!
Check out an interesting article, “No, You Don’t Need to Sacrifice Making Money for a Strong Mission”, in RealLeaders by DAVID REILING ’85!
Congratulations to GREG OSTERTAG ’19 on his recent graduation from the SPPD Police Academy. Pictured with Commander TIM FLYNN ’88
Congratulations to JP SHIELY ’89 on his recent presentation to 300 people in Silicon Valley. JP works for Siemens.
1990s
PETER MARTIN ’90 was recently recognized by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a certified specialist in criminal law and was featured in an article in the Minnesota Lawyer.
TONY MULLEN ’93 was featured in The Catholic Spirit’s “Why I am Catholic” column on October 24, 2025.
BRENDAN KOOP ’94 talked to fathers and sons about finding authentic happiness by striving for excellence in their daily lives as part of the Academy’s Aquinas Experience.
1980s
It’s Game Farm season a bunch of folks from our community gathered to hunt. Pictured in the back row: TIM DYRHAUG ’87, MICHAEL DYRHAUG ’19, Katie (Tambornino) WILHOIT VIS ’88, JOHN SCHREIER ’82, MARTY SCHREIER ’88. Front row: DREW WILHOIT ’22, ANDY WILHOIT ’87, PAUL HOWE ’83, Becky Durand (mom of RYAN ’14 and LUKE ’24 DURAND).
1990s
Congratulations to the CLASS OF 1990 (and one ’91 grad) for winning the annual Fathers’ Club Trivia night!
MIKE SUNDQUIST, MARK GOTTWALT, DAVID BASSETT ’91, RICH DREHER, PETER MARTIN, JOHN GAINOR (Team C.F.O.), Father JACK LONG, CHARLIE WEIER, and MATT DUDLEY.
Members of the CLASS OF 1993 met for their annual Christmas breakfast. Pictured from left and going clockwise are: RICK MICHEL, COLIN ROONEY, CHRIS LAMBERT, STEVE DWYER, PAT O’KEEFE, DAN FARLEY, CHRIS SCHULTZ, and TONY MULLEN
TONY MULLEN ’93 caught up with DANNY SULLIVAN ’90 (left) and MURPHY O’HALLORAN ’05 (right) while out in the San Francisco area.
Congratulations to Father NATE WILLS ’95 on the release of his new book, Pray Like a Champion Today! Available on Amazon.
2000s
SAM CUTTER ’03 is excited to share that he has been promoted to Vice President of Men’s Merchandising for Walmart U.S.
Congratulations to TAYLOR KLAAS ’03 for starting a new position as Consultant Relations Director, Northeast at Color!
Congratulations to NICK THOMEY ’04 for being named CEO of Polaris Pest Group!
Congratulations to MICHAEL SHORT ’05 for being promoted to Director at Lazard!
Congratulations to JOHN SCHLAEFER ’06 for starting a new position as Senior Trader at Bunge!
Congratulations to CONNOR MORRISON ’07 for starting a new position as Director, Human Resources at HistoSonics, Inc.!
PATRICK KING ’07 is an Orthopedic Physical Therapist at TRIA.
Congratulations to JEFF JUUL ’09 for joining the Instacart team! Jeff says, “I continued my government affairs career in August 2025 when I joined Instacart! I will continue to be based in Minneapolis, managing a 12-state region with a focus on building relationships with local and state elected officials. I also manage a number of trade association and nonprofit relationships across the states. If you’re ever in St. Paul, Madison, Springfield, or Harrisburg, or you’re curious about government affairs and/or public policy, please look me up!”
2010s
CONOR MOAKLEY ’10 is excited to share that he has joined Legora to help grow and scale the GTM organization in the UK and Ireland!
Congratulations to PATRICK O’NEILL ’10 for joining the partnership at Larson • King!
Congratulations to BILLY CHAPMAN ’10 for joining Roku as a Content Partnerships Manager!
CONNOR FARLEY ’11 is now a Wealth Management Advisor at U.S. Bankcorp’s Southdale office. Congrats Connor!
2010s Congratulations to MICHAEL HERMANN ’11 for starting a new position as AVP, Wealth and Investment Management at Wells Fargo!
JACK EDGERTON ’11 started a new position as Staff Development EngineerDirected Energy Deposition at Relativity Space.
Congrats Jack!
Congratulations to MICHAEL HERMANN ’11 for starting a new position as AVP, Wealth and Investment Management at Wells Fargo!
Congratulations to LUKE ’11 and Samantha MARKS on the birth of their daughter, Clara. Clara’s siblings, Maggie and Arthur, are excited to have a new baby sister!
Congratulations to CORY HALLMAN ’13 for starting a new position as Director of Carrier Sales at MVP Logistics!
This fall has been exciting for JOHN HANTEN ’13. He and his wife, Madison, welcomed their second daughter, Hattie. John was also named to Forbes’ list of Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors in Minnesota and Marks Group Wealth Management where John is a shareholder was recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s Fast 50 Awards as one of the 50 fastest-growing privately owned companies in 2025!
MATTHEW PERRY ’13 is starting a new position as Laboratory Division Sales Manager at Medline Industries, LP!
Congratulations to ALEX NOEL ’13 for starting a new role as Assistant, Amateur Acquisitions at Washington Nationals!
Congratulations to WYATT SCHMIDT ’13 for starting a new position as Vice President at J.P. Morgan Private Bank!
Congratulations to PATRICK CRAMER ’14 for starting his new role as Compliance Specialist at Tesla!
Congratulations to GEOFFREY STEICHEN ’14 for starting his new role as AVP, Senior Specialist, Technology at Chubb!
Congratulations to RYAN DURAND ’14 for starting his new role as Director at Oppidan Company!
Congratulations to THOMAS SCHROEDER ’14 on starting a new position as Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis at ECMC Group!
Congratulations to PATRICK CRAMER ’14 for starting a new position as Compliance Specialist at Tesla!
Congratulations to SEAN MOAKLEY ’15 for starting a new position as Senior Data Acquisition Manager at Suntory Global Spirits!
Members of the CLASS OF 2010, and some of their family members, gathered to remember classmate BRIAN PLUNKETT ’10 on the 10th anniversary of his passing. Alumni pictured are: (back row) ZACK WEBSTER ’10, GREG MOLLNER ’10, DAVID ALLENDER ’09, RILEY PALMER ’10, SAM FAHEY ’10, ROB WANKEL ’10 and (front row) ANDRE BARTOL ’10, TIM PLUNKETT ’73.
MICHAEL and Katie DEPAUW ’10 welcomed STA class of 2044 hopeful Dean Murphy DePauw on April 1, 2026.
Congratulations to TIPTON WOODARD ’14 and his wife, Alex, on the birth of their son, Vincent Glenn Woodard, in July 2025!
Former STA teacher and coach David Ziebarth went to the SJU vs. Gustavus football game and caught up with MARK ROGALSKI ’23, JOE VASCELLARO ’21, RYAN CREAMER ’21, JORDAN WOLD ’17, and NIKO VARGAS ’24!
RYAN BARNES ’15 was able to meet with JOSH TARUM ’15 backstage on December 31, 2025. Josh’s band Levity was playing in Dallas.
Congratulations to RYAN BARNES ’15 for starting a new position as Sales Development Manager at Weathermatic!
Captain JOE HARVEY ’16 is a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot with the 10th Mountain Division at Ft. Drum, NY. Captain Harvey is currently serving a 6-month deployment at Ft. Huachuca, AZ. Picture shows Harvey landing at a military base in Amarillo, TX. Thank you for your service, Captain Harvey.
CHRISTOPHER (TOPHER) KING ’16 is living in Nashville and pursuing a career in the country music industry!
GRIFFIN GAGNIER ’17 has started a new position as Investment Associate at Group Fox Management!
Congratulations to JAMES REDING ’17 for starting a new position as Senior Associate at Citadel!
MATTHEW WATERLOO ’17 is starting a new position as an Associate - Accounting & Finance at SkyWater Search Partners. Congratulations, Matt!
Congratulations to SAM VASCELLARO ’18 for starting a new position as Senior Sales Development Representative at Pure Storage!
JOEY GEREND ’18 moved from Chicago to London as part of EY’s Mobility program for a two-year assignment. Congrats, Joey!
Congratulations to BEN MANSUR ’19 for joining The Hatch Group as their newest Talent Acquisition Partner! Congrats to MICHAEL DYRHAUG ’19 for starting a new position as Commercial Lender at Gateway Bank!
TOMMY ODEGARD ’19 is starting a new position as Account Executive at SS&C Intralinks!
Congratulations to LUKE SAMPAIR ’19 for starting a new position as Audit Associate at Forvis Mazars US!
Congratulations to BEN STUCKER ’19 for starting a new position as Wealth Planning Associate at RBC Wealth Management!
2020s
MAX CARVER ’20 recently spent 19 weeks in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He graduated from BOLC (Basic Officer Leader Course) training establishing himself within the Engineer Regiment. He is now a Bridging Platoon Leader for a Bridging Company in Wisconsin.
2020s
MAX CARVER ’20, HUNTER CARVER ’24, and Jackson Carver. Hunter and Jackson are members of the University of Miami football team that played for the National Championship in Miami!
Congratulations to YENIKA FONDUNGALLAH ’21 for earning the Making Moves award from Backpack Communications! Backpack Communications is a studentrun creative agency at the University of Minnesota!
AIDAN MCGILL ’21 will be deployed to the Middle East in January 2026 with the Army Reserves. Stay safe, Aidan, and thank you for your service.
Congrats to LEO BLUHM ’22 who has fought his way back from injury last year to being the center for the Yale Bulldogs and being named to the All Ivy First Team. Leo will graduate this spring with a degree in mechanical engineering.
MICHAEL BAGLEY ’21 has started a new position as Government Specialist at Faegre Drinker!
WILLIAM JUNCKER ’21 is starting a new position as Registered Client Associate - The Piché Group at RBC Wealth Management!
Congratulations to AIDAN MIR ’21 for starting a new role as a Crash Test Engineer at MGA Research Corporation
Congratulations to forward JARED WRIGHT ’21 for being called up to the LA Kings from the Ontario Reign (AHL affiliate)!
Congratulations to JORDAN WOLD ’23 for being one of 8 Gustavus Adolphus football players to earn the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District award. The 2025-26 Academic All-District awards, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top studentathletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Congratulations to VINCENT MUELLER ’23 for earning the IVY Conference Champion285 pound class!
PATRICK KOEGEL ’24 caught up with HUNTER CARVER ’24 at the University of Miami.
Congratulations to SAVION HART ’24 for being named to the 2025 All-Patriot League Second Team!
Congratulations to UGO ADARVE ’24 for having been accepted into the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy Program for the Fall 2026 and for being selected to receive the Nellie Walkman Scholarship!
A St. John’s University article on Dec. 18, 2025 profiled THOMAS HOLMQUIST ’24 about his time wrestling with the Johnies!
DECLAN WILSON ’24 has been admitted into the Petroleum Engineering program at Texas A&M University;
Congratulations Declan!
Congrats to MAX IFFERT ’24 for joining the Gopher Battalion ROTC program at the University of Minnesota!
Congratulations to TEDDY KNAPP ’24 for starting a new role as Intern at Neu Medical!
Our FIRST ANNUAL CRACK DRILL ALUMNI event was met with an incredible turnout and an even greater sense of connection. Alumni from across generations gathered to share stories, revisit long-held traditions, and reflect on how and why those traditions began. The room was filled with history, laughter, and plenty of reminiscing as old friends reunited and new connections were made. This inaugural gathering was a meaningful reminder of the legacy we share, and we look forward to this event becoming a new tradition for years to come.
Mr. Erickson visited with some young STA ALUMNI at Creighton University!
We had an amazing turnout for the ALUMNI HOCKEY GAMES on December 27. THANK YOU to all the guys who came out to play!
Congratulations to JIMMY ZAVORAL ’24 on being named a 2027 Investment Banking Summer Analyst at Rothschild & Co, New York office.
Congratulations to ROBBIE WOLLAN ’24 he will be joining Lazard as a 2027 Investment Banking Summer Analyst in their Minneapolis office.
Congratulations to CHRISTIAN JANSSEN ’24 for accepting an offer to join Hennepin Partners as a 2027 Investment Banking Summer Analyst in the Minneapolis office!
Congratulations to SEAN HAPPE ’24 for being named a 2027 Investment Banking Summer Analyst in the New York office of TD Securities!
Congratulations to ALEX RIVARD ’25 for being named to the Dean’s List, Fall 2025 at Loyola University Chicago!
Congratulations to JACK BATZLER ’25 for being named a TCU Scholar for the Fall 2025 semester!
Congratulations to LUKE CIERZAN ’25 for being named to the Dean’s List at Xavier University’s Williams College of Business this semester!
SHERMAN HOLMSTADT ’25 recently attended the 31st Annual Naval Leadership Weekend conference at the University of Notre Dame!
Congratulations to ERIC SILGEN ’25 for being named to the Dean’s List for the College of Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln!
Congratulations to CHASE YOUNG ’25 who was just invited to walk on at Notre Dame!
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