What's Happening in Cougar Country

Lake Catholic became the first school in Lake County to partner with The Howley Foundation, whose mission is to create social and economic mobility and improve lives by providing quality educational opportunities. 

Earlier today, five Lake Catholic freshmen who excel academically and in extracurricular activities were awarded renewable scholarships from The Howley Foundation. 
Amarion Levitt (from St. Jerome School), Gabriella Rios (Urban Community School), Lilly Macek (St. Gabriel School), Finnigan Kilbane (Mater Dei Academy), and Mason O’Donnell (St. Mary of the Assumption) met with representatives from The Howley Foundation for lunch where they were presented with a congratulatory letter, a certificate, and their Howley Scholar pin.

“I came out last (academic) year to see what Lake Catholic was all about,” said PJ Reindel, the Executive Director and Chief Administrative Officer of The Howley Foundation. “I was really impressed with what the school does and the environment that the leadership and faculty have created. You can see the character formation. You see it when you pull in – Enter to Learn and Exit to Serve. It’s right there. You come here for academics, but it’s so much more than that. And that’s what made it a perfect fit for us to partner with Lake Catholic.”

Nick and Lorie Howley formed The Howley Foundation in 2001, with the intent of helping students, all students, regardless of financial means, receive the best education possible. The Howleys firmly believe that education is one of the most important catalysts for promoting positive change in individuals and society as a whole.

Starting with one student scholarship at a local Cleveland Catholic high school, they have grown the Foundation and the Howley Scholars Program to provide meaningful tuition assistance in 2024 to more than 1,400 scholarship students in Cleveland and Philadelphia, as well as in other high schools and colleges around the United States.
The scholarships are funded with a four-year pledge if the students meet the maintenance criteria – maintaining a 3.0 GPA, participating in, and meaningful contributions to, extracurricular activities, and remaining in good standing with the school.

“The partnership with Lake Catholic was formed just months ago and we are so excited to have the support of the Howley Foundation,” said Lake Catholic Director of Advancement Carla Ronnebaum (’00). “They have made such an impact on education here in Northeast Ohio, and we are grateful Lake Catholic students are now able to benefit from such a great foundation.

“Our hope is to continue this partnership every year culminating with a total of 20 students at Lake Catholic being honored as prestigious Howley Scholars.”
 

On August 23, Lake Catholic proudly celebrated the grand opening of its newly renovated locker rooms, marking a significant milestone in our ongoing commitment to providing top-notch facilities for our student-athletes. This impressive $1 million renovation project, which commenced in May, was fully funded by the generosity of our benefactors, demonstrating their unwavering support for our school's athletic programs.

“Our student-athletes deserve facilities that reflect their hard work and achievements,” said John Morabeto, President of Lake Catholic High School. “This renovation is a testament to the generosity of our benefactors and the collective dedication of our community to our mission. We are thrilled to provide our students with an environment that supports their growth and success.”

The renovation, which started in May at the end of last school year, introduces a range of state-of-the-art features designed to enhance both functionality and comfort. The boys' locker room now boasts 100 brand-new lockers, including distinct areas designated for the football and boys' soccer teams. The girls' locker room, which accommodates 35 new lockers, is currently divided between the volleyball and girls' soccer teams, as well as the cheerleaders. To ensure that all teams have optimal access, locker room rotations will be organized according to the sports seasons.

“The new locker rooms are a game-changer," said football coach Marty Gibbons ('11). "They provide our players with a space that reflects the hard work and dedication they put into their training. The upgrades will undoubtedly boost team morale and performance.”

Each locker in both facilities is equipped with padded seats, two separate lockable compartments, and multiple hooks, combining convenience with security. Additionally, both locker rooms feature a dedicated coaching area complete with whiteboards for pre-game strategies and in-game instructions.

The renovation also includes new amenities for physical education classes, with extra lockers added to both locker rooms. The upgrades extend to the shower facilities, with eight individual shower stalls installed in each locker room, including one designed for handicapped accessibility. New bathroom facilities complement these enhancements, ensuring that the locker rooms meet the highest standards of comfort and accessibility.

“The renovation is a fantastic upgrade for our volleyball team," said new coach Tess Connolly-Alcantara ('16). "The added amenities and improved facilities will give our girls the edge they need and make a real difference in their daily training and preparation.”

The newly renovated locker rooms are part of the larger Zappitelli Family Athletic Performance Center. The Zappitelli family has been instrumental in funding previous improvements, including the weight room and softball field renovations. Their ongoing contributions underscore a deep commitment to enhancing Lake Catholic's student-athletes experience and performance.

The team room, generously donated by the Pecjak family in 2020, remains a centerpiece of our athletic complex. This addition exemplifies the spirit of community and support that defines our school's approach to fostering athletic excellence.

The opening of the new locker rooms is not just a celebration of our past achievements but a look forward to an exciting future. With these enhanced facilities, Lake Catholic reaffirms its commitment to providing our student-athletes with the best resources to excel both on and off the field. Thank you to all our benefactors for making this transformation possible and for continuing to support our mission of excellence in athletics and beyond.

Here’s to many more victories and memorable moments in our upgraded locker rooms at the Zappitelli Family Athletic Performance Center!

Photos and videos of the new spaces can be found on our athletics page

Caden Boyes (Lake Catholic Class of 2025) has been selected as one of 16 high school students from around the state for the 2024-2025 Ohio Student Safety Advisory Council. 

The Ohio School Safety Center (OSSC) made the announcement on Thursday, May 30.

Boyes said he filled out the application for the position, which included several lengthy answers, more than a month ago. That led to a 30-minute virtual interview with OSSC members. He almost didn’t get the word that he was actually selected.

“They typed my email wrong, it was missing a letter,” he said. “So, I never got the email. Mr. (Tom) McKrill sent me the email he received.”

Although he said he believes he and his fellow students are safe at Lake Catholic and that they’re all taken good care of, nothing is perfect and there are always ways to improve.

“School safety has to be the No. 1 priority of our days,” he said. “So this is a big opportunity to learn more about it and bring ideas for upgrades, whether physical or procedural, back to Lake Catholic.”

Governor Mike DeWine created the council in 2022 to help OSSC leadership identify school safety concerns and develop innovative solutions to address them. Students from last year’s council will present their capstone projects at the 2024 School Safety Summit this summer, according to a press release.

“This year’s students took their capstone projects to new levels and got their peers more involved in the everyday safety activities at their schools,” said OSSC Executive Director Emily Torok. “Our alumni members quickly got the new council onboarded and they all supported each other in a student network to promote safety across the state. I encourage everyone to reach out to their local council members to learn about their projects and initiatives. They are very impressive.”

The Council will be invited to attend the in-person Ohio School Safety Summit on July 31-Aug. 1 at the Columbus Convention Center to network with their peers and attend initial informational sessions on violence prevention strategies and emotional safety.

Council members will develop strategies to encourage their peers to actively engage in maintaining a safe school environment and will be advocates for students’ overall well-being. Students will work directly with OSSC school safety liaisons to organize events, focus groups, and trainings to help highlight student success and safety best practices at various schools. These members will also act as a sounding board for the Ohio School Safety Working Group and OSSC on student marketing campaigns and other projects to ensure that student voices are represented. 

Eight of the previous year’s Council members have agreed to return this upcoming year as mentors for the incoming council. They will continue to work on projects in their communities and act as force multipliers for school safety improvements.

Governor DeWine created the Ohio School Safety Center in 2019. It is housed within the Ohio Department of Public Safety and works to assist local schools, colleges and universities, and law enforcement agencies to prevent, prepare for, and respond to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.
 

The end of the school year marks the time for many different awards and honors to be bestowed upon students within clubs and teams, departments, and even the greater school at large.

At Tuesday’s Baccalaureate Mass and Senior Awards, Lake Catholic awarded senior Gianna Rubino the school’s highest honor – The Christian Life Award.

The Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award is the most prestigious recognition presented by our school community.  With the inception of this award in 1972, a tradition was established to focus on the active expression of the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Gospel values both within our school environment and in the greater community. Criteria for the Lake Catholic High School Christian Life Award are as follows:

• The student is an extraordinary witness to the Gospel message and the Spirit of Jesus.
• The student is a person of great integrity who dynamically lives his or her faith, both within the Lake Catholic Community and in the greater community at large. 
• The student lives an exemplary life consistent with the Lake Catholic Mission Statement and Core Values.
• The student actively expresses a willingness to serve within the Lake Catholic Campus Ministry and Spiritual Life areas, Lake Catholic Community, Church Community, and our greater community at large.

Congratulations to Gianna for such a deserving honor.

Other senior award winners were: 

• President’s Award for Educational Achievement - Kyan Harrold, Domonic Orlando, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Olivia Switalski, Daniel Tomic, and Charlie Trinetti
• President’s Award of Educational Excellence - Jonathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Haley Horen, Garrett Knisely, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Joseph Powaski, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, and Chloe Stossel
• Service Cord - Greg Bares, Mya Brannen, Kira Brennan, Makenna Bretz, Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Delaney Charlton, Juliana Conforte, Gianna Coreno, Parker DiCello, GiGi DiDomenico, Claire Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Egypt Kamara, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Joey Lonchar, Grace McCalligan, Katie Morgan, Cassie Nagy, Alexandra Newnes, Stephen Parrish, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, Sutton Pikor, Meadow Pontius, Joseph Powaski, McKenzie Prosuch, Luke Richards, Kathryn Ridler, Gianna Rubino, Mia Schaefer, Taylor Scharf, Madeline Spies, Chloe Stossel, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Christopher Vanjo, Olivia Viskovic, and Kelly Ward
• Happy Moose / Monday’s With Malta Scholarship - Parker Pikor
• John Peyton Meritorious Award - Christina Lombardo
• OHSAA Scholar Athlete - Zoe Pesek and Greg Bares
• OHSAA Courageous Athlete Award - Mia Schaefer
• OHSAA Award of Excellence - Stephen Parrish
• OHSAA Archie Griffin Sportsmanship Award - Claire Duricky and Luke Snider
• Nick D’Angelo Award - Caroline Brown, Gianna Koenig, Josh Styles, Daniel Tomic, and Olivia Viskovic
• Willoughby Junior Women’s Club Award - Mia Schaefer and Charlie Trinetti
• Mentor Chamber of Commerce Foundation Scholarship - Mya Brannen and Madeline Spies
• Red Cross Scholarship - Emily Aliff and Davide Patriarca
• Cardinal Credit Union Scholarship - Joey Lonchar, Greg Bares, Charlie Trinetti, Chloe Stossel, Jonathan Bokausek, Meadow Pontius, Andrew Pellecchia, Parker Pikor, and Dominic Orlando
• P.E.O. Star Scholarship Award - Kayla Calvey
• Phi Beta Kappa Award - Zoe Pesek
• Academic Honors Diploma - Johnathan Bokausek, Caroline Brown, Kayla Calvey, Juliana Conforte, GiGi DiDomenico, Garrett Knisely, Tessa Koenig, Allison Komosa, Isabelle Langer, Theresa Lazanich, Grace McCalligan, Marko Odorcic, Domonic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Zoe Pesek, Cooper Pikor, Parker Pikor, Joseph Powaski, Kate Powaski, Nicholas Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Taylor Scharf, Chloe Stossel, Olivia Switalski, and Daniel Tomic
• Art Honors Diploma - Kathryn Ridler
• St. Thomas Aquinas Distinction - Ivan Blazevic, Caroline Brown, Juliana Conforte, Parker DiCello, Gigi DiDominico, Tyler Duricky, Ryan Ginley, Kyan Harrold, Tessa Koenig, Joey Lonchar, Dominic Orlando, Stephen Parrish, Hannah Pattie, Andrew Pellecchia, Zoe Pesek, Joe Powaski, Anthony Reynoso, Gianna Rubino, Jarred Smith, Josh Styles, Charlie Trinetti, Isaiah Tyree, Chloe Stossel, Oliva Switalski, Chris Vanjo, and Dani Villa
• Christian Leadership Recognition - Chloe Stossel and Dominic Orlando

More photos from the evening, including ones of all the winners, can be found on our Senior Awards page.

Most high schoolers have summer jobs for spending money throughout the year.

A lesser amount saves some of that money to use after high school and help pay for college.

For Lake Catholic senior Theresa Lazanich, she’s turned her summer job from the past two years as a caddie at Canterbury Country Club into four years’ worth of full tuition and room and board.

Theresa was named an Evans Scholarship winner at the end of January, and just this past week found out that she will use that scholarship at Ohio State University.

The Evans Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for high-achieving caddies. According to the scholarship website, to qualify caddies must meet the requirements of having a strong caddie record, excellent academics, demonstrated financial need, and outstanding character.

“I was super excited when I found out that I won the Evans Scholarship,” Theresa said. “And now that I know I’m going to my first-choice school (Ohio State), it’s even more exciting.

“I want to be a physician’s assistant, which will mean extra schooling. So that’s a huge financial commitment. And being the youngest of six kids, this is a huge help for me and my parents.”

Evans Scholars can be found at 24 universities nationwide. Their students live and work together in a community, earning a reputation for scholastic achievement and excellence in community service.

What’s different about Evans Scholars though is that they don’t have the final say on where they attend. Once she received the scholarship, Theresa had to submit a list of her top three school choices – that she had applied for and had been accepted to. Her top three were Ohio State, Marquette, and Miami University.

“I had the choice of Ohio schools or any private or possibly border state schools,” she said. “But I’m glad I got my No. 1 choice.”

Theresa has been around the game of golf since she was a kid, she said. As the youngest in her family, her parents would often take her to the course when they would play. That’s where she learned the game, first hit the ball, and became fond of the game that would become such a big part of her life.

“I started playing when I was really young, maybe eight or nine (years old),” she said. “I would play in leagues throughout the summers and have played all four years here at Lake Catholic.

“When I started playing here, I met a girl from Beaumont, who talked me into getting a job at Canterbury with her.”

So, for the past two summers, Theresa has been at the country club early in the morning and helped members and guests with their rounds of golf throughout. Eventually, it was there that the caddie master suggested she apply for the Evans Scholarship.

“There’s also a ton of members there who are Evans Scholars, so I had a lot of support when I applied,” she said.

All the while, she continued her successful high school career. She was a two-year captain for the Cougars while playing as the team’s No. 1 player. She was named First Team All-Crown Conference in both her junior and senior seasons.

It was after her senior season when she was named a finalist for the scholarship, and she began prepping for her interview at Moraine Country Club in the Dayton area.

“The four green coats (chairpersons) were there, along with 60 other Evans Scholars,” she said. “They all had read my essay and I had to just stand there for 20-25 minutes answering questions about it.”

And from there it was a waiting game – first to be named an Evans Scholar and then to find out she was heading to her first-choice school.

Not too bad for a summer job.

One of Lake Catholic’s longest-standing traditions continued Monday, Nov. 20, as the Class of 2024 participated in the 49th Annual Turkey Day.

What had started back in 1974 as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more for Lake Catholic students, as they live out one of the school’s core values – its willingness to serve.

“This is a very important day for our school and our senior class,” Mrs. Brandi Mandzak, a Theology teacher who coordinated the entire day, said to the seniors. “Everything you did today matters.”

The day started with a small prayer service, where there were prayers not only for the senior class but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between 10 different service projects and headed out into the community. 

The groups headed to:

• Lake Farmpark, where the students helped set up Christmas trees for breakfast with Santa and cleaned up the barns for when families go for country lights and horse races.
• Outdoor YMCA in Perry, where they cleaned up the area by raking and blowing leaves and moving large tree branches.
• Holden Arboretum, where they mulched 300 trees for protection during the winter.
• Lake Humane Society, where they cleaned cages, swept the floor, mailed envelopes to donors, but most importantly got to play with the cats and dogs. 
  “It was so fun,” Hannah Pattie said. “I really enjoyed seeing all the little dogs and cats, and how their faces lit up when we were playing with them.”
• Greater Cleveland Food Bank, where they sorted drinks and eventually packed 14,000 pounds of beverages.
• Broadmoor School, where they worked and played with the children.
• Karpos Ministry, where they baked desserts for Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless at St. Mary’s in Painesville. 
• Willoughby Workshop, where they read to the adults there.
• Grateful Giving, where students baked in the school’s Campus Ministry center that will be brought to first responders.
• Project Hope, where the students, after a tour of the facility, made cards for the packed lunches that are handed out every day, as well as sorting donations and organizing their storage room.
  “It was wonderful to have so many kids writing messages of positivity to put in the lunches of the homeless to help encourage them as they leave for the day after staying the night,” said Bryan Bossert, the property manager at Project Hope.

When the students returned to school, there was an all-class mass in the Chapel with Fr. Andy Gonzalez.

They then all moved to the Atrium for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s. Lunch was served by some parents of the students, who also served as chaperones throughout the morning.

The day ended in silence in the Auditorium as each student had time to reflect on their day, what their service meant to the community, and how thankful they were to be able to help those who need it. 

“It really is a great day for all of us,” Pattie said. “I’ve never heard of other schools doing this kind of service for their communities. And it’s great that we can give back to places around here, keeping that connection with our entire community.”

All the pictures from today can be found on the Student Life / Traditions page of the website under Turkey Day.

Very few students are perfect in school. Everyone needs help – whether just needing a helping hand with homework or feeling pressure because of an upcoming test. Lake Catholic is now proud to offer a few different options for all its students to get the help they might need.

Tutoring help can be found in Tutoring Lab in the back of the Media Center, where, most recently, the CBN Studio used to be.

Tutor Ohio Kids

Principal Tom McKrill has been working with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio to bring in tutors during the school day. To that end, Lake Catholic has been approved for and accepted into the Tutor Ohio Kids program.

Established in 2022, Ohio House Bill 583 required the state Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish a program to provide tutoring and remedial education services to students in participating public and chartered nonpublic schools. Tutors placed in schools must provide services in math, science, social studies, reading, and/or English language arts.

Through this program Mrs. Christine Deighan will be on campus three days per week to tutor students in science. She is the mother of alums Kelli (class of 2015) and Ryne (class of 2017) and recently retired after more than 25 years in the Chagrin Falls School District. Mrs. Deighan will be on campus on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10a-130p in the Tutoring Lab.

“The times were intentional so that students can meet with a tutor during their lunch period,” Mr. McKrill said.

Mr. Dennis Ebner, who teaches the on-campus CCP English class, as well as helping out throughout the English Department, will also be available for English tutoring on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the lunch periods.

Mr. McKrill is working on bringing in a math tutor as well.

“We don’t have any local applicants at this moment,” he said, “but we may begin with a virtual option until we can bring someone to campus.”

National Honor Society

If meeting with a teacher or adult tutor is intimidating or simply not the best way to learn, students have an option this year for peer-to-peer tutoring. The National Honor Society students, usually two at a time, are available in the Tutoring Lab during most periods of the day.

Students can just walk into the lab during their lunch or study hall period. No reservations are required.

“I have learned in my years in the classroom, that when students work together and help each other, both of them benefit,” said Mrs. Melissa Grai, the National Honor Society advisor. “Students have the ability to communicate with each other in a language that both of them understand. I am hoping that this will help the NHS students, as it will force them to think of the content in a new light, and it will help the students seeking tutoring, as they will understand the content.”

If the National Honor Society member(s) aren’t familiar with the subject matter, they’ve been told not to lead the student(s) down the wrong path, but instead just to be honest with them. The student should be directed back to their teacher, or tutor.com for additional help.

“This is a trial year.  As the year goes on, I am hoping to make changes based on feedback from students on what is working and what is not,” Grai said. “As we progress through the year, this program may change, but I am hopeful that this will have a positive impact on the Lake Catholic community.”

Tutor.com

At the beginning of the school year, the Dean of Academics Maghen Frindt worked to get all the students a Mentor Public Library card. One of the features associated with the card is that those students with one can create a free account with tutor.com.

“I would 100-percent endorse this program,” Frindt said.

Tutor.com allows students to connect with a live tutor in an online classroom, watch videos to review concepts, take practice quizzes to prepare for tests, and review past work. Tutors screen share with students allowing them to work with someone on a math problem in live time. Students can also submit a paper and receive writing lab feedback within twenty-four hours.  

Tutor.com is completely anonymous, and covers all levels and a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to math, science, writing, English, Spanish, social studies, AP classes and even SAT/ACT prep. 

Lake Catholic students took part in The Leadership Summit, presented by All Choice Matter and Team IBB, earlier this week at Andrews Osborne Academy. 

Representing Lake Catholic were Ariana Coyne, Layla Foradis, Raegan Kvoriak, Katie Morgan, Hannah Pattie, Kate Powaski, Kenzie Prosuch, Mia Schaefer, and Maddie Spies.

Those nine, and students from 11 other schools heard local leaders share stories of how they persevered in the face of adversity to become respected leaders people seek to follow. 

There were seven speakers, each with their own message, as part of the Summit. 

Dione DeMitro, Executive Director of United Way Lake County, reminded the group that “Your past does predict your future,” and that “Happiness starts with gratitude,” but also reminded them to “Be of service to others and be at peace with yourself.”

Elizabeth Brassell, who was the first runner-up for Ms. Wheelchair Ohio, pointed out that “Our flaws make us unique,” “Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try,” and to “Focus on what you can do.”

Laura Gray, the founder and executive director of iPride, said that everyone should “Be the leader in your life, and lead with your heart.”

Wendy Kunash, a professional development coach, shared the simple message that everyone should “Share your thoughts and feelings; otherwise, people do not know.”

Karyssa Kestranek, who is a motivational speaker, also had a simple message, “Make good choices.”

Jimmy Mrozek, the Dean of Students at Andrews Osborne Academy, reminded everyone that “The way you act impacts other people,” but also, you should “Thank people who give meaning to your life.”

Finally, Michael Hutter, a professional wrestler known as EC3, shared a truth that “Leadership comes with value, but can be a burden, cast doubt, cause fear, and is about sacrifice,” but also “Leadership is the opportunity for growth and change.”

All Choices Matter is “a nonprofit established to connect youth to local leaders to take pressure off of teachers, engage parents, and help youth navigate life’s tough stuff,” according to its website.

Team IBB was created to very simply help others achieve more. As stated on its website, “We have learned a lot in our lives about failure, success, and the importance of having a plan in place that is directly inline with your goals. We want to use our experience to help others do the same in any way we can.”
 

Eighteen Lake Catholic students were honored and awarded scholarships last night by the Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve. 

The award ceremony was held at St. John Vianney and then Fr. Tom Johns held a mass for the students, their families and the Christ Child Society.

The chapter of the Christ Christ Child Society of the Western Reserve is an organization primarily dedicated to child welfare. Its motive and spirit shall be a love of Christ expressing itself in personal service for children and youth regardless of race or creed to honor the childhood of Christ.

The 40-year-old chapter serves "one child at a time" through many different programs, including scholarships. Scholarships are offered to students currently enrolled at Lake Catholic and Ursuline College for their current tuition.

Those receiving the scholarships for the 2023-24 school year are: Victor Arenas (Sr.), Carley Dondorfer (Sr.), Joey Lonchar (Sr.), Katie Morgan (Sr.), Alyssa Naro (Sr.), Mia Schaefer (Sr.), Katie Sowko (Sr.), Kyle Boyd (Jr.), Caden Boyes (Jr.), Carson Gilbert (Jr.), Megan Joy (Jr.), Luke Joy (Jr.), Jimmy Meden (Jr.), Angelina Capra (So.), Kaelyn Nemeth (So.), Kiera Nemeth (So.), Brayden Mann (So.) and Robert Vidmar (Fr.).

Lake Catholic, along with Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Beaumont, and Padua, will leave the Crown Conference after the 2023-24 school. The Cougars will join those three schools, as well as Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), Elyria Catholic and Holy Name in the new North Coast Conference. The new North Coast Conference will begin in the Fall of 2024.

“The transition to the North Coast Conference is a great opportunity for Lake Catholic and our partner schools,” said Lake Catholic Principal Tom McKrill (’07). “Our students work very hard in the classroom every day, and this will be a great opportunity for our student-athletes to continue to compete with other faith-based schools in interscholastic athletics.”

Similarly, Lake Catholic Athletic Director Erik Schroeder is excited about the competitive balance between all the schools.

“We're excited to be a part of the seven schools forming the North Coast Conference,” Schroeder said. “The NCC is going to be very competitive across all sports and is made up of schools of similar size. We believe that the new conference is a great fit for our student-athletes.”

All the schools will compete in their current conferences during the 2023-24 school year with North Coast Conference play beginning in the fall of 2024. Football will be the only exception, as not every school will play each other as most of the 2024 schedules have already been completed. Even though there will not be a football league champion in 2024, all-conference honors will be awarded.

“We are looking forward to the opportunities the North Coast Conference presents,” said Marty Gibbons (’11), Lake Catholic head football coach. “From a football perspective, this move enables us to increase the volume of conference competition, while providing a rigorous challenge to our program as we prepare to compete for championships at the regional and state level.”

This past school year (2022-23), the Cougars won four Crown Conference titles – volleyball, boys soccer, girls swimming & diving, and boys swimming and diving; had three coaches win Coach of the Year honors; nine Players of the Year honors; and 47 first team all-conference selections.

Coaches of the Year

Volleyball – Kara Oster ('13)
Boys Soccer – Kevin Pitorak
Girls Swimming & Diving – Matt Trem
Boys Swimming & Diving – Matt Trem

Players of the Year

Volleyball, Setter of the Year – Hannah Pattie
Volleyball, Libero of the Year – Emma Briganti
Boys Soccer, Defensive Player of the Year – Marko Odorcic
Girls Cross Country, Runner of the Year – Kelly Ward
Girls Swimming & Diving, Swimmer of the Year – Zoe Pesek
Boys Swimming & Diving, Swimmer of the Year – Owen Pesek
Girls Lacrosse, Offensive Player of the Year – Rylee Anderson
Girls Lacrosse, Defensive Player of the Year – Alexa Udovicic
Girls Track & Field, Runner of the Year – Claire Duricky

For the second year in a row, one of the Lake Catholic Robotics Club teams finished as runners-up at the AWT RoboBots Competition on Saturday, April 29 at Lakeland Community College. 

Team Thunderstruck, with its bot Bolt, came out of the loser's bracket of the tournament and beat undefeated Ashtabula, and its bot War Machine, but then ultimately was beat in the winner-take-all final. Team Thunderstruck was comprised of Lauren Olenik, Jackson Aliff, Christopher Kelley, Jeremy Jones and Nick Hancock and Marty Johnson from Lakeshore Compact.

Thunderstruck and the other Lake Catholic team, Clean Sweep, both won their first round matches, but then had to face off against each other in the second round. Thunderstruck pulled off the victory, sending Clean Sweep, and its bot Mr. Clean, to the loser's bracket. 

Thunderstruck lost it's next match in the winner's break semifinals to Madison's Athena. It fought back in the loser's bracket winning against Madison's second bot, Cataclysm, Auburn's Titanium Titan and then getting revenge and beating Madison's Athena to set the stage for the finals against Ashtabula.

Clean Sweep, with Jarred Smith, Nicholas Olenik, Tyler Duricky, Andrew Zalar and Ryan Dressler and Mason Sampson from Lakeshore Compact, put together a nice run after losing to its schoolmates in the second round. It beat Maplewood's Hope and Lakeside's Point Break before finally exiting the tournament with a loss to Auburn's Titanium Titan. Clean Sweep finished in fifth place.

RoboBots is a high school combat robotics competition that allows high schools to partner with industry mentors to build a 15lb combat robot.

The industry partner provides financial assistance and mentorship to the high school students through the six-seven month robotic build process.

This educational and workforce initiative was started by the AWT Foundation. The AWT Foundation promotes rewarding manufacturing careers for the long-term sustainability of manufacturing.

What's wrong with a little competition amongst friends?

Well on Friday, April 21st, it was all about competition amongst classes. 

The classes of 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 all competed throughout the school day in the Third Annual Cougar Games - an Olympic-style competition in which the classes compete in certain games to determine an overall winner. The was finished off with the Annual Powder Puff game - pitting the senior girls against the junior girls in flag football. 

For the second time in three year, the Class of 2023 (the seniors) won the Cougar Games. 

But they fell to the juniors, who came from behind, scored on the last play of regulation and then won the Powder Puff game in overtime, 36-30.

COUGAR GAMES

The seniors won four of the eight competitions to score 28 points on the day-long event and outpace the rest of the school. The juniors (Class of 2024) finished second with 24 points. The sophomores (2025) were third with 20, and the freshmen (2026) were fourth with 8.

The seniors won the inaugural Games back in 2021 as sophomores and were runners-up to the Class of 2022 last year.

They got off to a hot start winning the first four events - dodgeball, basketball, speedball and the obstacle course. The juniors got their first win in soccer, and the sophomores got their only victory in kickball.

The juniors also won Mario Kart and the donation drive - a week-long competition to see which class could collect the most donations to benefit Birthright Lake.

The final results of all the competitions were:

• Dodgeball: 1. Seniors; 2. Juniors; 3. Sophomores; 4 Freshmen
• Basketball: 1. Seniors; 2. Juniors; 3. Sophomores; 4 Freshmen
• Speedball: 1. Seniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Juniors; 4. Freshmen
• Obstacle Course: 1. Seniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Juniors; 4. Freshmen
• Soccer: 1. Juniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Seniors; 4. Freshmen
• Kickball: 1. Sophomores; 2. Seniors; 3. Freshmen; 4. Juniors
• Mario Kart: 1. Juniors; 2. Seniors; 3. Seniors; 4. Juniors
• Donation Drive: 1. Juniors; 2. Sophomores; 3. Seniors; 4. Freshmen

POWDER PUFF

When a team gets the football back with only 11 seconds left and needs to score to just get to the game to overtime, it needs quick-strike capabilities. Luckily for the Class of 2024, that's all its offense was. 

It took the juniors just two plays (calling a timeout between them) to tie the game up as the final horn had sounded.

Once in the extra periods, both teams took turns scoring during the first two overtime sessions. The third session say a new set of rules come into play - one play from the five-yard line. The only way to score was to pass. 

Despite two players in the area, the seniors possession saw their pass fall to the turf. The juniors play developed slowly, but their pass found a receiver, who was shielding her defender, just over the goal line for the winning score.

The touchdown capped off a 12-point comeback for the juniors. 

The seniors moved the ball methodically down the field on all three of their possessions in the first half - all resulting in touchdowns, including the last one with just less than two seconds left in the half. The juniors scored twice on only two plays, getting their fast athletes in space and letting them just run for the endzone. They might have scored on their last possession as well, but their final attempt ended as their runner stepped out of bounds.

The seniors started the second half on defense, but scored on a fumble recovery on the first play of the new period. 

From there, it just the start of the comeback for the juniors.
 

The second annual Career Fair, which took place right before the Thanksgiving break, offered the entire Lake Catholic student body a chance to talk to many different professionals to get a glimpse of a few careers that might be options for them as they move on to the next steps of their lives.

For one senior, though, the Career Fair ended up being a springboard to a professional shadow day over the Christmas break, a set-up for his senior project and introductions to key contacts for a possible career after college.

David Mordini, who wants to have a career as a government analyst or investigator, turned a conversation at the Career Fair into a day at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office and said he hopes it turns into much more after graduation.

“Two days after Career Day, Mrs. (Brandi) Mandzak (Lake Catholic theology teacher) called me and told me I was going to be able to get into the FBI headquarters,” Mordini said. “I freaked out.”

Mrs. Mandzak’s husband, Thomas Mandzak, who is the Captain in the Cleveland Division of Police, was the key contact for Mordini. He spoke with him at the Career Fair because of his interest in criminology and criminal justice.

“I want to be an analyst or an investigator,” Mordini said. “So, I was talking to Mr. Mandzak about possibly doing my senior project with the Cleveland Police.”

It was from that conversation that turned into his five-hour day at the Cleveland Field Office of the FBI. Mordini was with one of the FBI’s analysts, as she gave him a tour of the entire facility and introduced him to many members of the office – surveillance teams, cybersecurity, bilingual agents and international security.

“Even though each group has different roles and responsibilities, most all of them work in a big bullpen area,” Mordini said. “Everyone works together. They are all part of the same team.”

He also was given a look at the office’s clinic, drone room, media/conference room, gym, and cafeteria. He met a few of the lawyers, and the supervisor of specialized agents.

“The supervisor of specialized agents oversees all the agents,” he said. “We got to talk for a little bit. She gave me her card and even told me to reach out to her once I’m ready to take the FBI entrance exam.”

For now, Mordini will focus on finishing his senior year, including completing his senior project with the police and/or FBI, but then hopes to study criminology and criminal justice, probably at Kent State University, he said. 

It’s a career path that might have been accelerated because of one simple conversation.

“Career day was initially started as a means to extend the senior project,” said Mrs. Mary Ridler, Technology and Innovation Department Chair and Career Fair coordinator. “It allows students an opportunity to connect with different careers prior to graduation. The hope is to make the connections with the career day speakers in the field of their choice and to allow an opportunity for our seniors to engage in those careers for even just a week (senior project) for a 'real life ' introduction to that professional world.”

As people continue to come out of what has been two to three years of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s sometimes hard to remember what life was like before it happened.

But some students at Broadmoor School in Mentor and the Senior Class at Lake Catholic High School remember how exciting and how much fun their joint Christmas party was in the past and were so happy to celebrate it together again.

For the first time since December 2019, more than 100 students from Broadmoor showed up at Lake Catholic on Friday, December 2, for their annual Christmas party held in the school’s gym. There were games, live music, cookie decorations and other arts and crafts, face painting, and, of course, the man of the season – Santa Claus.

“There are some students who were here three years ago who remembered coming and were excited to come back today,” said Liz Miller, the Early Childhood Supervisor at Broadmoor.

The Class of 2023 was just a group of freshmen, three months into their high school years, when the only Broadmoor Christmas party they’ve ever known took place. Back then some of them were just volunteers at the party.

“I like to get the underclassmen involved with the party, to not only set up and clean up, but also volunteer at the games, craft tables and other places, so they can see how special this day is,” said Meg Finegan, a math teacher at Lake Catholic and one of the coordinators of the party.

Each year then, the seniors have their own buddy to take to the party.

“It’s a completely different experience as a senior,” said Abbey Caine, who was one of those underclassmen volunteers three years ago. “We get to connect with our buddies, one-on-one. It’s such a great thing to see how happy they are and how excited they get. It really means a lot, especially this time of year.”

The first partnership between the two schools for the Christmas party was back in December of 1992. Some of the teachers and aides from Broadmoor have seen firsthand how special this day is, as their own sons and daughters who attended Broadmoor have participated in the party.

“This is the only event we do where the entire school is here,” Miller said. “We do other things throughout the year where just certain grade levels go, but this party includes everyone. That’s what’s special about coming to Lake Catholic and the partnership we have with them.

“The other big difference is that often we facilitate our other trips. Not this one. This is completely student-led. So the fact that the Lake Catholic community does this is amazing.”

A big thank you to Aladdin Rents, who donated the games, and to Longo's Pizzeria, who donated all the pizza for lunch.

What had started off as a Thanksgiving feast for friends to enjoy each other as an entire class, has turned into much more at Lake Catholic. 
Turkey Day, one of the school’s longest standing tradition started back in 1974, continued on Monday, Nov. 21, as the Class of 2023 lived out one of Lake Catholic’s core values – it’s willingness to serve.

“This is one of the most important days of our school year,” said Alison Ellis, the Lake Catholic Theology Department Chair, and head of the school’s Campus Ministry. “It’s important for the seniors to go out and put our values into action. And we invite the entire school to the prayer service so the underclassmen can see what this means to all of us.”

The day started with an all-school prayer service, asking for prayers not only for the senior class, but also for those who it was going to help. The seniors chose between nine different service projects and headed out in the community. 

Groups were sent off to clean up the Fairport Harbor beach, despite the snow and cold; Broadmoor School, to work and play with the children; Willoughby Workshop, to work and eat lunch with the adults there; Vocational Guidance Center, working with the adults there; Little Annie’s Hope Train, assembling toiletries for the homeless; Grateful Giving, baking cookies for first responders; Karpos Ministry, making hot meals for the homeless at St. Mary Painesville; the Food Bank in Geauga County, making hot meals for the homeless; and shoveling driveways for the elderly in Mentor (which was a change up from leaf clean up because of the weather).

The students came back to school for a catered Thanksgiving feast, which was what Turkey Day started as back in the ‘70s.

“This day originally started just as a way for us to have the entire senior class sit down and enjoy each other over a Thanksgiving dinner,” said Rich Troha, who was the originator of Turkey Day when he was a teacher at here. “It has grown into a day of service but bringing the kids back to school is a nice way to combine what it was to what it is now.”

The day ended with another new addition – a Community Action Poverty Simulation, which is an interactive immersion experience that sensitizes participants to the realities of poverty. The Simulation is a program run out of the Nonprofit and Public Service Center at Lakeland Community College. Dione DeMitro, who executed these simulations at Lakeland before becoming the President and CEO at United Way of Lake County, volunteered at Lake Catholic to head up the simulation.

She said when she works with a group entirely made up of students, that there is at least one who has that “ah-ha” moment to realize how blessed they are. She said she heard from a couple students afterward that they did have such a moment.

“My hope is that when you leave here, you understand how blessed you are,” she told the group as they wrapped up. “I hope you go out and share your time, talents, and gifts with your community.”  

For the second consecutive semester, Ms. Tabitha Halcomb’s English classes were engaged in a week-long Shakespearean experience.

Two actors, as part of the Great Lakes Theater Company’s School Residency Program, were in school last week to work with students on Julius Caesar with the sophomore classes, Macbeth with the senior classes and A Midsummer Night's Dream with the senior honors class.

Teaching the classes were Tim Keo, who has been with the company since 2004, and Noelle Elise Crites, who is only in her second year with the residency program.

The full-participation classes brought Shakespeare to life in the Media Center, where the classes not only discussed the text and language, but also the movements and interaction of the characters. 

Each day involved three components: acting, discussion, theater exercises. Earlier in the week the actors performed for the students, followed by actors and students rehearsing and performing side-by-side with each other, finishing the week off with students doing the acting while the actor-teachers serve as the directors. By the end of the week, the students reading Julius Caesar and Macbeth were acting out full-on fight scenes.

“This is a great chance for the students to get out of the classroom and bring Shakespeare to life,” Halcomb said. “It’s much easier to learn and understand a play, especially Shakespeare, when you can act it out and see what’s going on.”

One of the biggest functions of the Lake County Humane Society and Adoption Center is the pet adoption. It does promote all the animals on the website, but more publicity is always welcomed.

According to the Humane Society's website “Each year, over 1,200 pets enter our care. Once we nurse them back to health and prepare them for adoption, our team works to match our pets with the home and family that best suits their needs. We want all of the abused, abandoned, neglected, and unwanted pets in our community to find the loving forever home they deserve.”

Last week Ms. Laura Tyler's Creative Writing class went to the Humane Society in Mentor to meet and interact with the animals, but then write an advertisement from the point of view of the animal. The class wrote mostly about the dogs who are available, but there were some ads for a couple of cats and even a ferret.

Once turned in, the advertisements were sent off to the Humane Society to use.