Beyond the Books - March 2025
March 11, 2025
At Cretin-Derham Hall, students have important opportunities to grow, learn and thrive both in the classroom and 'beyond the books!' In fact, 98% of students participate in one or more sports or activities.
Beyond the Books is our brag book on all of your favorite co-curriculars at CDH: athletics, activities, JROTC, Campus Ministry, and the Arts. This can also be a place for occasional school-wide athletic department updates and current news on some of our activities.
ATHLETICS | ACTIVITIES | CAMPUS MINISTRY | BAND | JROTC | THEATER
Athletics
Boys Basketball
By Tony Yazbeck, Assistant Coach
The boys basketball capped off a great regular season by defeating Forest Lake 89-52 to win their second consecutive Suburban East Conference Championship. The Raiders finished the regular season with an overall record of 25-1 and a conference record of 17-1. The Raiders have earned the #1 seed in the sectional playoffs. We defeated Stillwater 71-50 to advance to the Section 4AAAA Championship Game where we will host Tartan on March 13 at 7 pm.
Congratulations to Tommy Ahneman ’25 who became the 17th Raider to eclipse the 1,000 career points scored in our February 15th game vs. DeLaSalle. The Raiders defeated the Islanders that night 74-60 to retain the Christian Brothers Golden Basketball.
Girls Basketball
By Tara Gunderson, Head Coach
The girls basketball team has had a great season with a current record of 20-9 overall and a 12-6 record in the Suburban East Conference which earned them third place. The Raiders opened up section play as the #1 seed in Section 3AAA and defeated #8 seed Highland Park 82-14 in the quarterfinals, they defeated #4 seed South St. Paul 66-27 in the semifinals to advance to the Section 3AAA Championship game where they defeated #2 seed Two Rivers 65-53 on March 6 to send the Raiders back to the state tournament for the first time since 2018. The Raiders will open up state tournament play on March 12 at the Maturi Sports Pavilion at the University of Minnesota where we will take on Monticello at 2 pm.
Girls Golf
By Megan Fee Smith ‘00, Varsity Head Coach
The CDH Girls Golf Team will start the spring season on Tuesday, March 18 with a three-day tryout process for 18 spots on the roster: Varsity (6 golfers), JV Purple (6 golfers), JV Gold (6 golfers). Golf team captains are returning golfers Leah Neil ‘25, Ava Perry ‘25, and Delaney Schwab ‘25. Tryouts will be at Highland National and Highland 9 golf courses (9 hole rounds).
The team will practice their drives, chips, and putts with coaches to prepare for the conference matches. The first Varsity conference 18-hole match is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15 at Tanners Brook golf course in Forest Lake. The opening JV conference 9-hole match will be on Thursday, April 17 at River Oaks golf course. The girls will play conference matches at Eagle Valley, North Oaks, Troy Burne, Gross National, Midland Hills, Stillwater CC, and Oak Glen. CDH will host the JV match on Monday, April 21 at Highland 9 golf course with a 3pm shotgun start. All are welcome to come to the course and cheer for the Raider golf team!
The Varsity and JV conference schedules are posted on the CDH Girls Golf website.
Megan Fee Smith ‘00 is returning as the Varsity Head Coach. Carrie Dahl is the JV Coach and Molly Ploetz ‘17 is returning as the Assistant Coach. Go Raiders!
Boys Hockey
By Matt Funk, Head Coach
The boys’ hockey team ended a week earlier than expected with a heartbreaking 2OT loss to St.Thomas Academy 3-2. The Raiders got off to an early 1-0 lead as Nate Chorlton '26 scored a goal from the slot. STA tied it on a 5-3 power play before the end of the period. STA went up 2-1 on a short-handed tally in the second with the Raiders dominating most of the period. The Raiders carried the play for most of the third period with Sophomore Marcus Matyas scoring with 13 seconds left in the game. The Raiders carried the play in the 1st OT, but could not get one past the STA goalie. The teams traded shots in the Second OT, but the Cadets managed to get a rebound past Owen Nelson '25 with 3 minutes to play.
It ended a terrific season for the Raiders that saw them win the SEC conference for the first time in 3 years and end the season with a 23-4-1 record. Owen Nelson ’25, Jimmy Dodig ’25, Max Bennett ’25, Nate Chorlton ’26, and Max Anderson ’26 all received SEC All-Conference Honors. Veszi Lippai ’25, Phoenix Cahill ’26, Max Thompson ’27, Marcus Matyas ’27, and Jonny Bloedow '28 all received SEC All-Conference Honorable Mention.
It will be a long off-season for the Raiders, but they will have a lot to play for next year to carry on the legacy left behind by a terrific group of seniors.
We will miss Jimmy Dodig '25, Veszi Lippai '25, Owen Nelson '25, Max Bennett '25, Dawson Kloek '25, John King '25, and Jackson Werner '25 as they pursue their next steps after graduation this spring.
Wrestling
By Joe Piazza, Head Coach
For the first time in program history CDH had 4 individuals qualify for the MSHSL State Tournament. Congratulations to Mickey Piazza ’25 who qualified at 145 pounds, Isaac Henry ’26 at 172 pounds, Jaziel Enriquez Olvera '26 at 189 pounds and Henry Prestegaard ’28 at 127 pounds. This is a new high mark for CDH Wrestling as we continue to build our program.
Activities
Rugby
By James Summers ’25, Captain
This year we are launching the CDH Rugby Club, we welcome anyone who wants to participate or learn more to come on out. Practices will take place on the grass fields across the street from the school off of Albert Street. Please contact me at summers.james25@c-dh.org.
Campus Ministry
By Mark McGuire and Peter Gleich
Lent
This Lent, our community will engage in several meaningful activities:
- Dr. Bischoff will share daily reflections.
- In the Chapel, prayer boards will be available for students and community members to post petitions or prayer intentions.
- Lenten Reconciliation services will take place on March 31 and April 1.
- Archbishop will join us on April 23 to celebrate our Easter Mass.
Our Lenten theme this year is inspired by Micah 6:8:
"God has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
Junior Class Retreats
Once again, our Junior Class Retreats are coming up soon. Four Retreat options will be offered on Wednesday, April 2. This year’s options will include a “Women’s Retreat” under the direction of Ms. Lou Anne Tighe, and a “Men’s Retreat” under the direction of Mr. Mark McGuire, Mr. Peter Gleich and other men of the staff. The “Men’s Retreat” will include time at Feed My Starving Children. Dr. Claire Bischoff will be leading a “Prayer and Creativity Retreat”, and Mr. Aaron Puent will be offering a “Plurality/Interfaith” Retreat.
Each retreat will be a time for the members of the Jr. Class to begin looking at their role as the soon to be leaders/Senior Class of CDH. In particular, their role as "servant leaders" will be explored and the profound impact they can have on our CDH community by helping model and live out the prayer invocations of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Christian Brothers: “How can we fully feel and see that we are always in the Holy Presence of God by loving the Dear Neighbor without Distinction!”
A special invitation/request goes out to the fathers and guardians of our Juniors. Help is needed at Feed My Starving Children for our 12 - 1:45 pm shift in order to meet the 1:4, adult to student ratio. If interested, please contact Peter Gleich.
Sophomore Class Retreats
Take your pick, which our Sophomores did to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, as they were given the opportunity to select from and participate in one of the 10 amazing retreats on February 14. The retreat choices included: Nature, Overcoming Obstacles, Writers, Men of Service, “Leap Forward for Children,” Love in the Food, Art and Meditation, Music, STEAM, and Interfaith! The 20+ staff below planned, organized and led these wonderful retreats, our sophomores were given time to connect with one another, and with our God in important and unique ways.
A special shout out goes to: Ms. Claire Bischoff '97, Ms. Katie Meier, Mr. Aaron Puent, Ms. Erin Butler, Ms. Carolyn Osdoba, Mr. Randy Muetzel, Mr. Chad Anderson, Mr. Tommy Murray '97, Mr. Mike Steineman '92, Ms. Frances Sorenson, Mr. Michael Murray '97, Ms. Delilah Schuster, Mr. Mikhail Faulconer, Mr. Tim Teuber, Ms. Christine DeVos, Mr. Alex Nuy, Mr. Joe Kruse, Ms. Lou Anne Tighe, Br. Michael Phipps, Mr. Joe Miley '11, Mr. Jesse Cusick '98, Ms. Anne Dougherty, and Mr. Jeff Winsor.
Habitat for Humanity
Our Habitat for Humanity building days continue to to be a great source of service to our Twin Cities community. This past fall on St. Paul’s Eastside, and now this winter in Prior Lake, students and staff have helped provide families with a place to call and be home. Our CDH “Winter Warriors” as Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity has labeled all winter volunteers have been: Jamaya Anderson '26, Keyon Archer '25, Bridget Bower '26, Ava Breeden '25, Mikael Coenen '25, Garrett Poynter '25, Colin Smith '27, Xinyu Su '26, Liedea Zerihun '26, Davon Castro '25, Miley Stoeklem '27, Isaac Van Oosterom '25, Zishan Wang '26, Yolanda Xu '26, Mr. Mark McGuire, and Mr. Peter Gleich. Each has helped in the construction of safe, quality and affordable homes for families who are seeking a place to put down roots and truly call home. Our final Habitat building day of the year will be on Friday, April 4. All students age 16 and older are encouraged to consider being part of this amazing day of service! Interested students should see Mr. Gleich in Campus Ministry if you have any questions.
Wilder Foundation "Leap Forward for Children"
For more than 20+ years, CDH students and staff have been blessed with the opportunity to be of service at Wilder Foundation's “Child Development Center” in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood. Students spend the day assisting the teaching staff in their work with the 18 month old "Toddle Bears," to the 5 year old "Dolphins", as well as the 3 and 4 year old "Butterflies."
All students in all grades, especially our 9th graders, are encouraged to consider being part of this amazing day of service! Interested students should see Mr. Gleich in Campus Ministry if you have any questions.
Empty Bowls
After 23 years of "Empty Bowls," the energy and impact of our annual lunch and dinner has not diminished. Thanks to the very generous support and donations of many friends of CDH who for years have made donations of soup, bread, silent auction items, ceramic bowls and finances, we once again had a very successful early February event. Nearly 800 students and staff, parents and grandparents, and many friends of CDH gathered for a meal, but even more importantly gathered for an experience of community of those dedicated to combating hunger and starvation around the world. Together, we were able to raise over $6,000.00, all of which will again be directed to support the work of Heifer International.
We continue to be deeply grateful for the many friends of CDH who through their donations of Soups, Bread, Silent Auction items, and hundreds of handmade ceramic bowls make Empty Bowls possible each year.
A special note of thanks goes to the student leaders, Hadley Beyerlein '25, Mickey Coenen '25, MJ Dougherty '25, Mark Loeffler '25, Grace McSherry '25, Nico Cortez-Orme '26, Mary Jensen '26, Ellen Kovats '26, Olivia Laughlin '26, Alexa Wahlberg '26, Carolynn Ek '27, Lauren Fairbairn '27, Greta Johnson '27, Ellie McQuillan '27, Meghan Muckala '27 and Anna Snustad '27, who made this annual event such a positive experience for all who attended.
And to our 9th Graders... with the graduation of our amazing seniors, we are now looking for 9th graders to join "Team Empty Bowls". If this is you, please contact Mr. Gleich in Campus Ministry.
Band
By Teddy Williams, Band Director
The band had an awesome trimester two. From pep band games to SEC All Conference Music, the band has been staying very busy at CDH!
The band and choir additionally shared a very successful concert at the end of February. The concert was a "collage" concert with the theme "From Sea to Stars." Both groups performed wonderfully in addition to performances from String Ensemble, Jazz Band, and many soloist/small group performances.
Looking towards the future, trimester three will be packed! The pit orchestra is practicing for accompanying the cast in the spring musical: The Addams Family! The band will also be preparing for their final concert on May 21st. The final exciting announcement the band is looking forward to is our Performing Arts trip that will take place Spring 2026: New York City! The band, choir, and theater are very excited to be getting this travel opportunity!
JROTC
By SGM David Berrisford '81, MSG Ken Peloski, COL Scrocca, and SFC Thingvold
More than 150 cadets and their guests took part in a time honored military tradition last month as the annual JROTC Military Ball was held at TST Catering and Event Hall in Saint Paul. The cadets looked sharp in their full dress uniforms and evening gowns as they farewelled the departing seniors with a saber arch before enjoying a great meal, dancing, and building unit camaraderie and esprit-de corps. What a blast! This event keeps getting better and better and we are so proud and appreciative of how respectful and well-mannered the cadets and their guests were. We are already looking forward to next year!
Congrats to our Raider Brigade Cadets of the Month for February: Atticus Macheel ’27, Nola Turner ’27, Conner Macke ’26 and Kaylee Perla ’26. These cadets are nominated by their peers for demonstrating outstanding leadership and teamwork during Leadership Lab each week.
To close out the 2nd Trimester, 11th graders took their Junior Officer Exam. Scores were higher than usual this year! The cadets scoring over 92% will be promoted to 2nd Lieutenant and are eligible to apply for a diamond officer position next year. Congrats to all those who made the first cut. For those that did not meet the cut off, the exam will be offered again at the end of the school year.
Following Spring Break, the Raider Brigade will start preparing for its annual Army Cadet Command Inspection which will take place on March 26. The formal Army inspection and evaluation is conducted by representatives of the Army Cadet Command 3rd Brigade from Chicago and active duty Soldiers and cadets from the University of Minnesota ROTC Department. In addition to the formal inspection of the Corps of Cadets, the evaluation includes meetings with the school administration, an evaluation of JROTC and school facilities, a drill presentation, color guard presentation, knowledge examinations and cadet presentations on their Service Learning and Continuous Improvement Projects.
Congrats to our Color Guard cadets who represented the school presenting the Colors at Monster Jam and the MUFC home opener at Allianz Field last month! Great job! Later this month the Orienteering Team gets back at it on Mondays as the Spring season starts up again and Archery will move to once a week on Fridays only. Color Guard, Regulation Drill and Robotics will continue until May, but the Rifle Team will wind down its season in April.
Finally, this is the last call for permission slips for the final event of the school year – the JROTC Cadet Leadership Challenge at Camp Wilderness in Park Rapids from May 27-31. In this CDH-led event,15 Raider Brigade cadets will join approximately 50 other Army JROTC cadets from other Army JROTC programs throughout the region to participate in a host of individual leadership and team-building activities to include: rock wall climbing, rappelling, a high ropes course, archery, kayaking, and orienteering.
Theater
By Cullen Wiley '16, Theater Director
The cast and crew for Little Women worked at a remarkable pace - just four weeks of rehearsals - to create a show that really resonated with both performers and audience members. The next show will be our spring musical, The Addams Family.
Spring Musical: The Addams Family
Friday, May 2, 7pm
Saturday, May 3, 7pm
Sunday, May 4, 2pm
Friday, May 9, 7pm
Saturday, May 10, 7pm
Sunday, May 11, 2pm