Beyond the Books - November 2024
November 13, 2024
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 | BAND | CHOIR | JROTC | THEATER
Athletics
A Letter from Matt Funk, CDH Athletic Director
It has been a fun fall at CDH that continues into the Winter season. We will be announcing our Fall Athletic award winners in December Beyond the Books.
We had two teams qualify for the State tournament with Girls Volleyball and Football. Girls Volleyball came into section play rated as the 3rd seed. They beat the 6th seed Roosevelt in 3 sets, beat the #2 seed South St. Paul in 3 sets, and then beat the #1 seed Visitation 3-1 on Halloween to advance to their first state tournament in 13 years. Head coach Erin Horn has led the resurgence on the court with a combination of great senior leadership and young talent. The Raiders are led by seniors Bridget Kimlinger, Mary Strommen, Grace Nickel, and Sydney Elliott. Captains are Strommen, Elliott, and junior Megan Buri. The Raiders received the #6 seed and will face #3 seed Stewartville on Wednesday, November 6th at 7:00PM at the Xcel Energy Center.
Football had a great end of the season with a 5-game winning streak including section wins over Mathomedi (40-7) and Tartan (28-14) to return to the State Tournament for the first time since 2017. Coach Walsh’s team prides themselves on a balanced offensive attack with a stout defense. The Raiders are led by senior captains Jadyn Harris, John Mooney, Keyon Archer, Jeremiah Thom, James Summers, and Geno Bieter. The Raiders received the #4 seed in the South and will face the #1 seed Owatonna on Saturday, November 9th at 1:00PM at Eastview in the State Quarterfinals.
We started five new clubs this year so far with the addition of Knots for Nights, Investment Club, Rugby, Psychology Club and PickleBall. The energy has been high for these clubs and we are enthused by the crowds that have shown for the kick-offs of these clubs. On Nov 6 we had our Fall Choir Concert at CDH and we are excited for the launch of our Winter Kids Show of Frozen, Jr coming very soon.
It truly has been a great fall to be a Raider!
Coach Funk
Alpine Ski
By Carrie Freitag, Head Coach
Are you looking for a winter sport? Do You Like to Ski? Would you like to improve your skiing ability and take it to a new and exciting level?
ALPINE SKI TEAM WANTS YOU!!!
The CDH Alpine Ski team is open to all athletes with very basic skiing skills. We have the environment and coaching staff to expand your skills and ease you into ski racing. Every year we have athletes who have limited ski experience, and no race experience, join the team. CDH Alpine is open to both boys and girls in the CDH family.
There is still time to sign up for the team!
For more information, contact Head Coach Carrie Freitag or our Captains: Maeve Zilka ’26, Lydia Rosso ’26, Alex Gagnon ’25 or Jake Haider ’25.
Boys Basketball
By Tony Yazbeck, Assistant Coach
The boys basketball season will begin on November 18 with tryouts for all levels. Ninth Grade tryouts will take place from 3 - 5pm and tryouts for the varsity, junior varsity and B-Squad will take place from 5 - 8pm. Tryouts will conclude on November 20. All participants must be registered and have a current physical on file to start the tryout process. You can register here.
We will also hold our annual pre-season jamboree on November 23. Teams participating include defending state champions Minnetonka and Totino Grace as well as DeLaSalle, St. Paul Johnson, Osseo, Mound Westonka, Minneapolis South, Minneapolis Washburn, Waconia, Minnehaha Academy and Columbia Heights.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, January 25 as the boys and girls basketball programs will partner up to hold the inaugural "Collision at Cretin-Derham Hall." This event will host a total of 7 varsity boys and girls games in the Joe Mauer Field House. The schedule is as follows:
10 am - Minneapolis Washburn vs. Apple Valley (Boys)
11:30 am - Wayzata vs. Lakeville North (Girls)
1:15 pm - Rosemount vs. Minnetonka (Girls)
2:45 pm - Breck vs. Minnetonka (Boys)
4:30 pm - Farmington vs. Park Center (Boys)
6 pm - Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Park Center (Girls)
7:30 pm - Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Edina (Boys)
Cross Country
By Chris Babcock, Head Coach
Cross Country wrapped up its fall 2024 season with the Section 4AAA race at Highland Park Golf Course. Athletes toed the line to see if they could make it to the State Meet and/or set a new personal record. Caleb Fanning ’28 led the boys' team followed closely by Connor Sondag ’25 and Mateo Chevrier ’28 rounding out the Raider runners. Sondag had a big improvement over last season, running over 1:40 faster this year over last year on the same course. Fanning and Chevrier raced well and will continue to improve as they mature into the sport.
In the girls race we had four runners looking for improvement and a chance to return to the State Meet. Lucy Keating ’26 and Katie Nobrega ’27 rounded out the Raider group and were led by Abby Chestovich ’26 and Elisa Nobrega ’28. Elisa Nobrega ran the second position for the Raiders and set a new personal record. Chestovich made a great effort and saw an over 40 second improvement in her 5K time at this race. She finished as the eighth individual after the athletes from the first and second place teams were taken out of the standings to determine individual state meet qualifiers. This put her just outside the qualification mark of top 6 individuals.
It is never too late or too early to start thinking about cross country or track and field. Cross country athletes and track and field athletes not participating in a winter sport will be starting their training soon. Ask Mr. Babcock for more information about what you can do to get ready for the Spring.
Football
By Steve Walsh '85, Head Coach
The Varsity football team earned their first trip back to state since 2017 with a 28-14 victory over Tartan in the Sectional Championship. In the state tournament, we took on #1 ranked Owatonna and lost a heartbreaker 22-21 in OT.
The Raiders stingy defense was led by LBs Merritt Flynn '25 and Jaydn Harris '25, the All-District Defensive MVP. RBs JaDale Thompson '26 and Tommy Sticha '25 have helped the Raiders average 255 yards per game on the ground over the last 6 games of the season.
The offensive line, led by captains, Jeremiah Thom ’25 and Geno Bieter ’25 have overpowered their opponents and created holes for the backs.
The passing game has added explosive plays from QB Izaak Johnson '26 to WR Monteff Dixon '25 and TEs Brady Stoeklen '25 and Isiah Thom '26. The Sectional Championship was one more positive step for the program as it continues to improve.
Boys Hockey
By Matt Funk, Head Coach
It has been an exciting off-season for the Raider Boys hockey team. We had 8 players represent CDH in the elite league this fall. Veszi Lippai ’25, Jimmy Dodig ’25, Max Bennett ’25, Owen Nelson ’25,Max Anderson ’26, Nate Chorlton ’26, Phoenix Cahill ’26, and Maverick Timmons ’26 all played in the Elite League. Chorlton finished 2nd in the league in scoring, Bennett finished in 6th place in scoring, and Nelson led the league in all major goaltending statistics. Anderson and Timmons’ team won the league playoff title and Dodig, Chorlton, and Bennett were all selected to the league all-star team that won the National Invitational Tournament at the year's end.
Central Scouting also released their preseason watch list for the upcoming NHL draft and Anderson and Dodig were both listed as draft prospects for next year’s draft.
Finally, we have had 4 Raiders commit to Division 1 schools to play college hockey on this year’s roster. Jimmy Dodig ’25 committed to Merrimack College last winter, Max Anderson ’26 committed to Miami (Ohio) University and Phoenix Cahill ’26 and Nate Chorlton ’26 committed to Colorado College. This brings the number to 12 for Raiders committing to Division 1 colleges in the last 6 years.
The season gets underway with tryouts on 11/11 and the season opener will be on 11/29, 7 pm against Hermantown at Hermantown Arena. The Raiders look to “fourpeat” as Section 3AA champs and return to the Xcel Energy Center for the State Tournament in March.
Alumni be on the lookout for more details on our Alumni Game on 12/22 at 12:10 pm at Highland Arena.
Boys Swim and Dive
By Mitchell Reynolds, Head Coach
Boys Swim and Dive is looking forward to a fun 2024-2025 season leading off with practice on December 2 and our first meet, the SEC Relays, on December 12. As the hard work gets underway, we are happy to be led by three outstanding Senior Captains: Jack Kirchberg '25, John Kovats '25, and Isaac Van Oosterom '25.
Girls Swim and Dive
By Lisa Thomas, Head Coach
After fantastic swims at the JV Conference meet, lights out time drops and achievements at the sections prelims and finals, our Raiders Swim and Dive team raced and dove their way to the state meet! We couldn’t be more proud of this team! With state qualifying times in the 200 freestyle, 200m Individual medley, 50 free, and 100 free, 100 back and 200 and 400 free relays! Our swim qualifiers were Sara Lindner ’25, Maeve Johnston ’25, Eden Kelly ’25, Cora Moore ’27, Ellen Kovats ’26, & Josie Johnson ’26. Our divers Emma Donnelly ’25 and Lauren O'Donnell ’26 have qualified for diving by placing 2nd and 4th in our section championships! Raiders are ready and excited for the challenge of the state meet! From August 12 to the present these girls have trained morning and night to build up speed and endurance to compete at the highest level in the state. We wish them well and couldn’t be more proud!
Activities
Ultimate Frisbee
By Charlie Enders, Head Coach
Ultimate Frisbee will begin practices in January. Look for announcements and practice times when we return from the holiday break.
Trap and Skeet Team
By Jason Naber, Coach
We wrapped up the 2024 Fall Clay Target Season last week. Overall, our team did very well, and we will go into the spring season with a nice group of kids. Tim Mohrland ’26 led our trap squad with the highest average, and three 25-straights! This is quite exceptional. Tim should receive a third-place trap medal for males in the conference. Olivia Kline ’26 had a good trap season as well and should receive a second-place medal for females in trap.
Jazz Band and String Ensemble
By Teddy Williams, Moderator
The Jazz Band and String Ensemble are busy preparing for their upcoming concert! The fall concert is November 13, 7 pm in the Lillian Theater.
Additionally, both clubs will be performing music for the Christmas concert on December 17. This concert will also be at 7 pm in the Lillian Theater. These groups are very excited to get a chance to show off all their hard work!
Psychology Club
By Tiffany Rosen, Moderator
CDH’s student-led Psychology Club meets biweekly and provides a space for students to explore topics they find fascinating. At the last meeting, held on Halloween, students discussed phobias—a timely topic for the spooky season. They opened up about their own fears, sharing personal stories that ranged from a fear of spiders to social anxieties. By sharing these vulnerable experiences in a supportive atmosphere, students engaged in authentic conversations with their peers, building a sense of connection and community through empathy and shared understanding. Looking ahead, we’re excited to broaden our insights into psychology, and ourselves, by exploring topics that captivate students and fuel their curiosity to learn.
Intramural Basketball League
By Tommy Murray, Moderator
Join the Intramural Basketball League! Gather your friends, come up with a creative team name, and design your own uniforms if you’d like. Registration is simple—complete the sign-up handout and pay through the CDH Sports Engine app. The deadline to register your team is December 3, and league play tips off on December 15. All students are welcome to join! If you don’t have a team, don’t worry—we’ll help place you on a team. Depending on interest, we plan to organize separate leagues for 9th/10th grade, 11th/12th grade, and a women’s league. Last year's Champions, the Staff team The Fossils, are looking forward to competing again this year with new players joining each week. Get ready for some friendly competition and sign up today! See Mr Kline or Mr Murray with questions or registration forms.
Band
By Teddy Williams, Band Director
Concert Band, Jazz Band and String Ensemble are busy preparing for their upcoming concert! The fall concert is November 13, 7 pm in the Lillian Theater.
Additionally, all these groups will be performing music for the Christmas concert on December 17. This concert will also be at 7 pm in the Lillian Theater and will be combined with the choir. These groups are very excited to get a chance to show off all their hard work!
Choir
By Delilah Schuster, Choir Director
The CDH Concert Choir gave a beautiful fall concert last week, singing songs surrounding themes of love and unity in a variety of styles. In addition to the curricular ensemble, several students who have been rehearsing outside of school joined in order to fill the stage with a range of voice types, including a new batch of tenor & bass voices! Purple Reign A Cappella also gave their first performance of the year.
With the first concert under our belt, the singers of Cretin-Derham Hall are already preparing for our Christmas performances. Make sure to save these dates:
- Monday, December 9, 6:30 pm: Christmas Dinner & Cabaret Fundraiser - tickets available soon!
- Tuesday, December 17, 7 pm: Band & Choir Christmas Concert
JROTC
By SGM David Berrisford '81, MSG Ken Peloski, COL Scrocca, and SFC Thingvold
On October 27, the CDH Orienteering Team competed in its first major competition of the fall season at Lake Maria State Park in Monticello. Congratulations to Joe Massari ’27, Ryan O’Connell ’27, Joseph Bartels ’27 and Mark Loeffler ’25 for all finishing in the top five places of their respective classes. Congrats as well to Noah Gomez ’25, Mostyn Guyott ’25 and Edmond Kirby ’25 for finishing in the top 10. In honor of Veterans Day, the team closed out the fall season on November 11 at French Regional Park in Plymouth.
On November 5, cadets Greta Johnson ’27, Colin Smith ’27, Asger Smestad ’26 and Haydee Walz ’26 were named the CDH Raider Brigade October 2024 Cadets of the Month for each of their respective Battalions. The cadets stood out amongst their peers and were recognized for excellence, superb leadership and service during Leadership Labs and other events in October. Congratulations to these outstanding cadets!
On November 6 and 7, the Raider Brigade Knowledge Bowl team made up of cadets Bridget Bower ’26, Olivia Laughlin ’26, Luke Hilger ’26, Haydee Walz ’26, Darby Peterson ’26, Katherine Campbell ’26, Lucy Keating ’26 and Mackenzie Steineman ’26 competed in the annual JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl. They did an outstanding job in this extremely challenging event with the goal of qualifying for the regional and then national finals. Their next competition will be representing the CDH Raider Brigade at the Upper Midwest JROTC Challenge hosted here at CDH in early February.
On November 11, members of the CDH Raider Brigade supported the first Cretin-Derham Hall Veterans Day Flag Raising Ceremony hosted by the Alumni Association and CDH Advancement Office to honor the hundreds of alumni, staff and faculty who have served their nation as members of the armed forces.
The CDH JROTC Color Guard has been serving at several CDH boys and girls athletic events this month as well as for a Veterans Day event in Cottage Grove. Later this month the CDH JROTC Air Rifle Team will be competing in the JROTC Regional Air Rifle Qualifiers.
On November 18, the Raider Brigade Archery Team will begin its Winter season. Interested cadets must attend a mandatory safety training session from 7-8 in the Griep Family Gymnasium. No previous experience is necessary.
As we move into the 2nd Trimester, the Brigade will begin to prepare for its annual Junior Achievement Service Learning Project to be conducted on December 19. As part of the program, in teams of about five cadets each, the entire Corps of Cadets will go to four local elementary schools to teach Kindergarten through 5th Grade students for the day. During the preparation for and execution of the event, cadets have the opportunity to put much of what they learn in class and leadership lab into action as they plan and organize for the project; develop lesson plans; serve as group leaders, managers, supervisors and followers; conduct rehearsals; and have the opportunity to stand up and speak in front of others. Most of all though, they serve as role models and inspiration for other young people in our city as they demonstrate CDH and Army Values at work. The cadets are super excited for this annual event and we can’t wait to see them in action!
Theater
By Cullen Wiley '16, Theater Director
CDH's production of Frozen Jr. is rapidly approaching! With 50 students involved in the cast and crew, we are looking forward to sharing our production with the CDH community! Many students are responsible for designing the costumes, props, lights, sound, set, and everything in between to make this show possible! Join us for a show full of magic and wonder this December 6-15.