New Mural Celebrates Athletic Success

December 16, 2020

The new Athletic Wall of Excellence at Cretin-Derham Hall was officially unveiled last week outside the entrance to the Joe Mauer Field House.

The wall features photos of CDH’s athletic successes and will serve as the cornerstone of the enhanced CDH Athletic Hall of Fame that is planned to debut in 2021. 

"After the 2001 athletic facilities additions, the walking traffic and entrance to events in the field house really changed," said Athletic Director Phil Archer '99. "The athletic wing was basically tucked away so no one really walked by our trophy cases or got a chance to see any of the awards earned by our student-athletes unless they went out of their way to go see it near the Auxiliary Gym.

"With the addition of the new Lentsch Forum, we wanted to create something more modern that would catch people's attention whenever they walked into the building, and also easier to maintain and update over time."

After getting design proposals from several vendors, the school selected KJ Branding, which specializes in creating athletic murals. "We wanted a WOW factor and they delivered," said Archer. "The mural on the wall allows us to showcase former players, coaches, and teams. We are very excited that we have created a platform to tell the rich story of Cretin-Derham Hall Athletics."