2005 - 06
Class Leaders
Student Body President: Russell Condas
Senior Class Core – President McKendree Joslyn, Stephanie Schoeck, Kaitlyn Morrissey, Alexandra Smith.
(Information not available for Junior, Sophomore and Freshmen class core representatives).
During the Summer
A four-week summer cooking class organized by Latin teacher Tim Soran was featured in a Salt Lake Tribune article. Students teased Soran about using mustard in everything. “He says it’s what separates a good cook from a great cook,” said sophomore Scott Hilton, in a black shirt splattered with yellow stains.
Seniors-to-be Rachel Saalsaa, Jane Downes, Will Leavitt and Adrienne Pincetl were the inaugural members of the Youth Empowerment Project, part of the Engage Now Foundation. It took them to Gale Adele, Ethiopia, where they helped teach the residents about sanitation, health, literacy and AIDS.
Kaitlyn Kelley, Andrew Hirning, Michael Sayre and Nathan Lowery were among Judge students who traveled to Columbia, Mo. for the 2005 National Latin Convention, a combination of academic and athletic events. Kelley finished in the top 10 in many of her 19 events, placing ninth out of 750 girls in track and swimming, and 26th among 1,700 Latin scholars. Hirning was first in the senior boys marathon and second in the senior boys 400. Lowery, a junior, took ninth in the ancient culture essay. Sayre was ninth in the graphic art category.
Brittany Hadlow, Karly Bryner and Paige Schultz represented Judge at Girls State.
Samantha Gaffney won the girls division of the Days of ‘47 10K road race. “I was pretty surprised,” she told The Tribune. “I didn’t expect to win. I didn’t know it was a big race. Someone just offered it to me.”
Five Judge graduates found themselves in the eye of the hurricane when Katrina blasted New Orleans in late August. Marco Elegante, Class of 2004, was moving into his dorm at Tulane University. “I’ll never forget it,” he told the Bulldog Press. “I was dragging my stuff into my room and the RA was just staring at me, saying ‘Didn’t you know there’s a hurricane? We’re packing up. Get a bag.’ ” He slept on a gym floor at Jackson State University for three nights. Over at Loyola University New Orleans, experiences were similar for Karen Schneider, Maddie Adams, Hannah Vickery and Leigh DiAna.
Graduates Joe Sasich, Ben Evans and John Leonard were making movies in conjunction with Spy Hop, a digital media organization in Salt Lake City.
Six students – Riley Huber, Vanessa McDonough, Dustin Matinkhah, Samantha McMillan, Madeleine Sears and Sheila Willson – accompanied medical and social caregivers to Ethiopia for two weeks as part of a humanitarian mission organized by Ascend Alliance.
Also traveling to Ethiopia, as part of the Engage Now Foundation’s Youth Empowerment Project, were seniors Jane Downes, Rachel Saalsaa, Adrienne Pincetl and Will Leavitt, and junior Ellie Cutting.
Ten students from teacher Art Holder’s classes participated in the German American Partnership Program that included a week in Berlin and side trips to the Baltic island of Ruegen and Chemnitz.
A Salt Lake Tribune article about a Utah High School Football Combine at the University of Utah focused on the college athletic aspirations of two Judge underclassmen – Tyson Moll and Jordan Weidle.
A.P. history and government teacher Peter Van Orden was busy, speaking on a panel about the future of democracy in the Middle East at Homestead Resort in Midway, teaching a course on U.S. government and Citizenship in Richfield and participating in a seminar on economic crises in Spokane, Wash.
The Year
National Merit Finalists: Katherine Cummings and Andrew Hirning
National Merit Semifinalist: Michael Whittaker
National Merit Commended Students: Andrew McMinimee, Tom Phillips-Pierce, Chris Tsoufakis and Samantha Gaffney.
The Judge Legacy Capital Campaign had raised $5.7 million of its $10 million goal and work began on campus improvements. Art instructor Tom Bettin redesigned the school’s interior and was “responsible for modernizing and softening the look of the new Judge, making this a welcoming environment where students are compelled to learn and faculty and staff are comfortable working.” The bathrooms received a long-overdue remodeling, incorporating water-conservation features and motion-sensor lights. With a $300,000 grant from the Skaggs Family Foundation for Roman Catholic & Community Charities, Judge bought new software and computers for classrooms in the main building, library and computer labs. Six classrooms got SmartBoards. After the fall sports season, construction was supposed to begin on the athletic field and new stadium complex. In November, Judge graduates Sheila, Robert and Kevin Steiner donated $250,000 to update the theology center in memory of their mother, Colleen Kearns Steiner.
Faculty: Angela Rowland became assistant principal. She had been at Judge six years, the last two as dean of students. Mattie Reed became an aide to Athletic Director Dan Del Porto and continued coaching cross country, swimming and track. Notre Dame graduate Patrick Nolan taught chemistry. Jeff Baird, Class of 2008, joined the faculty as an English teacher after years at Cosgriff Elementary School. Darin Hathaway became the head of the Drama Department, replacing Tom Delgado, after spending six years at Granite High School.
Seniors Spencer Young and Tyler Boegler and other Peer Ministers led a prayer service on Sept. 11 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C.
“Lost in Paradise” was the theme of Homecoming.
The school set up Powerschool so parents could track their student’s progress on the Internet. Some teachers had established their own Web pages that provided more details. Principal James Hamburge also recommended that students should not have jobs that require working more than 15 hours a week. “Teenagers need time to study, sleep, participate in school activities, perform chores at home and be with their friends,” he advised in the Bulldog Bulletin parent newsletter for September and October.
Cameras were installed around campus, provoking differences of opinion about the tradeoff between additional security and personal privacy.
STATE CHAMPION – Justin Bogue was editor-in-chief of the Bulldog Press, with assistant editors Patrick Harrington, Jeanette Moses, Katherine Cummings, Christina Najarro, Chris Tsoufakis, Ross Lordon and four dozen reporters and photographers. Faculty advisors were Chris Sloan and Elaine Peterson. At the end-of-year journalism festival at College of Eastern Utah, the Bulldog Press was deemed the state’s top high school newspaper. Bogue received first-place honors in news coverage and Chris Tsoufakis and John Hawkins took first for front pages and general page layout.
The Utah High School Activities Association scheduled a November hearing after Dixie High School Principal Craig Hammer complained that two ads Judge placed in The Salt Lake Tribune to promote enrollment in a “Join Our Team” campaign amounted to a “blatant violation of UHSA regulations regarding sports recruiting” and “undue influence” rules. One ad pictured students Russell Condas, Chad Meske and Michael Bennion cheering at a basketball game as part of the Sixth Man Club. The other showed three football players wheeling Michael Augustine onto the field in his wheelchair (he had cerebral palsy) as an honorary “Captain of the Day.” Replied Principal Jim Hamburge: “How on earth could a picture of three seniors wheeling a paraplegic onto a field be considered ‘undue influence?’”
Renovations began in January on the lobby and restrooms outside of the auditorium. The boys and girls locker rooms in the gym also were spruced up.
Juniors Michaela Cernakova and Annie Paul ranked sixth and tenth, respectively, in a national language competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of French.
Sophomore Patrick Fericks spent the first semester in Turuel, Spain, north of Madrid, through the American Intercultural Student Exchange program.
STATE CHAMPION – Judge dominated the state Mock Trial competition, fielding teams that finished first and third. The results could have been even better if the two squads compiled by teachers Dianna Pugh and Art Holder hadn’t been forced to compete against each other in the semifinals. The ‘B’ team prevailed, then went on to win the state championship over Layton. Kelly O’Neill and Jimin Brelsford received “Best Attorney” commendations while Alexandra Highsmith, Sierra Walton and Dane Brodke were “Best Witnesses.” In the head-to-head semifinal matchup, the judges named Mary Royal, Emily Rizzo, Kelly O’Neill and Sarah Burchett as top attorneys and Alexandra Highsmith, Sierra Walton and Alyssa Omana as most-convincing witnesses. With the victory, Judge advanced to the National Mock Trial Competition in Oklahoma City, where the team placed 22nd, the higest showing ever by a team from Utah. Royal, O’Neill and Burchett were attorneys, Walton, Highsmith and Rizzo were witnesses and Brelsford and Levaughn Wilkins acted as timekeepers.
STATE CHAMPION – The Debate Team won the state championship. Members included Paige Schultz, Andrew Abraham, George Mu and Erik Berg. Kip Sayre was the adviser. The team suffered a blow before that competition, however, with the death of Anastasia Brothers (see below), who specialized in the Congress debate style.
Judge’s Interact Club was awarded a Rotary Club charter membership from the Salt Lake Rotary Club at a downtown luncheon, the first high school group accorded that honor. Club President Sara Woltz, vice president Victoria Morales and Secretary Julie Sagers also delivered remarks to more than 200 Rotarians. As part of its membership, Judge’s club engaged in a public-service project with the First Chance Foundation to provide educational supplies to children in Sudan. Judge played host to a Sudanese dinner offering a look into the cuisine, clothing and “tastes” of the African country. In late spring, the Salt Lake Rotary Club gave a $2,000 scholarship to Victoria Morales, $1,000 to Paige Schultz and $500 to Nicole Garcia.
First Lady Mary Kaye Huntsman and renowned Utah humanitarian Pamela Atkinson were among 200 attendees at a breakfast for the Guadalupe School. They listened to speeches by Judge students Karina Arellano and Eliza Valerio, both of whom came out of the Guadalupe program. “Both girls exemplify the kind of student Judge is known to attract and not only prepare for college, but for life,” said an article in the Bulldog News newsletter.
More than 260 students in theology, English and photography classes attended an exhibition at The Leonardo of Brazilian social-justice photographer Sebastiao Salgado’s show, “Exodus.”
The Guidance Office divided students by gender for important self-awareness seminars for each group: Girls were informed about body image issues and eating disorders by Dr. Nicole Hawkins, while boys received advice about male role models and establishing respectful boundaries in relationships with women in a presentation by Marty Liccardo from Rape Recovery Center.
The Madrigal Choir and a small orchestra performed Rutter’s “Requiem” and dedicated it to Demi Candelaria and others who died during the year, including music director Ramona Mayer’s mother. The tender tribute was part of a two-night Spring Concert that featured the Jazz Band, Jazz@8, the JM Chorale, Chamber Orchestra and Concert band, with a duet, solos and a “special dance.”
Sarah Louie and Ian White were members of the Utah Youth Symphony.
“Long Time Ago … Celebrate Christmas” was the theme of the Music Department’s Christmas concert, directed by Ramona Mayer and Brian Mayeda, who also played guitar for a song by the boys in the Madrigal Choir. Fellow Madrigal Jill Weaver sang a solo, while Jamie Gardner and Ruby White performed a duet. The Chorale’s section included a flute solo by Ben Turner and a violin solo by Krista Loken. Pianist Tyler Boegler played a prelude for the Chamber Strings group. Performances by the Concert Band, Jazz Band and Jazz @ 8 rounded out the show.
Judge students joined with their counterparts from Juan Diego and St. Joseph high schools to raise nearly $20,000 for victims of the earthquake and tsunami in southeast Asia.
The Winter Dance Concert celebrated strong women, ranging from Mother Theresa to fashion designer Vera Wang. Teacher Jeanette Sawaya’s junior and senior dance students performed, while poetry written by Tim Dolan’s freshman English class was interjected into the proceedings along with pictures by student photographers. Dancers included juniors Liza Paxton and Lisa Folsom, Nicholas Cendese and Angela Banchero Kelleher, Class of 1980.
Receiving Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Awards from the University of Utah were Nicole Garcia, Lillian Rodriguez and Rosmili Villavicencio.
Tragedy struck in February when student Anastasia Brothers – known as “the beautiful girl with the smile” – was killed in a traffic accident near Magna. The 16-year-old was born in Russia but had become a citizen after emigrating to the United States with her mother, Margarita. “Anastasia was the perfect example of inner and outer beauty,” said her boyfriend, Alex Price, at a memorial in the auditorium. “The first time I saw her was in the school cafeteria. She walked through the door with her best friend, Ashley Thomas, and she had a glowing aura around her as if she was an angel. We spoke, and I was nervous because I thought she would not talk to me, but she was kind, which made her twice as beautiful.” Price was in the car with her when it rolled. He tried to resuscitate her, but was unsuccessful.
In the newspaper’s February edition, writer Jeanette Moses recounted how sports medicine team member Jake Wallin provided timely medical assistance to classmate Natalie Winn when she started having seizures at school. Ten sports medicine team members also helped the American Red Cross at the First Night celebrations on New Year’s Eve in downtown Salt Lake City. Michael McGill took care of a man who fell in the Gateway Mall food court.
One goal of Catharsis editors Christian Mogren and Sierra Walton was to get English translations of foreign poetry published in the literary magazine.
High gasoline prices – with regular hitting $3 a gallon – were putting a crimp on Judge’s budget. Principal Jim Hamburge said the school paid nearly $2,800 in September for transportation to schools in Judge’s farflung sports region. On a trip to Vernal, for instance, the cost of gas alone was $213.
Teachers Tim Dolan and Tom Bettin displayed some of their artistic creations at the Art Barn.
Senior Charlie Dwyer won the Poetry Out Loud competition, reciting “The Great Advantage of Being Alive” by e.e. cummings. He advanced to the state competition at Westminster College. Other standout performances were turned in by Annie Johns, Justin Bogue, Levaughn Wilkins, Emily Goodman and David Terrazas.
Judge’s chapter of Amnesty International worked with the organization Reaching Out Helping Hands to support people living in Mexico City’s giant slums. It also teamed up with the Multicultural Club to stage Oppression Awareness Week. In that event, students such as Nick Bailey and Chad Arthur spent a day in silence “to provide a voice to those who are oppressed and cannot speak for themselves.”
Sophomore Rebecca Bossart was president of the Art Club. Other officers were Peter Harris, Rachael Giles and Julie Sagers.
Judge Memorial operations director Jim Beisel happily accommodated a request from the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan to hold their fourth annual fund-raiser at the school.
A Bulldog Press poll found that 22% of respondents felt sexual harassment was a problem at Judge. Pet names such as “hey babe” were considered bothersome by 8% of boys and 17% of girls. Roughly 55% of girls said sexual jokes and innuendo bothered them, compared to 17% among boys and 53% among girls, but only 26% of boys felt it was offensive to slap another person on the butt. Another poll determined 29% of students had been grounded in the last month and 20% were currently grounded.
Ten Judge students joined Bishop George Niederauer in decrying the anti-Semitic desecration of a plaque the school had installed in a religious freedom shrine in Memory Grove. The plaque had a quote, “Upon his deeds not his ideas does God’s favor rest on man,” attributed to Rabbi Eric Silver, who served at Congregation Kol Ami from 1981-87. The vandals marked out “God” and “Rabbi” and scratched “Jews suck” into the plaque.
Fifteen Judge students left school during the day to march to East High School, where they joined students there to protest against a restrictive immigration bill introduced in Congress. “Everybody should be able to get an education and not allowing that is ridiculous. Everybody is here for a better life,” said senior Maggie Anderson. Added senior Karina Arellano: “I don’t agree with these immigration laws because if you think about it, everyone is an immigrant unless you are Native American and no one is forcing us to go back to where we came from.” And freshman Chelsea Kessler: “My best friend is an immigrant and this law is the stupidest thing.” The Bulldog Press noted that, dutifully, most of the Judge students participating in the protest checked out of school to do so.
A spring fundraiser generated $34,000 for the Demi Candelaria Memorial Scholarship Fund, established by her parents, Demis and Carmen, for girls who need financial assistance to play soccer or basketball. Judge parent Jackie Shifrar created a special memory-charm bracelet featuring beads of pink, Demi’s favorite color. Sales of the bracelet’s raised $1,500 for the scholarship fund.
Teacher Peter Van Orden’s annual spring trip to Washington, D.C. for a week of seminars and tours was, in the view of participant Julie Sagers, “a trip to remember.” Seeing the nation’s capital with her were Paul Fischer, Abigail Price, Melissa Park, Paul Shea, Utah Kim and Amanda Maestas.
The Salt Lake Diocese decided that tuition for the 2006-07 school year would go up by 3.5 percent.
David Romero, Erin Stringham and Andrew Hirning represented Judge in the Utah Academic Bowl, whose emcee was Jeopardy champion Ken Jennings. The event at St. Joseph High School in Ogden was organized by National Academic Quiz Tournaments, a traveling competition.
Teacher Chris Sloan’s A.P. English class turned its attention to global warming, submitting 50 ideas for ways to stem human contributions to rising temperatures on Earth. Senior Peter Millson recommended walking instead of driving. Classmate Sarah Burchett said her family lowered the heat in their home. “We just bundle up in socks and sweatshirts,” she told The Salt Lake Tribune, which did a story on the effort. Other suggestions: Switching to energy-efficient light bulbs, carpooling, replacing gas lawn mowers with electric and using your own mugs to get refills at coffee shops. “It’s great to see the kids get involved,” said Sloan, who launched the exercise because he felt global warming will be an important issue for their generation. “They really understand that little things every day can help.”
In May, teacher Ramira Alamilla and her husband, Brad Fuller, became the parents of triplets – two girls and a boy. A month later, teachers Jeremy Chatterton (and wife, Angie) and Bob Thompson (and wife, Bess Bernal Thompson) also welcomed new babies.
The final Coffee House of the year was highlighted by a performance of “Pancho and Lefty” by teachers Tim Dolan and Steve Cotterell, accompanied by student Ruby White. Other performers were Kylen Shinners, Kamauri Yeh and Brittany Hadlow, Gretchen Stevenson, Michael Whittaker, Charlie Dwyer, Ben Turner, Patrick Harrington and Rachel Wood (reading a poem about the atrocities of math class).
What teacher did the seniors have most frequently during their four years at Judge? Class of 2006 members identified Nicole Veltri as their most often seen teacher (cited by 87%), followed by Stan Finn (76%) and Ann McBroom (72%). The seniors overwhelmingly agreed that their senior years was the most enjoyable, but were split on the least enjoyable year, some saying sophomore year, others picking junior. Their favorite assembly of the year was easily by anti-bullying speaker Jodee Blanco, followed by Nancy Miller Day, which honored a former teacher who died too young from an asthma attack.
“American Icons” was the theme of the Spring Dance Concert, directed by Jeanette Sawaya, Alison Le Duc and Elaine Peterson. Student choreographers included Caitlin Walsh and Rebecca Robertson. Participants included xxx
Plays
“Chicago,” directed by Tom Delgado, musical direction by Ramona Mayer, choreography by Jeanette Sawaya and costume design by Patti Mayer. Starring Jamie Gardner, Alexandra Highsmith, Will Leavitt, Stuart Ford, Jill Weaver, Doug Clemons, Morgan O’Donnell, Sean Abel, five cell block girls, a dance chorus of 11, nine vocalists and a 13-member band. Performers included Pardis Nkoy, Aneesa Turner, Ella Sargent, Rebecca Robertson, Patrick Maguire and Austin Ryan-Mas. Nicholas Pope was “The Grand Oz.” Emily Mahaffey was stage manager.
Like “Les Miserables,” the right to put on “Chicago” required an application process that had to emphasize the capabilities of the high school. As Principal James Hamburge told Bulldog Press reporter Laura Burchett, the owners of “Chicago” were “very protective and they want it done well. Judge’s reputation of having an outstanding drama, dance and music department, along with our incredible performance of Les Mis, put us in that small group.” Off stage, religion teacher Kate Adams used the play for discussions and asked her students to focus on ethical issues raised in the play. Her colleague, Corethia Qualls, taught students about the use of irony in the play. “We should take on the challenging modern themes tastefully and with class,” Hamburge added, saying it was key to “ask the tough questions, address the tough issues and bring your value system with you.”
“The Crucible,” directed by Tom Delgado, starring Bittany Hadlow and xxx.
“And They Dance Real Slow in Jackson” was the drama department’s entry in the One-Act competition, starring Gray Aydelott, Morgan O’Donnell, Sheila Willson and Alexandra Highsmith.
Sports
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – Five cross country runners wearing Judge colors finished in the top 10 as Coach Dan Quinn’s boys team dominated the 3-A state championship. The Bulldogs compiled just 35 points when its five fastest runners finished in a pack, ending up fifth through ninth. That total left runner-up Cedar City (67) in the dust. Andrew Hirning led the Judge charge, finishing fifth, followed by fellow seniors Jason Heckle and Nick Gaitan, junior Eliel Hindert and freshman Luke Puskedra. In addition, David Romero was 27th and Peter Harris was 40th. The team also was region champion. Quinn was named Cross Country Coach of the Year in Utah as well as the six-state Western region, which included California, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico, Idaho and Utah.
STATE CHAMPION – Samantha Gaffney won her fourth consecutive individual state championship for the girls cross country team, which finished second in 3-A. Gaffney completed the 3-mile course at Sugarhouse Park in 18:58.9, 18 seconds ahead of Rosie Brennan from Park City, which won the 3-A team championship. Its runners piled up just 50 points compared to 72 for the Bulldogs. Coach Dan Quinn also received good showings from Hailey Knettles, who finished fourth, ninth-place finisher Samantha McMillan and Maggie Nichols, who placed 21st. Judge’s other runners at state were Jenna Sliwinski (37th), Cassie Wright (50th) and Lindsay Baker (62nd). Already strong with perpetual champion Gaffney, the girls were strengthened by the arrival of McMillan and Baker, both of whom moved to Utah from out-of-state. At the BYU Autumn Classic, Gaffney was the individual champion, while Judge also received strong performances from McMillan, Nichols, Knettles and Baker. The boys also placed second, led by Gaitan, Hirning, Heckle, Puskedra and Hindert.
The girls soccer team was a force once again, so much so that Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon signed a proclamation designating Aug. 29 as “Lady Bulldog Day” and noting that Judge has a “long tradition of representing the Salt Lake community with great honor and dignity.” This honor followed a July 4-8 trip to the Italy Cup International Soccer Tournament in Italy, which Judge won, defeating a club team from Chicago, 1-0. After tryouts, Coach Wayne Voorhes had fielded a team which included the 2006 team and five players who graduated in 2005. The team was honored at a Real Salt Lake game at Rice-Eccles Stadium and Voorhes displayed the championship trophy at a school assembly in early September. Co-captains Ashley May, Dani Griffin and Alex May led the 2005-06 team (although Ashley May missed most of the season with a blown-out knee, one of multiple potential starters knocked out by season-ending injuries). The Bulldogs had a good year, finishing second in region, and winning their opening game in the 3-A state tournament, 5-1 over Millard. But the Bulldogs were bounced from the playoffs by Dixie, 3-0. In his two decades as Judge’s coach, Voorhes called Griffin “one of the best goalkeepers I’ve ever had. She can read the game. She’s tough mentally. That’s crucial for a goalkeeper.”
The resurgence of the football program under Coach James Cordova was evident after a rough start. The Bulldogs started 1-5, the lone win coming in mid-September against Juan Diego (35-28) when Alex Price ran for 220 yards and Lewis Walker raced for another 119. But Judge then rallied for five straight wins, qualifying for state before dropping an opening round game to Juan Diego, 14-12. Luke Hristou developed into a running and passing threat, Dominique Parker was solid at fullback and the offensive line was praised by Cordova as “the fastest line in the state,” led by Russell Condas, Thomas Phillips-Pierce, Nick Phillips and Preston Sweeney. Cort Dennison, Jordan Weidle and Walker gave Judge a speedy corps of receivers. A few weeks after the Juan Diego game, Utah Magazine ran a cover story on the dominant play of Alex Price and his best friend since childhood, Mookie Murphy, who played for Juan Diego. The Salt Lake Tribune had an article about long snapper Kyle Leato and his fight against leukemia. The senior had to give up playing fullback and linebacker because of his treatments, but he credited football with helping him pull through. “Without football, I don’t think I would have made it. Everybody here is my second family. These guys were there through it all.”
Work began on the new football field. “Dean of Students Dan Quinn (a.k.a. Paul Bunyon) and his crew have cleared all the underbrush and trash trees from the western and southern ends of the field in preparation for site work this winter,” Principal Jim Hamburge said in the January newsletter. Added Quinn, praising the contributions of numerous volunteers: “It never ceases to amaze me how much folks are willing to do. But then again, this school and this community are things they really believe in. . . . You have more help than you can ever use to accomplish the goal at hand, because everyone knows how important it is to put as much into the school as they get out of it.” Bids were requested in January for an all-weather playing surface, new bleachers with a press box, and a concessions area.
Seniors Sarah Virden and Katie Larson, junior Julie Freed and sophomores Lauren Deane and Gabby Stepanek were key players for girls volleyball coach Taryn Horner. The team did not qualify for state.
The boys golf team finished eighth in the 3-A state tournament. Individually, sophomore Andrew Etzel placed 10th for Coach Jim Beisel’s team, posting a two-day score of 154 at Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George, 11 strokes behind Mike Jurca of Dixie. Judge had a team total of 661, 70 strokes behind champion Dixie. Other key Bulldog players were senior Andrew Masuda and juniors Scott Cummings and Daniel Robinson.
The girls tennis team tied for sixth at the 3-A state tournament after finishing second at region. Coach Lani Wilcox’s team scored six points at state. Pine View won with 16. The Bulldogs were led by seniors Amy Stevens, Caitlin Shaw and Rachel Franks, juniors Kylie West, Elisabeth Mulroy and Emily Kennedy, and sophomore Megan Mancini.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPION – Led by the indomitable Liz Caravati, the girls swimming team won another state championship, this time under first-year Coach Matt Finnigan. Caravati capped her stellar career with another run for gold, surrounded by a deep pool of teammates who won nine of 11 events to catapult the Judge girls to their fourth consecutive state title. The Bulldogs amassed 462 points, far outdistancing second place Logan’s 246. Caravati won one individual race, the 200 individual medley in 2:14.74, and added two more golds on record-setting relays – the 200 in 1:45.42 with Maggie Nichols, Alex Carter and Ashley May, and the 400 in 3:42.65 with Erika Christiansen, Kelsey Elizondo and Maggie Nichols. The medley relay team also was championship caliber, with Erika Christiansen, Alex Carter, Kelsey Elizondo and Ashley May completing the course in 1:53.35. May sprinted to two individual championships, capturing both the 50-meter race (25.39) and the 100 (55.30), while individual titles also were won by Elizondo in the butterfly (1:00.36), Nichols in the 500 freestyle (5:26.64) and Alex Carter in the breaststroke (1:09.44). In running away from the field like they did, the Bulldogs needed production from multiple swimmers and Coach Finnigan got it. Christiansen had two top four finishes, Colleen Grogan had a fourth and a sixth, top 10 placements were recorded by Melissa Nichols, Rebecca Kestle, Megan Bush and Kate McMinimee, while Kaitlyn Kelley, Jade Lubeck, Beth Peterson, Hailey Knettles, Elizabeth Holloway, Lindsay Baker, Beth Jackson and Karolina Bulaj added Top 25 finishes. The Judge diving team finished second, with Lubeck placing sixth and Elli McMillan seventh. Finnigan was named 3-A Girls Swim Coach of the Year.
STATE CHAMPION – Coach Matt Finnigan’s boys swimming team placed fourth at state, led by sophomore Andrzej Forys, who won the 200-yard individual medley (2:02.72) and the 100-yard breaststroke (1:00.63). Ned Voytovich had a pair of third-place finishes (200 freestyle and the backstroke), Chris Tsoufakis had a third in the 200 individual medley and a sixth in the butterfly and Chris Gibbs finished fifth in the 200 free and seventh in the 100 free. He was also on the medley relay team that finished second and the 400-meter relay, which placed third. In both races, his teammates were Voytovich, Forys and Tsoufakis. The Bulldogs also received Top 25 showings from Connor Scott, Sam Bowers and Eric White, with contributions from seniors Justin Gibbs, Brian Christiansen, Sam Palmer and Matt Farr and underclassmen Colin Farr, Connor McMinimee, Charlie Brennan and Tyler Firmage. The Bulldogs compiled 212 points. Logan won with 295.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – The boys basketball team gave Coach Jim Yerkovich his second state title. The Bulldogs defeated Tooele 40-29 in the finale, with guard Jaxon Myaer leading the way with a key fourth-quarter bucket after Judge had hit a scoring lull. Going into the season, Yerkovich was so impressed with Myaer’s game that he allowed him to wear the same jersey number (25) worn by past point guards named Giovacchini and Chris Jones. Still, 6-foot-8, University of Utah-bound Daniel Deane was the team’s star, dominating opponents with his strong inside play. Judge entered the tournament with a 20-1 record, the only blemish being a mid-December loss to Highland. After beating Delta 73-59 in the opener, the Bulldogs were tested mightily by Logan despite a strong performance by Deane, who scored 24 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked 11 shots – six in the first quarter alone. “Daniel’s intensity and how hard he plays is the heart of our team,” Yerkovich said. “Because of his intensity, everyone else jumps on his back and they go.” Added guard Luke Hristou: “I know if I ever get beat, he’s going to be back there and have my back.” Judge led all the way but Logan never gave up, tying the game with a pair of free throws with 8.7 seconds left in regulation, then doing it again at the end of the first overtime with a three-point field goal. But the comebacks wore out the Grizzlies and the Bulldogs jumped on them in the second overtime, running away with a 12-2 burst. “I don’t know if I have ever seen a team persevere better,” Coach Jim Yerkovich said later. “We had that game won in regulation. We had it won in overtime. Some kids would hang their heads.” Hristou and Andrew Maertens combined for 31 points on 9x14 shooting and played tough defense. “Those two seniors stood out tonight,” Yerkovich said. In the semifinals, Judge had a one-point halftime lead before outscoring Pine View 38-22 in the second half for a 63-46 triumph. Sophomore Noel Hollingsworth came off the bench to lead Judge in scoring with 14 points while Deane had 11 points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Myaer pitched in 12, Dominique Parker added eight, Maertens seven and Cort Dennison five.
The Bulldogs had their hands full in the finals with Tooele, the defending 3-A state champions whose motivation was intensified by the fact they were playing for their former coach, who had died of lung cancer earlier in the month. “Judge Memorial showed it was the only team in the state that could pull it off,” The Salt Lake Tribune reported. “No one else had the right combination of a 6-foot-8 Division 1 player, a coach with more than 500 wins and a fearless point guard.” But it didn’t come easy. Judge went cold in the fourth quarter and did not score a point for six minutes. Tooele managed to cut a 10-point deficit to four, but then the defense kicked in and kept the Buffaloes at bay. “That’s always been the heart of our program – defensive team play – and that really showed up tonight,” Yerkovich said. The drought ended when Jaxon Myaer hit a jump shot from the left wing with 1:36 remaining in the game. The bucket broke Tooele’s resolve and the Bulldogs held on to give Yerkovich his second state championship. Myaer led Judge with 14 points, Deane had nine and Hristou tossed in six. Headed for the University of Utah, Deane dominated post-season All Star honors. He was Mr. Basketball in the Deseret News and the 3-A MVP in The Salt Lake Tribune. Myaer, a junior, was also first-team in The Tribune, while seniors Hristou and Marcus Walisky earned second-team honors in The Tribune. Walisky was third team in the Deseret News.
Rounding out the state championship roster were Andrew Etzel, Maxx Freedman, Preston Sweeney and Michael Whittaker. Yerkovich’s assistants were Marty Giovacchini, Dan Del Porto, Jeff Myaer, Patrick Nolan, Tom Hicks, Jeris Oberle and Jeff Baird. The managers were Matthew Ireland, Thomas Avila and Andy Scott.
After the season, the Bulldogs made Yerkovich’s 11th visit to the prestigious Alhambra Catholic Invitational Tournament in Cumberland, Md. A month later, the school celebrated Yerkovich’s 40th year as head coach. The March 11 anniversary celebration brought together many former players, including his 1961 teammate Phil Purcell, former teammate and longtime assistant coach Sonny Tangaro (1963), Marty Giovacchini (1973), Doug Vierra (1979), Dan Quinn (1982), Dan Del Porto (1985) and Jimmy Soto (1989). Yerkovich’s daughters were there, too – Noel Ladner (1985) and Mary Chris Ledbetter (1988) – along with two legendary Utah high school coaches, Wilbur Braithwaite from Manti and Hal Hale from Jordan. The 2006 championship team was there as well. Fr. Myrt Flegge, who had taught Yerkovich at Judge, offered a prayer while the coach’s younger brother, Neil, Class of ’68, voiced a toast.
Strong defense carried the girls basketball team to a 14-8 record and a berth in the state tournament. Coach Jeremy Chatterton’s Bulldogs lost in the first round to defending state champion Carbon, 45-38. Chatterton’s top players were Tricia Ault, Allie Dixon, Gabby Zaplata and Dani Griffin. A high point of the season was a 39-37 victory over Juan Diego. Sophomore Lauren Deane grabbed an offensive rebound and made the putback with eight seconds left to lift the Bulldogs from a 37-36 deficit. Cleresa Roberts hit a free throw with 0.3 seconds left to provide the winning margin.
Under first-year Coach Don Anderson, the hockey team posted a 10-6 record, finishing fifth in a 17-team league. Mark Potvien was Judge’s leading scorer with 28 goals and six assists, followed by Corbett Berry with 17 goals and eight assists. Kiefer Smith contributed 16 points and Berry’s twin, Michael, added 10. Ben Clower and Blaine Townsend were the co-captains. Other key players were Colin Evans, Kris Kanger, Matt Newlin, David Gonzalez, Patrick Harrington, Maggie Anderson and Nate Hoffelmeyer.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONS – The girls track team took the 3-A state championship for the fourth time in five years, defeating runner-up Ogden by 15 points (92-77). Samantha McMillan led the way with three individual titles – in the 800-meter (2:17.11), 1,600-meter (5:04.54) and 3,200-meter runs (11:20.93). Mele Vaisima was a double gold medalist, winning both the discus (117’01”) and shot put (36’08.75”), while distance runner Hailey Knettles had a second and a third behind McMillan in the 1,600 and 3,200. Samantha Gaffney joined them on the podium for both the 1,600 and 3,200, races in which she finished fifth and sixth, respectively. Sixth-place points also were added by Jenna Sliwinski in the 200-meter dash. The girls also picked up valuable points for Coach Dan Quinn in the relays, finishing third in the medley, fourth in the 1,600 and fifth in the 400.
STATE CHAMPIONS – Coach Dan Quinn’s boys track team came up just short of another state title, losing out to Hurricane in the final event of the 3-A meet. Judge ended up with 80 points, Hurricane with 82. Freshman Luke Puskedra showed Utah track fans a little of what they could expect for the next three years, winning state titles in the 1,600-meter (4:24.54) and 3,200-meter runs (9:42.80). Junior Colin Boevers also captured state championships in two events – heaving the discus 174’07” and the shot put 57 feet even. Alex Price had a first and second in two hurdles events, winning the 110 high hurdles in 14.54 seconds. The Bulldogs also got points in the long jump from Lewis Walker (third) and Patrick Lundergan (fifth). The three relays all finished fifth or sixth. The medley relay cemented the outcome, with Judge finishing fifth while Hurricane won the event and enough points to go over the top.
In boys soccer, goalkeeper Aaron Rokeach was All-State in 3-A as Judge finished 7-6 under Coach Mike Gillis and lost in the first round of the state playoffs to Waterford, 3-0. The Bulldogs reached the tournament with a 2-1 victory over Pine View, the goals coming from Jason Heckle and Sam Bowers. Heckle and John Hawkins were co-captains of the squad, which also included Patrick Fericks and xxx.
Carolyn Richards returned after a year off to coach the girls softball team, which qualified for the 3-A state tournament as its region’s fourth-place team. The Bulldogs had a rough tourney, losing 12-0 to North Sanpete and 4-0 to Grantsville. Leading the squad were Jessica Hall, who was a “Prep Athlete of the Week” in The Salt Lake Tribune, Jacina Bachus, Ashton Larson, Maggie Holden, Amanda Moyes and Leigh Waring.
In its second year under Coach Debbie Robb, the boys tennis team finished fifth at the 3-A tournament with six points (Park City won with 30). None of the players advanced to the finals. Players included xxx.
After making it to the “Elite 8” the previous year in 3-A, the baseball team harbored high hopes under Coach Jeff Myaer. The Bulldogs came close, advancing to the finals of the 3-A tournament as the only undefeated team after beating No. 4-ranked Juan Diego 5-3, top-ranked Pine View 10-8, Uintah 6-5 in eight innings and Wasatch 14-3. But second-ranked Dixie came through the loser’s bracket and defeated Judge twice at Lindquist Field in Ogden, 8-3 and 10-3. Pitcher Joe Pond and infielder Chad Meske were named to the All-Tournament team. Other key players were Stephen Stahl, Matt Meranda, Tanner Preston, Kelly Garcia and Michael Bennion.
Alumnus Jennifer Williams took over as coach of the girls lacrosse team, with help from Ale Pipella. Top players included captains Rose Sloan and Elisabeth Mulroy, senior Debra Emery and Tedi Tsuruda, Rachel Franks and Amanda Commons.
Dave Allen coached the boys lacrosse team for an 11th year. His captains were seniors Chris Crellin, Eric Eidens and Kevin Lockwood. Players included Chad Arthur, Charlie Dwyer, Alex Knuth, Chris Shifrar and Sean Strickland.
Gymnast Megan Donehue received a scholarship offer from Brigham Young University despite having injured her knee the previous year – and accepted. “Granted, I went to Catholic schools, but I have grown up around Mormons all my life. I have close relatives on my mother’s side who are Mormons,” she told the Intermountain Catholic. “My family and I are members of St. Olaf’s Parish in Bountiful, and we have never had a bad experience in our neighborhood.”
Jesslyn Abt was captain of a Utah Crew team that included several Judge students and that raced against teams from California and Arizona in Marina Del Ray, Calif. The varsity Women’s 8 boat took first place, while the novice Women’s 8 and the varsity boy’s boat came in third.
Members of the Sixth Man Club included Josh Archuleta, Chad Meske, Mike Bennion and Will Leavitt.
Graduation
201 graduates on May 28 at Abravanel Hall.
Valedictorian: Christopher Tsoufakis
Salutatorian: Elizabeth Caravati
Highest 4-year GPAs: Elizabeth Caravati and Christopher Tsoufakis
Highest Senior GPA: Katherine Cummings
Gold honor cords reflecting cumulative GPAs of 3.5 or better were worn by 64 graduates. Collectively, the class received $6.4 million in scholarship offers. Its members completed 9,262 hours of Christian service in their senior years, 22,582 hours over their four-year stays. Of the graduates, 126 were headed to college in Utah, 18 to California, 10 to Oregon, 7 to New York, 4 to Washington and Montana and 3 to Colorado and Missouri. Canada, Germany and Lebanon also were destinations. Tsoufakis was named a Micron Science and Technology Scholar, good for a “hefty scholarship” to attend Stanford University; Judge also received $1,000 because of his selection.
Christ the King Award winners: Victoria Morales and Matthew Ireland.
First Honors for achievement in A.P. and Honors courses: Christopher Tsoufakis, Elizabeth Caravati, John Hawkins, Katherine Cummings, Samantha Gaffney, Nicholas Frappier, Felicia Orlando, Victoria Ragsdale, Paige Snow and Jacina Bachus.
Outstanding Activities Involvement Award: Ella Sargent and Paul Shea
Senior Scholar/Activities Award: Christopher Crellin and Jamie Gardner
Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Athletics Award: Kassandra Wright, Patrick Harrington, Lisa Folsom, Christopher Tsoufakis
Outstanding Scholar Athlete: Elizabeth Caravati, Samantha Gaffney, Christopher Tsoufakis
Outstanding Female Athlete: Elizabeth Caravati
Outstanding Male Athlete: Daniel Deane
Moran Award for leadership and character in football: Russell Condas
Yerkovich Award for commitment to “We” in basketball: Daniel Deane and Marcus Walisky
Champion of Youth Award: Eric Walisky
Awards for A.P. Calculus and Mathematics: Gregory Klekas; A.P. Biology: John Hawkins; Honors Physics: Andrew Hirning; A.P. Chemistry: David Romero; Psychology: Stephanie Slater; Computer Science (animation): Christopher Farnsworth; Computer Science (digital media): Rachel Pigott; Computer Science (web design): Christopher Farnsworth.
English: Christopher Crellin; A.P. Literature: Elizabeth Caravati; A.P. Language: Ella Sargent; Economics: David Romero; A.P. Government and Politics: Christopher Tsoufakis; American Government: Katherine Cummings; Journalism (Bulldog Press): Justin Bogue; Journalism (Yearbook): Giulia Longo; Journalism (Literary Magazine): Christian Mogren. German: Sierra Walton; French: Katherine Cummings; Spanish: Scott Herron; Latin: Andrew Hirning.
A.P. Art: Jacina Bachus; Art (ceramics): Kevin Lockwood; Dance: Ella Sargent, Katerina Zlochevsky; A.P. Music: Benjamin Turner; Music (instrumental): Benjamin Turner; Drama: Brittany Hadlow and William Leavitt; Drama (technical): Ross Lordon; Debate: Paige Schultz. Theology: Nicholas Frappier, Kelly O’Neill, Ella Sargent; Christian Service: William Leavitt and Paige Schultz; Peer Ministry: Sean Beplate and Victoria Ragsdale. PE/Health: Chad Meske and Samantha Gaffney.
Alumni
Erin Barra, Class of 2003, a student at the Berkelee College of Music in Boston, wrote a song with a classmate that was performed in collaboration with Grammy Award-winning singer Kathy Mattea. At Judge, Barra participated in instrumental music and jazz band and played the keyboards for the 2002 showing of Les Miserables; Lisa Petersen, Class of 1986, started Stepping Stones International with her husband Styn Jamu, aimed at helping orphans in Botswana; Leo Walz, Robert Sullivan and Gil Cordova, all members of the Class of 1956, spearheaded an effort to obtain a fountain for the Joe and Rhea Grose Reflection Garden, next to the gym, dedicated in honor of Fr. James Kenny, a former principal, and longtime secretary Helen Eugster; Lisa Nowak, daughter of Alfredo Caputo, Class of 1954, was a mission specialist astronaut on the Discovery Space Shuttle; Nick Francone, Class of 1995, was a set designer on Broadway. His credits include “Wicked,” “All My Sons” and “Fatwa.”
