2006 - 07
Class Leaders
Student Body Officers - President: Mele Vaisima; Vice President: Kamauri Yeh; Secretary Hilary Barrett.
Senior Class Core – Robert Webber, Alexandra Highsmith, Andrew Scott, Emily Rizzo, Brendan Garlinghouse.
Junior Class Core – Lieren Stuivenvolt Allen, Pardis Nkoy, Devon Schlotterbeck, Peter Bryner, Christopher Gibbs.
Sophomore Class Core – Ian Condas, Vince Conti, Chau Nguyen, Matt Gray, Court Zollinger.
Freshman Class Core – President Trey Kennedy, Cricket Oles, Teresa Pond, Laura Horton.
During the Summer
Tom Delgado left Judge after 14 years when he was accepted into the Technical Design and Production Department in the Yale University School of Drama. Said Principal Jim Hamburge: “Mr. D’s work with “Les Miserables,” “The Laramie Project,” “Chicago” and countless other productions will echo forever in the auditorium and in our hearts and minds.” Delgado said his studies at Yale should open many doors to him. “I love theatre. I just want to go as far as I can, experience it at all levels.”
Two other veteran teachers departed during the summer: Calli Short, who taught English for 15 years and helped with the student council, and Ruby Boehly, the librarian for six years.
In its summer exhibit, the Phillips Gallery included several paintings and prints by art teacher Tom Bettin.
Boys basketball coach Jim Yerkovich was honored as “Sports Professional of the Year” by the Utah Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
At a “Heritage Luncheon” during Reunion Weekend, graduates celebrating at least 50 years since their time at Judge pledged to raise more than $50,000 in the names of Fr. James Kenny, their former principal, and Helen Eugster, who spent decades in the library and front office.
English teacher Linda Simpson received the “Educator of Excellence” award from Writers @ Work at its annual conference at Westminster College.
In its seventh season, the Judge Summer Theatre presented “Jungle Book.” Students from the fourth through 12th grade performed for drama director Tom Delgado, music instructor Ramona Mayer and choreographer Jeanette Sawaya.
Seniors-to-be Andrew Scott and Brendan Garlinghouse made a 750-mile drive to Globe, Ariz. to distribute school supplies collected from Judge students to students living on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. They learned of the need for binders, notebooks, pens and other classroom staples from Judge bookstore employee Florence Holtshouser. Her daughter, Ruth, was a Judge alumnus who became a nun with the Sisters of the Holy Cross and had worked on the reservation for 13 years. Scott and Garlinghouse also sealed and primed windows on the reservation school and cleaned up garbage during their eight-day trip. “The service was amazing,” Scott said, incorporating “many Apache customs and symbolic actions. Eagle feathers and drumming made the Mass completely unique and very interesting.” Added Garlinghouse: “I learned that providing just a little help means a lot to people.”
For that work, the Salt Lake City Exchange Club named Scott its male “Youth of the Month” in January, 2007. Samantha McMillan was the female “Youth of the Month” for the two-week service mission she made the previous summer to Ethiopia, interacting with local children at a medical clinic. “It’s important to be slow to judge, and remember that everyone is fighting their own secret battles,” she said. Added Scott: “To actively facilitate hope and peace is an obligation.” The Exchange Club later named Scott its male “Youth of the Year.”
Abby Nelson went to Peru with YouthLINC, where she helped build a “much-needed warehouse.”
The Year
The first person of Polynesian ancestry to lead the Judge student body, Mele Vaisima had been president of both the sophomore and junior classes and was on the basketball and track teams. “Leadership is being a good role model by doing the right thing and knowing right from wrong,” she told the Intermountain Catholic. “It is helping students meet their own personal expectations and needs.” Vaisimi also was the unofficial track team mother. “When I was a sophomore, we started the tradition of having a senior leader hold a baton as a spirit stick, and pass it down to a junior when she graduates. The mother leads her team, cheers them on and holds them together. Right now, I have the baton and the team is my pride and joy.” She also sang in the Tongan Choir at St. Patrick’s Parish.
Only three quarters of the bleachers were in place the night of Sept. 29. But that was okay. After years of delays, the Judge football field was ready for action. The debut had been scheduled for Aug. 21, but true to form, last-minute problems pushed that goal back – a broken water main, hidden springs, a sagging foundation all had to be overcome. Temporary bleachers helped. Students sat on the hill north of the field. VIPs were seated in the stands. All listened as Principal Jim Hamburge thanks the many donors, particularly the McCarthey family, and the crowd cheered when four skydivers landed on the field just before the McCartheys threw out the ball to Jared Finn, family patriarch Kearns McCarthey’s godson and a Bulldog player. The team made it a successful debut, thumping Union 24-6.
Judge’s student-recruitment pitch noted that while average Utah scores on the SAT had gone down 17 points in the past decade, Judge’s scores had gone up 32 points on the test’s verbal portion, 22 points in math. National gains in those two areas were just nine points and 14 points, respectively.
Putting out the Bulldog Press newspaper were Jackie Kranski, Jess Csanky, Megan Mancini, Patrick Thompson, Luigi Lollini, Katie Harrington, Dane Brodke, Lieren Stuivenvolt Allen, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Christina Niemann, Marshon Carr, Maria Schwarz, Megan Bush, William Tempfer, Jack Oles, Erich Berckman, Tyler Firmage, Julie Sagers, Carolina Garcia, Annie Paul, Silvia Garcia, Nicole Paul and Sarah Louie. The moderator was Chris Sloan.
“Tradition of Spirit” was the theme of Homecoming.
The editors of the Yearbook were Alexandra Reimer and Claire Gartrell. Their staff included Alyssa Omana, Alex Banicki, Kelsey Elizondo, Anissa Berriochoa, Courtney Beck, Lindsay Baker, Jackie Kranski, Rebecca Bossart, Michael Berry, Alexandra Graves, Adam Gartrell, Lindsay Larson, Michaela Valdez, Peter Bryner, Sarah Fitzpatrick, Morgan Rockwell and Teresa Highsmith.
The Cheer Squad included senior captain Shaantai Leary, Calle Perkins, Abigail Price, Erin O’Brien, Monica Rushton, Stephanie Stone, Natasha Boudreaux, Annie Zumpano, Stephanie Loveall, Alexa Dinger, Kristi Brown, Makyla Grovenburg, Jenny Dabrowski, Christina Niemann, Libby O’Reilly, Bianca Rushton, Brie Marron, Bridget Fey and Katherine Sienko. They were coached by Natosha Washington and Nicholas Cendese.
Peer Ministers Spencer Young and Tyler Boegler spearheaded an outdoor prayer service as part of “Habits of the Heart,” an early-October event in which 50 humanitarian organizations came to Judge seeking volunteers for Christian Service projects.
Sophomore Jimin Brelsford won the 2006 Western States Championship in the junior category at the Old Time Fiddling Competition. He also won the Twin Falls Championship in the all-age category.
For their Christian Service hours, juniors Kaitlyn Kelley, Jacob Guss, Becky Jackson and Marissa Siegrist were pictured working at the Castle of Chaos, an interactive haunted house whose proceeds went to the Intermountain Burn Camp for Kids. Also volunteering at the Castle of Chaos were Makyla Grovenburg, Andraya Nelson, Claire Lordon and Ryan Perrine.
Concerned about global warming, Bulldog Press writers Megan Bush and Tyler Firmage explored things students could do to protect the planet and examined the high price of gasoline.
Members of Amnesty International included Alex Guinney, Erin McKennon, Devon Schlotterbeck, Natalie Przybus, Bailey Toolson, Riley Nelson, Passion Garcia, Vanessa Montoya, Lagi Netzler.
After a slew of shootings nationwide, a Bulldog Press poll showed 96% of respondents felt safe at school although 13% reported feeling bullied and 30% admitted to bullying others. Two-thirds said school violence had increased over the past five years.
Ramona Mayer conducted the Judge Orchestra, whose members included Trisha Randazzo, Nick Warner, Bobby Brennan, Jimin Brelsford, Maddie Rice, Joe Gibbs, Natalie Warner, Katie McMahon, Maria Rechsteiner and Claire Hollingsworth.
The Judge community helped welcome new Bishop John Wester, 56, to Salt Lake City with a public reception March 14 at the downtown Marriott Hotel. He was appointed in January to replace George Niederauer, who had overseen the diocese and its 200,000 Catholics before being named the eighth Archbishop of San Francisco. “We welcome you to our community under the mighty peaks of the Wasatch,” said a newspaper ad signed by Colleen Grogan and Kelsey Elizondo, both Class of 2007. “With a rich tapestry of ethnic groups emerging throughout our ever-growing Catholic community, it is essential we have the spiritual guidance for our community to stay connected.”
The Jazz Band featured Ken Stephenson, Jimin Brelsford, Sam Watson, Alex Benjamin, Chris Sayre, Andrew Arredondo, Patrick Maguire, Karen Pachucki, Michael Sayre, Austin Ryan-Mas, Brian Mayeda, Sam Struthers and Simone Longo.
Diocesan archivist Gary Topping compiled a book, “If I Get Out Alive,” from the World War II letters and diaries of William H. McDougall, a 1927 Judge graduate who became a reporter for United Press International, was captured by the Japanese off of Indonesia in 1942 and spent three years as a POW. After being rescued and returning to the United States, he wrote a book about his experiences, “Six Bells Off Java” and became a priest in 1952. He was named rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in 1960, remaining there until retiring in 1981. Msgr. McDougall died in 1988.
Making up the Concert Band were Sam Watson, Michael Sayre, Nick Shifrar, Leigh Maguire, Simone Longo, Julia Hicks, Pat Maguire, Julie Sagers, Bobby Brennan, Susie Bonn, Chris Sayre, Kelsey Pudlock, Phillip Pendergast, John Humiston, Pat Thompson, Thomas Hanlon, Karen Pachucki, John Foye, Duncan Gillis, Sean McCoy, Ken Stephenson, David May, Seunghyun Ko, Austin Ryan-Mas, Sean Struthers, Brian Mayeda, Jimin Brelsford, Alex Benjamin and Andrew Arredondo.
An Alumni-Faculty Reunion, with a spaghetti dinner catered by Tony Caputo’s Market & Deli, involved nearly two dozen current faculty members: Aphrodite Angelides, Bernadette Bell, Tom Bettin, Kate Bills, Jerry Burchett, Pat Clark, Steve Cotterell, Tim Dolan, Patricia Green, Wayne Hentschel, Bob Jackson, Fr. Jim McHugh, Jeanette Sawaya, Kip Sayre, Linda Simpson, Chris Sloan, Dan Quinn, Gabrielle Thomas and Peter Van Order (PVO).
Members of the Judge Choir were Eric Boscan, Riley Nelson, Doug Clemons, Veronica Perez, Josh Whitaker, Tyler Boegler, Eric White, Kelsey Pudlock, Bianca Rushton, Beth Peterson, Hillary Whitt, Gray Aydelott, Ryan O’Reilly, Jenny Brown, Tedi Tsuruda, Elizabeth Holloway, Aneesa Turner, Caitlin Stetner and Kamauri Yeh. Ramona Mayer was their conductor.
Stylized black-and-white photographs of Salt Lake City Cemetery by senior Michael Berry were part of a joint effort by Judge and Juan Diego in “Sensing Our History: Landscape and Literature.” Maria Jose Rivera and Nicole Griffin contributed poems to the project, organized by Judge English teacher Linda Simpson and former Judge student and school president, Fr. John Norman, then at Juan Diego. Tim Dolan’s photography class also participated.
Emily Mahaffey and Colin Durst were editors of the Literary Magazine, which received a ranking of “Excellent” from the National Council of Teachers of English; 453 schools were entered in the competition. This was the 13th year in a row that Catharsis had received an “Excellent” rating or higher. The staff included Jackie Graham, Kelly Schraegle, Stuart Ford, Peter Harris, Thomas Luchs, Annie Johns, Devon Schlotterbeck, Erin McKennon, Jamie Pisciotta, Elise Burger, Emily Mahaffey, Garrett Wright, Melissa Anderson, Roseann Glade, Nicole Paul, Elizabeth Eshleman, Eric Boscan, Shaantai Leary, Passion Garcia, Alexandra Graves and Rachel Haisley. Their work was directed by Linda Simpson.
The Peer Ministers were Isaiah Wright, Margo Fery, Robert Webber, Jordan Weidle, Andrew Scott, Mele Vaisima, Tyler Boegler, Stewart Allen, David Andrews, Doug Clemons, Eric Boscan, Kylie West, Alexandra Highsmith, Audrey Schreck, Laura Burchett, Brendan Garlinghouse, Andrew Warlaumont, Julie Sagers, Colleen Grogan, Emily Rizzo, Kelsey Elizondo, Annie Paul, Elise Burger, Kamauri Yeh, Elizabeth Eshleman and Katie Barrows. The moderator was Cate Adams.
Rev. France Davis, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, challenged Judge students to read every book in the school library to emulate Martin Luther King, Jr., who read every book he could get his hands on. “You can go places by reading books that you will never go to in terms of your physical life. Books are the way to prepare yourself to be the best you can be,” Davis said at a Martin Luther King Day event in the Judge auditorium. The school presented an award to Rosa Key, a native of Memphis who moved to Salt Lake in 1965, and became a community organizer. She founded the African American Catholics of Utah and served on the Catholic Community Services board.
An “Oppression Awareness Week” and the “Dia de la Raza” assembly were organized by the Multicultural Club, which consisted of Maria Espinoza, Verena Takai, Maile Fhoko, Lagi Netzler, Xochitl Juarez, Rosa Espinoza, Danielle Valdez, Laveni Uluakiola, Mele Vaisima, Maloi Vaisima and Melissa Stark.
The 29 seniors in Bob Jackson’s Diversity and Social Justice class collected 37,000 pounds of food that was donated to Crossroads Urban Center.
The Debate Team included George Mu, Erik Berg, Stephanie Lewis, Marshon Carr, Rachel Haisley, Eleanor Miller, Michael Stebner, Sean Sullivan, Ryan O’Reilly, Nicholas McDonald, Alex Banicki, Craig Domeier, Jordan Dowd, Ashley Bassett, Scott Hilton, Paul Fischer, Matt Henry, Doug Bergquist, Christian Cecena, Desiree Candelario, Austin Damery, David Kaiss, Dmitri Doyle, Sarah Louie, Chau Nguyen, Maria Rivera, Jeremy Goldberg, Cricket Oles and Will Whitt. The moderator was Chris Sayre.
Organizing the 25th annual Gala at the Downtown Marriott were Jenny Price, Todd Jensen, Annjanine Etzel, Marnie Leary, Nancy May, Charlie Rockwell, Rosemary Avila, Scott and Stacey McQuarrie, Roni O’Callaghan, Marge McCoy and Suzanne Paxton.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP – Judge’s Mock Trial team won the state championship for the third year in a row, qualifying to compete in the national tournament in Dallas. Faculty advisor Dianna Pugh’s courtroom team included senior captains Emily Rizzo and Laura Burchett, Jimin Brelsford, Nikki Worth, Paul Fischer and Abby Nelson. The team beat a “formidable” squad from Mountain View High School.
In March, the Salt Lake Diocese honored Principal James Hamburge as its outstanding administrator and gave Msgr. Terrence Fitzgerald its Christ the Teacher Award. Among a dozen elementary school educators feted at an event were two St. Vincent’s teachers with ties to Judge: Robyn Klonizos Giovacchini, Class of 1973, and Rhea Hristou, mother of a 2005 graduate.
Overseen by Ann McBroom, the Environmental Club included Sam Welch, Alexis Naylor, Jacquelynn Pok, Kylynn Parker, Marquel Reddish, Teresa Highsmith, Hailey Baldwin, Rachel Palmer, Annie Laurel Weist, Erin Sullivan, Amber Anderson, Christina Moser, Adam Chacon, James Anderson, Lilly Cecena, Lisa Netzel, Kelly Schraegle, Samuel Taylor, Corbett Berry and Kelsey Pudlock.
An Intermountain Catholic article about the April mass shooting that claimed 33 lives at Virginia Tech focused on the reaction of Judge teacher Cate Adams and her husband, Dan, who met and married at the school in Blacksburg, Va.
Spring Break trips saw music director Ramona Mayer take 40 students to Hawaii on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship that included a “slew of energetic performances” onboard. Tim Soran led 68 students, faculty and parents on a tour of Italy and Greece, logging 20,000 miles without anyone getting “lost, seriously hurt or egregiously violating school rules.”
Citing family responsibilities in his home state of Minnesota, Principal Jim Hamburge resigned in May after five years at the helm at Judge. “I don’t want to leave, but I can’t stay,” said Hamburge, who became principal at Holy Family High School in suburban Minneapolis. His wife, Sue, also resigned her teaching position at J. E. Cosgriff Elementary. “Judge Memorial has been the greatest experience,” he added. “My only regrets are that I didn’t come earlier and I’m not staying later. The loyalty of the students and their parents to Judge Memorial is phenomenal . . . Alumni go back three, four, five generations in this community, and the Catholic community here really values the connectedness and the history here.” A farewell reception was held Sept. 13, 2007 in the tower at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Tom Bettin’s visual art students included seniors Erika Samlowski, Erica Houck, Colleen Grogan, Kathryn Hicks, Emily Rizzo and Vanessa McDonough. His ceramicists included Jeremy Price, Kandi Velarde, Demetri Coombs, Michael Bobbe, Justin Pok, Rachel Haisley and Katie Bradbury.
Photography students of Tim Dolan included Kelly Schraegle and Jenna Cummings.
“Moments” was the theme of the Spring Dance Concert, which featured 20 dances choreographed by students, faculty and guests, among them future teacher Nathan Shaw. Student choreographers and dancers included Caitlin Walsh, Aneesa Turner, Gray Aydelott, Tatiana Mixco, Andrea Canzonetti, Nicole Paul, Kathryn Hicks, Makyla Grovenburg, Shaantai Leary, Alexa Dinger, Jess Csanky, Jasmine Martinez, Nadine Russell, Ellie Cutting and Rebecca Robertson. The artistic directors were Jeanette Sawaya, Alison Le Duc and Elaine Peterson, with first-year teacher Darin Hathaway serving as technical director. A special treat was the return of Tom Delgado as guest lighting director. He had to receive permission to take time off from his master’s studies at the Yale School of Drama to return to Salt Lake for the show – and battled snowstorms and airport congestion to make the trip with his wife, Darla.
Plays
“Dead Man Walking,” directed by Darin Hathaway. Emily Mahaffey was stage manager. Starring Alexandra Highsmith, Chris Voss, Gray Aydelott, Doug Clemons, Maria Kontgis, Pat Thompson and Stuart Ford.
The play was based on a book by Helen Prejean, a Sister of St. Joseph, whose description of her first-hand encounter with capital punishment became a 1996 movie in which Susan Sarandon won an Academy Award for her portrayal of Prejean. The nun spoke at a Judge assembly several months before the play was performed, addressing many students who had read her book in Chris Sloan’s English classes. A Bulldog Press poll showed 56% of students opposed the death penalty and 27% supported it. Three of 20 Peer Ministers supported the death penalty but all agreed it did not prevent crime.
“Kiss Me Kate,” directed by Darin Hathaway, starring Jill Weaver, Pardis Nkoy, Alexandra Highsmith, Rebecca Robertson, Doug Clemons, Thomas Tsuruda, Gray Aydelott, Chris Voss, Josh Whitaker, Brendan Schnopp, Jackie Graham, Aneesa Turner, Annie Johns, Riley Nelson, Thomas Luchs, Levaughn Wilkins, Stuart Ford, Tyler Boegler, Sean Abel, Eric Boscan, Leah Huff, Nikki Worth, Veronica Perez, Lauren Anderson, Sean Sweeney, Lieren Stuivenvolt Allen and Chloe Crellin. The technical crew included Tory Wojtasek, Erik Yamashiro and Sam Arriola.
Sports
After “incredible progress” during the summer, McCarthey Stadium was dedicated Sept. 29, 2006 before the Homecoming game against Union. The following May, it was formally named in honor of the Catholic family that owned The Salt Lake Tribune and supported Judge many times over the years, including a $2.5 million donation from the Jane F. McCarthey Foundation. The “Field of Dreams” ribbon-cutting ceremony involved Sarah McCarthey and Mary Shubach McCarthey, sky divers landing on the Sportexe synthetic playing surface and fans packing the stands, lining the sidelines and filling in behind the end zones. Coach James Cordova’s Bulldogs made the celebration complete with a 24-7 victory, led by quarterback Jaxon Myaer’s two touchdown runs, including a 75-yard jaunt on a fourth-quarter option that sewed it all up. Running backs Robbie Webber and Dominique Parker had big games, as did Stephen Stahl, Cort Dennison, Tyson Moll and Mike Lyons. Dom Lewis, Webber, Dennison and Myaer were co-captains of the team, which defeated Hurricane in the opening round of the 3-A playoffs, the first Judge home playoff game in three years.
The playoff run didn’t last long, however. In the quarterfinals, the Bulldogs gave eventual state champion Bear River its toughest playoff game before falling, 20-14. Still, Judge posted a 9-3 record, the most wins since 1983. Dominique Parker had a 1,000-yard rushing season and was headed to Snow College. Dom Lewis was destined for Mesa College in Grand Junction and Ezekiel Bryant signed with William and Mary. Cort Dennison, who had 23.5 sacks and 1,000 receiving yards, signed a letter of intent to play at Washington, a decision noteworthy enough that The Salt Lake Tribune published a picture of the signing and carried a story about how he was not recruited heavily by Utah or BYU. His reaction: “I wouldn’t want to be any place other than Washington. I’m going from playing against Uintah to playing against USC.”
STATE CHAMPION – Senior Samantha McMillan won the girls cross country state championship, the fifth year in a row that a Bulldog took the title, leading Coach Mattie Reed’s rebuilding team to third in 3-A. McMillan mastered the course in 18 minutes, 18.7 seconds, nearly 40 seconds ahead of the second-place runner from Ogden. Junior Hailey Knettles was third and junior Lindsay Baker was eighth. Also scoring for Judge were Jenna Sliwinski (40th), senior Katie Barrows (48th), Emma Welch (58th) and Hillary Stilling (69th). The Bulldogs finished with 100 points. Park City won with 42. Rounding out the squad were senior Elizabeth Eshleman, Kate McMinimee, Melissa Nichols, Lizzie Hindert, Stephanie Klebba, Maria Schwarz and freshman Jessica Gaffney.
STATE CHAMPION – Junior Luke Puskedra made it an all-Judge championship by dominating the boys cross country race. He completed the 3-mile course in 15:43.9, eclipsing his runner-up by 42 seconds. The Bulldogs finished third in 3-A for Coach Mattie Reed, compiling 91 points. Cedar won with 48. Puskedra received support from seniors Eliel Hindert (10th at state), Peter Harris (13th) and Isaac Winter, freshmen Max Lamb (33rd), Parker Mildenhall (38th) and Ian Larson, and sophomores Chris Sayre (41st), John Foye, Wyn Barnett, Frank Barrows and Alex Matinkhah.
STATE CHAMPION – After recovering from a broken arm, freshman Mikelle Mancini won the No. 3 singles title at the 3-A state tournament, beating Park City’s Annika Karlsen. Mancini’s older sister, Megan, finished third at No. 2 singles for Coach Lani Wilcox, whose seasoned squad finished tied for fourth at the 3-A state meet. The Bulldogs finished with nine points. Pine View won with 19. The team also featured Ellie Cutting, Emily Kennedy, Elisabeth Mulroy, Kylie West, Avery Noorda, Elisa Schvaneveldt and Beth Peterson.
The sterling reputation of the girls soccer program resulted in Coach Wayne Voorhes’s team being invited to play Wasatch High School in a mid-September game at Rice-Eccles Stadium before a Real Salt Lake match against FC Dallas. Injuries beset the team in what turned out to be the last of Voorhes’s 19 years at the helm, during which he won two state titles, finished second twice and captured 10 region titles, not losing a region game from 1999 to 2004. “Each year was a new challenge and a different experience – trying to put all the pieces together,” he told Bulldog Press reporter Ryan Gillis. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely. I’ve had many wins, but also losses – both of them stick with you. I’m certainly going to miss it, but I think it’s the right choice.” He also coached the boys soccer team from 1997-2000. In his final girls season, 11 seniors helped carry the Bulldogs to an 11-4-1 record despite injuries to key players Marquel Reddish, Alex May, Jenna Sliwinski and goalie Katie Bradbury. The final loss was especially tough – a 1-0 double overtime loss to Snow Canyon in the 3-A state quarterfinals. The team was led by Kelsey O’Callaghan, Caitlin Walsh, Kathryn Hicks, Alyssa Omana, Erika Samlowski, Elise Burger, Anna McGee, Abby Nelson, Elli McMillan, Carly Bartel, Tess Burick, Emma Burick, Meggie Egan, Kiersten Berg and Kamauri Yeh.
Coached by Jim Beisel and Wayne Fischer, the boys golf team took second in region and finished seventh in the 3-A state tournament at Birch Creek Golf Course in Smithfield. The Bulldogs shot a team total of 658. Dixie won the team title with a score of 589. Sophomore Andrew Etzel and senior co-captain Scott Cummings were the team’s low scorers, with Etzel finishing second at region and Cummings fifth. The squad also included co-captain Daniel Robinson, Daniel Deisley, Paul Fruin, Thomas Avila, Johnny Murphy, Craig Chiesa, Steve Coleman and freshmen Collin Murphy and Michael Hanover.
Senior Julie Freed had 18 kills in her final game to cap a solid career with the girls volleyball team, coached by Taryn Horner.The Bulldogs fell short of qualifying for the 3-A state tournament. Joining Freed in the lineup were Tina Fakahafua, Maggie Holden, Kim Troy, Vanessa McDonough, Alexandra Reimer, Teresa Highsmith, Micaela Lawless, Madeleine Sears, Michaela Valdez and Kallie McKown.
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONS – Before the 100-yard breaststroke finals at the 3-A State Swimming Meet, junior Alex Carter and her freshman twin sisters, Kenzie and Carolyn, promised each other “one, two and three.” They delivered before 1,200 fans at the BYU Natatorium. The state record holder in breaststroke since her freshman year, Alex sprinted to the title in 1:08.71, followed 3.5 seconds back by Kenzie, who observed “hopefully, we can do it again. Maybe next time, it’ll be in a different order.” Carolyn Carter was third. Coach Matt Finnigan and his staff had known the sweep was possible going into state but didn’t want to say anything out loud, The Tribune reported. The story also noted that when Judge students returned to school the Monday after the event, they were greeted by the loud and recognizable voice of Principal Jim Hamburge announcing the title and adding “history was made in the breaststroke. Judge! Judge! Judge! Carter! Carter! Carter!’”
The Carters weren’t alone in leading the girls swimming team to a fifth straight 3-A state crown, although Alex did swim a leg on two state championship relay teams – the 200 medley relay with Rebecca Kestle, Kelsey Elizondo and Colleen Grogan (1:57.32), and the 400 freestyle relay with Grogan, Kate McMinimee and Elizondo (3:45.66). In that relay, Elizondo started her leg in third place before blitzing the field to win the race by more than two seconds. Alex Carter also finished third in the 500 free, the event most dominated by Judge with four of the top seven swimmers – Carter, Grogan (fourth), Victoria Luman (sixth) and Megan Bush (seventh). Elizondo was the leader of a Judge pack in the 100 butterfly, where she finished second, McMinimee third, Bush fifth and Jade Lubeck ninth. Elizondo also was second in the 200 free, followed by Grogan (fifth) and Garam Kim (sixth). Kim’s stellar meet also included a second in the 100 free, with McMinimee fourth and Kaitlyn Kelley fifth. In the 200 individual medley, Melissa Nichols was third, Kenzie Carter fourth, Kestle sixth and Lubeck ninth. Kestle added a fifth in the backstroke and Kelley did the same in the 50 free, where Carolyn Carter and Beth Peterson added points. Toss in Becky Jackson’s points in the 200 free and a second-place finish by the 200 freestyle relay team (Kelley, Carolyn Carter, Kenzie Carter and Kim) and it added up to the most points ever scored by a 3-A team in the state meet (470); Park City was second, a distant 344. Points were scored by 15 different Bulldog swimmers. Finnigan was “Coach of the Year.” He grew up swimming at the Santa Clara Swim Club, whose alumni include seven-time Olympic gold medalist Mark Spitz (1972).
Coach Matt Finnigan’s boys swimming team only had eight swimmers, but four of them were freshmen who qualified for the 3-A state meet, boosting future prospects. The team leader was junior Chris Gibbs, who finished third in the 100 freestyle, fourth in the 200 and anchored the fifth-place finish by the 400 relay team with Oliver Diamond, Will Bowers and junior Eric White, who also was seventh in the 500 and 14th in the 200. Diamond, one of the talented freshmen along with Willis Schafer and Will Voytovich, finished 10th in the 200 individual medley.
The boys basketball team posted a 19-2 record and finished third in the 3-A state tournament. Coach Jim Yerkovich’s squad beat Canyon View 68-62 in the first round and followed that up with a 67-37 thrashing of Logan before falling 53-43 to Pine View, the eventual state champs. The Bulldogs bounced back to take third place, whipping Bear River 77-64. The team was led by seniors Jaxon Myaer, Dominique Parker and Cort Dennison and junior big man Noel Hollingsworth. Myaer made The Tribune’s All-State team, scoring 18.4 points and dishing out 6.5 assists per game. Senior Maxx Freedman, Xan Ricketts and Andrew Etzel also saw considerable playing time. The National Federation of State High School Associations named Yerkovich its 2006 “Coach of the Year” for the region including Utah, California, Arizona, Hawaii and Nevada.
The girls basketball team won the region championship but lost to Dixie 41-35 in the first round of the 3-A playoffs. A season highlight involved a pair of wins against previously unbeaten Morgan in which Assistant Coach Pete Hristou filled in for Coach Jeremy Chatterton, who was suspended after picking up a pair of technical fouls in an earlier game. A three-pointer from the corner by senior captain Cleresa Roberts with 18 seconds left secured one of the wins after freshmen Mikelle Mancini and Erica Martinez hit three pointers to tie the score. Tina Fakahafua’s strong play inside against Morgan earned her female “Player of the Week” honors from The Tribune. Seniors Margo Fery and Kim Troy and underclasswomen Ilaisaane Loamanu, Corinne Davies and Jenna Sliwinski also were key players. Parent Penny Davies had wristbands made bearing the name of Demi Candelaria, the Judge player who died of meningitis in 2003.
Sophomore Mark Potvien returned as the leading scorer on the hockey team, whose lineup also included freshman Shawn Benvegnu, Kris Kanger, Carlos Espinoza, goalie David Mursener-Gonzales, Sean Abel, Corbett Berry, Kiefer Smith and Aaron Faulkner. Backup goalie Hilary Barrett started in the nets for Olympus against Judge when the Titans showed up without a goalie. The yearbook noted that hockey “is the only coed team at Judge and although it is a tough full-contact sport, the girls on the team show just as much tenacity and skill on the ice as any other player.”
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP, CHAMPIONS – Coach Dan Quinn got his second double championship as track and field coach. Both his girls and boys track teams won the 3-A title in the same year. For the girls, it was their second in a row, fourth in five years (they’d win again the next year, too). For the boys, it came a year after prospects for three titles in a row came up barely short. “This was the best team effort in my career,” said Quinn, “and I have been the coach for 12 years.”
Senior Samantha McMillan won three individual titles for the girls, setting state records in the 1,600-meter run (4:56.84) and the 800 (2:12.02) while also winning the 3,200 (10:56.43). Mele Vaisima nearly matched her in the field events, taking state titles and setting school records in the discus (123 feet, 4 inches) and shot put (44 feet, 11.25 inches). Nadine Russell finished second in the shot put and Alexa Dinger was third in discus. Elli McMillan recorded three personal bests, her top finishes being a fifth in the 110 hurdles and a sixth in the long jump. Hailey Knettles contributed key points with thirds in the 800 and 1,600 and a fourth in the 3,200, while junior Jenna Sliwinski broke the school record in the 300 hurdles and placed sixth in the 200. The outcome was secured when the medley relay team won its race in 4:07.91. The team also featured Kamauri Yeh, Elise Burger, Katie Barrows, Audrey Schreck, Erika Samlowski, Emma Burick, Tess Burick and Trisha Randazzo.
For the boys, senior Colin Boevers and junior Luke Puskedra both took two individual state titles, and each set a new state record in one – Puskedra in the 3,200-meter run (9:04.63), Boevers in the shot put (65 feet, 4.75 inches). Boevers broke his own state record set in mid-season and also was the record holder in the discus, which he won at the state meet with a throw of 188 feet 4 inches. Puskedra added to his point total with a first in the 1,600 meters (4:13.44) and a fifth in the 800. Sprinter Jordan Weidle was first in the 100-yard dash (11.09 seconds) and second in the 200, Jared Finn was fourth in the 400 and Dominique Parker was fifth in the 110 hurdles. Lewis Walker placed second in the long jump, with Patrick Lundergan sixth. And Sean Sellwood added valuable points with a second in the shot, third in the high jump and sixth in the discus. Also competing for Judge were Robby Webber, Isaiah Wright, John Foye, Peter Bryner, John Emery, Dom Lewis and Isaac Winter.
Samantha McMillan won the 1,600-meter race at the Simplot Games in Pocatello, then ran two seconds faster at the Nike Indoor Nationals in Maryland, establishing herself as one of the top five runners at that distance in the country. By year’s end, she was ranked first nationally in the indoor mile and fifth outdoors. The Simplot Games also established Puskedra as one of the nation’s top long-distance runners, first at 1,600 meters and third at 3,200. Coach Quinn had him working hard on improving in the 400 and 800 so he had more bursts of speed.
All-State goalkeeper Aaron Rokeach returned in the nets for the boys soccer team, which fell short of qualifying for the 3-A state tournament. Coach Mike Gillis also depended on Charlie Brennan, Matt Jimenez, Tyler Firmage, Michael Yeh, Jake Troy, Sam Taylor, Matt Dever, Greg Dean, Alex Bennion, Patrick Fericks, Kelly Gee, Thomas Curtin, Johnny Murphy, Dominic Cerutti, Luke Richards, David Terrazas, Talley Carlston, Zan Barnett, Nick Shifrar, Alex Bennion, Michael Bobbe, Anthony Bell, Tim Benvegnu, Mason Hickman, Erich Berckman, Will Bowers, Graham Beckstead, Arash Bakhshandehpour, Alex Matinkhah, Jake Troy, John Foye, Chris Sayre and Ryan Gillis.
Despite a sore arm, Maggie Holden emerged as one of the top girls’ fastpitch softball pitchers in the state. She once struck out 18 East batters, one shy of the state record for Ks in a seven-inning game. She helped lead the Bulldogs to the 3-A state tournament, where they dropped games to runner-up Hurricane and North Sanpete. Holden was a co-captain along with Lindsay Hedderman and Amanda Moyes. Other key players for Coaches Carolyn Richards and Ron Hill were Alison Brann, Rachel Coffey, Teresa Pond, Ashley Azarow, Michaela Valdez, Chase McQuarrie, Madison Hodges, Stephanie Avila, Lindsay Larson, Michelle McKenzie, Kayla Larrabee, Cleresa Roberts and Vanessa Montoya.
Behind junior pitcher Joe Pond, the baseball team won the region title and made a strong run in the 3-A tournament before settling for third place. The Bulldogs opened with a 9-0 whitewash of Hurricane and a victory over Emery before losing a 2-1 heartbreaker to Dixie. Judge stayed alive in the loser’s bracket through two rounds, beating Juan Diego 9-5 and Emery 18-8 before being knocked out 6-4 by Snow Canyon, which then beat Dixie twice for the state title. Pond made the All-Tournament Team. Sophomore pitcher A.J. Carman also was dominating as Coach Jeff Myaer’s team posted a 23-5 record. Juniors Matt Thorne and Tyson Moll had batting averages above .500 in the tournament. The team’s only seniors were Stephen Stahl and Jaxon Myaer. First team All-State honors went to Pond, Carman and Moll. Myaer and sophomore Keenyn Walker were second team. Rounding out the squad were Court Zollinger, Stallon Saldivar, Chris Pell, Chase Jones, Fernando Pasillas, Michael Loveland, Vince Conti, Christian McMullin, Gordon Warlaumont, Matt Walje, Dominick Mirabelli and Carlos Esparza Jr.
The boys lacrosse team made it to the state finals with a 13-1 record, but Coach Dave Allen’s team lost 9-6 to Alta after knocking off powerhouse Waterford 8-6 in the semifinals. Kyle Brennan had 24 goals and 21 assists for the Bulldogs, making the All-State team, while Stewart Allen and Joe MacPherson also spearheaded the Judge attack. Key players were Matt Duke-Rosati, Jack Lund, Zach Gosselin, Ian Olson, Mike Lyons, Joe MacPherson, Alex Kaschmitter, Pat Grogan, Thomas Avila, John Emery, Willis Schafer, Kyle Brennan, Patrick Hagan, Patrick Teynor, Anthony Duke-Rosati, Stewart Allen, Andy Scott, Brendan Garlinghouse, Chris Teynor, Ian Jacobson and Tyson Rose. Ed Scott was Allen’s assistant coach.
Tedi Tsuruda and Elisabeth Mulroy were co-captains of the girls lacrosse team, which included Sheila Willson, Kirstin Williams, Jade Lubeck, Marissa Siegrist, Lilly Cecena, Elle McFarlane, Ahra Ko, Elizabeth Eshleman, Lexi Stuivenvolt Allen, Erika Strehl, Emma Welch and Chelsea Farrell.
The boys tennis team placed sixth at the state 3-A meet, scoring six points. Logan won with 26. Coach Lani Wilcox’s squad included Dan McCoy, Michael Pappas, Matt Henry, Noel Hollingsworth, Trey Kennedy, Dustin Matinkhah, Conor Hegewald, Keegan Reedy, David May, Will Abby, Patrick Keahey, Lucien Taillac, Sean McCoy, Andrew Lam and Simone Longo. The team’s assistant coach was Hank Kennedy.
Graduation
194 graduates on May 27 at Abravanel Hall.
Valedictorian: Scott Cummings
Co-Salutatorians: Tyler Boegler and Elisabeth Mulroy
Highest 4-year GPAs: Scott Cummings, Tyler Boegler, Elisabeth Mulroy
Higher Senior GPA: Elisabeth Mulroy
Class members chose Christopher Milne to offer the senior reflection at Baccalaureate. The class graduated with 23,345 hours of Christian services during their four-year tenure, breaking a record set a year earlier; 53 nonprofit organizations benefited.
Christ the King Awards: Mele Vaisima and Tyler Boegler
First Honors, for achievement in A.P. and Honors courses: David Andrews, Tyler Boegler, Elise Burger, Scott Cummings, Daniel Deisley, Nathan Moseley, Peter Millson, Elisabeth Mulroy, Erika Samlowski, Madeleine Sears, Robert Webber, Kylie West.
Outstanding Activities Involvement Award: Eric Boscan and Kamauri Yeh
Senior Scholar/Activities Award: Alexandra Highsmith, Tyler Boegler
Achievement in Arts and Athletics Award: Kylie West and Shaantai Leary
Outstanding Scholar Athlete: Robert Webber and Samantha McMillan
Outstanding Female Athlete: Samantha McMillan
Outstanding Male Athlete: Jaxon Myaer
Moran Award for leadership and character in football: Cort Dennison
Yerkovich Award for commitment to “WE” in basketball: Jaxon Myaer
Champion of Youth Award: Jim Hamburge
Academic Awards – A.P. Literature: Michael Bobbe; English: Kylie West; A.P. Language: Abigail Price; Latin: Lauren Louie; Spanish: Abigail Price; French: Elisabeth Mulroy; German: Lauren Anderson. Theology: Tory Wojtasek, John Hunter Virden; Peer Ministry: Julie Sagers, Spencer Young; Christian Service: Tory Wojtasek, Andrew Scott.
A.P. Calculus: Tyler Boegler, Colleen Grogan; A.P. Biology: Elise Burger; Physics: Tyler Boegler; Computer Science (Animation): Daniel Deisley and William Tempfer; Computer Science (Information Technology): Erik Berg; Psychology: Claire Gartrell; P.E./Health: Mele Vaisima and Shane Walker.
A.P. Art: Rebecca Bossart; Art (Ceramics): Michael Bobbe; Dance: Caitlin Walsh; A.P. Music (Theory): Tyler Boegler; Music (Vocal): Kamauri Yeh; Music (Instrumental): Patrick Maguire and Austin Ryan-Mas; Drama: Doug Clemons and Alexandra Highsmith; Drama (Technical): Tory Wojtasek.
Economics: Scott Cummings; A.P. Government and Politics: Paul Fischer; American Government: Elisabeth Mulroy; Debate: Erik Berg; Journalism (Bulldog Press): Annie Paul; Journalism (Yearbook): Isaac Winter; Journalism (Literary Magazine): Peter Harris. Psychology: Claire Gartrell.
Alumni
Jesse Stuart and Liz Lockette from the Class of 1984 teamed with Dan Beck from the Class of 1985 to create a permanent scholarship endowment fund.
In 2021, CNN Business ran a feature story on Whitney Wolfe Herd (Class of 2007), who was taking her female-centered dating app Bumble public – and became a billionaire overnight. Wolfe Herd started Bumble in 2014 after she had worked for the dating service Tinder. Her app banned gun photos, lewd images and body shaming. Wolfe Herd also advocated for a Texas law outlawing digital sexual harassment. In a 2021 profile in Judge Connections magazine, Wolfe Herd praised her days at Judge. “It was small enough that it felt like you could build quality relationships, but it was big enough that diverse enough that I felt I was exposed to a lot of walks of life. ... It was really informative to me and really taught me the power of treating everybody the same.” She particularly enjoyed her classes with teachers Nicole Veltri, Tim Dolan, Chris Sloan and Tom Bettin.
