The Bear Facts
May 18, 2019

Good morning! I’m Abbi Heying!

I’m Reese Rosenmeyer!

And I’m Meredith Tigges! Thanks for joining us for our final “Bear Facts” show of the year, where we’re wrapping up the school year and looking forward to summer here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

The state track meet is ending today in Des Moines, and we’re proud to say the Bears have ten entries competing at state. On the boys side senior T.J. Schnurr set a new school record and had the top qualifying distance in the state with his shot put throw of 55 feet, 4 inches. Junior Alex Mammen also qualified for state in the shot put. The boys other individual qualifier was John Meis in the 1600-meter run.

The boys also qualified three relays for state. John Capesius, Brad Capesius, Sam Vaske, and John Meis are running at state in the distance medley. The 4x400-meter will feature Brad Capesius, Tristan Furgeson, John Capesius, and John Meis. The other relay is the 4x800 with John Meis Tristan Furgeson, Brad Capesius, and Joseph Meis.

On the girls side four events qualified for state. Laurel Degen was an individual qualifier in the 400-meter dash. The shuttle hurdle relay qualified with Gracie Rosenmeyer, Reese Rosenmeyer, Laurel Degen, and Emma Grandgenett. In he 4x400 relay Laurel Degen, Katie Noonan, Maddie Meister, and Gracie Elsbecker are running at state; and the 4x800 features Katie Noonan, Emma Fohgarty, Madelyn Cink, and Maddie Meister. Congratulations, track!

Summer sports are here! The softball team starts their season Monday with a game at Webster City, and conference play begins Wednesday, when the Bears take on Forest City. As in all our girls sports, the core of this year’s softball team is juniors. Aubree Altman, Amanda Miller, Mackenzie Meister, Emma Fogarty, Madison Meister, Jordan Hansen, and Jenna Heinen will be at the center of things for the Bears this summer.

Younger players in softball include sophomores Tara Kron, Gracie Elsbecker, Bailey Meister, Ava Bartolo, and Halle Menke; as well as freshmen Emma Grandgenett, Lexi Galligan, and Ella Muller. There’s also a big group of eighth graders on the high school roster. They include Emma Bacha, Grace Winkelman, Audi Crooks, Marisa Rahe, Ava Kemna, Joey Doerning, Darius Goche, Molly Joyce, and Ashlyn Hovey. Good luck all summer, softball!

The baseball team returns most of their starters from last year. At the core of the team is four-sport stand-out Brad Capesius, plus fellow seniors Luke Bormann, John Meis, Logan Heying, and Drew Merron. The juniors in baseball are Andrew Arndorfer, Colby Graves, John Joyce, Dylan Lappe, Alex Mammen, and Marcus Plathe.

Others to look out for on the baseball team are sophomores Isaiah Byrkeland, Kyphus Goche, Joe Merron, Isaiah Plathe, Aric Laubenthal, Joseph Meis, and Joey Trainer; and freshmen Hollis Bode, Jacob Leerar, Collin Casey,and Grant Haugland. Eighth graders on the baseball team include Drew Fogarty, Cal Birkey, Nate Bronk, Drew Casey, Ryan Noonan, Nathan Merron, Matt Kollasch, Aidan Hovey, Jack Grandgenett, and Garrett Heying. Good luck, baseball!

One of the biggest events this summer will be the 60th anniversary of Bishop Garrigan High School. The main celebration will be the weekend of June 28 and 29. On Friday the 28th there will be appetizers, beverages, and music by Garrigan graduate Spenser Rahm at the K.C. Hall from 7 to 10pm. Then on Saturday there will be alumni baseball and softball games from 11 to 2, plus tours of the Garrigan building all afternoon.

There will be an all-school alumni mass on the new track at Garrigan at 4:30pm on Saturday, June 29. That will be followed by a barbeque and family-friendly carnival. There will also be an alumni quiz bowl tournament that night, honoring one of the school’s most successful activities. It should be a fun weekend, and a great way to celebrate sixty years of Garrigan.

Three weeks from now the Golden Bear quiz bowl team will be making their twentieth trip to the National Academic Championships. This year they’ll be heading to Chicago, and they’ll be gone June 7 – 11. Seniors Gabe Trainer, Sami Darling, Logan Heying, and Bryce Capesius; junior Grant Bormann; and sophomores Abbi Heying, Aric Laubenthal, and Joey Trainer will all be competing for the Bears.

The quiz bowl team will play six games against some of the toughest teams in the country. They’ll also be seeing the sights of the windy city. Many of them will go to the musical Hamilton, and some also plan to attend a baseball game. They will visit museums and see the parks on the city’s beautiful lakefront. They’ll also sample Chicago’s unique foods, and they’re planning to go to mass at Holy Name Cathedral. We know it will be a fun trip, and we wish good luck to Coach David Burrow and the Golden Bear quiz bowl team.

Since this is our last show of the year, we don’t have a Senior Spotlight or the regular weekly calendar. Some highlights coming up this summer at Garrigan include Memorial Day, when the band will be playing at the courthouse.

June 1 and 2 is the CYO baseball and softball tournament in Carroll. National quiz bowl is June 7 – 11, and Garrigan’s 60th anniversary celebration will be June 28 and 29.

Softball regionals begin on July 8, and baseball districts start July 16. Then fall sports practices start on August 12, and the first day of school is Friday, August 23.

That wraps up our 27th season of the “Bear Facts”. A big thanks to KLGA for airing the show all these years and to all the sponsors who keep it on the air. Thanks to our faculty producer David Burrow and to the twenty-eight different students who have announced throughout the year.

Thanks also to all of you who have listened each week. We’ll be off for the summer, but we hope to be back next fall with more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.