The Bear Facts
April 25, 2026

Good morning! I’m Aidan Deitering!

I’m Nathan Leerar!

And I’m Lucy Eisenbarth! Thanks for joining us for the “Bear Facts”, the radio show where we keep you up to date on all the news at Bishop Garrigan High School.

Last fall Garrigan began our new athletic hall of fame, where we honor the most outstanding athletes and teams in school history. Nominations for the second hall of fame class were taken over the winter, and this past weekend the new honorees were announced. They include the 1985 Golden Bear football team, the first Bishop Garrigan football team to win the state championship. The Bears were in Class 2-A in 1985. After going 4 – 3 the previous year, the ’85 team finished with a 10 – 1 overall record and the state championship.

Joining the team in the hall of fame is Coach Larry Weir, who led the Golden Bear football team from 1981 until Coach Marty Wadle took over in 1992. Also being honored is Garrigan’s first football coach Beanie Cooper. Another inductee is runner Chuck Cassel, whose 4:18 mile record from 1971 still stands 55 years later. The final honoree is Katie Vaske Vaughn, a ’97 graduate who holds the career kills and blocks records in volleyball as well as the single-game steals record in girls basketball. Congratulations to the second class in the Golden Bear hall of fame!

Last week fourteen Garrigan students displayed their work at the annual Stinson Prairie Art Show. Eva Kohlhaas and Lucas Behounek showed paintings, Alice Casey and Piper Roethler had drawings, Olivia Roethler and Leah Reutzel brought colored pencil sketches, and Alyssa Haugland created an oil pastel painting.

Josephine Joyce displayed a painting at the art show, Madden Miller made pottery, Haley Nemmers showed her clay work, Cate Birkey made a quilling project, Emma Garman worked with textiles, and Sawyer Herrick and Magnus Lichter brought drawings. All the artworks were judged, and Eva Kohlhaas brought home the first place prize. Most of these artists will also show their work next week at the Top of Iowa Conference Art Show. Congratulations, artistis!

Very early this morning freshman Hope Rooney and junior Harper Nelson flew down to Atlanta where both of them will be attending the International DECA Career Development Conference. Hope will also be competing in the Entrepreneurship at the conference. This is the second straight year members of the Garrigan DECA chapter have made it to the international competition. Congratulations to advisor Alex Schwing and the whole DECA group.

The Bishop Garrigan capital campaign recently passed $4 million in pledges and contributions, and we are nearing the $5 million celebration goal. This means we are proceeding with the initial phase of the capital campaign. Over the summer we’ll be completely rebuilding the bleachers and pressbox at Conway Field, and throughout the coming school year there will be major construction on a new addition at Seton to accommodate our rapidly growing lower elementary grades. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to the campaign, and if you haven’t made a pledge yet, there’s still time to chip in to “honor the tradition and expand the vision”.

Next Friday we’ll host our annual Grandparents Day at Bishop Garrigan. The day will begin with a special prayer service at St. Cecelia, where grandparents will join with kindergarten through 8th grade. Then in the late morning they’ll have lunch with high school students. Grandparents can also tour the building and get pictures with their grandchildren. On this day students whose grandparents are not around can celebrate with special VIPs of their choice.

Last Tuesday we gathered in the Garrigan chapel to say a rosary for two families in our school community who needed our prayers. One student was in an ATV accident, and one parent had been diagnosed with serious cancer. We pray each day in all our classes at Garrigan, but this was a special way to show our concern for families who needed it.

Our next-to-last Senior Spotlight of the year shines on James Waters. Here with the details on him is Michael Joyce.

James Waters is an Algona native who particularly enjoys his art classes at Garrigan. In fact, he’s taking two different art classes this semester. After graduating, he plans to take some time off and enter the workforce, and he’s undecided about what he’ll be doing after that. We’re glad James has been with us here at Garrigan, and we wish him all the best in the future.

Thanks, Michael. On our Golden Bear calendar, this morning Hope Rooney and Harper Nelson are flying to Atlanta for international DECA. The students who went on the Mississippi service project will be returning this afternoon.

All weekend seniors will be honored with special graduation masses in the area churches. Throughout the week art students will have their work displayed at an in-house art show in the south hallway at Garrigan.

There’s coed golf at Forest City Monday night. Then on Tuesday the boys’ track team runs at Emmetsburg. Wednesday is the CYO golf tournament at Ft. Dodge St. Edmond.

The spring band and choir concert is Wednesday night. On Thursday the golf teams host North Union, and there’s a coed track meet at North Union in Armstrong. Then on Friday we’ll be celebrating Grandparents Day.

Finally this week we want to offer our congratulations to KLGA’s own Tyler Lance, who this past week finished the Boston Marathon in a very respectable time. Not only is Tyler a great runner, but he’s also an outstanding sportscaster, and we thank him for his great coverage of all the local teams.

That’s the “Bear Facts” for April. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to catch the show next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.