2010 News

January 15
Matt Lien (class of 2004) is heading to Barcelona, Spain, to play professional football for the L’Hospitalet Pioners of the European Football League.

January 26
Denfeld's girls basketball team will face Central in the first Coaches vs. Cancer event.

January 26
The Denfeld classes of 1955, '56 and '59 have awarded $3,500 in grants to be used by staff at the school.

February 3
Ron Brochu (class of 1972) will be an owner of BusinessNorth when the sale of the newspaper closes in April.

February 12
Denfeld senior Keith Tomassoni is still reaping the benefits of his father's experience coaching hockey at Harvard for 20 years.

February 18
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) has a chance to stick in the major leagues with the St. Louis Cardinals if he pitches well this spring.

February 23
Denfeld and East high schools will keep their names and mascots when the three Duluth high schools become two in 2011-12.

February 25
Denfeld's cathedral-style auditorium is still an archetectural gem.

February 26
Laura Bellamy (class of 2009) is performing well as a freshman goalie for Harvard.

March
Leonard Carlson (class of 1989) is using his pro wrestling skills in new ways, opening a martial arts studio in Golden Valley.

March 3
Central topped Denfeld 69-67 in the final boys basketball game between the two schools.

March 5
Central principal Lisa Mitchell-Krocak will become Denfeld's principal as part of the school district's long-range plan.

March 15
Denfeld coach Kevin Smalley received the 2010 John Mariucci Award as state hockey coach of the year in Class A.

March 23
Second-year Denfeld baseball coach Pat Bergquist (class of 1984) is optimistic for the 2010 season.

March 23
Denfeld's softball team will be led by seniors Kaitlin Bagley, Katherine Andreiko, Jess Havron and Maggie Kennedy.

March 30
Denfeld's Zach Thompson was named Minnesota's top freshman hockey player by Minnesota Hockey Hub.

April 9
Dave LeGarde (class of 1985) did not re-apply for the Duluth Central boys basketball head coaching position. He's moving to St. Paul.

April 11
Jeremy Polson (class of 1996) is the male 2009 Minnesota runner of the year, according to the Minnesota Running Data Center.

April 18
Jeremy Polson (class of 1996) won the 2010 Fitger's 5k race.

April 22
Denfeld basketball coach Jeff Nace and hockey coach Kevin Smalley are among the coaches retained by the Duluth School District for 2010-2011.

April 23
Denfeld junior Paige Stratioti is one of the state's top high school runners.

May 2
Dennis O’Hara (class of 1971) has released his first book of photography, Picture Duluth.

May 5
Cheryl Lien (class of 1975) is the winner of the 2010 Goldfine Gold Star Teacher Award.

May 6
The first female to be named Minnesota’s Boys and Girls Club Youth of the Year is Michelle Hobbs, a senior at Denfeld.

May 9
The Duluth School District is determining which teachers will go where — and which will be out of a job — as it downsizes to two high schools.

May 9
Gordy Lundquist (class of 1945) and Marilyn Lundquist (Cran, class of 1947) opened Gordy’s Hi-Hat in Cloquet for its 50th year in business.

May 18
Denfeld defeated Duluth Central 4-2 in the final regular-season baseball meeting between the schools.

May 31
Rosemary Stratioti (Tuzinski, class of 1948) has organized the Memorial Day parade in West Duluth for 50 years.

June 3
Denfeld senior Billy Phousongphouang w0n the triple jump at the Section 7AA track and field meet to earn a trip to the state championship.

June 6
Denfeld senior AnnMarie Scanlon will be the first in her family to graduate high school.

June 10
Acrylic painter Russell V. Gran (class of 1954) has a new exhibit opening at Washington Gallery.

June 11
Kaylee Shuster has graduated with the class of 2010, 17 years after her parents were killed by a drunken driver.

June 11
Seven Denfeld staff members, with over 200 years of combined experience, have retired this year.

July 1
Denfeld softball coach Dick Swanson (class of 1966) and baseball coach Pat
Bergquist (class of 1984) will coach the combined Denfeld/Central teams in 2011.

July 15
Former Denfeld English teacher Mary Wicklund has died. She was 67.

July 24
Click to view the Summer 2010 issue of the Denfeld Alumni News.