2010 News

January 7
The inaugeral television broadcast from the Duluth Heritage Sports Center will stand as a crowning moment for many of the city’s hockey legends.

January 10
Known as "The Big Fill," the school district’s plan to reshuffle job assignments has Denfeld teachers preparing for a change of scenery.

January 10
The 4th Street Market and Deli in Duluth's Central Hillside neighborhood has reopened under the ownership of Denfeld alums the Potter family.

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 25
Brothers Jonathan, Brian and Michael Maruska design, stitch, hammer and rivet nearly everything they need for winter travel — and winter living.

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.

January 30
Tom Pearson will continue as Denfeld's athletic director when the Duluth School District consolidates to two high schools.

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

February 7
About 600 high school students from across Minnesota competed in speech events Saturday at the 49th annual Denfeld Rotary Speech Tournament.

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
Linda LeGarde Grover (class of 1968) will have her collection of short stories, The Dance Boots, published in September.

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 5
Chris Vold will be Denfeld's football coach when the school merges with Central in the fall. Frank Huie was cut.

March 6
Denfeld lost to Hermantown 3-2 in the Section 5A hockey championship game at Cloquet Area Recreation Center.

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

March 15
“Morning Fog,” by former Denfeld art teacher John Salminen, recently won the 143rd American Water Color Society Gold Medal of Honor.

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
Patrick Plys (class of 1982) is the winner of the 85th Duluth Hall of Fame Award.

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 16
Margaret E. "Ches" Phelps (class of 1924) was believed to be Denfeld's oldest living graduate. She died at the age of 103.

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

July 27
Dale Strand, an English teacher at Denfeld for 35 years, has died. He was 77.

July 30
A merging of Duluth high schools at Denfeld and Central has the football team bonding through workouts.

August 1
Mike Cuzzo (class of 1976) is among the candidates to become Minnesota 6th Judicial District judge.

August 1
Mark Sertich (class of 1939) competed in a weeklong hockey tournament in California at the age of 89.

August 5
Andy Bennett (class of 1997) has written a new play, Sex Change, which is premiering at Renegade Theater Co.

August 9
Denfeld senior Danielle Urness has a lofty goal -- she hopes to invent a new kidney dialysis filter.

August 12
Greg Anderson (class of 1979) returned home to sign autographs at an ALS fundraiser before competing in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway.

August 12
Mike Cuzzo (class of 1976) has advanced to the general election in the race to become judge in Minnesota 6th Judicial District.

August 15
A group of friends from Denfeld's class of 1953 gathered in Duluth to celebrate their 75th birthdays.

August 29
As Duluth Central and Denfeld join forces in 2010-11, athletes need time just to get to know each other.

August 29
Janis Rider (Raatz, class of 1984) died while on vacation in Hawaii. She was a star athlete at Denfeld and went on to set state records at Macalaster College.

August 30
The combined Denfeld-Central football team has embraced a color scheme that meshes Central’s red and black with Denfeld’s maroon and gold.

September 1
Denfeld students toured Central during an open house, getting to know their temporary school.

September 4
The combined Central/Denfeld football program is off to a strong start after a shutout win over Hermantown.

September 8
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) pitched Louisville to a 6-3 victory over Indianapolis to win the International League West Division for the third straight year.

September 25
Cindy Stratioti (Cran, class of 1974) is retiring from her role as court administrator for St. Louis County.

September 30
Pat Francisco (class of 1963) will be honored as a Hockey Heritage Hero prior to the Duluth Clydesdales inaugural home game.

October 2
Denfeld is still searching for a football conference it can call home in 2011.

October 9
Denfeld/Central cruised to a 58-12 football victory over Duluth East.

October 15
Fred Friedman (class of 1965) has been reappointed Northeastern Minnesota’s chief public defender for a seventh four-year term.

October 23
Star athlete Robert “Harvey” Boyat (class of 1948) died at University Hospital in Minneapolis. He was 80.

November 3
Mike Cuzzo (class of 1976) won the race to become just the third judge to serve the North Shore of Lake Superior in nearly 60 years.

November 4
Ben Jukich (class of 2001) is expected to leave for Korea in February to pitch for a baseball team in Seoul.

November 10
Denfeld's football team will be in the Mississippi 8 Conference in 2011.