Aquinas High School (Wisconsin)
{{Short description|High school in La Crosse, Wisconsin, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox school
| name = Aquinas High School
| image = Aquinas High school 2.jpg
| image_size = 272px
| streetaddress = 315 11th Street South
| city = La Crosse
| state = Wisconsin
| county = (La Crosse County)
| zipcode = 54601
| country = USA
| coordinates = {{Coord|43|48|29|N|91|14|24|W|type:edu_region:US-WI|display=inline,title}}
| religion = Roman Catholic
| affiliation = Diocese of La Crosse
| principal = Adam Poellinger
| chaplain = Fr. Daniel Sedlacek
| type = Private, Parochial, Coeducational
| conference = Mississippi Valley Conference
| accreditation = North Central Association of Colleges and Schools{{cite web|url=http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/school_district_listings/?|title=NCA-Council on Accreditation and School Improvement|accessdate=2009-06-23|author=NCA-CASI|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429033455/http://www.advanc-ed.org/schools_districts/school_district_listings/|archivedate=April 29, 2009 }}
| team_name = Blugolds
| colors = Navy blue and old gold {{color box|navy}}{{color box|#CFB53B}}
| established = 1928
| enrollment = 338 [http://www.wisconsintrackonline.com/features14/division14/2013-14_ENROLLMENT_NUMBERS_FROM_WIAA.pdf WIAA 2013-2014 School Enrollments] wisconsintrackonline.com
| enrollment_as_of = 2013-2014 school year
| free_label3 = Athletic Director
| free_text3 = Pam Donarski
| homepage = http://www.AquinasCatholicSchools.org
}}
Aquinas High School is a Roman Catholic high school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school is part of La Crosse Aquinas Catholic Schools and is operated by the Diocese of La Crosse.
In 2008, Aquinas High School was named a national Blue Ribbon School.{{cite web|date=17 October 2008|title=Catholic Schools Earn 43 of 50 Private School Blue Ribbon School Honors|url=http://www.ncea.org/news/pressrelease/article.asp?article_id=203|url-status=dead|accessdate=18 October 2011|website=National Catholic Educational Association|archive-date=July 17, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717045451/http://www.ncea.org/news/pressrelease/article.asp?article_id=203}}
History
The high school was dedicated on September 2, 1928, in honor of Thomas Aquinas by Bishop Alexander Joseph McGavick of the Diocese of La Crosse. The first graduating class of 1929 consisted of four girls. The high school was originally staffed by diocesan clergy and the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
Diocesan Bishop John Joseph Paul, an Aquinas alumnus of the class of 1935, set aside some rooms at Aquinas High School for the Aquinas Middle School in 1992. In 1997, the Bishop Burke Hall addition to Aquinas High School was dedicated in honor of Bishop Raymond Leo Burke, now the Prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in the Vatican City and a former religion teacher at Aquinas High School.{{Cite web|title=The History of Aquinas High School|url=http://www.aquinasschools.org/high/info/history.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928033658/http://www.aquinasschools.org/high/info/history.html|archive-date=28 September 2007|website=Aquinas High School}}
= School crest =
The Aquinas High School crest, designed in 1942, first appeared in the yearbook, the Trumpet, and on the 1943 class rings. It features the cross in a central and prominent position on the crest, reflecting the importance of the faith and redemption it symbolizes; ΧΡ, the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ, signifying that the life of a Christian should be centered around Christ; the fleur-de-lis, the symbol of sanctity and virtue, symbolizing God, man's final end, and the Blessed Virgin, model of virtue; a lamp of learning and books, as symbols of knowledge and learning; a laurel, symbolizing reward; and lilies of the valley, symbolizing humility.
Sports
{{See also|Mississippi Valley Conference (Wisconsin)}}
The school competes in the Mississippi Valley Conference and the WIAA with baseball, basketball, cross country, dance, football, golf, gymnastics, skiing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling teams.{{Cite web|title=Athletics: Winter Sports|url=https://www.aquinascatholicschools.org/ahs-athletics-winter-sports|access-date=4 September 2022|website=Aquinas Catholic Schools}}{{Cite web|title=Athletics: Spring Sports|url=https://www.aquinascatholicschools.org/ahs-athletics-spring-sports|access-date=4 September 2022|website=Aquinas Catholic Schools}}{{Cite web|title=Athletics: Fall Sports|url=https://www.aquinascatholicschools.org/ahs-athletics-fall-sports|access-date=4 September 2022|website=Aquinas Catholic Schools}} The school's hockey team is a co-op team composed of students from Aquinas, Holmen High School, Luther High School, and Coulee Christian High School.
WIAA state champion titles:
- Alpine ski: 2000{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}
- Boys baseball: 2017, 2021, 2024{{Cite web|date=2024-06-13|title=Aquinas wins D3 State Baseball title|url=https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/aquinas-wins-d3-state-baseball-title/article_4b854dd8-29a8-11ef-959f-dbcc1db124eb.html|access-date=2024-06-14|website=WXOW|language=en}}
- Boys basketball: 2003,{{Cite web|title=2003 Boys' Basketball Results|url=http://wiaawi.org/results/basketballboys/2003/stateresults.html|website=Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}} 2008, 2011, 2013, 2025 https://lacrossetribune.com/sports/high-school/basketball/boys/article_f1ead0fc-d9fc-4d76-a38b-72ab4698096e.html http://wiaawi.org/index.php?id=65 {{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}{{cite web|title=AQUINAS vs RACINE SAINT CATHERINE'S (03/19/11 at Kohl Center – Madison, Wisconsin)|url=http://www.wiaawi.org/results/basketballboys/2011/d3game3.htm|accessdate=October 18, 2011|publisher=Wiaawi.org}} {{dead link|date=November 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}
- Boys Track & Field: 2019, 2021
- Boys Cross country: 2007,{{Cite web|title=2007 Cross Country Results|url=http://www.wiaawi.org/results/crosscountry/2007/bd3results.pdf|website=Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}} 2018, 2019, 2020
- Football: 2007,http://wiaawi.org/index.php?id=92 {{dead link|date=October 2016|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} 2021, 2022,{{Cite web|last=WXOW|date=2024-06-13|title=Two In A Row: Aquinas takes Division 5 Football title|url=https://www.wxow.com/news/top-stories/two-in-a-row-aquinas-takes-division-5-football-title/article_df25299c-66d5-11ed-9f49-bfae0ea1fa1b.html|access-date=2024-06-13|website=WXOW|language=en}} 2023{{Cite web|last=WXOW|date=2024-06-13|title=Aquinas powers its way to 32-13 win in D5 championship|url=https://www.wxow.com/sports/aquinas-powers-its-way-to-32-13-win-in-d5-championship/article_18b79e26-84d8-11ee-a27f-0f03b0c8bba1.html|access-date=2024-06-13|website=WXOW|language=en}}
- Girls basketball: 2018, 2019{{Cite web|last=Summerfeldt|first=Todd|date=11 March 2018|title=WIAA Girls State Tournament: La Crosse Aquinas tops Mel-Min, wins D-4 title|url=http://lacrossetribune.com/sports/local/preps/wiaa-girls-state-tournament-la-crosse-aquinas-tops-mel-min/article_ae1f25d4-3770-58c7-8e9f-0925a99dcd59.html|url-access=subscription|website=La Crosse Tribune}}
- Girls golf: 2017
- Girls soccer: 2015
Affiliation
- Aquinas Catholic Schools (formerly Coulee Catholic School)
- National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA)
- Greater La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce
- Mississippi Valley Conference (MVC)
- Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA)
- Wisconsin Independent Schools Athletic Association (WISAA)
- Central Wisconsin Catholic Conference (CWCC)
- North Central Accrediting Association{{Cite web|title=Aquinas High School Information|url=http://www.aquinasschools.org/high/info/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717182641/http://www.aquinasschools.org/high/info/index.html|archive-date=17 July 2007|website=Aquinas High School}}
Principals
- Father Hilary Leuther, 1928–1936
- Father Joseph Kundinger, 1936–1940, 1946–1951
- Father John Prizl, 1940–1946
- Father Alfred Hebert, 1951–1952
- Father Robert Hansen, 1952–1960
- Father Richard Rossiter, 1960–1964
- Father James O'Connell, 1964–1972
- Father Robert Altmann, 1972–1990
- James Vail, 1990–1997
- Jeffrey Brengman, 1997–2001
- Father John McHugh, 2001–2002
- Joan Leonard, 2002–2004
- Philip Hahn, 2004–2006
- Patrick Burkhart, 2006–2007
- Ted Knutson, 2007–2016
- Denise Ring, 2016–2022
- Andrew Bradley, 2022-2024{{Cite web|last=Swift|first=Allan|date=23 May 2022|title=Andrew Bradley named new principal at Aquinas High School and Middle School|url=https://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/andrew-bradley-named-new-principal-at-aquinas-high-school-and-middle-school/article_bc5529f4-dad9-11ec-850f-ffc53c046859.html|access-date=2022-09-04|website=La Crosse Tribune|language=en}}
Adam Poellinger 2024- Present
Notable faculty
- Ann Walsh Bradley, Wisconsin Supreme Court justice, former religion teacher at Aquinas High School
- Raymond Leo Burke, teacher of religion at Aquinas High School prior to becoming bishop, archbishop, and cardinal.
- George Albert Hammes, teacher at Aquinas High School prior to becoming bishop
Notable alumni
{{div col}}
- Sylvester G. Clements, 1954, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Charles Dierkop, actor, attended Aquinas High School
- Lexi Donarski, basketball player{{cite web |url=https://cyclones.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lexi-donarski/12042 |title=Lexi Donarski - Women's Basketball }}
- Steve Doyle, member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- Charles E. Knoblauch, former member of the Iowa House of Representatives
- Bronson Koenig, basketball player
- Robert E. Kreutz, composer, 1940{{Cite web|url=https://www.nfl.com/|title=NFL.com | Official Site of the National Football League|website=NFL.com|accessdate=September 4, 2023}}
- Paul Marcotte, 1945, businessman and former member of Kentucky House of Representatives{{Cite news|date=8 December 2012|title=Obituary: Paul Henry Marcotte|pages=C8|work=La Crosse Tribune}}
- John Medinger, former mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin, former member of Wisconsin State Assembly, 1966
- John Oestreicher, 1954, former member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
- John Joseph Paul, 1935 graduate of Aquinas High School who served as Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse, 1985–1994
- John Rusche, 1969, physician and former member of the Idaho House of Representatives{{Cite web|title=Rep. John Rusche|url=https://legislature.idaho.gov/legislators/membership/2016/id53/|access-date=2022-09-04|website=Idaho State Legislature|language=}}
- Ed Servais, head coach of the Creighton Bluejays baseball team
- Jim Temp, Green Bay Packers{{Cite web|title=Jim Temp|url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/temp00200.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909220446/http://www.profootballarchives.com/temp00200.html|archive-date=9 September 2015|website=Pro Football Archives}}
{{div col end}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
- Aquinas High School 2003 Alumni Directory 75th Anniversary 1928–2003
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20080927092200/http://www.couleecatholicschools.org/aquinashs/ Aquinas High School La Crosse]
- [http://dioceseoflacrosse.com/ Diocese of La Crosse]
- [http://fspa.org/ Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration La Crosse]
- Dan Simmons. [http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2006/09/21/news/05archivist21.txt "The Archivist: Aquinas alum collects 80 years of school's history in one office,"] La Crosse Tribune, September 21, 2006.
{{Mississippi Valley Conference (Wisconsin)}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse|state=collapsed}}
{{authority control}}
Category:Roman Catholic Diocese of La Crosse
Category:Catholic secondary schools in Wisconsin
Category:Educational institutions established in 1928
Category:Buildings and structures in La Crosse, Wisconsin