St. Thomas Aquinas High School (Overland Park, Kansas)
Encyclopedia
St. Thomas Aquinas High School is a private
, Roman Catholic high school
in Overland Park, Kansas
, serving students in grades 9-12. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
. The current chaplain is Fr. Andrew Strobl, the president is Bill Ford, and the principals are Dr. Rebecca Heidlage and Dr. Mike Sullivan . St. Thomas Aquinas is one of several private high schools located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
. The school colors are navy blue and old gold. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,250 students.
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School was established in 1988 in order to accommodate for the growing Roman Catholic population in Overland Park. It is successor to Saint Joseph High School, which was originally located in the present-day Saint Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee, Kansas
.
St. Thomas Aquinas is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 5A division and are known as the "Saints". The boys' soccer program has experienced considerable success and has been named National Champions twice. Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
.
for achieving excellence in reading, writing, and mathematics.
For classes beginning in 2011, 28 credits are required for graduation.
. Throughout the schools' existence, the Saints have won two National Championships (boy's soccer, 1994 and 2009), 62 state championships, 39 state runner-up championships, and 265 league/district/regional/sub-state championships. That includes a record 10 state championships during the 2006-2007 school year.
The program has been a pipeline to several collegiate programs such as Drake
and Creighton
. In addition, St. Thomas Aquinas has produced several athletes who have gone on to compete professionally including Michael Thomas
of the San Jose Earthquakes
.
SOCCER
FOOTBALL
BASKETBALL
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, Roman Catholic high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
in Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 149,080 people, 59,703 households, and 39,702 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,627.0 people per square mile . There were 62,586 housing units at an average density of 1,102.9 per square mile...
, serving students in grades 9-12. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in Kansas. The original diocese was formed on May 22, 1877 as the Diocese of Leavenworth...
. The current chaplain is Fr. Andrew Strobl, the president is Bill Ford, and the principals are Dr. Rebecca Heidlage and Dr. Mike Sullivan . St. Thomas Aquinas is one of several private high schools located in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area
Kansas City Metropolitan Area
The Kansas City Metropolitan Area is a fifteen-county metropolitan area that is anchored by Kansas City, Missouri and is bisected by the border between the states of Missouri and Kansas. As of the 2010 Census, the metropolitan area has a population of 2,035,334. The metropolitan area is the...
. The school colors are navy blue and old gold. The average annual enrollment is approximately 1,250 students.
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School was established in 1988 in order to accommodate for the growing Roman Catholic population in Overland Park. It is successor to Saint Joseph High School, which was originally located in the present-day Saint Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee, Kansas
Shawnee, Kansas
Shawnee is a city located in northwest Johnson County, Kansas, United States and is a western suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,209. Shawnee's fur trading and pioneering heritage blends histories of these Kansas Territory townships: Monticello and...
.
St. Thomas Aquinas is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities Association
Kansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
and offers a variety of sports programs. Athletic teams compete in the 5A division and are known as the "Saints". The boys' soccer program has experienced considerable success and has been named National Champions twice. Extracurricular activities are also offered in the form of performing arts, school publications, and clubs.
History
Saint Thomas Aquinas High School was established in 1988 by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in order to accommodate for the growing Roman Catholic population in Overland Park. It is successor to Saint Joseph High School, which was originally located in the present-day Saint Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee, KansasShawnee, Kansas
Shawnee is a city located in northwest Johnson County, Kansas, United States and is a western suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 62,209. Shawnee's fur trading and pioneering heritage blends histories of these Kansas Territory townships: Monticello and...
.
Academics
Academically, St. Thomas Aquinas ranks in the top 5% of Kansas high schools. For the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 school years, St. Thomas Aquinas was recognized by the Kansas State Board of EducationKansas State Board of Education
Kansas State Department Board of Education is Kansas's Board of Education, headquartered in Topeka. The board of education that controls the department is a constitutional body established in Article 6 of the Kansas Constitution. The ten members of the Board of Education are each elected to...
for achieving excellence in reading, writing, and mathematics.
For classes beginning in 2011, 28 credits are required for graduation.
Athletics
St. Thomas Aquinas High School has experienced a large amount of success in athletics. St. Thomas Aquinas is in the Eastern Kansas League and is a member of the Kansas State High School Activities AssociationKansas State High School Activities Association
The Kansas State High School Activities Association is the organization which oversees interscholastic competition in the state of Kansas at the high school level. It oversees both athletic and non-athletic competition, and sponsors championships in several sports and activities.The KSHSAA was...
. Throughout the schools' existence, the Saints have won two National Championships (boy's soccer, 1994 and 2009), 62 state championships, 39 state runner-up championships, and 265 league/district/regional/sub-state championships. That includes a record 10 state championships during the 2006-2007 school year.
Soccer
As a two time national championship program, soccer is widely considered the most successful sport at St. Thomas Aquinas. The Saints have won a combined 25 state championships in boys' and girls' soccer. Additionally, the boys' team won the National Championship in 1994 and 2009 according to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. After winning the National Championship in 2009, head coach Craig Ewing was honored as the NSCAA national boys coach of the year for private and parochial schools by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Ewing had twice previously been selected as the NSCAA’s girls soccer coach of the year.The program has been a pipeline to several collegiate programs such as Drake
Drake University
Drake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....
and Creighton
Creighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
. In addition, St. Thomas Aquinas has produced several athletes who have gone on to compete professionally including Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas (American soccer)
Michael Thomas is an American soccer player, who currently is playing for Superettan club Ljungskile SK.-College and Amateur:...
of the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
Cross country
Both the boys' and girls' cross country teams have experienced considerable success as well. The boys' cross country team have won four state championships, occurring in 1994, 1996, 2006, and 2008. Similarly, the girls' team has also won four state championships in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2009.State Championships
| State Championships | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Sport | Number of Championships | Year |
| Fall | Soccer, Boys | 14 | 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 |
| Cross Country, Boys Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... |
4 | 1994, 1996, 2006, 2008 | |
| Cross Country, Girls Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... |
4 | 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 | |
| Golf, Girls Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
7 | 1992, 1996, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009 | |
| Volleyball, Girls Volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive... |
4 | 1995, 2001, 2006, 2007 | |
| Debate Debate Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion... |
3 | 2006, 2008, 2011 | |
| Winter | Wrestling Wrestling Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position... |
2 | 2005, 2007 |
| Basketball, Girls Basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules... |
3 | 2001, 2004, 2011 | |
| Scholars' Bowl Quizbowl Quiz bowl is a family of games of questions and answers on all topics of human knowledge that is commonly played by students enrolled in high school or college, although some participants begin in middle or even elementary school... |
2 | 1992, 2003 | |
| Spring | Golf, Boys Golf Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes.... |
3 | 2007, 2008, 2011 |
| Soccer, Girls | 11 | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011 | |
| Track & Field, Boys | 1 | 2003 | |
| Track & Field, Girls | 2 | 2006, 2008 | |
| Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
1 | 2007 | |
| Softball Softball Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand... |
2 | 1997, 2008 | |
| Tennis, Boys Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... |
1 | 2011 | |
| Tennis, Girls Tennis Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... |
2 | 2008, 2009 | |
| Forensics Forensics Forensic science is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to a legal system. This may be in relation to a crime or a civil action... |
1 | 2006 | |
| Total | 67 | ||
Notable alumni
Den E. Heble Jr.,Pharm.D '03 - University of Kansas - PharmacistSOCCER
- Michael Thomas '05 - University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
- Major League Soccer - San Jose EarthquakesSan Jose EarthquakesThe San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada.... - Coleton Henning '08 - Furman UniversityFurman UniversityFurman University is a selective, private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Furman is one of the oldest, and more selective private institutions in South Carolina...
FOOTBALL
- Lance Brandenburgh '04 - Linebacker - University of Nebraska
- Kyler Reed '08 - Tight End - University of Nebraska
- Brian Smith '07 - Linebacker - University of Notre DameUniversity of Notre DameThe University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
- Drake Dunsmore '06 - Slotback - Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
BASKETBALL
- Lauren Wenski '03 - Pepperdine UniversityPepperdine UniversityPepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
- Carolyn McCullough '04 - Kansas State UniversityKansas State UniversityKansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...
- Lindsay Ballweg '04 - Drake UniversityDrake UniversityDrake University is a private, co-educational university located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. The institution offers a number of undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and pharmacy. Today, Drake is one of the twenty-five oldest law schools in the country....