Father Adrian Laible, O.S B. 1932-2014

Having been anointed by Abbot Michael and fortified with the grace of the sacraments, Father Adrian Laible , O.S.B., died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease at Valhaven Nursing Center in Valley, Nebraska on the evening of December 28, 2014, the feast of the Holy Family.  While his death was not a surprise to us, as a monastic community it is always difficult when you lose one of your brother monks.

Father Adrian was born on a farm on November 21, 1932, in Stuart, Nebraska.   His parents, Joseph and Rose Laible, gave their son the baptismal name of Bernard. He grew up and attended Saint Boniface Grade School in Stuart and Saint Joseph High School in Atkinson, Nebraska.   After high school Father entered the novitiate at Conception Abbey in Missouri on September 7, 1952.

He professed his first vows as a monk on September 8, 1953 and took Adrian as his religious name.  Once his theological studies were complete, he was ordained to the priesthood by John Cardinal Cody on May 27, 1958.  He was soon assigned to the new monastic foundation of Mount Michael in Elkhorn, Nebraska.  An article in the September,1958, issue of the Michaeleen reports that Father Adrian came to Mount Michael that fall to begin his work at Saint John's Seminary "with the holy oils of ordination not yet dry upon his hands."

Any list of the jobs and positions Father Adrian held over the past years is bound to be incomplete.  During his 61 years of monastic life he was appointed to many jobs and positions.  He served for many years as a dean in the seminary.  He was  a teacher (history, social studies, economics) both in the seminary and later Mount Michael Benedictine.  Over the years he was business manager, treasurer, director of food service, grounds keeper , director of junior monks and postulants. Of course, he also assisted in many parishes throughout the archdiocese as part of Mount Michael's pastoral mission work.

His avocations were many.  Above all he loved his stamp collecting--especially his collection of Vatican stamps. He also loved tending to bluebirds.  He both fed the birds and built houses for them.   It would be safe to say that at the height of Father Adrian's bird feeding days every bird in Douglas County ate at Mount Michael. As one of the monks said, "Father Adrian feeds more birds than Saint Francis..."

Above all Father Adrian was a good monk.  He tried to be as faithful as possible to not only his major assignments, but also those smaller day to day assignments that are so important to a monastery.  He was extremely faithful to daily presence at the Divine Office and Mass. Unfortunately, Alzheimer's disease began to take hold about six years ago.

On hearing of the death of Father Adrian, a Mount Michael alumnus wrote "he was kind man, with a quick to smile when he saw you and a firm handshake.  May he rest in peace."  He was a good man and a good monk that will be remembered by all.

A wake service will be held at Mount Michael at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, December 30, 2014.  His Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:00 am on Wednesday, December 31, 2014, in the presence on the monastic community, his family, and friends.

Pumping Iron: new team lifts off

Sam Van Haute | Staff Writer for "The Mount"

Grit your teeth, be a Knight! Mount Michael athletics have a tradition of hard work and pushing yourself to the limit. “We lift with the goal of increasing our one rep max for three lifts: bench, squat and deadlift,” said senior John Gutsmiedl. A passion to get stronger has fueled the creation of a Mount Michael Powerlifting team.

Photo by Sam Van Haute

Senior John Gutsmiedl practices for what he hopes 

to be a start of a new sport at Mount Michael.

“Mr. Struckman thought about starting the powerlifting team after seeing so many people with the desire to lift,” said junior Michael Fischer. Fischer is one of seven members who have started practicing for the first competition.

Powerlifting is a sport where participants are split into different weight classes and perform three different lifts: bench, squat and deadlift. It was the willingness of Freshman Dean Tim Struckman and the interest of students that empowered the idea to compete in powerlifting competitions for the first time. In each lift, the participants attempt to lift the maximum amount of weight in one repetition. At the competitions there are three judges who make sure the lift is done with proper form, leveling the playing field.

Powerlifting is often confused with Olympic lifting. Gutsmiedl said, “Powerlifting is different from Olympic lifting because the lifts are different.” Olympic lifting consists of lifts such as: clean and jerk, front squat, and snatch.

Although official practices will start at the beginning of January, the members of the team have already begun to prepare. Since fall sports came to an end, the team has turned their focus on lifting. Gutsmiedl said, “Now that football is over, we have been able to start lifting heavier and really have been able to focus in on just lifting.”

There has been no official sign up for the team, but the list of team members is looking strong. The current team will be led by John Gutsmiedl, Jake Mumby, Andy Ernst, Elliot Fay and Chase Goddard. The team hopes to attract lower classman in coming years. The only non-senior lifter is junior Michael Fischer. The team will compete in their first competition at Roncalli on March 7.

Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey Christmas Services & Abbey Christmas Party

Christmas Vigil Photos - Abbot's Homily Video

Christmas Morning Photos - Prior's Homily Video

Monastic Gift Exchange

Breakfast with Santa

The annual Breakfast with Santa sponsored by the Mount Michael Alumni Association was the biggest crowd yet to see Santa at the Mount. Photos with Santa -  More Photos

Christmas Celebration

Despite the approach of final exams the Knights took timeout  recently to celebrate with the annual Faculty-Student Christmas steak dinner and a Christmas concert put on by the band, choir and speech department.

Photos: Faculty-Student Steak Dinner - Christmas Concert

 
Solo by Andrew Whitaker

Additional selections from the concert are available on the
"Student Shared Drive" in a folder called Christmas Concert 2014. Feel free to make copies.

New Admissions Director Hired

Dylan Parlor a 2007 graduate of Mount Michael has been hired to fill in the admissions position that will be vacated by Eric Crawford ’00.  Crawford notified the school last summer that he desired to pursue other opportunities after the 2019 class of incoming freshmen has been completed.

Parlor obtained a Marketing and Management degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 2011.  Over the last 3 years, Parlor has worked in sales for Sirius computer solutions in Omaha. He recently received his M.B.A. from UNO.  

He is looking forward to continuing the great student recruiting success of Mr. Crawford and getting to know The Mount’s current students.  He will start work on January 5^th. 

Bits of News

Football Honors

Congratulations to Jake Batenhorst who was chosen as a 1st Team All Area defensive back.  Also included in the Coaches Honor Roll for the Knights were Chris Riddle, Jake Batenhorst, Jake Mumby, Chase Goddard, and Mick Steier. 

All-State Honorable Mention: Chris Riddle, Jake Batenhorst, Jake Mumby, Chase Goddard, and Mick Steier. 

Mount Michael Robotics

Congratulations to the Mount Michael Knights who took part in the competition at the annual North High School robotics tournament.  Two of the four Knight teams went into the final rounds on Saturday.  , comprised of : Chase Goddard, Lukas Williams, Blake Worsham, Ethan Tilske, and Will Fleissner took their robot to the quarter finals in their division.

Team 1970 K, the "Knight Shift", comprised of:  Nick Huetter, Reilly Jackson, Nolan Huetter, and Nolan Gottsch took their robot to the quarter finals and then onward into the semi finals of their division. 

Eighty teams were registered for the event at the high school level, and came from several states.

Team 1970 B, the "Talladega Knights"

Team 1970 K, the "Knight Shift"

Masked BatKnight roams Mount Michael campus, using his superpowers — and smartphone videos — to create buzz

POSTED: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2014 1:00 AM
By Julie Anderson / World-Herald staff writer

A mysterious, masked character has been spotted on the Mount Michael campus recently, and he’s started to cause a bit of a buzz.

He goes by the name BatKnight. And he’s been popping in and hassling students — even administrators — about their soft drink choices, their posture, even their work habits. This being 2014, he’s also been capturing his exploits on video and posting them on Facebook.

Read entire Article on Omaha.com

Brian ’87 & Victoria Tanko donate to help homeless Teens

Donated former church building will provide shelter for teenagers

Sparrows Nest

Marcia Bumke of Sparrows Nest hugs Brian Tanko after touring the
Kalispell building that Tanko and his wife, Victoria, donated
to the organization on Wednesday.

By HILARY MATHESON/The Daily Inter Lake

Shelter for Flathead Valley homeless teens is within reach.

The Sparrows Nest Northwest Montana (formerly the Flathead Homeless Youth Committee) received a recent donation of a 6,720-square-foot building at the corner of Second Street West and Seventh Avenue West in Kalispell from Brian and Victoria Tanko of Kalispell.

The building, which was purchased by the Tankos for $140,000, formerly housed a church.

The donation is a dream realized by a grassroots effort among community members, churches and organizations that began meeting a year and a half ago to brainstorm ways to provide safe, temporary shelter for teens under 18. 

Read the entire Article Online - PDF

Creighton Selects Mount Michael Alum as Next University President

Fr. Daniel Hendrickson S.J. 

Fr. Daniel Hendrickson S.J., a member of the Mount Michael Benedictine class of 1989 was recently chosen as Creighton University's 25th president.

After graduation Fr. Hendrickson attended Marquette University and then returned to Mount Michael for a year of service working in the school.

He began his Jesuit training in 1996. He has taught at several Jesuit Universities and has been serving on the boards of Creighton, Xavier University and Boston College. He most recently has been working in the provost office at Marquette University. Fr. Daniel will begin his work at Creighton in July.

Fr. Hendrickson's twin brother is also a Jesuit, Fr. Scott Hendrikcson '89 teaches at Loyola University in Chicago. Their older brother Dr. Ryan Hendrickson '87 is a professor of Political Science at Eastern Illinois University.

Current Bio from Marquette University - Omaha World Heard Announcement - Jesuit Vocation Video - WOWT -

Freshman Tournament has Knights in Checkmate

Thomas D’Aquila | Staff Writer for "The Mount"

The freshman dorm is filled with intense feelings. Anticipation and rivalry charge the air as students gather together. The reason?  A chess tournament involving the freshmen class. The room grows quiet to only a dull murmur as the students make their move. It moves slowly, as the freshmen make decisions “Chess is a game that is not for the impatience,” said Jimmy Severa, a freshman.

“It’s intense,” said Armel Migondje, a freshman, said of the tournament’s atmosphere. “After the game, the loser is sad, but it’s still cheerful, playful and good sportsmanship.”

Photo by Jacob Tucker

 Jack Avilla ( middle) spectates as James Nowdesha (left) 

competes against Emmett Kenney (right) in a chess match.

For Tim Struckman, freshman dean, the idea to have unplugged activities is sup­posed to be a build community. “At the beginning of every freshman year, I try to limit the electronics,” Struckman said. “I want the boys to interact and get to know each other and board games are a good way to pass the time.”

Thirty freshmen, both day students and boarders, are competing along with Struckman and Jack Pritchard, the as­sistant freshman dean. The first prize: bragging rights and the privilege of going to lunch first for the rest of the semester. “

The tournament works as a two bracket system. Stu­dents play after school, before study hall or after study hall. Trying to fit day students into the picture provides a challenge. But that’s not the only reason not all of the first match­es are made. “Many people are stalling on their matches,” Struckman said.

The tournament started in an organic way. The boys wanted to see “which out of them is the best” as Struckman put it. This is the second year for the chess com­petition, and it is also Struckman’s  second year as freshman dean.

“I’m proud of the participation,” Struck­man said. Many freshmen who have never played chess have been enthusi­astic, but the better players also have been conducting good sports­manship, according to Struckman. “More experienced players have been coach­ing the less skilled players,” said Struckman. “I was impressed with the ‘no-fear attitude of some students who have never played.”

For students that are helping others, there is a certain sense of accomplish­ment. “I feel like I am helping someone,” Freshman Matthew Thiel said.

“[During the matches]I can start conver­sations with people and we can be inter­ested in chess,” said Severa of the casual nature of the tournament. “You can’t talk at [state] competitions, you’ll get kicked out.” Severa has gone to chess competi­tions with in a club at his grade school, of which he has been a part of since the third grade. Although he has not been going with the same frequency due to school, the opportunity of playing now is a treat. “We have fun competing against each other,” said Severa.

Adjusting to high school is a difficult enough task for any freshman. Living at school presents itself with its own set of challenges. Luckily, students have their own way of bonding together which can soften the blow of homesickness.

The Thunder from Down Under

Adam Terasinski | Copy Editor for "The Mount"

At 5:45 a.m. while everyone is still asleep, he makes his way to the basketball court to practice the sport that he loves. Sophomore Scott Ching brings not only a sense of excellent work ethic, but also has a background story worth telling.

Ching was born in Singapore, a sovereign city-state, located in Southeast Asia. At the age of three he moved to Sydney, Australia.

Ching attended secondary school at Oakhill College in Sydney which has approximately 1,600 students. It is the counterpart to what Americans would view as a high school.

He decided to transfer to Mount Michael to hone his skills in basketball and to focus on academics as well.

He plans on going out to play for the Knights this winter, “In Australia I played the position of guard due to my height. However, here I will probably play the position of either a point guard or shooting guard,” said Ching.

photo courtesy of Ausa Hoops

Sophomore Scott Ching looks up court at the Australian Hoops Camp 

earlier this year.

He is an avid fan of the National Basketball League, the Australian counterpart to the American National Basketball Association. His favorite team is the Sydney Kings.

Moving to a new school is often a frightening prospect itself, but moving to a new school in a new country can be a huge change. “One of the first things I noticed when I arrived in Nebraska, other than the corn of course, was really, the lack of transport,” he said.

Ching is also adapting to a new workload. “Probably the biggest difference between Australian schools and this school is the amount of homework. I get more here than I ever really did back in Australia.”

Of his new classes, chemistry was the most interesting to him. “Scott’s positive energy is contagious,” chemistry teacher Leah Zohner said.

His roommate,  Broden Kaps, commented on his tremendous dedication to both his school work and basketball. “If there is something that Scott does not understand, he will work until he masters it. He really seems to have adapted to life at Mount Michael.”

Math Team Takes Top Score among 105 Nebraska Schools

The Mount Michael Knights had an award winning day at the 25^th annual UNL Math Day.  On the PROBE I (Problems Requiring Original and Brilliant Effort), for the first time in school history, Mount Michael took first  place out of all 105 schools participating.  This also marks the 9th time the Knights placed first in their division in the last 11 years and they placed second the other two years.  The Knights had 12 individuals place in the top 50 out of 1506 participants. 

More Photos - Larger Team Photo

Probe I

Young Joon Park and Jae Jun Park tied for 3rd

Ikjoo Oh placed 7th,

Yixie Chen placed 12th

Jonathan Collins placed 18th

Junho Ho placed 25th

Michael Kim placed 27th

Dong Lui placed 34th

Junwoo Lee placed 36th

Jingue Jung placed 43rd

Junbin Huang and Taesung Kim tied for 49th 

Probe II 

The top 40 students from the PROBE I competition are invited to participate in the PROBE II competition. Jae Jun Park placed 9th, earning him a $2000 scholarship.

Quiz Bowl Champions

In the quiz bowl competition, the Knights won their division, led by seniors Jonathan Collins, Junwoo Lee, Fletcher Lin, Young Yoon Park, and Tae Sung Kim.

Complete results for the UNL Math Day can be found on the event's website. 

Listed below are the Knights that participated in the UNL Math Day.

Seniors                                                                 Sophomores

Jonathan Collins                                                Andrew Ahn

Young Yoon Park                                               Broden Kaps

Fletcher Lin                                                        Zach Cairney

Junwoo Lee                                                        Junho Ho

Tae Sung Kim                                                     Ik Joo Oh

David Choi                                                           Jin Seok Jung

                                                                              Nick Huetter

Juniors                                                                 Michael Ecker

Jae Jun Park                                                        Alex Earsley

Jin Gue Jung                                                        Shengwei Dai

Yixie Chin

Dong Liu                                                               Freshmen

Junbin Huang                                                      Garrett Gloeb

Min Chang Kim                                                   Matthew Thiele

Christian Keller                                                   John Kuhry

Zach Hytrek                                                         Lukas Williams

                                                                              Nolan Huetter

John Levy '99 featured in OWH

Mount Michael Alum John Levy is featured in a front page article of the Omaha World Herald.

Read the entire Article

Faster, Stronger, Better: New Wifi at the Mount

Adam Terasinski | Copy Editor for The Mount

The rumors have been heard before: “This is the year our terrible Internet is fixed.” However, this rumor is one that is finally coming true.

Right now the school is in the middle of installing a new wireless system and raising money to increase bandwidth.

The system change is a combination of two separate but similar plans. The first plan, which is fully underway, is a new Wi-Fi system. This will establish a more secure connection to the Internet in the building and allow a greater number of devices to be connected.

The second plan involves bringing a fiber optic cable directly to the school. This will increase Internet speed dramatically. For this part of the plan, a sum of $100,000 must be raised according to the development office.

The new WiFi system, called Meraki, a product of Cisco, will have 16 access points, and will provide a more reliable connection with broader coverage and is cloud hosted, instead of the 10 access points that the current Ruckus system  provides using a controller.

There will be three levels of access points. The higher the number, the more devices it can handle. An area of the school which sees higher amounts of traffic will receive a more powerful access point. If there are not enough to fulfill the needs of the school, more can be ordered.

This also means that a greater number of devices can be connected. “I am going to be a lot more willing to connect devices like iPods to the new system,” said Dave Cormier who coordinates technology at Mount Michael.

Currently, Infinet, an I.T. consulting firm that the school uses to support technology on campus, is working on setting security parameters on the system.

When this step is finished, the system will be beta tested by a small number of faculty and students. Cormier hopes this will weed out any issues, before it is implemented across the school.

The fiber optic cable, which hinges on the community raising a sum of $100,000 dollars, has not been purchased yet.However, according to Kim Volpone, director of development, the giving challenge has reached 41 percent of its goal.

The giving challenge gained momentum when alumnus Zach Nelson (‘79) and his wife Elizabeth Nelson donated $100,000 and challenged others to donate to match that amount for the fiber optic cable.

Money from this giving challenge will also go towards resurfacing the track that surrounds the Nate LaFave Memorial Field. “Construction is expected to begin early this spring on the resurfacing,” Volpone said.

To clarify, the giving challenge does not take the place of the “Now is the Time” capital campaign. According to the development office the giving challenge is to help fund “other important projects [to] enhance the educational experience of our current students.”

 Donate Now to help Mount Michael purchase a fiber optic hookup to the internet

Slam Poetry Club Looking for New Members

Thomas D’Aquila | Staff Writer The Mount

For the youth of today, poetry can seem irrelevant and inaccessible. For many slam-poetry aficionados though, nothing could be further from the truth. “Writing [poetry] helped me see the world around me more clearly and made my life better because of that,” said Matt Mason, director of the Nebraska Writers Collective. “[...] I came to find poets who I loved and who taught me a lot about what poetry really can be.”

An informal form of poetry, Slam has its origins in Beat and Negritude poetry forms, commonly with a stylized nod to Hip-Hop. It caught on in urban areas throughout the nineties. “Slam poetry is really beautiful word vomit,” Jarrett Crnkovich (‘14) said, who competed and participated in slam poetry while at Mount Michael.

“Slams” events which allow youth to gather for the purpose of slam poetry, allow aspiring poets to meet other teens they might not cross paths with regularly.

Transcending the boundaries of strong socioeconomic differences is for many, quite a learning experience. This is also a common motif through highly political pieces, which provide not only an outlet for creative minds, but a voice for those not typically given the microphone.

For students at Mount Michael, the opportunity to try out Slam Poetry will be available this year. In coalition with the Nebraska Writers Collective, students at the Mount will prepare by writing and practicing poetry in hopes of competing at the Louder than a Bomb festival in March.

The coach, provided by the Nebraska Writers Collective, is still unknown at this time. For the meantime, Gina Fosco, the computer science and journalism adviser, has been the go-to for contacting the Nebraska Writers collective.

Despite her already full schedule, Fosco feels a commitment because she also was involved with Omaha Poetry scene from 2004 to 2006. She was often an audience at poetry nights until she eventually tried her hand at writing poetry.

After nine months, she built up the courage to perform her poetry, largely due to her experiences as an audience member. “To me, it was like a spiritual [connection],” Fosco said. “The only other time I felt like that was in church.”

Slam Poetry at Mount Michael has only been available for four years, the same time that Louder than a Bomb has been in Omaha. The original festival started in Chicago in 2001. Bringing Louder than a Bomb was a interest for Mason as director of the Nebraska Writer’s Collective.

“The documentary Louder Than a Bomb played in Omaha in late summer of 2011 and stirred up interest,” said Mason. The Louder than a Bomb program is funded from donations a few organizations.” Since then, it’s grown to 32 teams.”

A big part of funding comes from individual donors, as well as an optional entry fee from schools. This is kept optional because Mason’s goal is to have Louder than a Bomb available for everyone to participate, particularly those normally unable to.

“Nebraska is a great place for poetry as there is an amazing amount of talent here and more opportunities for writers every year,” Mason said. Ted Kooser, a Nebraskan poet chosen as Poet Laureate, is just one example of the talent found in Nebraska. Mason himself writes poetry. One collection “Things We Don’t Know We Don’t Know” won the Nebraska Book Award for Poetry.

Bringing the opportunity for teens to share and celebrate poetry can have a long-lasting effect. “It has made me a much more creative person,” Crnkovich said.” It has made me more accepting and more open minded as well as more vocal about social issues, also slightly more cynical.”

Crnkovich’s advice for aspiring poets: “Write nonstop and don’t care of you suck at first,” Crnkovich said. “...everyone does. I did, Andy Johannes did, Tae Sung didn’t though, he was just slightly less perfect,”

Engel Displays His Love for Hunting

Joe Budd | Staff Writer for The Mount
When Garrett Engel was 11 years old he shot his first deer. “It was getting dark and I heard footsteps behind me. Then I saw a little buck.” After Engel successfully took his shot, his first thought was to find his dad. “I think he was more excited than I was. The whole family was so proud of me.” At this very moment,the long and prosperous hunting career of sophomore Garrett Engel had officially begun.

Hunting is a sport of precision, accuracy and strategy. According to Engel, patience is also key. A hunter may not even see an animal worth shooting for a couple of days. “The most difficult aspect of hunting for me is patience, but I always work through it and see wildlife.” Engel says that being around wildlife is his favorite aspect of hunting. He enjoys the company of squirrels and birds when deer are not present. “There’s always a show to watch.” Although he did not carry a gun until he was 11 years old, Engel did walk along with his father while he went hunting. It was on these walks that Engel became inspired and amazed by the natural world.

The hunting season for deer is typically Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 while the turkey season is March 25 to May 31. “Those two seasons really keep me occupied.” Engel says that he traps raccoons, red foxes, and coyotes, selling their fur to make income for the winter.” I usually make around $500.” Engel also says that he hunts for deer because he enjoys processing his prize for food.

Sophomore Garrett Engel Takes Aim

The typical hunter uses a gun in order to hunt, but Engel is not the typical hunter. Instead Engel hunts with a bow and arrow. In order to successfully hunt deer using a bow, the animal being hunted needs to get closer to the hunter. This makes bow hunting significantly more challenging than traditional gun hunting because this gives the deer a much better opportunity to smell and see the hunter. Nonetheless, Engel is in love with the sport. “Bow hunting is the greatest thing ever, nothing gets your blood pumping more than hearing the footsteps of deer coming your way.” says Engel. “It’s what drives me through the week because I know that on the weekends I have the chance of getting my next trophy.”

Hunting with other people is a routine habit for the average sportsman, but not for Engel. “Usually I hunt by myself because there is less smell and less for the deer to see.” However, Engel has hunted before with a few classmates. When asked about his hunting experiences with Engel, junior Colton Starman immediately smiled and said “Hunting with Garrett is so much fun.”

Junior Colton Starman  and Garrett Engel
show off their prize of the day.

Most hunters ask their parents or friends for hunting advice. However, as previously mentioned, Engel is not like most hunters. Instead he uses Instagram to communicate to other hunters across the United States. “I learn a lot from the other people that I follow. They post tactics and then I ask them questions about these tactics which really helps me improve my game plans and strategies.”

Engel says that deer are his favorite animals to hunt. “Whenever a deer comes within 20 yards, your heart and blood start pumping even if you aren't going to shoot it.” Deer are the most hunted animals in the state of Nebraska but Engel ultimately seeks another prize.

“My dream hunt is a red stag from New Zealand, they are just the coolest looking animals.” Engel said.

Don't Drink the Water: Fall Play

This year’s fall play is “Don’t Drink the Water, a Broadway hit which takes place inside an American embassy behind the Iron Curtain.  An American tourist, a caterer by trade, and his wife and daughter rush into the embassy two steps ahead of the police who suspect them of spying and picture taking. It's not much of a refuge, for the ambassador is absent and his son, now in charge, has been expelled from a dozen countries and the continent of Africa. Nevertheless, they carefully and frantically plot their escape, and the ambassador's son and the caterer's daughter even have time to fall in love.

Students have been rehearsing since September, under the consultation of Br. Roger Mangels.  The show features several Mount Michael students, some guests from metro area high schools, and even a rabbit named Alice.

Performances will take play Friday, November 14^th, Saturday November 15^th, and Sunday November 16^th at 7:00 pm on the Mount Michael stage.  Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for students; Mount Michael students can get in free with their Mount Michael ID.

The Mount Michael Drama Department is pleased to announce….

Photos from Rehearsals: Set 1 - Set 2

Performances at 7:00 pm on:

Friday, November 14, 2014

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Mount Michael Stage (off the gym)

Tickets:  $8/adults and $5/students

Doors open at 6:30 pm

22520 Mount Michael Road Elkhorn, NE

Coat Drive for St. Vincent DePaul stores

Zach Cairney, Michael Fischer and Muxwan Tang stack the coats to be picked up for delivery to the St. Vincent DePaul stores.

The students of Mount Michael and their families collected 181 coats for the Saint Vincent DePaul annual coat handout. Leading the way was the senior class with 58 coats followed by the sophomores with 49, freshmen with 47 and the juniors with 27.  Good job Knights! Many people will be warm this winter because of your efforts.

Freshman Ropes Retreat at Boy Town

More Photos from the Retreat

State Tennis 5th Place

The Mount Michael tennis team put in a good performance at the state meet finishing in 5th place.
Both doubles teams made it to the semi finals with the #2 doubles team of Luke Krajewski & Alex Stoupa finishing in third place.  With only one senior on the state team the Knights are already looking forward to next fall.

Coach Chase Petersen, Alex Stoupa, Luke Krajewski, Alex Hotovy, Logan Baumberger, Matt Amao, Ray Dorsey, Jack Hitzemann, Harrison Hohman, and Lorcan Jamal.

Knights Crush Schuyler

October 17, 2014

By Jim Steier

Powered by a dominating performance from its defense, the Mount Michael football team traveled to Schuyler and posted a 42-0 victory over the winless Warriors on Friday. The Knights’ stingy defensive effort came just one week after the unit struggled against Bennington.

“We didn't change anything about our defensive scheme,” said senior linebacker Andy Ernst. “The seniors were steady in their leadership roles and several underclassmen stepped up and played well.”

Ernst singled out sophomores Jeff Petry, Ryan Riddle, Drew Goddard and Caiden Groff. Groff led that crew with five tackles and two interceptions. Petry had three tackles, Goddard had two and Ryan Riddle added five, including a jarring hit on Schuyler running back Neff Mejia to cause a fumble.

The Mount Michael defense finished with six takeaways, consisting of two interceptions and four fumble recoveries. Senior safety Mick Steier led the team with 11 tackles and Jake Mumby chipped in seven stops.

Schuyler’s best offensive opportunity was snuffed out when Steier dove to block a 48-yard field goal attempt with 7:58 left in the second quarter.

Overall, Mount Michael’s defense allowed Schuyler only 83 yards of total offense, including six first downs and 14 yards rushing. “We had a lot of players deliver great defensive performances,” said Mount Michael Coach Jon Borer. “But I really thought Groff, Steier and Ryan Riddle stood out.”

The Knight’s offense got off to a slow start in the first quarter. After Groff picked off a Jesse Westerbuhr pass on the game’s second play, the Knights failed to convert and turned the ball over on downs. After its second drive also ended unsuccessfully, Mount Michael finally got on the board with :51 remaining in the first quarter on a three-yard run by Mumby.

“At the beginning of the game, our offense struggled because several of us weren’t on the same page,” senior quarterback Jake Batenhorst said. “After a couple series, we got into a rhythm and we were able to have a lot of success the rest of the game.”

The Knights’ offense did its damage both on the ground and through the air, finishing with 167 yards rushing and 217 passing. Batenhorst surpassed 4,000 passing yards in his Mount Michael career while connecting on 19 of his 25 throws.

Mumby, a senior running back, ran for 139 yards on 21 carries, including touchdown runs of two, three and five yards. The Mount Michael aerial attack was led by Chris Riddle’s eight catches, 107 yards and a touchdown. Steier added four catches for 50 yards and a touchdown, while Alex Miklas caught four balls for 17 yards.

The victory improved Mount Michael’s record to 4-4 and kept the team’s hopes alive for a playoff berth.

“First and foremost, we need to win against a good Blair football team,” Borer said. “After that, we will need a few other things to fall into place in order to qualify for the playoffs. But none of that matters if we don’t play well and find a way to beat Blair.”

Despite the challenge that lies ahead, the players are excited to be in this position. “We know that Blair has a very good team,” Steier said. “But we also know that if we execute on both sides of the ball, we can compete with any team in the state.”

After taking a 7-0 lead after the first quarter, Mount Michael scored 21 points in the second quarter to build a 28-0 halftime advantage. Second quarter touchdowns included a run by Mumby and catches by Steier and Garrett Raabe.  Raabe’s touchdown was an impressive individual effort as the senior hauled in a pass across the middle of the field and shrugged off three potential tacklers to score for the first time in his Mount Michael career.

The first half’s final touchdown came in unlikely fashion. With only .02 seconds on the clock and the Knights sitting at the Warriors’ 24-yard line, Batenhorst rolled to his right and connected with Steier at the Schuyler 10-yard line. Steier then avoided the first tackler and split two defenders to get into the end zone as time expired.

In the second half, the Mount Michael offense came out ready to play. On the third play of the half, Mumby took a handoff and sprinted 48 yards to the Schuyler 5-yard line. On the very next play, Mumby capped the drive with run off right tackle to put the Knights ahead 35-0 with 10:31 remaining in the third quarter.

Mount Michael’s final touchdown came on a 25-yard pass from Batenhorst to Chris Riddle in the back of the end zone with 8:37 remaining in the third quarter.

SCORING SUMMARY

                                              1^st           2^nd          3^rd           4^th           Total

Mount Michael                     7              21           14             0              42

Schuyler                              0               0              0              0              0

1st Quarter

MMB - Jake Mumby 3 run (Matt Dugick kick) 0:51

2nd Quarter

MMB - Mumby 2 run (Dugick kick) 6:00

MMB - Garrett Raabe 32 pass from Jake Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 4:01

MMB - Mick Steier 24 pass from Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 0:00

3rd Quarter

MMB - Mumby 5 run (Dugick kick) 10:31

MMB - Chris Riddle 25 pass from Batenhorst (Dugick kick) 8:37

4th Quarter

No Scoring

District Champions: Knights Head to State

The Mount Michael Benedictine cross country team won the B-2 District Championship hosted at The Mount.  Complete Results - Group Photos

Team Finishes
1st   23 pts - Mount Michael
2nd  36 pts - Skutt Catholic
3rd   44 pts - Elkhorn
4th   70 pts - Blair
5th   81 pts - Ekhorn South
6th   108 pts - Bennington
7th   132 pts - Roncalli/Brownell-Talbot

Individual Knight Finishers
3rd Sam Van Haute 17:05.7
5th Peyton Hottovy 17:19.8
6th Zach Hytrek 17:26.0
9th Thomas Wooten 17:37.8
11th Nick Carson 17:42.3
17th Colin Lakeman 18:10.3

Congratulations Knights!

Harriers Win River Cities Title

The Mount Michael cross country team won the Rivers City Conference Championship by seven points over runner-up Gross Catholic.   Next week the Knights host the district championship at Mount Michael. Photos - JV Photos - Complete Results

HARRIER	PLACE	TIME
Van HauteMAN,	2	17:10
WootenMAN,	6	17:34
HottovyMAN,	7	17:36
CarsonMAN,	9	17:41
HytrekMAN,	14	18:03

  

Team Results

1	Mount Michael	24
2	Gross	31
3	South Sioux City	37
4	Skutt	47
5	Beatrice	90
6	Ralston	108
7	Roncalll	134
JV Results
1	Mount Michael	10
2	Skutt	27

Board Member Named "Physician of the Year"

Dr. Tom McKnight with Governor Dave Heineman and his wife Evelyn

Dr. Thomas A. McKnight,MD was awarded the 2014 Nebraska Family Physician of the Year by the governor at the State Capital. He is a Mount Michael board member and father of three alumni, Luke '99, Curt '01, Alex '05.