Crusader Alumni Update: January 30, 2025

CRUSADER ALUMNI UPDATE

Dear Crusader alumni,

I hope you and your families are staying warm this January! Our second semester took a bit longer than planned to get started thanks to a few snow days, but the hallways at Helias Catholic are once again busy with students settling into new classes and anticipating a few of our favorite Crusader traditions.

Before we get to Sadie Hawkins, the Central Bank Shootout, and the spring musical, we're celebrating Catholic Schools Week! At Helias Catholic that means celebrating Mass together, raising funds and awareness for community causes, a spirited assembly, and even dressing like saints for a day. I encourage you to celebrate Catholic Schools Week in your parish and keep Helias and our Catholic schools in your prayers!

Be sure to scroll through this month's alumni newsletter below for some upcoming event dates and updates from Crusaders past and present.

Onward together,

Ron Vossen '74

Helias Catholic High School President

Crusader Calendar

February 8 — Central Bank Shootout

Helias Catholic High School

March 7-9 — Spring Musical: "The Addams Family"

Miller Performing Arts Center

April 12 — Crusader Alumni Backyard BBQ Contest

American Legion Sports Complex

May 5 — Music Department Spring Concert

New school records

Helias Catholic High School junior Sierra Zuck has set a new Crusader softball school record for most stolen bases in a season with 28.

The previous record of 27 was set by Taylor Woehr ‘20 in 2019.

Helias Catholic High School sophomore Daemen Duemmel set a new Crusader wrestling school record for quickest pin at 5 seconds during the Platte County Tournament on January 24.

The previous record of 7 seconds was set 55 years ago by Pat Dubbert ’70.

Distinguished graduates

Elisa (Rackers) Brenneke '98 was honored as St. Joseph Cathedral School's 2025 Distinguished Graduate. Elisa is CFO of Industrial Warehouse and Distribution Group in Jefferson City. She is a member of the Cathedral of St. Joseph Finance Council and past treasurer for St. Joseph Home & School, in addition to coaching volleyball and track for SJCS. Elisa and her husband, Tony, have two children who currently attend Helias Catholic and SJCS.

Leah (Muessig) Pickering '03 received Immaculate Conception Catholic School's 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award. Leah is a first-grade teacher at IC School and volunteers for many school activities, including as Home & School co-chair and coaching athletic teams. She also has served on the IC Parish Advisory Council. Leah and her husband, Jeff, have three children attending IC School.

CRUSADERS ON CAMPUS

In the spirit

The Helias Catholic Concert Choir, Chorus, and Concert Band performed their annual Music Department Christmas Concert at the Miller Performing Arts Center to get everyone in the festive spirit in December.

Dance Implosion

Senior boys join the Helias Dance Explosion for the traditional "Dance Implosion" performance during halftime of a varsity boys basketball game.

City recognition

The Helias Catholic varsity girls tennis team was recognized at the Jefferson City Council's December meeting. The Lady Crusaders tennis team won the Class 2 District 4 championship this fall, with the doubles team of Catie Meystrik and Josie Meystrik going to state.

As we celebrate Catholic Schools Week and the gift of an excellent, affordable Catholic education in our community, please remember Helias Catholic High School in your 2025 charitable giving plans! The continued support of our generous Crusader family makes it possible to serve our students and families year after year.

Please visit www.heliascatholic.com/giving for information about how to give.

Crusaders in the News

The 1984 state champion Crusader football team is featured in the January 2025 edition of Show-Me Sports magazine.

Helias Catholic celebrated the 40-year anniversary of the football program’s first state championship victory this past season.

Click here to read the full feature on on the 1984 team in the magazine’s digital edition.

Denny Hughes ‘76 and the Crusader baseball program were featured in the January 2025 issue of Show-Me Sports magazine.

Hughes was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame alongside the 1987–89 Crusader baseball teams in fall 2024.

Read the full feature in Show-Me Sports magazine’s digital edition.

Hannah Luetkemeyer ‘23 was featured in the January 2025 issue of Show-Me Sports magazine.

Hannah currently plays volleyball for Westminster College, where she is majoring in exercise science.

Read the full feature in Show-Me Sports magazine’s digital edition.

Crusader Updates

Kyle Bruemmer '96 has been named Jefferson City's director of public works, where he will oversee the city's infrastructure maintenance and repair projects. Kyle previously served as city engineer for Fulton, Missouri.

Ted LePage '85 led the Blair Oaks High School football team to the 2024 state championship as head coach, his fifth state championship coaching win at the school

Grace Winegar '20 was named an NAIA Third Team All-American as a defender for the Columbia College women's soccer team. Grace is currently a graduate student working toward a master's of business administration. Her honors also include the NAIA National Championship All-Tournament Team, All-Conference First Team, Academic All-Conference, and CSC Academic All-District.

Eliza Pierce ’22 presented a paper at the Joint Conference on serious games at New York University in November. Eliza, a student at the University of Missouri-Columbia, contributed to the paper titled “Examining Student Responses to Game Layers in Cultural Geography: A Study About Game Spatiality in a Role-Playing Game Design.” Under the MU School of Information and Learning Technologies, College of Education and Human Development, the study examined the impact of the game space in Stories of a Geo-Farmer, a digital game prototype designed to enhance cultural geography in higher education.

Share your Crusader updates!

Career milestone or promotion? Marriage or new baby?

Email alumni@heliascatholic.com to share your professional and personal updates with the Helias Catholic community in a future alumni newsletter!

Friendly face

Crusader alum Staff Sgt. Ryan Gartner '16 with the Missouri Army National Guard visited Helias Catholic during the fall semester to meet with juniors about their ASVAB test results.

Cheer on the Crusaders this season!

Schedules for Helias Catholic winter sports teams' seasons are available on the school website. Mark your calendar to cheer on the Crusaders in boys and girls basketball and wrestling!

Helias Catholic is looking for qualified educators to join the Crusader family for the 2025-26 school year!

Any interested applicants should email Assistant Principal Emma Williams.

Click here for more details.

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