Beyond the Cab Days
OC TOBER 2012 FLOWING WELLS HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI AND AFFILIATES ANNUAL NEWSLETTER Flowing Wells Family in the News in 2011-2012
John Bryant, Class of 1976: As head coach at three different schools, he has coached his teams to 14 state titles in four different sports: foot‐
ball, basketball, track and field, and softball. Dorothy Probst, Class of 1975: She has started her own architecture company and is doing a feasibility study for a proposed film festival. Kevin Shinkle, Class of 1983: Has been working in the newspaper busi‐
ness for many years, and is now the Deputy Business Editor for the Asso‐
ciated Press in Manhattan. Lyndsay Leikem, Class of 2013: After averaging 15.3 points and 11.4 re‐
bounds for Flowing Wells last season, she committed to play at Ole Miss. Tyler Rico, Class of 2012: Competed with an air rifle in the Junior Olym‐
pics; was accepted to Air force Acad‐
emy. Carol Kirkpatrick, Class of 1960: Ran a successful Aria Ready Summer Pro‐
gram. Flowing Wells High School’s Drama Company received a Gold Honor Troupe at the Arizona Thespian Festi‐
val. Drama teacher Emily Arnold received the Thespian Teacher of the Year Award. Flowing Wells High School FFA Soils INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Scholarship Recipients 1 Alumni Hall of Fame 2 Scholarship Donations 2 Pathway to Excellence 3 Obituaries 3 Sports Hall of Fame 4/5 Membership Form 6 team placed fourth overall and the Nursery/Landscape Team placed eighth at the Arizona Future Farmers of Amer‐
ica Spring Conference. Tara Erdmann, Class of 2007: The seven‐time All‐American joined the prestigious Nike Oregon Project dis‐
tance running team. Flowing Wells High School Fashion and Theater Costume Design students showcased 140 pieces created by stu‐
dents for the Fusion 2 fashion show. Abyee Maracigan, Class of 2008: Played in the NCAA basketball tourna‐
ment with her Idaho State teammates. Chris Ayer, Class of 2002: Averaged 19.1 points and 12.4 rebounds for the Los Angeles Lightning of the Independ‐
ent Basketball Association, and led his team to the IBA playoffs. Arizona Daily Star’s Southern Arizona’s Top 100 Sports Figures of 2011: Marcus Titus, Class of 2005 Tara Erdmann, Class of 2007, Chris Ayer, Class of 2002. Flowing Wells School District achieved district‐wide accreditation from the national accrediting agency AdvancED. Debbie Young, Richardson Elementary School Teacher: 2012 Arizona Ambas‐
sador for Excellence. Jim Brunenkant, Flowing Wells High School Principal: Rodel Exemplary Prin‐
cipal. Nancy Wheelock, School Psychologist: 2011 School Psychologist of the Year. Sentinel Peak High School celebrated the grand opening of its new campus. Elliott Groce, Sixth Grade Student at Laguna Elementary School: Won the 2012 Pima County Spelling Bee. Featuring: Mona Dayton Mona started teaching first grade in the Flowing Wells School District in the mid 1950s. The genius in her teaching was that she allowed nature to teach children. She had many field trips all over the desert. Her classes regularly visited the homes of diverse cultures so that the children were touched by the cultural wisdom of the ages. Mona once wrote “For students to be useful as unique and different individuals, and yet related as human beings, we need to organize schools and classrooms horizontally rather than vertically. Chil‐
dren are people. They grow into tomor‐
row only as they live today.” Mona’s teaching success was noticed and she was chosen as the National Teacher of the Year in 1966. President Lyndon Johnson appointed her to several na‐
tional educational committees. She went on to earn a Ph.D. in Education and she taught for many years at Southampton College in Long Island. She had four children, eleven grand‐
children, and one great grandchild. 2012 Scholarship Recipients
4 Year Gloria Damian ‐ $1000 Tanner Debellis ‐ $1000 Christina Montoya ‐ $1000 Sarah Fermawi ‐ $800 Cody Kaiser ‐ $800 Jacqueline Mullins ‐ $800 Travis Puckett ‐ $800 Giselle Cardosa ‐ $500 Julio Enriquez ‐ $200 2 Year Ana Villalvazo ‐ $500 Membership Form on Last Page Shannon Barton ‐ $300 Continuing Alyssa Trueblood ‐ $300 Flowing Wells High School Alumni Hall of Fame
Gabriel Aragon: A 1997 graduate, Gabe earned a platinum diploma. He was an active member of the National Honor Society and both the varsity swimming and track teams. He was named to the All City Swim Team and received the AIA Scholar Athlete Award, the U.S. Marine Corps Distinguished Athlete Award, and the President's Education Award. During his junior year of undergraduate school, Gabe was awarded an internship at the Arizona State Legislature where he assisted with research and writing. While in law school, he was selected for Arizona State Law Journal. Gabe now practices commercial law in Phoenix. He also provides volunteer legal services to indigent clients through the Maricopa County Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Program. Gabe and his wife, Nikki Ferrugia Aragon, have a son. Melissa Wallace: A 1999 graduate, Melissa earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Arizona State University in 2004. She is currently an Attitude Determination and Control Officer (ADCO) flight controller for NASA’s International Space Station. This position requires excellent communication, problem solving, and leadership skills to ensure the safety of the crew and the vehicle, as well as the success of the mission. Melissa has led multiple space shuttle and international visiting vehicle missions for the ADCO team, coordinated and integrated software upgrades for the US and Russian computers onboard the ISS, and managed major projects for the training facilities and processes used to train flight controllers. She has been recognized by NASA with multiple awards. Melissa is active in educational outreach and has been the co‐lead of her church’s Girls Discipleship group for over six years, mentoring teen girls 13‐18 years of age. Dr. Britney Schmidt: A 2000 graduate, Britney finished her bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Arizona and completed her master’s and Ph.D. in five years at UCLA. She is a published author in the prestigious journals Science Magazine and Nature Magazine. Her article about the discovery of water on the Jupiter moon Europa, which is a fundamental shift in the science field, earned her the honor of a televised press release at NASA headquarters. She is featured in videos on many international websites. Britney has put forward seven major proposals to NASA and has participated in many others. She also participated in the development of several spacecraft mission concepts. She is currently a research scientist at the University of Texas. Britney is dedicated to serving her community through work with Habitat for Humanity, Brewster House Women’s Shelter, Ronald McDonald House and the UMC Children's Center. In addition to her role with education and public outreach on the Dawn Mission, Britney volunteers her time talking to students and teachers promoting science and education in both local and national broadcasts. Benjamin Jimenez: A 1976 graduate, Ben attended Pima Community College and the University of Arizona, earning his Public Administration and Criminal Justice degree. For the past 32 years, Ben has worked as a police officer with the Tucson Police Department. He has been a detective in the narcotics, fraud, robbery/arson, and sexual abuse details, but is best known for his work as a homicide detective where he has investigated high‐
profile murder cases. His efforts have resulted in the arrest and conviction of many criminals, helping to ensure the safety of the community. Ben was named the Police Officer of the Year in 1989, was awarded the Tucson Police Department Distinguished Medal of Service in 1995, has been awarded 38 commendations from the Police Command Staff, and has received 153 letters of appreciation from community members. Ben has worked tirelessly with the Knights of Columbus to raise money for the needy and to help feed and clothe the homeless. He and his wife Paula have raised five children. If you would like to apply for the Alumni Hall of Fame or nominate someone, you may download the application from the Flowing Wells website at http://www.flowingwellsschools.org/ on the Alumni Association page, or you may contact Principal Jim Brunenkant at (520) 696‐8002. Scholarship Donations in 2012 - Total $4,200
Class Donor 1962 Pamela Capen Stewart ‐ In memory of Rebekah Richards Strickland, Yolanda Mitchell Williams, Class of 1967, and Faculty and Staff 1965 Larry Smith $25 1965 Barbara Fagen O’Dowd ‐ In memory of Linda Swinford, Class of 1965 $25 1966 Joe Covey 1966/1995 Sharon Smith Brown/Donald Brown Amount $100 $1000 $2000 1969/1970 Greg and Patricia Fulton Spriggs $100 1976 $100 Karen Griesser Whiting ‐ In remembrance of my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Griesser 1977/1978 Jon and Angie Peterman Ziegler ‐ In memory of Dorothy Truman and Vic Meneley $500 1980 Melody Lowe ‐ In memory of Missy Wood, Class of 1980 $100 1988 Lynette Wedlake Roseburg Teacher Mary Holloway ‐ In memory of all the friends I have lost this year PAGE 2 $50 $200 Flowing Wells Pathway to Excellence
• It may be the name of an actual individual or entity; Alumni representative Mary Holloway and a small committee developed the fundraising concept called the Flowing Wells Pathway to Excellence, which allows individuals to purchase 8” x 8” inscribed bricks, at a cost of $50 each, that will eventu‐
ally fill a 90 foot sidewalk directly in front of the John J. Pedi‐
cone, Jr. Performing Arts Center. The inscription will be permanent and would enable individuals to recognize former students or teachers, as well as general congratulations statements. The following are the requirements of the inscriptions: • It can be used as a memorial (e.g., “In Memory of…”); • It can indicate previous attendance (e.g., dates of previous attendance and/or graduation); • It may offer a general congratulation or similar statement. For more information, contact: Kelli Land at 696‐8825 or kelli.land@fwusd.org Flowing Wells Pathway to Excellence Order Form Each line is limited to 18 characters including spaces. Line One Line Two Line Three Line Four Flowing Wells School District reserves the right of advance approval of the content of all bricks prior to installation. Please attach your $50 check payable to: Flowing Wells Educational Foundation Name Address City/State/Zip Telephone E‐mail We mourn the loss of our friends:
Bill Roark, Class of 1957 Brian Bowie, Class of 1958 Beulah Reed, Class of 1958 Joseph Evano, Jr., Class of 1962 Janna Shaffer Finney‐Nale, Class of 1964 Marilyn Warskow, Class of 1966 Steve Call, Class of 1967 Yolanda Mitchell Williams, Class of 1967 Jack Carothers, Class of 1968 Rick Fisk, Class of 1974 Tommy Galvez, Class of 1974 Larry Frear, Class of 1977 Robert Ingalls, Class of 1978 Lena Ochoa Baker, Class of 1981 Melisa Norman, Class of 1992 Joann Nussman Chester, Class of 1998 Return completed form and payment to: Flowing Wells Educational Foundation Attn: Kelli Land 1556 W. Prince Road Tucson, AZ 85705 Employees Hugh Adams Tony Brooks Victor Meneley Duane “Ace” Miller Dan Mills Eileen Smith Dave Snyder Alice Tremblay PAGE 3 Flowing Wells
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Candace Abrams: A 2000 graduate, Candace participated in varsity soccer and softball all four years and golf for three years, earning eleven varsity letters while at Flowing Wells. In golf, Candace was a member of the first and second women’s City All‐Star team. In soccer, she was first team All Southern Arizona twice, but it was in softball that Candace really shined. During her softball career, Candace was a member of the first team All‐Southern Arizona three times. She was a pre‐season All‐American her senior year. She was a two‐time most valuable player and team captain. She was a member of four region championship teams and she was also a member of two state championship teams her junior and senior years. Candace went on to play college softball for the University of Arizona where her team won the NCAA National Championship in 2001. Candace is currently coach‐
ing softball at the University of Arizona. Marc Janis: Marc was employed by the Flowing Wells School District for 24 years from 1975 to 1999. During his time at Flowing Wells, Marc was the head Girls Basketball coach for 16 years compiling a record of 289 wins. Marc was recog‐
nized as the Tucson Coach of the Year in 1977, 1980, 1992, and again in 2002. His teams qualified for the State Tourna‐
ment 12 out of his 16 years. His teams won region champi‐
onships eight times and were state runners‐up in 1993. He was also the head/assistant Girls Cross‐Country coach for 20 years. He was the 4A Coach of the Year in 1996 and 1998. His teams won eight region championships and two state runners‐up before winning it all in 1979. After his coaching days, Marc went on to be the District Athletic Director from 1997‐1999. He added a few more years to his coaching resume by coaching girls basketball at Blue Ridge High School for four years. Marc is now semi‐retired, lives in Tucson, and is married to Jody Stefanski‐Janis. Matt Lucas: A 1992 graduate, Matt lettered in Football two years and Wrestling four years. In Football, Matt was the leading rusher for the Cabs in 1992. In Wrestling, Matt was on the All‐City Team in both 1991 and 1992. He was a two‐
time region champion and a two‐time state finalist winning the state Wrestling championship in 1992. After high school, Matt went on to become a two‐time All‐American in Wrestling finishing as high as third in the NCAA champion‐
ships in 1996. Currently, Matt is a professional Mixed Mar‐
tial Artist with a record of 15‐2. He was the Dungal World Submission Fighting champion as well as the current Rage in the Cage champion. Matt now lives in Mesa, Arizona and has two children. Daphne Russell: A 1984 graduate, Daphne earned three letters in Basketball, three letters in Volleyball, and was a four year letter winner in Softball. In Volleyball, she was the first team All‐Conference Captain and in Softball, Daphne was the MVP her junior and senior years. She was first team PAGE 4 All‐Conference and All‐City two years. She earned All‐State honors her senior year in Softball and was on the team that captured the state championship in 1984. After high school, Daphne played two years at Pima Community College and then went on to play two years at Florida State University. Daphne is currently teaching in Tucson Unified School Dis‐
trict and she has one daughter. Paul Schmidt: A 1971 graduate, Paul played on the Football team. As a high school lineman, he played on teams that went a cumulative 18‐2. He also played in the state final game his senior year. He was selected as the Tucson Line‐
man of the Year in 1970. After high school, Paul went on to play for Mesa Community College where his team won the 1973 National Championship. Paul was selected as a first team All‐American. He then went on to play for Jim Young at the University of Arizona for two years helping both those teams go 9‐2. In addition to playing football, Paul also was the head Football coach at both Marana High School and Mountain View High School. In 1993, Paul was the defen‐
sive coordinator for the Lions’ undefeated team that took the state championship. Paul is married to Gayle and has two children. Kyle Wheeler: A 1978 graduate, Kyle won eight varsity let‐
ters while participating in both Cross Country and Track. In Cross Country, Kyle was a member of the All‐City team both in 1976 and 1977 being named captain of the team in 1977. He was a member of several region championship teams in Cross Country and was the individual State Cross Country Champion in 1977. In track, Kyle was also selected to the All
‐City teams in 1977 and 1978. He was the individual state champion in the one‐mile run and placed second in the two‐
mile run. During his career at Flowing Wells, Kyle accumu‐
lated over 3000 miles of training. After high school, Kyle went on to participate in Cross Country for the University of Arizona. Kyle currently works for Raytheon, is married to Barbara, and they have three children. 1968 Boys Basketball Team State Champions: Coaches Ed Nymeyer and Lee Engbretson, Monte Davis, Ronnie Vida, Dave Linhart, Tom Moorehead, Frank Galvez, Lenny Moore, Jack Carothers, Eldon Patterson, Larry Diffie, Bruce Cripe, Gary Penix, Richard Hobson, Steve Ziegler, Managers Daryle Lafferty, Steve Leek, and Tim Smith Flowing Wells High School Alumni Sports Hall of Fame 2012
The following athletes were inducted into the FWHS Sports Hall of Fame on September 7, 2012
Kelly Ault: A 1981 graduate, Kelly lettered all four years in Volley‐
ball, Basketball and Softball for a total of 12 letters. She earned second team All‐Conference in Volleyball, second team All‐
Conference in Basketball and was also selected to the Basketball All‐Star team in 1981. In Softball she was first team All‐Conference three years in a row. She was a member of two State Runners‐up teams in Softball and was a member of two Division Championship Basketball teams. Kelly went to Eastern Arizona College on scholar‐
ship and earned letters in Volleyball, Basketball and Softball. She was the assistant coach on the 1984 State Championship Softball Team. Kelly currently lives in Tucson and is a teacher at Challenger Middle School. Kristy Bauersachs‐VanMarle: A 1993 graduate, Kristy lettered in Swimming and Basketball all four years and also earned three let‐
ters in Track & Field. In Swimming, Kristy was the MVP four years in a row and the team captain her senior year. She won eight Divi‐
sion Championships and was All‐City her senior year. In Basketball, she was the MVP three years and the co‐captain her senior year. She earned All‐City honors two years. She was the first Basketball player to score over 1,000 points. In track, Kristy was a three‐year MVP and team captain for two years. She was the Southern Divi‐
sion High Jump Champion her junior year and placed in state all three years. She was a member of the All‐State Track team two years. She still holds the school record in the high jump at 5’5”. After high school, Kristy earned a bachelor’s degree from the Uni‐
versity of Arizona and a master’s and PH.D. at Yale University, and currently she is a professor at the University of Missouri. Kristy is married to Loukas and has three children. Dominick Cruz: A 2003 graduate, Dominick earned two letters in Football and four varsity letters in Wrestling. Dominick qualified for state all four years placing fifth his senior year. He was also Region Champion in 2003, as well as Most Valuable Wrestler. He is on the list in five major categories for school records and currently holds the school record for most near‐falls. After high school, Dominick used his talents in Mixed Martial Arts and earned cham‐
pionship belts with Rage in the Cage, Total Combat and the WEC. After multiple fights he became WEC World Bantam Weight Cham‐
pion. Dominick made history with the most strikes recorded and is the only Champion in WEC to continue reigning in UFC and is now Five‐Time Champion of the World in the UFC with an incredible record of 20‐1‐0. Dominick was the coach of the Ultimate Fighter TV show which recently aired for six months on FOX‐TV. You can also see Dominick’s picture on the Edge Shaving Cream can. Dominick currently lives in San Diego, California where he contin‐
ues to train to defend his World Championship at his Aliance Gym. Laura Midkiff‐Wyrick: A 1978 graduate, Laura earned letters in Volleyball, Basketball, Softball and Track. She was on the All‐City Track team in 1977 where she was a Division place winner in the Long Jump and the High Jump. Laura was also selected to the All‐
State and All‐Division Basketball teams as well as the Division II Softball team. Laura went on the Central Arizona College where she played Basketball and Softball. After graduating from Central Arizona College, Laura went to the University of Arizona where she participated on the Basketball team. Currently, Laura is married to Tim and lives in Kansas City, Kansas. Ed Jordan: A 1958 graduate, Ed was a three‐sport letterman while in high school and then spent almost 20 years as a Tucson sports‐
writer. He has been honored by the National Softball Writers & Broadcasters, Tucson Coaches Association and Arizona Football Hall of Fame for his work in promoting high school sports. Known as the state’s best prep sports authority, he was the first recipient of the Class AAA Conference High School Media Award; and Tuc‐
son’s first Shrine All‐Star Football game was dedicated to him. Ed was one of the first inductees into the Southern Arizona Softball and Baseball Hall of Fame (1978). Ed was the high school sports editor at the Arizona Daily Star from 1957 to 1966, when he moved to the Tucson Citizen. He died in 1978 after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. The annual MS Ed Jordan, Jr. Memorial Award recognizes athletes who display the same exceptional cour‐
age and determination as did Ed. In the words of P.J. Erickson, Tucson Citizen: “Against MS every call is third down and long yard‐
age. And if it comes to fourth down, there’s no punt; you go for it. But Ed’s attitude never changed. He fought it like he did everything else, with a happy‐go‐lucky smile and a twinkle in his eye.” David Moore : A 1976 graduate, David earned two letters in Base‐
ball and three letters in Football. David was selected to the All‐
Conference Football team twice. He was a two‐time All‐City hon‐
oree and two‐time All‐State player in Football. In 1975 he was selected as Silhouette Award winner for the Best‐Defensive Player in Arizona. He was recognized as an All‐American while in high school. He was a member of both the State Runners‐up teams in 1973 and 1974 and was the defensive team captain for the Cabs State Championship Football Team in 1975. After high school, David played junior college football at Western Community College for two years and then the University of Arizona. Currently, David is married to Amanda and has two children. Rett Wilbur: Rett was a teacher and coach in the Flowing Wells District for over 30 years. During his tenure at Flowing Wells, Rett Coached Football in grades 7 through 12 and both Boys and Girls Basketball in grades 7 through 12. He also coached high school Baseball, Cross Country, and Track. Rett was involved in coaching multiple Delta League championships in Football. He had several Freshman and JV Conference Football and Basketball Champion‐
ship teams. He was coach of the 1984 Conference Varsity Basket‐
ball team. He assisted on several runner‐up teams in Conference and Region games as well as being the Varsity Assistant Football Coach for the Conference Championship teams in from 1984 through 1987. Rett lives in Mesa, Arizona with his wife Susan, with whom he raised three children. 1970 Boys Tennis Team State Champions: Coach Walter Milligan, Jim Clancy, Dave Eggen, Henry Emery, Mark Evenson, Tom Hast‐
ings, Mark McDonald and Don Nicolay PAGE 5 Beyond the Cab Days
NON‐PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID TUCSON, AZ PERMIT NO. 44 Flowing Wells Unified School District 1556 W. Prince Road Tucson, Arizona 85705‐3087 Attn: Alumni Association (520) 696‐8801 If you received this in error or have an updated address please notify us. Please remember to keep your dues current. The mailing label above shows the year through which your dues are paid. Spouses (if both FW graduates) may each receive a newsletter because female names are entered in the database by their maiden name. Flowing Wells Alumni Association Membership Form
Keep in Touch for Life! Send your dues, donation, or data changes. Name Maiden Name Spouse Address City E‐mail address Class Class (if FW Alumni) State Zip Are you interested in serving as a Flowing Wells Alumni Association officer or committee member? Highlights for upcoming newsletter Yearly Dues: $10 Amount Enclosed Scholarship Fund Donation: $25, $50, $100, $250, $500, Other Please indicate if your donation is a tribute to or in memory of a person or class. Donations are tax deductible. Your canceled check is your receipt. Make checks payable to: FWAA, 1556 W. Prince Rd., Tucson, AZ 85705‐3087 Alumni Newsletter Committee Editors: Janet DeCiancio Herman, Class of 1977 Mary Holloway, retired teacher This newsletter is posted on the Flowing Wells School District website at www.flowingwellsschools.org, on the FW High School Alumni Page.