Established in 2013, the BSM Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes and honors those who have made significant contributions on the field, on the court, or competing as Red Knights. Nearly 100 members of the Hall of Fame have been inducted, including this year’s class on Friday, Oct. 4:

• Jon Hanks
• Haley Jerabek Liberty ‘13
• Jon Lynch ‘08
• Kelly Pannek ‘14
• Johnny Mulvahill ‘12
• Khadijah Shumpert ‘12
• Jim Wander
• The 1997 Boys’ Soccer Team

If you would like to nominate a BSM alum to our Athletic Hall of Fame, you can do so here.

Let’s meet this year’s inductees:

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Jim Wander

The physics of running involves a number of forces and concepts, including Newton’s Third Law, gravity, heel strike, vertical oscillation, arm swing, body weight, and training. Perhaps that is why Jim Wander was so successful at coaching both running and nordic skiing. His knowledge of physics paired with his passion for running led to years of coaching even the most novice runner, skier, pole vaulter, or jumper into a successful athlete.

During the school day you would see Mr. Wander in his lab coat entertaining all of his students with his knowledge of and excitement for Physics. Then after school, like SuperMan going into his booth, he would emerge in his shorts and bandana and would be off running. He very rarely walked. If you had the talent and drive to win, he had the knowledge to guide you to that goal. Mr. Wander was a constant source of inspiration. Whether he was helping runners navigate the challenges of rough terrain during a cross-country race, braving a rainy day on the track, or troubleshooting a physics experiment gone awry, he was always there to guide, motivate, and uplift students through it all.

On the days when sprinters would be doing a road workout, hating all of it, he would sprint up to them like nothing and start telling an interesting story, usually about someone’s race and strategy, and then all of a sudden they would realize the worst part of the workout was done. Then, like a little ping pong ball, he would zip onto the next group and do the same for them. He would remind his athletes to 'pour on the coals' and never give up, knowing that sometimes a donut could inspire them as well. Jim has the most welcoming and nurturing demeanor.

You can know him for a long time, without ever really having a long conversation with him, but still consider him a good friend. He was there for everyone, no matter their ability. He made everyone feel they were absolutely a part of it and that made him so unique as a coach. And nobody in the world can move hurdles faster than Jim Wander.

Congratulations, Jim Wander!

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Jon Hanks

You knew the Red Knights had arrived when you heard the Polaris fire up and drive out of the trailer - leading the football team onto the field for their warmups. Like Bill Belichick and his sleeveless sweatshirt, Coach Jon Hanks was known for his sweatshirt on the sidelines. What many may not know about him was that he worked the overnight shift, getting home from work around 6 a.m., sleeping until noon, and then was off to BSM to prep for the day.

He would get all of the equipment ready, prepare the fields, and watch video in preparation for practices and games. Jon was there doing it all. In his 20 or so years coaching at BSM other schools learned that you better hope you don’t play him twice in the same season because if Jon saw you once, he would beat you the second time no matter what. He was so confident in his coaching abilities that he wasn’t afraid to surround himself with great coaches to support him and help build a successful football program.

John Porisch, assistant coach from Hanks’s first year through 2019, said, “What I loved about coaching for Jon Hanks is that he always wore his emotions on his sleeve, and you knew what he was thinking in the moment because he administered transparent and worthwhile advice and instruction. Jon never sugar-coated his message and he held his athletes accountable.” An ex-military, Coach Hanks was hard nosed, old school football.

But, the kids were getting so much more from him. Jon was interested in you being a good man as well as a good football player. He taught the boys the importance of a firm handshake and looking a person in the eye. On Friday nights his exterior was gruff and his personality was fiery. In practice the pressure was on the kids, but in games he took the pressure off of them, showing them kindness and compassion. When a kid made mistakes he would have his arm around them.

He had a soft heart for the players. Daniel Porisch ‘22 shared that “Coach Hanks cared about players’ success and was very personable. He coached you hard, but loved you harder.”

Congratulations Coach Hanks!

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The 1997 Boys’ Soccer Team

The fall of 1997 was an exciting time to be a Red Knight. The boys’ soccer team was 15-2-1 heading into the section tournament, and they had the leading scorer in the state on their team.

However, it wasn’t just Ryan Dolan who led the team to victory. Seventeen different players scored goals throughout the season as the ‘97 boys’ soccer team won their way to the FIRST EVER team State Championship for Benilde-St. Margaret’s. Scoring goals is essential in winning a soccer game. But oftentimes the save of a goalkeeper can be just as essential, and that is just what Wes Durand did in the Section Finals game against Blake that sent the team to the state tournament.

A feat that had not happened since 1983. The piece that ties it all together is the stability and experience of a seasoned coach. Hank Scheinost just so happened to be that coach for both the ‘83 and ‘97 teams. It just may have been the previous experience in the 80’s that helped him coach the team to victory in the 90’s. That, and the boys’ ability to flip an intensity switch when it really matters most.

It’s a team sport and a team title, and that is reflected by the players here today who represent captains, MVPs, Most-Improved players, Coaches’ Award winners, All-Conference award winners, All-Metro players, and All-Tournament Team members of the 1997 Boys’ Soccer Team.

Congratulations to all of the coaches and members of the team!

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Haley Jerabek Liberty ‘13

Haley Jerabek Liberty was a four-sport athlete at BSM, making differences on the soccer pitch, the cross country course, the nordic trails, and the track. She was a captain, all conference award winner, state competitor, and famously did a flip throw-in to her teammate in the championship state soccer game that led to the winning goal.

On the track, Haley competed in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter and 1,600-meter runs, earning all-state honors in 2010 and 2011. She also helped her team capture a state track title in 2012. Haley went on to Xavier where she competed in cross country and track & field. She represented Xavier regularly in the Big East Championships in both cross country and track & field. In cross country she posted a 5K best of 18:48, and a 6K best of 21:48.

On the track, her fastest 800m time was 2:17.58, and her best 1500m was 4:49.30. Haley also continued leading those around her as captain of both Cross Country and Track & Field her senior year, and won a PNC Athlete Achiever award for students who have success in the classroom and out in the community.

She also worked hard in the classroom, earning Big East all-academic team 3 years in a row.

Congratulations, Haley!

 

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Jon Lynch ‘08

Our next inductee is a true team player. During his time playing baseball and football at BSM he was awarded accolades like all conference, coach’s award, captain, offensive MVP, and St. Paul Pioneer Press all state honorable mention, however, when asked to help us make sure our research on his accomplishments was correct, Jon Lynch responded, “I just want to focus on the team’s accomplishments.”

As a junior Jon guided BSM to its first state football semifinal appearance in 26 years and went on to become the Red Knights' all-time passing yardage and touchdown leader. He went on to play for the University of Minnesota Duluth.

In 2008, his first season there, he became just the second true freshman in 24 years to see playing time at quarterback for the Bulldogs. Jon was the starting quarterback from 2009-2012, and led the team to a Conference Championship all 5 of his years there, plus two Division 2 National Championships in 2008 and 2010.

Their combined record was 64-7.

Congratulations, Jon!

 

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Khadijah Shumpert ‘12

Khadijah Shumpert was a 4 year varsity basketball player known as a force to be reckoned with on the court. She was no stranger to awards like All Conference, All State, All Star Roster, and NSC Most Valuable Player.

She went on to play Division I basketball for New Mexico and continued to make a name for herself with the Lobos with accolades like All-Mountain West Honorable Mention, All-Mountain West Defensive Team, Mountain West All-Tournament Team, First-Team All-Conference, and UNM Thanksgiving All-Tournament Team.

Not only did she work hard on the court, but she also earned Academic All-Conference and Academic All-Mountain West selections during her time at New Mexico. In 2016 Khadijah became the 14th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds. After college, she took her skills across the pond where she was an international professional basketball player in Greece and Germany.

Khadijah now uses her skills and knowledge to advocate for girls’ youth basketball and coach future stars.

Congratulations, Khadijah!

 

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Johnny Mulvahill ‘12

The BSM soccer pitch had a special spark when our next inductee took the field. In 2011 Johnny Mulvahill led the Red Knights to a State Championship. That year he also became the first ever Benilde-St.Margaret’s player to be named Mr. Soccer. Johnny was a three-year varsity player and 2 time captain with 22 career goals and 16 assists.

He was a 2-time All Conference award winner, and twice named to the Class A All State Team. According to a 2011 Knight Errant article, teammate Brian Tobelmann said, “He was just an all-around player that could make something out of nothing. Whenever we had an open position, either defense, midfield, or forward, he was always able to play that position, and play it well.

He had really good ball control and was able to take the ball and mount attacks involving the entire team.” Johnny went on to play for the University of St. Thomas where he played in 81 games, with 75 starts, 4,973 total minutes, and 12 goals scored. He was twice named MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention and Academic All-MIAC.

In 2015 he was the MIAC Elite 22 Award winner. His final year, 2016, he was captain of the team, named MIAC All-Conference, 1st Team All-Region, NCAA All-Tournament Team, and led the Tommies to their first ever MIAC Playoff championship and NCAA final four in 2016.

Congratulations, Johnny!

 

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Kelly Pannek ‘14

Not many of us here have a Wikipedia page where the whole world can see our accomplishments. That is not the case for Kelly Pannek. Although they missed some of her BSM accomplishments such as 4 year varsity letter winner in both hockey and soccer, all conference and all state awards in both sports, all-metro 2nd team in hockey, Ms. Soccer winner, and Ms. Hockey finalist, here is what Wikipedia has to say:

Kelly Pannek is an American professional ice hockey player for the Minnesota Frost of the Professional Women's Hockey League. She previously played in the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association. In high school, she set the state record for the quickest natural hat trick, scoring three goals in 22 seconds in a 2012 game. Across 157 games for the University of Minnesota in the NCAA, Pannek put up 186 points.

Kelly was a 2016-17 AHCA-CCM Women's University Division I First-Team All-American. In 2017, she was a Patty Kazmaier Award Finalist after scoring 62 points in 39 games and winning the national championship for the second year in a row. After taking leave for 2017–18 to train with the US Olympic team, she returned to captain the university in 2018–19. She was drafted 4th overall by the Minnesota Whitecaps in the 2018 NWHL Draft.

After graduating, she joined the PWHPA. Internationally, she was first invited to the senior team's development camp in December 2016. She would then participate at the 2017 IIHF Women's World Championship, as well as the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

She was a member of the gold-medal-winning American team at the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she picked up two assists in five games, including a long pass to Monique Lamoureux for the game-tying goal in the gold medal game, and finished in the tournament's top 10 for faceoff percentage.

On January 2, 2022, Pannek was named to Team USA's roster to represent the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympics. This past winter, the PWHL Minnesota Women’s Hockey Team (now The Frost) won the inaugural Walter Cup championship.

And the BSM girls’ hockey program is lucky enough to call her coach.

Congratulations, Kelly!