Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School
Encyclopedia
Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School is a Marianist
Catholic
High school
in Bellevue, Nebraska
, United States
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
. Gross promotes a traditional high school education while emphasizing Marianist traditions and values. The school motto is "Dux Esto" which means "Be a Leader." The school mascot is a cougar and the school colors are burnt orange and royal blue
.
"Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School is a faith and family based community committed to developing Christian leaders through educational excellence in the Marianist tradition."
of the high school and wished to honor her late husband, Daniel Gross. Thus fore, the newly constructed high school was named Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School.
Archbishop Gerald Bergan invited the priests and brothers from the Society of Mary
and the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to help create the Gross Catholic community. Bro. Leo Willett, S.M., the first principal, opened the school on September 3, 1968 with a freshman class of 175 students. The Class of 1972 became the first graduating class on May 28, 1972. Today, Gross Catholic continues the proud tradition of educational excellence with over 7,300 alumni.
, under whose inspiration and leadership the school was conceived.
On the ribbon at the bottom is inscribed the motto DUX ESTO (Be a Leader). At the top are three chain links representing the archdiocesan officials, parish priests and elementary school teachers; the benefactors, parents, and friends of the school; the faculty and staff. All these are fastened by a circle representing the students, who are the real concern and connecting link of the above individuals and groups.
Since 1987, GHS graduated eleven Division I college baseball players. In 2009, after going 13-13 in the regular season, Omaha Gross went undefeated in the state tournament beating Lincoln Pius to be crowned the 2009 Nebraska Class B State Champions. The Cougars repeated as state champions in 2010 which was the school's sixth state championship. GHS was 9-13 and the sixth seed in the tournament. After losing in the first round, the Cougars became the first school to win six games in a row to capture the state championship.
State Championship Results
State Playoff Results
Boys State Individual Tournament Results
Boys State Tournament Results
Class B Team State Records
Individual Class B State Records
State Tournament Results
Matches: 44
Wins: 25
Win Pct: 0.568
Team Top 3 Finishes
Individual Champions
Society of Mary (Marianists)
The Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic Marian Society, is a congregation of brothers and priests called The Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. The Society was founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a priest who survived the anti-clerical persecution during the French Revolution. ...
Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
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 Bellevue, Nebraska
Bellevue, Nebraska
Bellevue is a city in Sarpy County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 50,137 at the 2010 census. Eight miles south of Omaha, Bellevue is part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area. Originally settled in the 1830s, It was the first state capitol. Bellevue was incorporated in...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Omaha is a particular church of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in the midwestern region of the United States. Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss...
. Gross promotes a traditional high school education while emphasizing Marianist traditions and values. The school motto is "Dux Esto" which means "Be a Leader." The school mascot is a cougar and the school colors are burnt orange and royal blue
Royal blue
Royal blue describes both a bright shade and a dark shade of azure blue. It is said to have been invented by millers in Rode, Somerset, a consortium of which won a competition to make a dress for the British queen, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz....
.
Mission statement
Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School's mission statement is:"Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School is a faith and family based community committed to developing Christian leaders through educational excellence in the Marianist tradition."
School history
The Archdiocese of Omaha built a new high school to meet the critical need for Catholic education in Sarpy County and south Omaha. Louise Gross donated much money to the constructionof the high school and wished to honor her late husband, Daniel Gross. Thus fore, the newly constructed high school was named Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School.
Archbishop Gerald Bergan invited the priests and brothers from the Society of Mary
Society of Mary (Marianists)
The Society of Mary, a Roman Catholic Marian Society, is a congregation of brothers and priests called The Marianists or Marianist Brothers and Priests. The Society was founded by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a priest who survived the anti-clerical persecution during the French Revolution. ...
and the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help to help create the Gross Catholic community. Bro. Leo Willett, S.M., the first principal, opened the school on September 3, 1968 with a freshman class of 175 students. The Class of 1972 became the first graduating class on May 28, 1972. Today, Gross Catholic continues the proud tradition of educational excellence with over 7,300 alumni.
Motto
Dux Esto means “Be a Leader.” Gross Catholic students are challenged, encouraged, and entrusted with a variety of responsibilities through which they can grow to meet the challenges of our society.Crest
The crest is divided by a cross. The upper left quarter bears an "A" superimposed on an "M". This symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary represents the Marian consecration of the two religious orders that founded the school, the Marianists and the Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Franciscan cord appears in this quarter. In the upper right quarter are the scales, the symbol of the law profession which was the career of Daniel J. Gross (1897–1958), a prominent Omaha attorney in whose memory the school was named. The lower right quarter is a torch representative of the school’s seeking achievement and excellence in academics and activities. It is surmounted by a banner inscribed with the school’s founding date, 1968. The lower right quarter bears a part of the coat of arms of Archbishop Gerald T. BerganGerald Thomas Bergan
-References:...
, under whose inspiration and leadership the school was conceived.
On the ribbon at the bottom is inscribed the motto DUX ESTO (Be a Leader). At the top are three chain links representing the archdiocesan officials, parish priests and elementary school teachers; the benefactors, parents, and friends of the school; the faculty and staff. All these are fastened by a circle representing the students, who are the real concern and connecting link of the above individuals and groups.
Athletics
- Baseball
- Boys Basketball
- Football
- Girls Basketball
- Boys Tennis
- Girls Tennis
- Boys Soccer
- Girls Soccer
- Track
- Cross Country
- Softball
- Volleyball
- Wrestling
- Girls Golf
- Boys Golf
Baseball
Omaha Gross Catholic is a historical powerhouse on the baseball diamond. They are tied with Omaha Northwest High School for the most consecutive Nebraska State Championships. In 1971 to 1974, Omaha Gross Catholic won four consecutive Class B State championships. They have qualified for the State Tournament fifteen times since 1971 (1971–1975, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 2000, 2003, 200, 2008–2010).Since 1987, GHS graduated eleven Division I college baseball players. In 2009, after going 13-13 in the regular season, Omaha Gross went undefeated in the state tournament beating Lincoln Pius to be crowned the 2009 Nebraska Class B State Champions. The Cougars repeated as state champions in 2010 which was the school's sixth state championship. GHS was 9-13 and the sixth seed in the tournament. After losing in the first round, the Cougars became the first school to win six games in a row to capture the state championship.
State Championship Results
| 1971 | Omaha Gross 3 | Centennial 0 |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Omaha Gross 4 | Dodge 1 |
| 1973 | Omaha Gross 4 | Bancroft 0 |
| 1974 | Omaha Gross 4 | Lincoln Pius X 0 |
| 2009 | Omaha Gross 4 | Lincoln Pius X 2 |
| 2010 | Omaha Gross 3 - 6 | Omaha Skutt 1 - 0 |
Football
Gross Catholic Football has a long tradition of competitive excellence. In 1983, Omaha Gross Catholic was a runner up to Omaha Creighton Prep in the Class A State finals 25 to 21.State Playoff Results
| 1978 | Omaha Burke W21-15, Omaha Creighton Prep L3-21 (Class A) |
|---|---|
| 1983 Runner-Up |
Omaha South W24-14, Lincoln East W24-7, Omaha Creighton Prep L21-25 (Class A) |
| 1984 | Fremont L12-14 (Class A) |
| 1992 | Wahoo W28-20, Auburn W29-0, Elkhorn L21-24 |
| 1995 | Omaha Roncalli W23-14, Blair W19-14, Lincoln Pius X L7-33 |
| 1996 | Omaha Skutt W17-0, Elkhorn L7-35 |
| 1997 | Omaha Skutt L13-20 |
| 1998 | Ralston W 42-22, Gretna L0-13 |
| 1999 | Elkhorn L14-48 |
| 2000 | Lincoln Pius X L20-34 |
| 2001 | South Sioux City L23-28 |
| 2002 | Omaha Roncalli Catholic W20-14, Elkhorn W21-20, Ralston L20-21 |
| 2004 | Elkhorn L21-56 |
| 2006 | Beatrice L21-43 |
| 2007 | Norris W28-7, Beatrice L62-63OT* |
| 2008 | Crete W17-10, Lincoln Pius X L0-14 |
| 2009 | Blair L38-28 |
| 2010 | Elkhorn L27-21 |
Golf
Boys State Team Tournament Results| 1997 | Champions - 315-312-627 |
|---|---|
| 1998 | Runner Up - 319-314-633 |
| 1999 | Runner Up - 305-303-608 |
| 2001 | Ninth (Tied) - 354-348-702 |
| 2002 | Seventh - 344-342-686 |
| 2003 | Seventh - 325-309-634 |
| 2005 | Champions - 306-306-612 |
| 2006 | Third - 330-322-652 |
| 2010 | Third - 316-318-634 |
Boys State Individual Tournament Results
| 1997 | 2) JJ Sullivan - 77-78-155 | 3) Sean Huck - 72-83-155 | 5) Pat Halpine - 83-75-158 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 5) Sean Huck - 77-73-150 | ||
| 1999 | 3) J. J. Sullivan - 70-73-143 | ||
| 2001 | T9) Matt Burke - 77-83-160 | ||
| 2002 | 8) Justin Hamilton - 81-82-163 | ||
| 2004 | 8) E.J. Hamilton - 78-76-154 | ||
| 2005 | 2) E.J. Hamilton - 69-72-141 | T9) Kevin Stanek - 73-76-149 | |
| 2006 | 4) EJ Hamilton - 75-74-149 | ||
| 2009 | T6) Taylor Sidzyik - 81-72-153 | 9) Michael Shukis - 80-74-154 | |
| 2010 | 6) Michael Shukis - 75-74-149 |
Soccer
Girls State Tournament Results| 1989 | Omaha Burke L0-3 |
|---|---|
| 1990 | Omaha Duchesne L1-2 OT |
| 1991 | Omaha Marian L2-6 |
| 1999 | Lincoln Pius X W1-0, Blair L1-2 |
| 2000 | Elkhorn W3-2, Blair L1-6 |
Boys State Tournament Results
| 1988 | Lincoln East L2-3 |
|---|---|
| 1989 | Millard North L2-3 |
| 2000 State Champion |
Lexington W4-0, South Sioux City W2-1 SO, Blair W3-1 |
Softball
State Tournament Results| 1993 Runner Up |
Omaha Central W3-0, Lincoln High W3-2, Millard North L1-10, Lincoln High W3-2,Millard North L6-10 |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Lincoln Southeast L0-1, Kearney W10-0, Papillion-La Vista W11-0, Ralston W5-3, Millard South L0-8 |
| 1997 | Elkhorn W10-0, McCook W3-2, Ralston L0-5, McCook L1-3 |
| 1998 | Holdrege L2-5, Valley W4-1, Columbus Lakeview W0-8, Beatrice L4-7 |
| 2004 | Omaha Skutt Catholic W3-0, Beatrice L2-3, Seward W6-0, Omaha Skutt Catholic L0-6 |
| 2006 | Elkhorn L2-7, Ralston L6-7 |
| 2008 | Seward L0-2, Aurora W7-2, Beatrice W3-2, Seward L3-4 |
Volleyball
The women's volleyball team continued its winning ways. Since 1999, the team has won 4 state championships. They have made the state finals 6 times in the 11 year stretch and placed third in 2008. Several members of the team have gone onto Division I women's volleyball team including Nebraska (Dani Mancuso), Missouri (Catie Wilson, Emily Wilson), South Dakota (Kendall Kritenbrink), South Dakota State (Kristie Klusaw), and Akron (Mary Delich).Class B Team State Records
| Ace Blocks, One Season | 530, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2001 |
|---|---|
| Service Aces, One Match (Tied) | 26, Omaha Gross Catholic, 1999 |
| Service Aces, Season Per Match Average | 12.06, Omaha Gross Catholic, 1999 |
Individual Class B State Records
| Kills, Career | 1,336, Dani Mancuso, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2002 |
|---|---|
| Kills, One Season | 621, Dani Mancuso, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2002 |
| Kills, Season Per Match Average | 16.32, Dani Mancuso, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2002 |
| Service Aces, Career | 285, Kim Druskis, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2001 |
| Assists, Season Per Match Average | 35.38, Kristie Klusaw, Omaha Gross Catholic, 2001 |
State Tournament Results
Matches: 44
Wins: 25
Win Pct: 0.568
| 1980 | Lincoln Northeast L10-15, 8-15 |
|---|---|
| 1981 | Lincoln Northeast L6-15, 6-15 |
| 1983 | Millard South L7-15, 10-15 |
| 1984 | Bellevue East L5-15, 15-13, 15-17 |
| 1987 | Lincoln Northeast L15-13, 1-15, 6-15 |
| 1988 | Gering L15-11, 5-15, 14-16 |
| 1989 | Alliance W15-6, 15-9, Bellevue West L6-15, 8-15 |
| 1993 | Columbus Scotus L15-9, 5-15, 3-15 |
| 1994 | Grand Island Northwest L12-15, 13-15 |
| 1995 | Grand Island Northwest L4-15, 13-15 |
| 1996 Runner Up |
Crete W15-9, 11-15, 15-5, Grand Island Northwest W13-15, 15-11, 15-8, Lincoln Pius X L4-15, 6-15 |
| 1997 | Crete W15-9, 11-15, 15-5, Grand Island Northwest W13-15, 15-11, 15-8, Lincoln Pius X L4-15, 6-15 |
| 1997 | Lincoln Pius X L8-15, 4-15 |
| 1998 | Waverly W 15-12, 11-15, 15-6, Aurora L 8-15, 10-15 |
| 1999 Champions |
Omaha Skutt Catholic W15-8, 15-2, Lincoln Pius X W16-14, 11-15, 15-3, Aurora W15-7, 15-8 |
| 2001 Runner Up |
Gering W15-8, 17-15, Ogallala W12-15, 15-7, 15-8, Aurora L13-15, 15-13, 9-15 |
| 2002 | Aurora W15-11, 15-8, Elkhorn L10-15, 7-15 |
| 2004 | Grand Island Northwest W25-15, 25-23, 19-25, 25-16; Lincoln Pius X L18-25, 22-25, 21-25 |
| 2005 Champions |
Aurora W17-18, 25-15, 25-10; Fairbury W25-13, 25-12, 25-20; Elkhorn W25-18, 25-19, 26-24 |
| 2006 Runner Up |
Scottsbluff W25-13, 25-18, 25-20, Aurora W25-19, 25-12, 27-25, Lincoln Pius X L14-25, 24-26, 25-23, 16-25 |
| 2007 | Holdrege W25-19, 25-21, 25-22, Lincoln Pius X L13-25, 20-25, 8-25 |
| 2008 Third |
Seward W25-15, 25-19, 23-25, 26-24, Lincoln Pius X L17-25, 20-25, 19-25, Aurora W25-20, 25-14, 15-25, 25-20 |
| 2009 Champions |
OmDuchesne W25-19, 25-7, 25-11, Lincoln Pius X W27-25, 25-19, 25-21, Northwest W27-25, 25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 15-13 |
| 2010 Champions |
Gretna W25-8, 25-15, 32-30, Lincoln Pius X W23-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20, Northwest W25-22, 26-24, 21-25, 25-18 |
Wrestling
Since 1986, the Cougar Wrestling program has finished in Nebraska’s Top Ten every single year with four State Championships in 1993, 1994, 1995 & 1996. The Cougars have produced 31 State Champion wrestlers, 22 since 1993.Team Top 3 Finishes
| First | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Second | 1997 | ||||
| Third | 1987 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
Individual Champions
| 1974 | John Mascarello, BHwt. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Tom Trout, A105 | ||
| 1982 | Tom Trout, A112 | ||
| 1985 | Mike DeGeorge, A145 | ||
| 1986 | Phil Fenton, A98 | Tony DeGeorge, A145 | |
| 1988 | Phil Fenton, A135 | ||
| 1991 | Brian Jeanette, A135 | ||
| 1993 | Chad Meyers, B160 | ||
| 1994 | Chris Blair, B145 | Justin Hampton, B152 | |
| 1995 | Matt White, B112 | Chris Blair, B151 | Jared Ficklin, B215 |
| 1996 | Jason Sheard, B119 | Joel Crosby, B135 | |
| 1997 | Joel Crosby, B135 | Mike Mixan, B140 | Chris Minardi, B275 |
| 1998 | Jeff Elsasser, B135 | Daryl Mixan, B140 | |
| 1999 | Daryl Mixan, B140 | Shane Minardi, B171 | |
| 2000 | Shane Minardi, B189 | ||
| 2001 | Dan Mixan, B145 | ||
| 2002 | Mark Ludlow, B160 | ||
| 2003 | Tom Pulte, B112 | ||
| 2004 | Daniel Pedersen, B103 | ||
| 2005 | Kyle Mixan, B152 | ||
| 2007 | Andrew Totusek, B285 | ||
| 2008 | Tyrell Galloway, B119 | ||