ATHLETIC TEAMS AT ST. Hedwig Catholic School in Los Alamitos have earned enough hardware over the years to fill a large trophy case.
So many, in fact, that the school ran out of space to store them a few years ago and gave some to St. Hedwig alumni.
SAMANTHA BURKE AND AJ FOY, WINNERS OF THE JOHN R. RUSSELL SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The athletes and teams that competed in the 2025-26 school year have been among the most successful at St. Hedwig, if not the most successful in the 60-plusyear history of athletics at the K-8 school. Every athlete on every team, along with the cheer squad, was honored at the St. Hedwig Sports Awards celebration held on May 20, in the school gymnasium.
All six varsity teams (boys football, girls football, boys basketball, girls basketball, boys volleyball and girls volleyball) won Division 1 Coast League titles, and five of the six captured Division 1 diocesan championships.
Celtics teams also won five tournament championships around Orange County.
“They dominated in their division, they dominated in playoffs and they all worked really hard,” said boys football coach Glenn Ohno, who guided his team to a perfect 14-0 record. “They were focused, and they dominated.”
All St. Hedwig teams compete in the Parochial Athletic League (PAL) within the Diocese of Orange.
“You represented our school well, with pride and energy and determination,” said St. Hedwig Principal Chris McGuiness, kicking off the festivities. “So, whether you were a starter, a captain, a role player or someone who just showed up every day and worked hard, you helped build something meaningful.”
The principal recognized the coaches for devoting their time to the student-athletes and praised the parents for every action they take to ensure their kids get to practice and compete.
“Parents, somebody’s got to get up and get them to practice,” McGuiness said. “Thank you for getting them here, driving them here, waking them up, getting them to camp, paying for it, washing their uniforms, et cetera, et cetera.”
Several awards were also given to student-athletes who distinguished themselves in various ways.
The female Athlete of the Year Award was presented to Addison Haynes and Blair Williams, and the male Athlete of the Year Award went to Carter Frogner. Athlete of the Year honors go to at least one eighth- grade boy and one eighth-grade girl who competed in three sports. Along with their athleticism, Athlete of the Year honorees are chosen for their resilience, ability to lead and fostering the spirit of teamwork.
The John R. Russell Scholar Athlete Award, given to the athlete who has competed in at least two PAL sports and has the highest cumulative GPA, went to A.J. Foy and Samantha Burke.
The Engelhaupt Award is presented to male and female eighth-graders for exhibiting “competitive fire,” putting forth “unyielding effort” and being “committed to a solid team attitude.”
The recipients were Kai Ohno and Logan McKennon, Brooke McCleod and the varsity cheer team.
The award is named for Jim and Joe Engelhaupt, who graduated from St. Hedwig in 1986 and contributed greatly to the success of the school’s athletic program. Jim and Joe died at ages 18 and 20, respectively, and their father died while the brothers were still at St. Hedwig. The family continues to support the school. McGuiness also took a moment to acknowledge John Russell, who was hired as athletic director in 1963 and is the architect of the Celtics sports program. Russell, who is still active in managing athletics, was traveling and unable to attend the awards ceremony.
“Your organization, your commitment, your time, your energy, your steadfast and steady voice keeps this program going,” the principal said. “Mr. Russell, I know we couldn’t do it without you. You’re doing this because you love this school, and you love these kids, and you love these programs. So, thank you for everything.”