Benet Academy
Graduates in Class of 2020: 312
Valedictorian: Mackenzie Relihan
Salutatorian: Paul Skaluba
Graduation speakers: Mackenzie Relihan and Paul Skaluba.
Senior class officers: President Edmon Bickelhaupt, Vice President Abby Marco, Treasurer Missy Oei and Secretary Emily Mikitka.
Highest Honors: Finnian Adam, Chris Anthony Aguilar, Kristine Allen, Cindy Amezquita, Nicholas Augustyn, John Babich, Grace Barz, Rachel Becker, Tyler Briles, Jackson Buckley, Kaitlyn Buschette, Brendon Carter, Mikayla Cassidy, Madeline Chang, Turner Channell, Mia Chavez, Kaitlyn Christensen, Emily Combs, Caroline Covey, Samuel Cribari, Colin Crothers, Emmett Culligan, Julia Custardo, Karina Delaney, Jillian Devine, Edward Nathan Dilinila, Samuel DiMatteo, Anran Dong, John Driscoll, Alexander Edwards, Christine Eldrenkamp, Mia Eraci, Thomas Farmer, Michael Ferconio, Jr., Michael Fernandes, Elsa Fernandez, Colin Flynn, Kate Flynn, Aleah Gacek, Brianna Galang, Martin Garvin, Sophie Gedvilas, Eric Gesior, Megan Gilbert, Erin Gillen, Colin Gillespie, John Golden, Morgan Graf. Bradley Grimes, Benjamin Grundman, Matthew Grundman, Samantha Gucwa, John Hanus, Richard Hauser, Thomas Hayes, Grace Heiberger, John Hlavin, Emily Horn, Audrey Jaros, Christopher Jendra, Isabella Johnson, Dena Kasperas, Jannette Kazlauskas, Anna Keating, Brooke Knapp, Rachel Kolb, Jack Konopka, John Kovarik, Nicole Kowalczyk, Tyler Kozminski, Claire Kubacki, Elizabeth Lapean, John Paul Lawler, Benjamin Lee, Owen LeFevour, Bridget Linders, Colleen Lipa, Joseph Lipinski, Fernando Lisboa, Tara Lumb, Abigail Marco, Jonathan Martin, Nolan Martini, Molly Martis, Angela Mathew, Kendall McKay, Maya McKeague, Bronwyn McNamara, Gabriella Mendoza, Nicholas Messina, Thomas Miskin, Brian Moran, Alexandria Moriarty, Anne Nader, Daniel Nadolski, Maeve Nelligan, Ellen Nemivant, Matthew Oliva, Catherine Pace, Claudia Parisi, Catherine Pavilionis, Sean Peck, Conor Perkins, Christopher Perry, Luke Phillipp, Camila Picha, Alyssa Potucek, Danielle Pullen, Mikayla Radek, Julia Ragus, Hunter Randolph, Mackenzie Relihan, Nicolas Ripamonti, Margaret Roche, Lauren Roe, Jessica Rose, Dominic Salvino, Claire Ann Santos, Lukas Saulis, John Savage, Grace Schamber, Megan Seranko, Paul Skaluba, Andrew Sluzas, Anne Sobolewski, Erin Spahn, Vytautas Staniskis, Jacqueline Stasny, Andrew Striegel, Marguerite Striegel, Greyson Sullivan, Nicholas Super, Natalie Sweeney, Isabelle Telford, Emma Trainor, Rebekah Vires, Margaret Watson, Grace Weidenbach, Carl Widmann, Brianna Wrobel.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation finalists: Finnian Adam, Benjamin Lee, Fernando Lisboa, Bronwyn McNamara, Catherine Pace, Christopher Perry, Mackenzie Relihan, Paul Skaluba, Rebekah Vires.
National Merit Scholarship Corporation Commended Scholars: Kristine Allen, Carter Bello, Brendon Carter, Mikayla Cassidy, Karina Delaney, Samuel Dimatteo, Kate Flynn, Colin Gillespie, Samantha Gucwa, John Hlavin, Dena Kasperas, Nicole Kowalczyk, Bridget Linders, Abigail Marco, Nicolas Ripamonti, Jessica Rose, Andrew Sluzas, Vytautas Staniskis, Andrew Striegel, Nicholas Super, Nicholas Tomecek.
National Hispanic Recognition Program: Emily Horn, Fernando Lisboa, Daniel McGuigan, Nicholas Ripamonti.
Illinois State Scholars: Finnian Adam, Kristine Allen, Cindy Amezquita, Nicholas Augustyn, Benjamin Barbeau, Grace Barz, Carter Bello, Ian Bixler, Kyle Bollman, Tyler Briles, Jackson Buckley, Nathan Burns, Kaitlyn Buschette, Brendon Carter, Mikayla Cassidy, Madeline Chang, Mia Chavez, Kaitlyn Christensen, Luke Christensen, Emily Combs, Brigid Conway, Caroline Covey, Mary Catherine Craig, John Crerand, Colin Crothers, Emmett Culligan, Julia Custardo, Matthew Degnan, Jillian Devine, Samuel DiMatteo, Anran Dong, John Driscoll, Alexander Edwards, Christine Eldrenkamp. Ethan Falduto, Thomas Farmer, Michael Ferconio, Jr., Michael Fernandes, Elsa Fernandez, Aleah Gacek, Martin Garvin, Eric Gesior, Colin Gillespie, John Golden, Morgan Graf, Bradley Grimes. Benjamin Grundman, Matthew Grundman, Samantha Gucwa, Gavin Hancock, John Hanus, Thomas Hayes, Kevin Healy, John Hlavin, Luke Hoeppel, Emily Horn, Audrey Jaros, Christopher Jendra, Isabella Johnson, Christopher Jordan, Dena Kasperas, Jannette Kazlauskas, Anna Keating, Charlotte Keeley, Brooke Knapp, Rachel Kolb, Jack Konopka, Lucas Kosiba, Mason Kosowski, Nicole Kowalczyk, John Paul Lawler, Patrick Leach, Benjamin Lee, Owen LeFevour, Bridget Linders, Colleen Lipa, Joseph Lipinski, Fernando Lisboa, Abigail Marco, Jonathan Martin, Nolan Martini, Molly Martis, Elizabeth McAdams, Colleen McGuire, Maya McKeague, Bronwyn McNamara, Gabriella Mendoza, Nicholas Messina, George Michalowski, Thomas Miskin, William Monroe, Brian Moran, Michael Moran, Anne Nader, Maeve Nelligan, Ellen Nemivant, Jared Novak, Cal O'Connor, Catherine Pace, Brian Paoli, Claudia Parisi, Catherine Pavilionis, Sean Peck, Conor Perkins, Christopher Perry, Luke Phillipp, Alyssa Potucek, Danielle Pullen, Mikayla Radek, Julia Ragus, Mackenzie Relihan, Margaret Roche, Lauren Roe, Samuel Ronneberg, Jessica Rose, Dominic Salvino, Claire Ann Santos, Lukas Saulis, John Savage, Grace Schamber, Charles Schuster, Megan Seranko, Jack Shannon, Paul Skaluba, Andrew Sluzas, Anne Sobolewski, Erin Spahn, Vytautas Staniskis, Jacqueline Stasny, Andrew Striegel, Greyson Sullivan, Nicholas Super, Isabelle Telford, Nicholas Tomecek, Sean Torres, Emma Trainor, Samuel Tumbali, Rebekah Vires, Kyle Walch, Andrew Walls, Margaret Watson, Carl Widmann, Inga Zlioba.
National Honor Society Members: 171
Athletic achievements:
• Girls Volleyball: IHSA Class 4A State Champions, ranked #2 in the nation
• Boys Soccer: IHSA Class 2A State Champions, in seven playoff games scored 20 goals and allowed 0, ranked #4 in nation
• Girls Cross Country: IHSA Class 2A State Champions, won by largest margin of victory in Class 2A history
• Girls Tennis: IHSA Class 1A, 2nd place; Kendall Schrader '20: IHSA Class 1A State Doubles Tennis Champion with partner Kaitlyn Lee '22.
East Suburban Catholic Conference Scholar/Athlete Awards: Nicholas Augustyn, boys soccer; Mikayla Cassidy, softball; Kate Flynn, girls soccer; Benjamin Grundman, boys cross country and track; Matthew Grundman, boys cross country and track; Samantha Gucwa, softball; Thomas Hayes, boys basketball; John Hlavin, baseball and boys basketball; Christopher Jendra, baseball; Nicole Kowalczyk, girls cross country and track; Benjamin Lee, boys tennis; Collen Lipa, girls cross country and track; Joseph Lipinski, boys cross country and track; Abigail Marco, girls golf; Molly Martis, girls cross country and track; Bronwyn McNamara, girls tennis; Claudia Parisi, girls cross country and track; Luke Phillipp, football; MacKenzie Relihan, softball; Vytautas Staniskis, boys soccer.
Extracurricular achievements:
• Illinois Music Educators Association State Ensemble Selections: Orchestra: Cal O'Connor, violin; Choir: Catherine Pace, Soprano I, State Honor Choir; Anne Harbauer, Soprano II, All-State Chorus; Vytautas Staniskis, Bass II, State Honor Choir.
• Mathematics Team finished in first place at the 2020 ICTM Regional for Division 3AA with first place plaques in the Algebra 1 and Pre-Calculus categories of the competition.
Theater productions: "Sing On!" and "The Addams Family; and the student-directed One Act Plays.
Homecoming King and Queen: Jack Crerand and Lindsey Rodgers
Homecoming theme: "Grease - Hoco is the Word"
Principal's reflections on the Class of 2020: Early on we as a faculty and staff joked that the Class of 2020 had a 'perfect vision' of what they wanted to accomplish during their four years at Benet. They not only met but surpassed our high expectations for outstanding accomplishments in academics, co-curriculars, spiritual development, and acts of service. None of us could have foreseen or predicted, however, their flexible, courageous, and sacrificial response to losing many of the traditions associated with the second semester of senior year to the coronavirus. We will continue to honor them in future years as a class strongly united in spirit though separated physically from each other unexpectedly all too soon.
- Principal Stephen Marth