CJ Welcomes Newest Hall of Fame Inductees

On the water or on the court, hitting homeruns or catching touchdown passes – this year’s Chaminade Julienne Athletic Hall of Fame class made an impact on their respective teams, but being an Eagle also made an impact on them.

 

While more than a decade has passed since any of them suited up for CJ, the lessons they learned and values they adopted are reflected in their personal and professional lives.

 

Molly Bruggeman, Mike Dahm, Lyndsey Diggs, Nicci Dresden, Lizzy Gleason, Ashley Goldsberry, Tim Szabo and Don Zimmer are being recognized for their athletic accomplishments on February 4. They join elite company in the CJ Athletic Hall of Fame that was established in 1980.

 

This year’s inductees — this year celebrating the Class of 2021 — will be announced at the boy’s basketball game, Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. when the Eagles will host Fenwick High School, and celebrated at an induction ceremony on Saturday.

 

The Class of 2021 inductees are:

 

Sport: Crew/Rowing | Varsity letters: 4

Achievements: A trailblazer in establishing crew as a varsity sport at CJ, Bruggeman earned multiple Top 10 finishes at the USRowing National Championships while attending CJ — 4^th in 2008; 5^th in 2009 and 6^th in 2010. Bruggeman, who earned a scholarship to the University of Notre Dame, lives in Princeton, NJ where she is currently training with US Rowing in pursuit of an Olympic medal on the 2024 team.

 

Point of Pride: “I am proud that I was able to bother Mike Raiff enough to add rowing as a varsity lettered sport at CJ! I was pretty stubborn about it and I'm happy to say it worked out. The legacy also continues with my cousin John, a current freshman at CJ who is on the rowing team.”

 

Greatest influence: “I had my fair share of great teachers at CJ and one of them was Mr. Ricciuto who taught AP European History and was head of JCOWA. He was always the one to check in on how college recruiting was going and cared beyond the classroom about his students. Secondly, my high school coaches, Mike and Trish Miles, were not just the first to introduce me to the sport but were the ones who pushed me further with it by instilling a love of competition and a gritty mindset. They are a second family to me and I'm forever grateful for their support.” 

Lessons learned: “I think the importance of community as a platform for success is probably the biggest lesson I learned during my time. You are only as great as the relationships and friendships you have around you and I was able to surround myself with people who pushed me to be great during my time at CJ and I will be forever grateful for that.”

 

Sport: Tennis | Varsity letters: 4

 

Achievements: The accomplished tennis player was a three-time state qualifier — twice in doubles and once in singles. In addition to his four years as a varsity singles player for the Eagles, Dahm also won many local tournaments, rising to the national ranks. Dahm got better with age, playing on several United States teams and winning a world doubles championship. “I got to play at Wimbledon, Monte Carlo, Turkey, Croatia, and South America and am blessed to be able to still play at a competitive level,” he said.

 

Point of pride: “I made it to the state semifinals two years in a row. And I had a great doubles partner in CJ Hall of Famer Ron Sheper.”

 

Greatest influence: “Hank Schneider, the football coach, was my tennis coach one year at Chaminade. He amazed me with his strength, he could do push-ups while doing a handstand.”

Lessons learned: “The values instilled in me at Chaminade included the significance of integrity and the importance of treating all people kindly.”

Sport: Softball | Varsity letters: 4

 

Achievements: The dominant pitcher set state records for most homeruns in a game and most strikeouts from 40-foot distance. Diggs was named the GGCL Player of the Year and was a four-time first-team all-league honoree. She was also a three-time team MVP, a two-time team captain and two-time first-team All-Area player who went on to play three years at the University of Dayton after transferring from North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.

 

Point of pride: “I think people expect me to talk about one of my records here, but those really aren’t the accomplishments I’m most proud of during my time at CJ. Defeating Franklin in the Division II sectional in 2010 on an 11-strikeout no-hitter performance in the circle is probably what takes the cake for me. I've always tried to be a team-first player and carry the team on my back when necessary, and that was such a pivotal and historical game for us and the program. I had just gotten snubbed for GGCL Player of the Year and had a slight chip on my shoulder. I really wanted our team to have fun, but also prove that we were better than people gave us credit for and that we could absolutely compete against the best teams in the state. We weren’t supposed to beat them but ended up winning 2-0 and so many players stepped up within their respective roles. It was the deepest we had gone in tournament play and I'm still so proud of what we were able to accomplish as a collective unit that year.”

 

Greatest influence: “Coach Dee undoubtedly is the individual during my time at CJ that had the most profound impact on my life. She molded me, mentored me, challenged me, demanded greatness from me but, above all, she unwaveringly believed in me — beyond just the diamond. She truly has had a major hand in the woman and leader I am today. I am better because of having played for and learned from her.”

Lessons learned: “During my time at CJ, the concept of excellence was ingrained in us the moment we stepped on the school's campus. But what I learned about the notion of excellence in those four years and even beyond, is that it isn't just about taking AP and Honors classes, achieving a 30 SAT score, or being the star athlete, but about the mark you leave on the world — the light that shines through you and how you use your gifts to positively impact the lives of others. Being excellent is to be intentional and compassionate servant leaders in our communities and beyond — to challenge unjust systems, eradicate evil and lead with love. These values remain at the core of who I am, and CJ undeniably helped shape that and I will forever be grateful.”

 

Sport: Tennis  | Varsity letters: 4

 

Achievements: The three-time state qualifier earned first-team All-Area honors twice and second-team honors once. Dresden was a perennial contributor to the Eagles squad able to compete in both singles and doubles. Dresden is married and works as a pediatric physical therapist in the school system, working primarily with children with special needs. “Although I no longer play tennis competitively due to a career-ending back injury, my own personal experiences with injuries and physical therapy led me to choose this career path and I can’t imagine myself doing anything else,” she said.

 

Point of pride: “I am most proud of qualifying and making it to State either as a team, individually, or both all four of my years at CJ. This included finishing 2^nd and 3^rd at State in the doubles’ tournament during two of those appearances at State. The trips that we took as a team to Columbus each year were by far some of my best high school memories.”

 

Greatest influence: “Without a doubt I would have to say Mr. Brooks - aka Moon Dog as the tennis girls like to call him. Not only was he instrumental in the success I experienced with my tennis career, but he also served as a role model for me educationally and spiritually during my time at CJ. Not many men can handle being trapped in a van driving around with teenage girls for hours at a time to travel to matches and tournaments, but Mr. Brooks did it with grace and taught us more than a few life lessons along the way. He was always there for us to give sound advice or words of wisdom in both the tough times and in the times of celebration.”

 

Lessons learned: “I think that one of the crucial life lessons that I learned at CJ is the importance of inclusivity and uniqueness. I came to CJ from a very small town where everyone was essentially from the same background and had the same viewpoints on life. Having the opportunity to be immersed in a culture that was full of peers with different backgrounds and life experiences allowed me to broaden my outlook on life and ultimately shaped me into who I am today.”

 

Sports: Cross country/track and field

Varsity letters: 8

Achievements: The two-time GGCL cross country Runner of the Year set the school record in 800-meter event during her high school career. Gleason finished as state runner-up in the 1600M her senior year and placed in the top 15 in the 800M. She also earned the Distance Runner of the Year title as well as multiple All-League honors and earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Dayton.

 

Point of pride: “My CJ athletic accomplishment of which I am most proud is finishing 2nd at the State meet in the mile my senior year.”

 

Greatest influence: “Coach Beyerle was my most influential coach at CJ. He set high expectations for us and always had confidence in us. I think a lot of times he had more confidence in me than I had in myself, but it made me realize that I was capable of much more than I believed. Coach Beyerle's training plans were tough and well thought-out, which helped me to run some big PRs and realize that I could handle training and competing at a collegiate level.”

 

Lessons learned: “I think some of the biggest things I took away from my time at CJ were elements of the profile of a CJ graduate. My parents have always been great models of lifelong learning and service to others, so these are probably the two that resonate with me most. Whether I am working in sales or in healthcare, I have found that I can never know all the answers; however, being open to learning new things and being service oriented tends to produce the best results.”

 

Sport: Basketball  |  Varsity letters: 4

 

Achievements: This inductee from the Eagles girls State Championship and runner-up teams garnered multiple All-District and All-Area honors and was a two-time Defensive Player of the Year. She posted a career free throw percentage of 77.7 and single-season record of 84.3 percent. Goldsberry tallied 293 career steals and helped boost the Eagles to a 96-10 record during her tenure.

 

Point of pride: “Winning the Division II State Championship my senior year was really special. It was a team effort all around and the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication - what a way to go out my senior year and put a bow on my athletic career at Chaminade Julienne. Additionally, to be able to experience that with my dad as my coach and my sister as my teammate will always be something I fondly remember.” 

Greatest influence: “Coach Goldsberry — my dad — was hands down the greatest influence on me. He coached the same way we played, all out, and never took a play for granted because you didn’t know when it would be your last. He taught us the importance of having a strong work ethic, conducting ourselves with high ethical values, walking in humility, and always having a great sense of humor. All these lessons have continued to prove valuable, well beyond the court and into the game of life.  Thanks, Dad, for believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.”

 

Lessons learned: “During my high school years, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to experience such rich and diverse friendships from all walks of life. This experience helped open my mind and heart to my classmates and teammates that weren’t exactly like me. As followers of Jesus, we are called to be the light of the world and to love others because God first loved us.”

 

Sports: Football and basketball  |  Varsity letters: 6

 

Achievements: The accomplished all-state wide receiver also made his mark on the basketball court earning the school record for charges. Szabo — now an 8th grade math teacher — earned All-GCL honors in basketball and football. The GCL Receiver of the Year finished his Eagles career with 85 receptions for 1,329 yards and 10 touchdowns.

 

Point of pride: “My first athletic accomplishment was beating Alter in my last football game at CJ. They were 8-1 and we were 3-6 after a very stressful year. That year we lost five games by a total of 20 points, we just couldn't finish games. Even though they were the clear favorite we believed we could beat them. We dominated and we kept our poise throughout the game and beat them 13-6. My second athletic achievement that I'm proud of is beating Moeller in basketball my junior year. Moeller had started the year 9-1 with a loss only to a powerhouse team out of Louisiana. We were also 9-1 with our only loss going to the eventual D2 state champion Dunbar. We beat Moeller 54-50 ending a losing streak to Moeller that dated back almost two decades.” 

Greatest influence: “My brother, Charlie Szabo ‘98, had the greatest influence on me throughout my time at CJ. Charlie was an assistant varsity/JV head coach at the time. He was my head coach as a freshman on JV and coached me the next three years with Coach Staley on varsity. He always pushed me to be the best version of myself on and off the court. He taught me the importance of discipline and hard work which is something that helped me be successful in high school and then while playing football in college. Despite knowing he likes my wife, Grace (Kauth) Szabo ’13, better than me, I'm thankful for everything Charlie has done for me.”

Lessons learned: “The main lesson I learned at CJ is that you get out what you're willing to put in. There are opportunities for you throughout life and you must be willing to get out of your comfort zone to grab them. CJ did an amazing job of exposing me to various experiences that put me in position to be successful in all aspects of life.” 

 

Sport: Golf - coaching

 

Achievements: The 2007 GCL Coach of the Year led four District qualifying boys golf teams (2000, ’06, ’07 and ’08) and two State runner-up teams (2007 and ’08) during his Eagles tenure. Zimmer also coached boys state champion Sam Jandel and was instrumental in establishing a girls’ golf team in 2006. The father of two and grandfather of six splits his time between Beavercreek and Bonita Springs, Florida with his wife, Linda Casey Zimmer, Julienne 1968.

 

On coaching: “I started coaching after I retired from the Berry Company. What was really special was being with the kids – teaching them the integrity of the game and how to play smart golf. I was blessed by having such wonderful kids, young kids who helped keep me young.

On being a Hall of Famer: “This is something I never dreamt would happen. It is a wonderful honor for me.”