MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Enrollment at Trinity Catholic Jr./Sr. High School remains relatively stable as the school expands its athletic offerings and begins another busy year of activities.
Principal Joe Godina said Trinity has about 202 students enrolled in grades seven through 12, compared with 207 at the end of the previous school year.
Godina said some families moved because of employment changes, while other students joined the school. He said most of the enrollment difference resulted from the size of last year’s graduating class compared with the incoming seventh-grade class.
Trinity has approximately 131 high school students and is expected to remain in Class 2A for most activities. The football program will continue competing in Class 1A this season.
One of the school’s biggest additions this fall is its first girls golf program. Godina said eight or nine students joined the team, including experienced golfers and students learning the sport for the first time.
Godina coached girls' golf at Hutchinson High School for 17 years before joining Trinity. The new program is led by Coach Shelley Dinges, a Trinity graduate who previously coached golf and tennis in Arizona.
“It’s pretty exciting to have a girls golf program for the first time in Trinity history,” Godina said.
Trinity also has a new high school volleyball coach. Madi Garcia moved into the position after coaching the school’s junior high team last year. The previous coach left Trinity to become an assistant at the University of Missouri.
Between volleyball, golf and cross country, Trinity has about 30 or 31 girls participating in fall sports.
The cross-country program is rebuilding after graduating several members of last year’s state championship team, including individual state champion Jacob Lindstrom. Godina said younger runners and returning athletes are stepping into larger roles.
Outside athletics, Trinity’s theater department has started rehearsals for its November production of “Shrek the Musical.” Because the musical requires a large cast, some junior high students have also been invited to participate. The performance for the musical is set for November.
Godina has also created the GOATS Award, standing for “Greatest of All Teachers and Staff.” Students nominate employees for the recognition, which will be presented every two or three weeks.
The first recipient was longtime teacher and coach Jan Frieb. She teaches several subjects, oversees campus ministry and the Sources of Strength program, and has coached track for more than 30 years.
Trinity is also preparing for its primary annual fundraising drive in early October. Money raised will help pay the school’s everyday operating expenses. Its Booster Club will hold another major fundraiser, the annual benefit auction, in the spring.