Celebrating a Century of Success

Wauwatosa East High School has announced plans to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Athletic Hall of Fame, which recognizes former coaches, student-athletes, and championship teams. Since the inaugural induction ceremony in 2015, Tosa East has recognized 30 Coaches and Trainers, two State Championship teams, and 74 student-athletes dating back to 1924, when Wauwatosa High School was one of the first suburban schools to establish a reputation for excelling in athletics under the WIAA.

A reception to honor the Class of 2025 will be held at the Hart Park Community Center on Saturday, May 17th, 2025; registration will begin at 4:00 p.m. The Tosa East Executive Committee will install five Coaches, 27 student-athletes, and two state championship teams.

Andrew Thompson, Athletic Director for Wauwatosa East, shared, “Wauwatosa East High School, known as Wauwatosa High School until 1961, began participating in athletic competition in the 1890s with the establishment of the WIAA. The school has a rich history of success and ranks in the top ten among all high schools in Wisconsin with a total of 42 State Championships.” The school has also been recognized for the state runner-up appearances on 46 occasions and won 226 conference championships, earning its first championship one hundred years ago, in 1924, when the basketball team won the conference and sectional championships in the former Milwaukee District, the year before the Suburban Conference was established.

The Tosa East Hall of Fame Executive Committee is pleased to share the Class of 2025.

Coaches

1. John Filonowicz – Athletic Director, Basketball and Football Coach 1923 – 1926
2. Earl Accola – Volleyball, Golf, Baseball, Hockey, Speed Skating 1930 – 1943
3. Herb Siewert – Swimming Coach 1950 – 1952
4. Steve Janto – Basketball, Tennis, and Golf Coach 1956 – 1967
5. John Simon – Boys Volleyball Coach 1992 – 2021

Championship Teams

1. 1981 Girls Basketball State Champions, Coach Katie Curran Rebholz
2. 1989 Boys Basketball State Champions, Coach Jim Rebholz

Student-Athletes – Wauwatosa High School

1. Richard Philipp, Class of 1942, Swimming
2. Don Schuler, Class of 1942, Basketball, Football Track
3. Hans Schink, Class of 1950, Track, Cross Country, Volleyball
4. David Leichtfuss, Class of 1954, Basketball, Football, Track, Tennis
5. William Gill, Class of 1960, Track, Cross Country

Student-Athletes – Tosa East High School

1. Tom Tiernan, Class of 1967, Track
2. Scott Ferguson, Class of 1970, Basketball, Baseball, Cross Country
3. Kevin Cartier, Class of 1972, Football, Track, Basketball
4. Craig Nolinske, Class of 1973, Track
5. Cathy Feierstein, Class of 1973, Track, Basketball, Cheerleading
6. Judy Carlson, Class of 1974, Track
7. Rich Mongan, Class of 1987, Football, Basketball, Baseball
8. Christopher Holmes, Class of 1988, Track, Cross Country
9. Mike Riley, Class of 1990, Basketball, Volleyball, Baseball
10. Stephan Behling, Class of 1991, Tennis, Basketball
11. Jason Hood, Class of 1998, Track, Cross Country, Soccer
12. Emily Salentine, Class of 1999, Tennis, Soccer, Basketball
13. Derek Granberg, Class of 1999, Volleyball, Track, Tennis, Basketball
14. Scott Landisch, Class of 2000, Basketball, Volleyball
15. Tim Hood, Class of 2002, Track, Soccer
16. Ashley Ferguson, Class of 2003, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer
17. Allan Hanson, Class of 2004, Basketball, Football
18. Sarah Pipping, Class of 2006, Basketball, Tennis, Soccer
19. Tony Walls, Class of 2008, Soccer, Basketball
20. Dan Gagne, Class of 2013, Track, Cross Country
21. Natalie Schudrowitz, Class of 2014, Track, Cross Country
22. Catherine Salmon, Class of 2014, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country

Joe Vitrano, former Athletic Director and retired Head Cross Country Coach, shared, “The Executive Committee went to great lengths over the last decade to ensure we considered all the talented student-athletes who participated in athletics from the 1920s through the class of 2015. While we’re planning to recognize 27 individuals with the Class of 2025, we will be inducting additional student-athletes every five years in the future.

Joe said, “It has been heartwarming to observe the passion and appreciation of former student-athletes who worked tirelessly to establish the Hall of Fame program and maintain a high level of enthusiasm and support over the last decade. The essence of the Tosa East Hall of Fame is sharing our rich history and success to encourage young athletes to pursue their goals in any major sport, supported by an exceptional cadre of experienced coaches to assist with their growth and development.”

The Hall of Fame executive committee members include Andrew Thompson, Joe Vitrano, Linda Vitrano, George Haas, Roger Erickson, Glen Slonac, Dennis McBride, Chuck Buesing, Patrick Brown, Mike Francis, and Chris Mortenson.

The registration site for the event is https://gofan.co/event/1512119?schoolId=WI19420” admission is $65 per person.