Prayers answered: Cathedral High School wins boys’ golf state championship

Members of the Cathedral High School boys’ state championship golf team are, front row, from left, Mark Welsh and Kevin Bowen, and back row, from left, Tim Bowman, Henry Plager, Ben Smith, Brad Gehl, Jason Seward and Corey Ziedonis. (Submitted photo)

By John Shaughnessy

Franciscan Sister Dolores Jean Nellis has long been known for her special morning prayers at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis.

The members of the 2008 Cathedral boys’ golf team will now be remembered for answering one of her prayers by becoming the first golf team in the school’s history to win a state championship.

During the school year, Sister Dolores Jean often assessed the needs of the students, wrote a prayer for them at night and shared the prayer in the morning at school—prayers that ranged from asking God’s blessings for students taking standardized tests to those struggling with the death of a loved one.

It was a tradition that marked Sister Dolores Jean’s special place at Cathedral, a tradition that seemed to have come to an end when she retired after 59 years in Catholic education as the 2007-08 school year came to a close in May.

Yet when the members of the Cathedral boys’ golf team prepared for the Indiana High School Athletic Association state championship on June 10 and 11, their mothers decided to approach 79-year-old Sister Dolores Jean in the hope that she would write and recite a special prayer for the team. An avid sports fan, Sister Dolores Jean agreed.

“She showed up early on the first day of the state championship and led us in a prayer,” recalled Joe Vollmer, the coach of the Cathedral boys’ golf team. “She prayed that everyone would do his best and God would watch over them, that they would use the talents God had given them.”

That’s exactly what Kevin Bowen, Brad Gehl, Henry Plager, Jason Seward and Corey Ziedonis did to earn the state championship. Corey also recorded the best score during the two-day golf tournament.

“It was fun,” said Vollmer, a member of St. Simon the Apostle Parish in Indianapolis, who was in his first year of coaching the boys’ golf team at Cathedral.

“They worked so hard all season long, and it was satisfying to see them play so well on the stage of the state championship. The kids were very close. They were supportive of one another. That’s important on any athletic team.”

Vollmer also considered it important to mention the contributions of the other team members who received state championship medals: Ben Smith, Mark Welsh and Tim Bowman.

In the state championship match, Cathedral finished 22 strokes ahead of its closest competition, the boys’ golf team from Avon High School. Cathedral had lost to Avon earlier in the season.

“I knew we had the talent to win,” Vollmer said. “Of course, you have to play well that particular week. Our prayers were answered big time. They certainly did what Sister Dolores prayed for—used the talents God gave them. They delivered.” †