To celebrate the lifelong contributions of former student-athletes, coaches, and administrators who have made the Catholic League so successful, the Girls’ Catholic High School Athletic Association (GCHSAA) hosted its biannual Hall of Fame induction ceremony on April 16 at Russo’s on the Bay.
The 13-member class embodies the true spirit of Catholic high school sports in the Diocese of Brooklyn and beyond. “This year’s honorees have given so much service to the CHSAA by either officiating, coaching, or being an administrator,” said Girls’ Brooklyn/Queens CHSAA President Denise Hillig. “The honorees truly embody the mission of the CHSAA.
“This year’s class also included two very influential people who are no longer with us, John Brennan and Joseph Lewinger. We continue to honor them because their legacy is not just in the past, but it is in our future as we continue their good work.”
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John Brennan: A 1969 graduate of Christ the King H.S., Middle Village, Brennan guided the St. Francis Prep, Fresh Meadows, varsity boys’ and girls’ tennis teams to extraordinary heights. He captured 11 city championships on the boys’ side and 23 state championships on the girls’ side. He passed away in early 2025 from a stroke and was inducted posthumously.
Nancy DiBerardino: In 1985, and without much of an athletics background, DiBerardino was voted in by the Buffalo athletic directors as the administrative assistant to the Msgr. Martin Catholic High School Athletic Association. She currently lives in Tonawanda with her husband, Louis, and is the administrative assistant to the superintendent of Catholic schools in Buffalo.
Marianne “Skippy” Doyle: After playing volleyball, basketball, and softball at St. Saviour H.S., Park Slope, Doyle returned to her alma mater to coach these three sports. From there, she coached in the Public Schools Athletic League before becoming a local high school and Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) sports official.
Heather Green-Wresch: A two-year captain and three-time MVP of the Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, swim team, Green-Wresch is now the head boys’ and girls’ swim coach at Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood. She’s been named CHSAA Coach of the Year four times and has captured the dual meet and city championships 13 times. She is also the GCHSAA swimming chairperson and the league’s vice president.
Kathy Kirker: An integral member of the Metropolitan Swimming Officials Association and the New York City Board of Swimming Officials, Kirker has been a long-time official for CYO, high school, and college swim meets, while also serving as the secretary of both associations. She is already a member of the CYO Hall of Fame, having served as its swimming coordinator.
Brian Kiszewski: In 2004, Kiszewski became the executive director of Buffalo’s Msgr. Martin High School Athletic Association, overseeing 19 private high schools in Western New York. He also served as director of elementary athletics for the entire Diocese of Buffalo, in addition to his time as a professional bowler, with 16 perfect-300 games to his credit.
Joseph Lewinger: Inducted posthumously, Lewinger will always be remembered for his multiple contributions to The Mary Louis Academy, Jamaica Estates, sports community. He coached the varsity basketball team to two New York State Federation championships while also serving as the its athletic director and a member of the GCHSAA executive board. He passed away in 2020.
Joseph Morda: For the past 57 years, Morda has been a high school official for both the boys’ and girls’ CHSAA, New York BOCES, and collegiate contests at the Division I, II, and III levels. He later became the soccer assignor of officials for the Archdiocese of New York.
Donna Newman: Newman, already a member of the Molloy University Athletic Hall of Fame for being a three-sport standout, has been coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball in the Catholic high school league for 35 years. At St. Anthony’s H.S., South Huntington, Long Island, her girls’ teams have won 12 league and four state championships, while she’s guided the boys to six league titles.
Austin Power: Over the past three decades, Power has built one of the most respected track and field programs in New York City at Archbishop Molloy. Initially a boys’ track coach, he took over the girls’ program when the school went co-ed in 2000. His teams have won seven city championships and 38 diocesan titles.
Angela Proce: The first female athletic director at Bishop Loughlin H.S., Fort Greene, has proudly served the Lions community for 32 years. She has coached volleyball, softball, and bowling while also spending time as a GCHSAA administrator for step and softball. A survivor of both breast and uterine cancer, she’s already a member of the Bishop Loughlin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Cathy von Schoenermarck: A 1981 graduate of Holy Trinity H.S., Hicksville, Long Island, von Schoenermarck was the MVP of volleyball, basketball, and softball. She returned to coach basketball and volleyball at Holy Trinity before moving on to Kellenberg H.S., Uniondale, Long Island, where she added lacrosse coaching to the mix.
Tracey Townes: Townes began her distinguished officiating career in 1991, demonstrating immediate dedication to the craft by taking and passing both the boys’ and girls’ officiating exams in her first year. She has worked numerous playoff and championship games across premier athletic organizations in high school and college sports.