Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene, inducted eight new members to the school’s Hall of Fame on May 2.
This year’s class included: Tanya Osbourne, ’03 (Track and Field); Dominique Bishop, ’03 (Track and Field); Janele Henderson, ’04 (Basketball); Frank Tripodi, ’51 (Track and Field); John Sheehan, ’75 (Basketball); John Flack (Coach and Administrator); John Rowinski, ’69 (Basketball, Coach, Athletic Director); and Adeola Olanrewaju, ’00 (Basketball, Volleyball).
Tanya Osbourne ’03
Tanya entered Bishop Loughlin from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. She was initially excited about attending Loughlin because she wanted to join the band. She became one of the greatest runners in the history of the Lady Lions Track at Loughlin. She won 10 individual gold medals in CHSAA Championships. She was voted the Outstanding Athlete of the CHSAA Indoor City Championship in 2002. She anchored the 3200-meter relay in the Penn Relays, which set the school, league and CHSAA high school record in 2003. She was a 400-meter and 800-meter city champion. She set the CHSAA record in the 600-meter. As a junior at Loughlin, she was honored with the Brother James Bonilla Award as scholar-athlete and as a senior was the recipient of the Nugent Brothers Scholarship.
She was awarded a full track scholarship to LSU and became the SEC Champ in the 800-meter and four-time All SEC, SEC Champion and NCAA Mideast Regional Champion. Tanya qualified for the USA Championships in the 800-meter and clocked her personal best of 2:04.97 in the semifinals to advance to the finals in 2004. At LSU, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, D.C. At present, she works as a mental health counselor.
She resides in Largo, Md., with her husband, Christopher Vincent, and her step-sons, Cameron (age 7) and Carter (age 6).
By the way, she never got to join the band at Loughlin.
John Sheehan ’75
John Sheehan came to Loughlin from St. Anthony of Padua in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. He played guard as a three-year varsity basketball member of the Loughlin team. On the freshman team, he set a school record for a single game scoring 48 points. John was the sixth man as a sophomore and a starter as a junior and senior. As a junior, he averaged 13 points and five assists and as a senior totaled 14 points per game and six assists. He had an excellent knowledge of the game and played as if he was a coach on the floor. In his senior year as the co-captain of the team, they won the 1975 CHSAA City Championship. John was named to the CHSAA All Tournament First Team for his inspired play, this despite the fact that he broke his foot in mid-season and was out five weeks with rehab and on returning spearheaded the big push to the CHSAA playoffs and title.
John attended Marist College for one year before transferring to St. Francis College and graduated in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree. He started a 24-year career as a New York City firefighter, retiring in March 2014. At the FDNY, he was awarded medals for his work at Ground Zero/World Trade Center and for his efforts after the devastation of Superstorm Sandy.
John still finds time to coach three youth basketball teams. He is a true lover of the game of basketball. As recent as 2012, he played in a basketball tournament in Ireland.
John resides in Rockville Centre, L.I., with his lovely wife of 31 years, Patricia, and their three children: Sean, Erin and Brendan.
John Rowinski ’69
John Rowinski came to Bishop Loughlin High School from St. Barbara’s Parish, Bushwick, Brooklyn. On the varsity basketball team, he was the team’s “enforcer.” An enforcer is the player who is designated to do all the “dirty” work-box out, rebound, play hard nose defense, score some garbage points, with “never say die hustle” and a selfless attitude. John defined that role for the playoff teams he played for under Hall of Fame coaches Ralph Tedesco and Len Schnappauf, ’61. As a senior, he averaged over 10 rebounds and 10 points for the season. He broke the school rebound record for a playoff game (19) against Mater Christi H.S. in February 1969.
John was awarded a full scholarship to St. Francis College of Brooklyn where he was the co-captain in his senior year. After graduating college, he began his teaching and coaching career at Bishop Loughlin for the next 21 years holding several positions along the way. He taught Physical Education, 1973-1994, was the JV Basketball Coach, 1973-79, winning two Brooklyn Championships, Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach, 1973-87, to Hall of Fame Coach Pat Quigley, Varsity Tennis Coach, 1974-76, and Director of Athletics, 1982-87, and even coached some soccer. During his tenure as Athletic Director, Loughlin Lions teams won numerous City Championships in Basketball, Track and Handball. How is this for a school record: as an alumnus, he played in 25 consecutive Alumni Basketball games.
In his free time over the years, John has run six marathons, was a member over-50 Basketball State champions, in Senior Olympics Basketball (full court) and 3 on 3. He has been a Recreational Director in Franklin Lakes, N.J., and taught at Ramapo College for 10 years.
John resides in Franklin Lakes with his lovely wife of 36 years, Mary Ann. They have a daughter, Lauren.
John joins his brother Tom ’72 in the Loughlin Athletic Hall of Fame.
Frank Tripodi ’51 (posthumously)
Frank Tripodi came to Bishop Loughlin High School from Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Inwood, L.I. Frank was a four-year member of the Loughlin Track Team. Bishop Loughlin High School had the reputation of being a Track power in High School circles, being hailed in the April 1945 edition of Life Magazine as the “Notre Dame of High School Track.” Frank Tripodi was a fierce competitor and helped keep that reputation alive and well. He was the CHSAA City Champion in the Pole Vault in both 1950 and 1951. He was the Eastern States High School Champion in the Pole Vault in 1950 and 1951. He set the Bishop Loughlin school record and the CHSAA league record in the Pole Vault with a jump of 11’ 2” in 1951. In an article in the March 1951 edition of the Loughlin Jamesonian, it states that “Frank can do just about everything on a Track: Pole Vault, High Jump, Sprint or what have you.” His versatility was a valuable asset to the Loughlin Track Team. When not setting Pole Vault records, Frank could be found in the Physics Lab with the Radio Club or in the Library in a Study Group. Frank was a well-rounded Loughlin student-athlete. Frank died a few years ago, having lived the latter part of his life in California. Frank Tripodi is being inducted into the Bishop Loughlin Hall of Fame posthumously.
John Flack
John Flack grew up in Middle Village, Queens, where he attended Resurrection-Ascension School and then Mater Christi High School. At Mater Christi, he played Frosh and JV Basketball and competed on the Track team. After his junior year at Mater Christi, he joined the LaSallian Christian Brothers graduating from St. Joseph’s Novitiate in Barrytown, N.Y., in 1965. He graduated from Catholic University in 1970 with a BA in English Literature graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He began his teaching career at St. Cecilia’s in Greenpoint, Brooklyn from 1970-74 and then onto Martin de Porres School where he taught Special Education classes from 1974-82. He began his teaching career at Bishop Loughlin in 1982 teaching English and Study Skills also holding down a Department Co-Chairmanship. He was appointed Dean of Students 2008-13.
Bishop Loughlin Athletics owes a great deal of gratitude to John Flack for his hard work and dedication to the program and to the student-athletes over the many years he served the Loughlin community. He was the Bowling Coach for 17 years, the Assistant Athletic Director for 17 years, the Athletic Director for 2 years and a Moderator of Track and Field for 5 years. He derives his rewards from the great and many memories of the “wonderful bright and enthusiastic students and athletes he was privileged to work with and come to personally know over 32 years.” The memories range from a perfect game in bowling to win a City title to City Championships in Basketball and Track in both the Boys and Girls programs. He cherishes being there to see so many young men and women discover here at Loughlin talents they never knew they had (never ran a race before high school –graduated City Champ! Didn’t make Frosh team, yet star for the Varsity squad!).
John resides in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with his lovely wife Jeanne of 36 years. They have a son, Stephen (33) and a daughter Elizabeth (26).
John retired from Loughlin in 2013 but still returns to be of service.
Adeola Olanrewaju ’00
Adeola came to Bishop Loughlin from the East New York section of Brooklyn. At Loughlin she competed for the basketball and volleyball teams. In basketball, she set the school record for most points (35) and most rebounds (23) in a single game in 2000. She was named to the First Team All City Team and Honorable Mention – High School All American. She is one of the best basketball players that ever played for Bishop Loughlin. As a junior, she was named the winner of the Brother James Bonilla Award as scholar-athlete and as a senior was the recipient of the Nugent Brothers Scholarship. She was an Honor Roll student throughout her high school career.
She accepted a full basketball scholarship to North Carolina State where she was named an ACC Rookie of the Week. She transferred to Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Arts with an emphasis in advertising and a minor in business. She cherishes the experience of reaching the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. After college she played professional basketball overseas and also had the experience of playing for the Nigerian National Basketball team.
She has pursued a career learning the whole technical aspect of the media industry. Adeola works for MSNBC as a Video and Lighting Operator.
Adeola presently resides in Jamaica, Queens.
A fond memory she has of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School is that she literally learned to play both basketball and the saxophone at her beloved Alma Mater.
Janele Henderson ’04
Janele Henderson came to Bishop Loughlin High School from the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. At Loughlin, she was on the Honor Roll all four years. She also had perfect attendance in high school receiving the Perfect Attendance Award. As a basketball player for the Lady Lions, she scored over 1,000 career points. She won the Lady Lions MVP award two years and the All–Around Player two years. Janele was the Captain of her team for three years from Soph to Senior year. She garnered Daily News All-Brooklyn Team Honors as a Junior and Senior and All City Honorable Mention both years also. She was chosen to the Newsday All-City and All-Brooklyn teams as a senior. She was chosen to play in the NYC Wheelchair Classic for Top HS seniors. Janele won both the Brother James Bonilla and Nugent Brothers Scholarship as a junior and senior.
Janele was awarded a full basketball scholarship to Rider University in New Jersey. In college, she scored over 1,000 points, was a MAAC Player of the Week, and made ESPN Sportcenter’s Top 10 Plays. She graduated Rider University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She played professional basketball overseas in France and Spain. Upon her return to the United States, she was an Assistant Coach for the Bishop Loughlin Girls Basketball Team 20011-13, (the 2011-12 team won the NYS Federation title). At present, she is the Assistant Basketball Coach for Molloy College in Rockville Centre, L.I.
Her fond memories of Loughlin are scoring her 1,000th point against Mary Louis Academy and her signing day at Loughlin for Rider University.
Janele presently resides in Brooklyn. She has three brothers who are alumni of Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School; they also had perfect attendance records.
Dominique Bishop ’03
Dominique Bishop came to Bishop Loughlin from St. John the Baptist Parish in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. At Loughlin, she joined the track team and immediately turned God-given talent into stardom. She was the 200m Champion as a freshman. Over the course of her track career at Loughlin, she garnered six individual Gold medals in the CHSAA City Championships. She set the school record for the 4×800 Relay and was named the MVP of the Loughlin Track Team in 2003. Dominique has competed in the Millrose Games and Colgate Women’s Games Finals at Madison Square Garden as well as the Arcadia Invitational Meet in California. She accepted a full track scholarship to Rutgers University and graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in Labor and Employment Relations and holds a master’s degree in Human Resource Development from Bowie State University where she was inducted into a Leadership Honor Society.
While pursuing her master’s degree, she served as an instructional systems designer for the Defense Security Service and studied in Italy where she served as a research fellow. For several years, Dominique worked as a Human Resources professional in the public sector. Throughout her career, she has played an integral role in various facets of Human Resources, such as recruiting, training, and development, employee relations, and policy compliance. She has also volunteered as a literacy tutor for Reading Partners in Baltimore and KEEN which is an organization that provides one-to-one sports and recreational opportunities for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities.
A fond memory that Dominique has while at Bishop Loughlin was competing in the Penn Relays Championship of America 4×800 Relay in 2003. Everyone expected her Loughlin team to come in last place based on the time they ran in the trials. They exceeded everyone’s expectations by setting a school, league and CHSAA record in the race that day.
Dominique presently resides in Baltimore.
