Hall of Fame

Tom Carlson began his golf career at O’Gorman Junior High in 7^th grade and throughout high school career earned six varsity letters. He made history as the first and only boys' golfer at O’Gorman to secure the state team and individual titles in the same year. He helped lead the team to state titles in 2001, 2002, and 2003. Also contributing to runner-up finishes as a team in 2000 and 2004. He was selected five-times as Class AA All-State and multiple honors as Sioux Falls All-City and GDC All-Conference.

Carlson's attended college at the University of New Mexico, where he played from 2006 to 2011. As a four-time varsity letterman, he participated in 41 tournaments and 118 rounds, consistently showcasing his skills. His collegiate career was highlighted by several significant accomplishments, including being part of the 2011 team that achieved the lowest team score (268) in the University of Hawaii’s John Burns Intercollegiate history. He also played a key role in his team’s victories at the University of Arizona Intercollegiate and the University of Colorado Mark Simpson Invitational. By his senior year, Carlson had secured the second-best scoring average on the team and earned multiple top-10 finishes, including a notable fifth-place finish at the Arizona Intercollegiate.

Carlson remains the only golfer in the state’s history to win the SDGA state high school championship, SDGA state junior championship (2003), SDGA state two-man championship (2010), SDGA state match play championship (2007 & 2008), and SDGA state amateur championship (2011). His five-time South Dakota Golf Association Championship titles and dual Player of the Year awards (2010 and 2011) underscore his dominance in the sport. Notably, his recent achievements include the 2023 SDGA father-son state championship in the 11 & under age division, reflecting his ongoing commitment to the game. Carlson’s talent was not confined to state-level competitions. He qualified for and competed in four United States Golf Association events, including the 2006 USGA Amateur Championship and the 2011 and 2022 USGA Mid-Amateur Championship. His participation in these prestigious tournaments further highlights his ability to compete at the highest levels of golf.

Carlson has been a six-time Minnehaha Country Club Champion and a four-time Match Play Champion. His victories include the 2009 Sioux Falls City Championship and the 2007 Northwest Iowa Amateur Championship. He also shot a course record 62 at Willow Run Golf Club in the Sioux Falls City Tournament in 2009. His other course record is at Kuehne Park in Sioux Falls where he shot it alongside his son, Hank, who is currently a 5^th grader at St. Mary’s.

Tom received his undergraduate degree in Management from the University of New Mexico in 2011. Tom now lives in Sioux Falls with his wife, Jess, and three children: Hank, 10, and twins, Harper, 8, and Isabel, 8. He currently works at Henry Carlson Company where he is Director of Business Development.

At O’Gorman High School Nate competed in football, basketball, track, and soccer.  Vogel was and awarded 1^st Team All-Conference and All-City in football. In basketball he was All-Conference, All-Tournament Team, All-City Team and Team MVP. He was also selected to the SD/Wyoming All-Star Game and the North/South Dakota All-Star Game.

Nate was a four-year letter winner, three-year starter and team captain at Black Hills State University (BHSU).  He led the basketball team to a No. 2 national ranking in the 1998-1999 season as well as an appearance in the Elite 8 of the NAIA Tournament. In 2001-2002 he and the team appeared in the Sweet 16. He is a member of the Black Hills State Athletics’ Hall of Fame for the 1998-99 team.

Vogel’s coaching career has led him to many places including Spearfish High School, St. Charles County Lutheran High School, Black Hills State University, and Maryville University. He was also named the head coach of Team USA's U19 women's basketball team at the United World Games in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Nate spent two seasons as the head coach at Miles Community College (DI NJCAA) in Miles City, MT. He led the Pioneers to a 25-8 record and an appearance in the NJCAA Region IX Tournament Final Four, was named a finalist for NJCAA D1 National Coach of the Year, took the team to the national tournament, was named Region XIII, Mon-Dak Conference, and District D Coach of the Year.

Nate spent five years at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference in Laredo, Texas, where he led the Dustdevils to a program-best 25-7 record, their first ever national ranking (reaching seventeenth in the country), and their highest-ever regional ranking (third). Additionally, ranking in the top 10 nationally in: turnovers forced per game, steals per game, assists per game, free throws made per game, and scoring offense. His time at TAMIU included two All-Americans, 12 All-LSC honorees, and a conference defensive player of the year. He was able to completely change the program around, being ranked in the National Top 25 poll the last four seasons.

Vogel is currently the Head Women’s Basketball coach at Augustana University.  He has been married 20 years to his wife, Tracie.  They have two children, Cora (8) and Camden (7).

Jamie A. Johnson attended St. Mary School then graduated from O’Gorman High School in 1999. Jamie performed in plays and musicals as well as served as a choreographer. Active in Forensics, Jamie received Superior ratings at several competitions and attended the Nationals in Oral Interpretation. A varsity athlete in multiple sports, Johnson achieved success in track, cross country, and gymnastics.

Jamie attended the University of Utah as a scholarship student and graduated cum laude with degrees in Ballet and English. She also participated in several summer intensive programs including the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the Milwaukee Ballet, and Jacob’s Pillow (Massachusetts).

In the decade following her undergraduate degrees, Jamie performed nationally and internationally with professional dance companies such as—Sacramento Ballet, Ballet Pacifica, Ohio Dance Theatre, and Boulder Ballet, and ascended to the rank of principal dancer. Later with MOMIX, an internationally-recognized company of dancer-illusionists, Johnson performed and served as Dance Captain, danced in over 400 performances and in eight different countries. Simultanously with her performing career, she instructed dance. Most significant were the 10 summers she spent teaching at Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan.

Returning to academia, Johnson earned an MFA in Dance from the University of Washington with additional certifications in Yoga, Autism Movement Therapy, and Functional Awareness®. In 2015, Jamie joined the faculty of Utah Valley University. From 2015-2024, she served as the Co-Artistic Director of Repertory Ballet Ensemble.

Johnson’s research encompasses choreography and academic publications. Her creative research has been performed by St. Paul Ballet, Utah Metropolitan Ballet, Boulder Ballet II, and the University of Wyoming. Her research has been presented at the National Dance Education Organization, the World Dance Alliance, Corps de Ballet, International and the American College Dance Association conferences. Jamie’s scholarly publications, which investigate inclusive dance pedagogy, appear in the Journal of Dance Education and the Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters (UASAL). In 2023, Johnson received “Best Paper in the Arts” from UASAL. Additional accolades include a UVU Faculty Excellence Award and a School of the Arts Dean’s Award of Excellence.

Johnson is an Associate Professor of Dance and the Chair of the Department of Dance at Utah Valley University. Jamie, her husband, Jeffrey Nauman, and son, Joseph, reside in Draper, Utah.

The custom in her community is that a sister receives a new name when she receives the habit. The new name expresses a new mission and a new response to grace. “Amata Veritas” is Latin for “Beloved Truth” and is honor of the Blessed Trinity, God, who is Love and who is Truth, who creates each person for union with Him to share in His Divine Life.

Mother Amata Veritas attended Christ the King Elementary School and Cathedral Junior High before attending high school at O’Gorman. She participated in track, cross country, basketball, and played the French horn in the band. She was involved in Student Council and the pro-life student group.

In college she continued running track and cross country and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in education with a major in history from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD.  She taught high school for three years before she answered the call to religious life. In 2001, she entered the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She professed final vows on August 4, 2009.

Her community lives the Dominican charism by teaching in grade schools, high schools and universities across the country and have a media apostolate called Openlight Media which produces the Education in Virtue program and other catechetical programming.  

She taught sixth grade for one year, high school for three years, and was the postulant mistress for nine years. She also worked in the chancery for the Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter in Houston, TX.  Mother Amata Veritas earned her Master’s degree in Theology from Providence College in Providence, RI and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from University of Dayton in Ohio.

In 2021 at the General Chapter, she was elected Prioress General for her community. As Prioress General she is now at the service of her community to listen to the movements of the Holy Spirit and marvel how He is at work. She considers her vocation and every day that she renews her “Fiat” to be a gift.

Rear Admiral Michael S. Wosje is a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. He graduated from O’Gorman High School in 1989. He then went onto the University of Notre Dame where he graduated in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Applications and was commissioned through the NROTC program. He subsequently entered flight training and was designated a naval aviator. He holds a Master of Science in Management from Troy University. Operationally, his fleet assignments include the Blue Diamonds of Strike Fighter Squadron 146 (VFA- 146) where he completed two deployments onboard USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in support of Operation Southern Watch; the Stingers of VFA-113 onboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76); command of the Valions of VFA-15 onboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77); and command of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 as part of Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan onboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76).

Ashore, Wosje’s assignments include instructor and training officer of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center; transition pilot at the Hornets of United States Air Force 43rd Fighter Squadron (FS) Tyndall, FL; F-22 Operational Test Director in the Green Bats of 422nd FS Nellis, Nevada; chief of the Cyberspace and Electronic Warfare Operations Division, Joint Staff, J39 Global Operations; executive assistant to the J3, Joint Staff; deputy branch head of Carrier Strike Aircraft and Weapons for the Director of Air Warfare, Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) N98; student at the Joint Forces Staff College; branch head of Carrier Strike Aircraft and Weapons for OPNAV N98; executive 21 1/2 assistant to the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Warfighting Requirements and Capabilities N9; and chief of staff, Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO, Oeiras, Portugal.

Wosje assumed command of Carrier Strike Group ONE on 06 June 2024. His personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (three awards), Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Strike and Flight Air Medal (three awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, along with various campaign and service awards.

The 1988 Knights Girls Cross Country Team, comprised of strong returning team members and less experienced participants. This team was the first to compete in state competition at the distance of 4000 meters, a change from the long-standing distance of 3000 meters. The State Association finally adjusted the distance to 5000 meters in 2015 to bring South Dakota in line with the nationally accepted distance for high school girls cross country competitions.

The 1988 Knights had their largest team of girls participating to date. But with all the new and inexperienced athletes, it seemed to be destined to be a year of growing and rebuilding. As summer runs and the preseason progressed, the team began to show signs of improving. The first month of the season had growing pains, including incomplete team scores in the first two official races. Though September ended with two wins, it was still difficult to visualize this group making a run for a championship.

The first weekend in October proved to be a landmark event for this Knights Cross Country Team! They placed second in the largest invite held in the state for AA teams, described as the “Pre-State Meet” event. The girls succeeded through October winning the rest of the events on their schedule, including the Sioux Interstate Conference Meet, hosted in Sioux City, IA. The girls traveled to Pierre, SD for the State Cross Country Meet on Saturday, October 29^th and came away with a convincing victory. Only 13 seconds separated O’Gorman’s top five runners! Top place winners for the Knights were: Kris Ellenbecker 7^th place, Erin Daughters 8^th place, Lisa Gillen 10^th place, Heidi Ovrelid 13^th place, and Ellie Gage 14^th place.  Cross Country rules score each team’s top five runners by using their place of finish. The girls scored a record low 52 points! A total score that still ranks as one of the lowest in Girls AA Cross Country records.

Members of O’Gorman Knights 1988 State Cross Country Team were: Lisa Gillen, Heidi (Ovrelid) Squilllace, Sarah (Baker) Hogg, Liz Shaeffer, Kris (Ellenbecker) Ripperda, Rachael (Hoversten) Vockler, Erin (Daughters) Healey, and Ellie Gage. Winning “All State Top 25 Awards” were: Lisa Gillen, Heidi Ovrelid, Kris Ellenbecker, Erin Daughters, and Ellie Gage.

Coached by:  Doug Lindner