- Mater Dei High School (Santa Ana, California)
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Mater Dei High School 
Mater Dei's newly built courtyard and school library. Address 1202 West Edinger Avenue
Santa Ana, California, (Orange County), 92707
United StatesCoordinates 33°43′36″N 117°53′1″W / 33.72667°N 117.88361°WCoordinates: 33°43′36″N 117°53′1″W / 33.72667°N 117.88361°W Information Type Private, Coeducational Religious affiliation(s) Roman Catholic Established 1950 CEEB Code 053-240 President Patrick Murphy Principal Frances Clare Asst. Principal Anna-Lisa George;
Kevin Hickman;
Charisse KitsinisFaculty 217 Grades 9-12 Enrollment 2,100 (Fall 2010) Color(s) Scarlet and Gray Athletics conference Trinity League;
CIF Southern SectionMascot Monarch Lion [1] Team name Monarchs Rival Servite [2] Accreditation(s) Western Association of Schools and Colleges[3] Average SAT scores 520 (Critical Reading)
530 (Math)
530 (Writing)Average ACT scores 22.8 (English)
23.0 (Math)
23.6 (Reading)
21.7 (Science)
22.9 (Composite)Yearbook 'Crown' Tuition $10,725 - $12,950 [4] Website www.materdei.org Mater Dei High School is a private, Catholic, co-educational secondary school in Santa Ana, California. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. With an enrollment of 2,100 students (Fall 2010) Mater Dei High School is one of the largest Catholic high schools in the United States. Mater Dei High School is known for its highly successful athletic programs, especially boys basketball, football and Water Polo. In 2008 Sports Illustrated rated Mater Dei High School second on its “Best High School Athletic Programs” list.[5]
Contents
History
Mater Dei High School first opened in September 1950 with 111 students. During that first year, a statue of Our Blessed Mother was presented to the school by the Young Ladies Institute. It was placed in the Grotto, where it remains today. Mary, Mother of God, as our Patroness, guides us in our quest for excellence. The first principal was Father Joseph L. Eyraud, who supervised a faculty of seven, including the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The first graduating class chose the lion as the mascot, and it was decided that the school mascot should be called the "Monarchs" and wear red and gray. They were also responsible for establishing the tradition of academic excellence at Mater Dei.
In 1960, the school looked back on the first ten years that added thirteen-hundred students and a waiting list for more. Mater Dei added its theatre arts department in the 1960s and performed its first senior musical. Enrollment hit 2,150, making Mater Dei the largest Catholic high school west of Chicago.
The Little Theater is home to the school's performing arts program.
During the 1980s, Mater Dei broadened its curriculum, including technology.
The Mater Dei 2008 Capital Campaign has funded the construction of Phase I (Fall 1999 – Fall 2002): a student parking lot, the Gordon & Gail Lee Family Chapel and Campus Ministry Center, the Antone & Anna Borchard Family Library, the Reed & Angela LeVecke Student Activities Complex, the Shamrock Student Plaza, the Josef D'Heygers Academic Services Center, including the Muth Family Learning Center, and the Ward Family Multi-Media Center. Phase III will include a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Complex.
In order to meet the demands of Mater Dei's ever growing athletic program, the school constructed a new Athletic & Aquatics Complex. The new Athletics & Aquatics Complex houses a three-court, 3,000 seat gymnasium; the Monarch Hall of Fame; a wrestling room; a 10-lane, 25-meter swimming pool; a training/rehabilitation center; weight training/conditioning center; locker rooms; equipment rooms and offices for the dedicated coaching staff.
In addition, all fields are being upgraded to FieldTurf. Construction on "Rick's Track" took place this spring and construction on the lower level football and soccer FieldTurf is also complete. Construction of The Rod Dedeaux Baseball Complex at Joe O'Hara Field wrapped up in the spring of 2002.
Statistics
Category Stats Religious background: 83% Catholic; 17% represent a variety of other faiths Cultural background: 41% White; 2% Black; 27% Hispanic; 19% Asian; 16% other or undeclared Academic: 62% of student body attended Catholic elementary school; 38% attended a private and the rest attended a public school 15 AP and 16 Honors classes; 40% enrolled in AP or Honors classes 99% continue on to college; 80% qualify for a four-year college 2009 SAT scores: 90% took the SAT; 530 average critical reading, 530 average writing, 530 average math Up to 30% receive a total of $750,000 annually in need-based tuition assistance Athletics
- See footnote[6]
Mater Dei's old basketball gym was home for several of the school's top nationally ranked teams during its 30-plus years in service.Boy's Basketball
Since Gary McKnight began coaching the Monarch's varsity basketball team in 1983,[7] the Monarchs have won 28 league titles (23 consecutive),[8] 21 CIF Southern-Section championships,[9] 12 Southern California regional titles, and, in a record 12 appearances,[10] tied the state-title record with 8 CIF state championships.[8] On January 18, 2010, McKnight won his 844th game, breaking the state High School Basketball Wins record previously held by Mike Phelps (Bishop O'Dowd in Oakland and St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda).[11][12] As of the 2010-2011 season, McKnight is the winningest high school varsity basketball coach in state history with a record of 892-81.[11]
Ring of Honor
The Mater Dei High School Ring of Honor debuted in May 2001 at the 50th Anniversary Golden Gala. The Ring of Honor aims to bring the entire Mater Dei community together to celebrate the school, give thanks, and recognize people who have made Mater Dei such a great place to learn and develop. It is the dedication and commitment of each and every member of our extended Monarch family that creates the traditional appeal of Mater Dei High School. Ring of Honor inductees are recognized each spring at the Annual Ring of Honor & Founders Circle Dinner. See footnote [13]
Notable alumni
- Matt Barkley, 2009, current NCAA football quarterback for the USC Trojans
- Jessica Bowlin, 2000, winner of season 5 of The Bachelor
- Colt Brennan, 2002, former NFL quarterback for the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins
- LeRon Ellis, 1987, former NBA power forward and center for the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and Los Angeles Clippers
- Danny Espinosa 2005, current MLB second baseman for the Washington Nationals
- Reggie Geary, 1992, former NBA guard for the San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers
- Matt Grootegoed, 2000, former NFL linebacker for the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Bob Gunton, 1964, Actor, Star Trek: The Next Generation, 24, The Shawshank Redemption[citation needed]
- Ashley Hartman, 2004, contestant on season 2 of American Idol
- Vince Hizon, 1988, American-born former Philippine Basketball Association player
- Mike Hopkins, 1988, former NCAA basketball guard and current assistant coach at Syracuse University
- John Huarte, 1960, Heisman Trophy winner (1964) and former NFL quarterback for the Bears, Chiefs, Eagles, Patriots, and Jets
- Chris Jackson, 1988, former NFL Wide Receiver for the Dolphins, Packers, Titans, Seahawks, & Buccaneers
- Taylor King, 2007, former NCAA basketball forward for the University of Villanova
- Matt Leinart, 2001, Heisman Trophy winner (2004) and current NFL quarterback for the Houston Texans.[14]
- Bobby Meacham, 1978, current MLB First-Base Coach for the Houston Astros and former shortstop for the New York Yankees
- Steve Oedekerk, 1978, film actor, comedian, director, editor, producer, and screenwriter; Bruce Almighty, Evan Almighty
- Robbie Rogers, 2005, Current MLS winger for the Columbus Crew
- Jamal Sampson, 2001, former NBA forward-center for the Bucks, Lakers, Hornets, Kings, and Nuggets
- Sergio Santos, 2002, current MLB relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox
- Miles Simon, 1994, current NCAA basketball analyst for ESPN and former NBA guard for the Orlando Magic
- Jaime Soto, 1974, current Bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento
- D. J. Strawberry, 2003, former NBA point guard for the Phoenix Suns
- Matt Treanor, 1994, current MLB catcher for the Kansas City Royals
- Jennifer Warnes, 1965, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer
- David Wear, 2009, current NCAA basketball forward for the UCLA Bruins
- Travis Wear, 2009, current NCAA Basketball forward for the UCLA Bruins
- Jeff Lewis, 1988, real estate agent & investor, interior designer, and star of the Bravo Channel's reality series, Flipping Out
- Juan Zarate, 1989, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury and Anti-Terrorism Czar during Bush Administration[15]
References
- ^ MDHS Facts
- ^ ESPN.com Mater Dei-Servite rivalry
- ^ WASC-ACS. "WASC-Accrediting Commission for Schools". http://www.acswasc.org/directory_search.cfm. Retrieved 2009-06-05.
- ^ MDHS Tuition Schedule
- ^ "Top 25 athletic programs for 2007-08 - More Sports - SI.com". CNN. 2008-05-20. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/highschool/05/19/high.school.top.10/index.html. Retrieved 2010-05-12.
- ^ "Athletics home page". Mater Dei High School. http://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=66342&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=107071&hideMenu=1. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
- ^ http://www.sacbee.com/2011/03/26/3504725/mater-dei-coach-a-fright-sight.html
- ^ a b Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/keyword/gary-mcknight.
- ^ http://www.ocvarsity.com/articles/-19355--.html
- ^ http://www.cifstate.org/sports/state/basketball/pdf/bb%20state%20records.pdf
- ^ a b http://www.ocvarsity.com/sports/mcknight-26141-dei-mater.html
- ^ "Varsity Times Insider". Los Angeles Times. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/varsitytimesinsider/2010/01/boys-basketball-mater-dei-gives-mcknight-record-844th-victory.html.
- ^ "Advancement: Ring of Honor". Mater Dei High School. http://www.materdei.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=70021&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=116566. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
- ^ Ben Bolch, Leinart Chosen State Player of Year, Los Angeles Times, December 5, 2000. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "Prep Baseball Mater Dei Has to Rally to Overcome Servite". Los Angeles Times. 13 May 1989.
External links
Categories:- Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange
- Roman Catholic secondary schools in California
- High schools in Santa Ana, California
- Educational institutions established in 1950
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