Kapaun Mount Carmel Hires New Golf Coach

Kapaun Mount Carmel chose its new golf coach for its 2008-2009 school year earlier this month and the choice was a familiar one for Kapaun students. However, the name was not synoymous with golf, instead he was known for football and drawing.

Dan Phillips assisted the Kapaun football coaching staff from 2004 to 2006. In addition to football, Phillips taught a drawing class and helped the womens basketball team as well. Phillips was in Phoenix at a public school for the last two years, but he moves back to Wichita in order to take the opening at golf coach at Kapaun.

The job was vacated last spring when legendary coach Ed Kriwiel passed away. Kriwiel was the head coach of the boys golf team for the last 37 years and he lead the girls team for the last ten of those as well. In his tenure at Kapaun, Kriwiel led the Crusaders to 26 total state championships in golf.

Needless to say, Kriwiel's passing leaves very big shoes for Phillips to fill.

Phillips will have plenty of help in his first year at Kapaun.

The girls golf team, which tees off this fall, finished second to St. Thomas Aquinas last October at Auburn Hills in Wichita. The team is always strong and will again contend for a state title this year.

The boys team finished sixth in Class 5A last spring. Young golfers such as Max Lazzo and Jack Cantele will return for the Crusaders this season which should put them right in contention for a state championship.