By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Hayden Catholic High School will induct six new members into its Hall of Fame during a Dec. 2 dinner and induction ceremony at Hayden.
The Hayden Hall of Fame recognizes individuals in four categories -- alumni achievement, student athletic/activity achievement, staff achievement and contributor. Hayden Catholic High School and the Hayden High School Foundation serve as the sponsoring organizations of the Hall of Fame.
Hayden basketball legend Tom Meier (right) will be part of Hayden Catholic High School's six-member 2023 Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted on Dec. 2 at Hayden. [File photo/TSN]
Nominations for the 2023 class were accepted from the public at large from last December through July.
Former Wildcat standout and legendary Hayden football coach Tom Stringer will be inducted into the Hayden Hall of Fame for alumni achievent, along with the late Kevin Sloan, a former state track and field champion and state record-holder in the long jump.
Hayden basketball legend Tom Meier will be an inductee for student athletic/activity achievement while Mary Beth McCarthy and the late George Silovsky will be inducted into the Hall of Fame for staff achievement and the late Judy (McGivern) Row will be inducted for contributor achievement.
Hall of Fame capsules:
KEVIN SLOAN (alumni achievement) -- Sloan, who passed away in 2021, graduated from Hayden Catholic High School in 1975. He received his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Kansas State University and his Master of Architecture from Syracuse University along with a graduate fellowship to study in Florence, Italy.
Sloan taught landscape design at Syracuse University and the University of Texas at Arlington. He received many landscaping awards. He believed in the importance of taking land that lacks character and turning it into places that would draw the community, as well as those outside the community.
Sloan was a Kansas state record-holder in the long jump. His jump of 24 feet, 6.75 inches at the state meet stood as the overall state best and still stands as the Class 4A state meet record after nearly 50 years. He qualified for the 1980 Olympic Trials.
TOM STRINGER (alumni achievement) -- Stringer graduated from Hayden Catholic High School in 1979 and graduated from Pittsburg State University where he received first-team All-America honors as an offensive lineman.
Stringer, a member of the Pittsburg State Athletics Hall of Fame, returned to Hayden and coached football from 1992-2006. Stringer led the Wildcats to the school's first Class 4A state championsip in 1998 with a 13-0 record and added a second undefeated state title in 2004.
Stringer's Hayden teams won the Centennial League championship seven times and he achieved a career record of 131-35 during his 15 years as the Wildcats' head coach. Stringer coached in the Kansas Shrine Bowl four times (twice as head coach).
TOM MEIER (student athletic/activity achievement) -- Meier graduated from Hayden in 1983 where he led the Wildcats to back-to-back Class 4A state basketball championships, including the city's first perfect 25-0 season in '83. He graduated from Washburn University where he earned two All-American awards and led the team to the 1987 NAIA national championship.
Meier was inducted into the Washburn University Hall of Fame in 1996, the Topeka Shawnee County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009 and the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. He was inducted into the Hayden Hall of Fame with his 1983 Wildcat basketball team in 2022.
Meier's three children graduated from Hayden. He resides in Topeka and is an insurance agent.
GEORGE SILOVSKY (staff achievement) -- Silvosky, who passed away in 2016, was a science teacher at Hayden from 1955-1992. He also served as building administrator, director of personnel, associate principal and assistant football and track coach during his tenure at Hayden.
Silovsky was an adjunct professor of science at Highland Community College from 1990-1998.
He believed in the mission of Hayden and his actions demonstrated his love for Hayden. He was considered a leader in the Topeka Catholic community.
MARY BETH McCARTHY (staff achiefment) -- McCarthy was the debate and forensics coach at Hayden from 1979-1996. McCarthy was instrumental in bringing the National Catholic Forensics League to Kansas and implementing a competitive debate program. She served on the National Board of Officers for the National Catholic Forensics League (NCFL) for eight years.
Her final two years from 1994-1996 she served as the National President. in her final year of coaching in 1996, she hosted the National Tournament in Topeka.
McCarthy was a key in laying the foundation for debate at Hayden and in the larger debate and forensics community in an effort to give students opportunities.
JUDY (McGIVERN) ROW (contributor achievement) -- Row, who passed away in 2022, graduated from Hayden in 1954. She worked in her father’s company, J.F. McGivern Painting, and also partnered in running the Senne & Company, Inc. Row had an affinity for technology and was key in helping Hayden finance the network and computer systems.
Her generosity supported the schoolwide network, the Hayden Computer Center and the technology in the Hayden Library and Media Center. Her service to the Hayden students enabled academic excellence.
Senne & Company helped complete the renovation of the third floor of the main building as well as the renovation of the Hayden cafeteria. Row demonstrated selfless support for Hayden over her lifetime.
