Catherine Aloia
The first Immaculata High School employee hired by school founder, Msgr. Eugene Kelly, Catherine Aloia served for 30 years as the head secretary/receptionist in the Main Office. For generations of Spartans, she was literally the first face they saw as they entered the building. To students, parents, and faculty alike, she was known as “Mrs. Immaculata.” Her kindness and generosity to all whom she met were legendary. While her role in the Main Office was very visible, perhaps her greatest contribution was her behind the scenes work (assisted by her husband, Attilio, a Spartan of the Year winner) as a volunteer chaperone, fundraiser, ticket seller, event coordinator, bookkeeper, test typer, mimeograph guru, athletic and band booster, and even fashion model for an Immaculata Pageant. Described as the “heart and soul of Immaculata,” Mrs. Aloia treated each student as one of her own and served as a role model as a woman who lived her Catholic values.
Michael Cust ’01
Drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals after graduation, Michael Cust is one of a handful of players in Immaculata’s very successful baseball program to play varsity all four seasons. An outfielder, Cust was a threat, offensively and defensively. His career stats top the Spartan books in several categories with his .580 season batting average and number of stolen bases, doubles, walks, RBIs, runs scored, and fielding percentage. In nearly every category, Cust ranks among the top five of all Spartan baseball players. After graduation, Cust moved on to play baseball at Seton Hall University, until a devastating hand injury derailed his playing days. Today Cust continues his ties with sports as Assistant General Manager of Diamond Nation.
Anthony Gargiulo ’02
Named as Somerset County’s Co-Defensive Football Player of the Year (shared with teammate and Spartan Hall of Famer Patrick O’Neill ’02), Anthony Gargiulo, a defensive end, was honored as All County, All Area, All Parochial, and All State in his senior year as a Spartan. His football prowess earned him an opportunity to play at Dartmouth College, where he succeeded on the Ivy League gridiron. As a three-year starter, he was named to the Ivy League’s First Team twice, while leading the league in sacks and tackles for loss. He also holds the school record for sacks in a game, sacks in a season, and sacks in a career. After graduation, Gargiulo played for two years for the Calgary Stampeders. Currently, he is a Senior Account Executive with Metropolitan Life and serves as volunteer football coach for his hometown youth program.
Janet Regan Hadar ’86
The first female president of UNC Hospitals, Janet Regan Hadar received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Villanova University. She began her career as an intensive care unit nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she also obtained a master’s degree in nursing. Hadar served as a nurse practitioner at the University of Wisconsin Medical Center for several years, before earning an MBA from Case Western Reserve University. Before her recent promotion to UNC Hospitals president, Hadar held several administrative roles including Senior Vice President of operations. In her current role as President, she leads the academic medical center in Chapel Hill, three community hospitals, and over seventy ambulatory care locations. In doing so, she faces many external challenges and growth opportunities, while navigating the organization through the Covid-19 pandemic and keeping patients, over 14,000 employees, and the facilities safe. In addition, Hadar was a recent board member of the YMCA of the Triangle, Carolina Dialysis, and Vizient, a national health care company. Additionally, she is a fellow in the American College of Health Care Executives.
Eileen Sellinger Logan ’86
Among the top five scorers in Immaculata girls basketball history with 1,214 points, Eileen Sellinger Logan was a powerhouse player, who was considered the ultimate teammate by making everyone better, inspiring them with her mental toughness, hard work, passion, and natural talent. Starting her freshman year as a varsity player, Logan accumulated honors from multiple news outlets. During her Spartan career, the team was 89-21 and made four trips to the State Sectionals, three to the County Finals, and won four straight Mountain Valley Conference Championships. Captain during her senior year at Immaculata, Logan accepted a full basketball scholarship to Manhattan College, where she excelled academically. Her team, of which she was captain for two years, won the MAAC Championship twice and played in the NCAA Tournament twice. Today she is Vice President, E&S Casualty Underwriting Unit at Arch Insurance Group in New York. She has continued her athletic pursuits with running marathons and triathlons, and now coaches her daughters’ basketball teams.
Joshua Morrison ’01
A two-sport star, Joshua Morrison excelled on the football and baseball fields. In a football program as successful as Immaculata’s, Morrison, a running back, place kicker, and defensive corner, distinguished himself by being the second all-time season record holder for most touchdowns scored (22) and had over 1,000 rushing yards during his senior year despite playing with a serious leg injury. For his stellar performances, Morrison was named All Group, All Conference, All Central Jersey, and All State. On the baseball diamond, as a four-year starter and lead off hitter, Morrison, an outfielder, is the school’s leader in stolen bases and ranks among the top five career leaders in home runs, triples, walks, batting average, hits, and runs scored. Honored with being named to several First Teams by the media and conference, Morrison played baseball at Montclair State. Since college, he has coached Crossfit, and for the past 15 years, he has served as a New Jersey State Trooper.
Kenneth Riehman ’97
Kenneth Riehman currently serves our country as a Technical Sergeant Percussionist with the Ceremonial Brass in The United States Air Force Band. His duties involve performing for funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, state arrivals, concerts, and live-streaming events. In addition, he has played at a number of nationally broadcast Air Force Band performances. As a musician at Immaculata, Riehman made the NJ All State Band for four years, a rare accomplishment, and was part of two percussion championships and one overall band championship. Riehman earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Music in Performance degree from Temple University. Simultaneously, Riehman was a Marching Band staff member and adjunct instructor at Immaculata; during his tenure, the band captured seven State and National Championships for the overall band and 25 State and Regional Percussion Championships. His professional resume includes stints with the NJ State Theater, Opera Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Ballet, Bay Atlantic Symphony, the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, as well as playing with a number of famous artists on their national tours, including Clay Aiken and LeAnn Rimes.
Brian Shemesh ’07
Considered the foundation player of Immaculata’s highly successful Lacrosse program, Brian Shemesh, a midfielder, is the only three-time captain in the program’s history. Through his leadership and skills, this Spartan laid the groundwork for lacrosse’s first state championship in 2007, followed by four more state championship appearances. Recognized throughout the state as a premier player, Shemesh was named as an All-American, Courier News’ Player of the Year, the Waterman Division’s Player of the Year, and First Team All Area, All League, All Division and All-State. Named to the active roster of the US U-19 Lacrosse Team, he played in 2008 and was awarded a gold medal. A four-year Rutgers University lacrosse player, Shemesh was again named team captain and won the Knight Cup and the Scholar Athlete Award during his senior year. He then graduated from Rutgers University School of Law, summa cum laude. Currently, he is an attorney for Giordan, Halleran, & Ciesla PC in the firm’s Redevelopment and Real Estate Group. This year Shemesh was named to the 2020 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
1981 Girls Softball Team
Led by Coach of the Year Nancy Gunzelman Hartrum, the 1981 squad was the first team in school history to bring home a state championship trophy in 18 years of varsity play. Going into the State Finals against Becton High School with a 23-5-1 record, the Spartans beat the East Rutherford-based team by a score of 2-1. To reach this milestone through the season and during post-season play, the Spartans relied on strong pitching, phenomenal defense, and the ability to manufacture runs with solid hitting, bunting, stolen bases, and forced errors by their opponents. Four of the players were honored with several designations for All County and All State teams.