Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Ashley Chod excelled as a multi-sport athlete at Whitfield on the field hockey, soccer, cross country and basketball teams, as well as the cheerleading squad. Above all, she shined in field hockey as a standout player who led the team to great success. The team had a well-known reputation as the best on the field during the 1998 season, Ashley’s junior year. In the 1999 season, their 18-3 record was the best in school history to date. They won the Midwest Women’s Athletic Association (MWAA) championships with a 10-1 record. Ashley and the team also returned to the semifinals of the Midwest Field Hockey Tournament for the second straight year. Despite their 1-0 loss to John Burroughs in the semifinal game, the season was a success due to all of the individual and team accomplishments. Ashley made the MWAA All-Star Team 1st Team and the St. Louis Senior Field Hockey All-Star Team her senior year.

With her many academic and athletic talents, Ashley continued on to play Division I field hockey for the University of Michigan. This was her dream come true after attending the NCAA final four during her senior year at Whitfield along with field hockey teammates and coaches Vivi Keefer and Mary O'Connor. During her collegiate career, she helped lead her team to win the Big Ten Championship in 2000 and 2001, as well as the National Championship in 2001. The 2001 winning season earned the team the honor of being the first women’s team in the history of the University of Michigan to bring home a National Championship for the school. On an individual level, Ashley became the only Whitfield athlete to date to win a collegiate National Championship.

Ashley completed her degree in business administration at the University of Colorado and currently lives in Aspen where she works as a real estate broker. Her parents and two of her three siblings live in Denver, while one sister resides in Kansas City. Ashley enjoys spending time with her family, including four nephews and a niece.

Todd Wallace was a standout player in both soccer and basketball. On the soccer field, Todd excelled as a team leader and holds multiple school records: most goals scored in a game (5, tied with Isaac Butler); career assist leader (1996-1999); second all time goals scored in a season (32, second to Isaac Butler); second all time in career total points (184, second to Jay Alberts); and second all time in career goals scored (68, second to Jay Alberts). As team captain during his senior season in 1999, Todd led the soccer team through a highly successful season all the way to the state championship game. While the team ultimately lost the state championship game to St. Mary’s (4-0), Todd shared that the loss is a memory he values as an experience that continues to motivate him to this day to always work hard and find opportunities to improve. With his team leadership and record-setting soccer career, Todd was a 2nd team All Metro selection in 1999.

Todd was additionally a member of the 2000 Boys 2A State Championship basketball team, also being inducted today into the Athletic Hall of Fame. His excellent achievements during his high school athletic career were recognized with the Ginger Newton Jacobi Athlete of the Year Award in 2000.

Following his graduation from Whitfield, Todd went on to play soccer at Rockhurst University and Loyola University-Chicago, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. He then continued on to coach at the college level at Maryville University, first as an assistant coach on the men’s and women’s soccer teams as well as the men’s basketball team, and ultimately led the men’s soccer team as head coach. During his tenure as head men’s soccer coach, he helped transition the program from NCAA Division III to Division II.

Currently, Todd works as a Senior Recruiting Specialist at Next College Student Athlete. Todd and his wife, Allison, have two children, Oscar, age 6, and Crosby, age 2.

This team, led by Head Coach Rich Fanning and assistant coaches Matt Rogers, Frank Johnson and Jared Johnson, included ten exceptional players:

Torre Finley, Class of 2000
Jason Ford, Class of  2000
Mark Johnson, Class of 2000
Phil Lloyd, Class of 2000
Jonathan Norris, Class of 2000
Dan Oppland, Class of 2002
Mike Oppland, Class of 2002
Mike Palumbo, Class of 2002
Matt Ryan, Class of 2001
Todd Wallace, Class of 2000

Managing the team that year were class of 2001 alumnae Annette Parker, Phabienne Parker Anderson, and Tsion Pichon.

As the only boys basketball championship team in Whitfield’s history, the Class 2A State Championship Team in 2000 did much to raise awareness for the school. As Assistant Coach Matt Rogers shared, the team’s growth in maturity, commitment to the program, and love for each other grew exponentially from the 1999 season to the 2000 season, enabling them to reach new heights of success on the court. 

The team won the District Championship against Berkeley by 30 points (103-73), with both Jason Ford and Jonathan Norris scoring 30 points each. Dan Oppland and Mike Oppland also each contributed 10 points to the score. This exciting win led the team to continued success throughout the rest of the season. 

The State Quarterfinal game against Scott City proved the team’s collective strength to overcome a challenge, with the team down 6 points at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Leading scorer, Jason Ford, fouled out early in the 4th quarter, scoreless! With 6 minutes left, Coach Rich Fanning rallied the team, and as Assistant Coach Matt Rogers remembers, “the boys came out like a pack of wolves and attacked Scott City with so much pressure that Scott City just folded.” Coach Rich Fanning recalls the team took its first lead with 1:30 to go, and won by 8, noting that zone press with corner traps forced turnovers leading to steals and layups to turn the tide. This was a total team effort with all players committed, and as Dan Oppland shared, this was a game that defined the integrity and heart of the team. 

The team ultimately went on to win the State Championship against Blair Oaks. Although tied 43-43 with 1:11 to go in the third quarter, Coach Rich Fanning’s fast break system led the team to victory with a final score of 74-59. The season ended with a winning record of 30-3. 

Off the court, the team members gave back with community service to the children of the Bob Costas Cancer Center at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, visiting patients there and raising awareness and fundraising to battle children’s cancer. 

Notably, six members of the team went on to collegiate athletics competition: Torre Finley, Jason Ford, Jonathan Norris, Dan Oppland, Mike Oppland, and Todd Wallace.