Orange Lutheran High School Alumni

We're rounding the bases with three Lancer alumni updates from the diamond!

• Mandy Urfer ’07 was inducted into the Orange County Softball Hall of Fame last week, joining fellow Lancers Laura (Miklos) Crawford ’01 and Coach Steve Miklos. At OLu, Mandy was a four-year All-League selection, two-time team captain, and volleyball letterwinner before going on to play softball at Arizona State University.

• Trent Rush ’10 has been promoted to the No. 2 TV play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Angels. In addition to televised Angels games, you can catch Trent reporting on CBS, Fox Sports, Angels AM830, and Fox 11!

• Josiah Hartshorn '25 (pictured) was named the Midwest League Player of the Week with the South Bend Cubs, less than a year after being selected in the 6th round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.

Got an update you'd like to share? Message us, and you may be featured!

What a week! The Class of 2026 walked across the stage at the UCI Bren Center on Sunday, and we got to celebrate with them again at the alumni lunch on Tuesday.

Of our 359 graduating seniors, 88% were accepted to a four-year university and nearly 96% will be in college this fall across 103 schools in 31 states and internationally. Three Lancers are heading into military service: One to the U.S. Naval Academy, one to the U.S. Air Force Academy, and one enlisting directly into the Navy. We're so grateful for this class and excited to see how God uses them in the many places they'll go!

Welcome to the OLu Alumni family, Class of 2026!

Congratulations to Allison Lentz '09, who was a Commencement speaker at Chapman University last week! In addition to serving as Senior Associate Director of Donor Experience at the CHOC Foundation, she is a Chapman grad who is active on Chapman's Board of Governors and Orange Lutheran's Executive Strategy Council. "You don't have to be the smartest person in every room, but you should strive to be the most reliable and the kindest," she told graduates of the School of Communication. Well done, Ally!

In 2024, Brian Hand '09 and his wife, Shaunté, couldn't find an insulated bag that was both stylish and functional. As wine enthusiasts, they wanted something that could keep drinks and food cold without sacrificing style, but that bag simply didn't exist.

So they made it.

Handté launched in 2026 to share thoughtfully designed, visually appealing wine carriers built for real life. On top of their individual careers and a baby at home, Brian and Shaunté are running the business together with plans to expand the collection. Check out Handté on Amazon or at shophandte.com.

Details for this Saturday's Celebration of Life Service for Miss Paul:

•Date and Time: Saturday, May 16 at 10 am

•Location: St. John's Sanctuary, 185 S. Center St., Orange, CA

•Attendance & Streaming Information: If necessary, overflow attendance will be directed to Walker Hall at St. John's for a live stream of the service. Please note that the service will only be streamed in Walker Hall and will not be available online or at Orange Lutheran during the event. However, a recording will be posted online by St. John’s Lutheran Church approximately one hour after the service concludes.

•Attire: Guests are warmly encouraged to wear RED in honor of Nancy and her many years of dedicated service at Orange Lutheran High School.

•Reception: A reception will be held immediately following the service at the Borland Student Union at Orange Lutheran High School. Guests are highly encouraged to carpool as campus parking is limited.

•Memorial Gifts: For those wishing to contribute, memorial gifts can be made to the Nancy Paul Teaching Endowment Fund at Orange Lutheran (lhsoc.org/nancypaul) and the St. John's School Endowment for Tuition Assistance (sjls.org/giving/endowment-fund).

Reunited and it feels so good -- the class of 2005 recently celebrated 20(ish) years since their high school graduation at Lido House in Newport Beach!

Classes of 1996 and 2006, your reunions will be held at Taste of OLu on September 26. If your class year ends in a 1 or a 6, you're hitting a new milestone this year!

If you'd like your class to reunite, message us or contact Lisa Taylor, Alumni and Annual Giving Manager, at [email protected] for more information. We can help you get the word out about a reunion you're planning or secure a reserved area for your class at Taste of OLu.

The Silent Auction for the 33rd Annual Golf Classic is open now through 4:15 pm on Monday, May 4! Every bid supports a student-athlete. Browse over 40 silent auction packages and items, including team-curated baskets where 100% of proceeds go directly to that program!

You do not have to be present to win -- winners will be notified by text message upon auction close and can pick up their item(s) at our North Campus. Thank you for your support!

lhsoc.org/golfauction

"A dedicated worker with a passion for Orange Lutheran High. A loyal friend who came through in times of need. A lasting symbol of strong and faith-filled leadership. Those are a few of the ways Orange Lutheran is remembering former athletic director, teacher and coach Nancy Paul."

The OC Register published the tribute below over the weekend. If you are not a subscriber but would like to read the article, please message us.

Miss Paul's memorial service will be held at St. John's Lutheran Church in Orange on Saturday, May 16 at 10 am. A reception following the service will be held at Orange Lutheran. All are welcome!

Orange Lutheran mourns passing of beloved ex-athletic director Nancy Paul Paul, 86, died in hospice care in Orange after a lengthy illness. She served in various capacities at Orange Lutheran for 43 years.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of Orange Lutheran’s beloved matriarch, Miss Nancy Paul, on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. “Miss Paul,” as she was affectionately known by the Lancer Family, passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of love, wisdom, and faithful service.

Nancy was a daughter of Orange, born here on May 17, 1939. Her lifelong commitment to Lutheran education began at St. John’s Lutheran School and continued through her graduation from Orange High School in 1957 and Stanford University in 1961. Before coming to us, she served at Redeemer Lutheran in Redwood City and returned to St. John’s to teach and coach for a decade.

For 43 years, "Miss Paul" was the heartbeat of the Lancer Family. Whether she was teaching English and math or coaching softball, volleyball, basketball, and tennis, her focus was always on our mission to help students internalize the Gospel message of salvation in Christ Jesus. Her excellence was recognized far and wide, twice named CIF Athletic Director of the Year. Her dedication was legendary: she missed only a handful of games in 43 years, attending over 1,400 as a statistician. While her name has graced our basketball court since 2011, her true legacy is written in the thousands of lives she transformed.

She was the treasured matriarch of our Lancer legacy and a devoted sister and aunt. She has truly claimed the prize as an armored soldier of the Cross. We take comfort in the words of Matthew 25:23: "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Miss Paul's impact lives on through the Nancy Paul Teaching Endowment Fund, which provides financial support for Lancers who aspire to become educators. Visit lhsoc.org/nancypaul to learn more.

We're headed back "Into the Woods" this weekend!

This throwback is from our Fall 2003 production, the very first show ever performed in the Nechita Center. Pictured here are Chelsey Everhart '05 (left) with Matt Hall '04 and Maddy (Clemens) Lewis '06. Twenty years later, Chelsey now directs the production as OLu's Director of Dramatic Arts.

Whether you were in the 2003 or 2013 production, or just a fan of OLu theater, we'd love to have you back! Opening night is this Thursday at 7 pm, with additional performances throughout the weekend, both in-person and online.

Tickets are available online at lhsoc.universitytickets.com, and alumni can receive $15 off their ticket with a special discount code. Comment below or DM us and we'll send it to you!