LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Alumni Hall of Fame

Kayla Armstrong, a proud 2013 Xavier graduate, is being inducted into the LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Hall of Fame in 2025 for her outstanding accomplishments in athletics.

During her time at Xavier, Kayla was a dominant force in both soccer and basketball. On the soccer field, she helped lead her team to four consecutive Missouri Valley Conference titles and four straight State Championships from 2010 through 2013. Individually, she was recognized as one of the top players in the state, earning 1st Team All-Conference honors for three years, Valley Division Player of the Year as both a junior and senior, 1st Team All-Metro for three seasons, and the 2013 Metro Player of the Year. Kayla was also a consistent performer on the All-Tournament Team, serving as captain during her junior and senior years. Her scoring record was remarkable, netting 34 goals in both her sophomore and junior years, followed by an astonishing 48 goals as a senior.

On the basketball court, Kayla contributed to Xavier’s 2013 State Championship run. She earned Honorable Mention honors in the Valley Division, was named to the 3rd Team All-State, and stood out at the state tournament as captain of the All-Tournament Team. She was ultimately recognized as the 2013 State Tournament Player of the Year.

For her incredible achievements in both sports, Kayla was named the 2013 Gazette Female Athlete of the Year.
Kayla continued her athletic career at Drake University, where she was a four-year starter on the soccer team and a two-year captain. She led Drake to Missouri Valley Conference titles in 2016 and 2017, earning MVC Offensive Player of the Year in 2017, as well as spots on the MVC All-Scholar 1st Team and MVC All-Tournament Team.

Beyond athletics, Kayla graduated from Drake in 2017 with a business degree in marketing and management. She has since built a career in medical device sales with Stryker. After living in Colorado and Oregon, Kayla has recently returned home to Iowa.

Craig began his teaching and coaching career in North English for two years before being hired by Fr. Donald Klein at Regis High School in 1979. For the next 42 years, he taught science—primarily BCS and Biology—along with a three-year stint teaching Physical Education at Regis and summers co-teaching Fitness and Wellness alongside his wife, Julie, at Xavier.

Craig’s coaching journey was just as rich. He began at Regis as Head Sophomore Football Coach from 1979–1985, followed by nine years as a varsity assistant under Gaylord Hauschildt and three years under Mike Winker. He also contributed nine years as an assistant wrestling coach before leading Regis wrestling from 1988–1992.
When Xavier opened, Craig returned as Head Sophomore Football Coach for 10 years, leading six winning seasons and guiding the program to its first-ever undefeated season in 2007 (9–0 in the MVC Valley Division). After a short break, he returned for three more years as an assistant before finishing his football career with four additional seasons as head coach, retiring from the gridiron in 2017.

In 2003, Craig once again took over as Head Wrestling Coach, a role he held for eight seasons. During that time, he had the privilege of coaching his sons—just as he had in football—and produced seven MVC finalists, two MVC champions, 17 state qualifiers, and seven state placewinners. Earlier in his career, he also co-coached girls’ golf with Julie during her maternity leaves in 1986 and 1989.

Known affectionately as “Coach Kad,” Craig believed teaching and coaching were never jobs, but callings. He had an extraordinary gift for inspiring students and athletes to believe in themselves and achieve more than they thought possible. His classroom motto said it all:
DO RIGHT
 THE GOLDEN RULE
 DO YOUR BEST
Craig retired in 2021 after 42 years in Catholic education within the Archdiocese of Dubuque (44 years in total). He passed away on January 5, 2023, after a courageous battle with cancer. His legacy of integrity, encouragement, and faith lives on in the hallowed halls, fields, and gyms of the Xavier Saints.

Julie Kadlec dedicated 41 years to teaching Physical Education and Fitness/Wellness between Regis and Xavier High Schools in Cedar Rapids, beginning in the fall of 1980 and concluding in 2021, when she and her husband, Craig, retired together to focus on his health

• 2011 – 7th (Class 4A)
• 2013 – State Runner-Up (Class 4A)
• 2014 – State Champions (Class 4A), including Medalist (Maddie Bertsch) and Runner-Up (Grace Winker)
• 2019 – 3rd (Class 3A)
• 2023 – 5th (Class 3A)
• 2024 – 3rd (Class 3A)
• 2025 – 4th (Class 3A)
  
  

• Metro Volleyball Coach of the Year (1990)
• Metro Golf Coach of the Year (1983, 1984, 2010, 2013, 2014)
• CRANDIC Coach of the Year (1993, 2009, 2013, 2014)
• MVC Coach of the Year (2014, 2025)
• IGHSAU District and Regional Coach of the Year (multiple years, including 2014 and 2024)
• Iowa HS Golf Coaches Association Class 4A Coach of the Year (2014)
• National Federation of State HS Association Iowa Girls’ Golf Coach of the Year (2016–17)
• IGHSAU Golden Plaque of Distinction Award for Girls’ Golf (2017)
• Service on the IGHSAU Golf Advisory Committee (2021–2024)

Leilani (Smith) O’Donnell, Regis Class of 1998, is being inducted into the LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Alumni Hall of Fame for her outstanding accomplishments in track and field. A four-year varsity letter winner, Leilani left an incredible mark on the Regis track program with her speed, dedication, and leadership.

During her career, Leilani served as team captain her senior year, was named team MVP three times, and earned All-Metro honors all four years. As a senior, she was recognized at the highest levels of competition, earning both All-State and Elite All-State honors. She qualified for the prestigious Drake Relays three times, earning four Drake medals, and was a four-time state qualifier, collecting four state medals. Her crowning achievement came in 1998 when she anchored Regis to a State Championship in the Sprint Medley Relay.
Her name still lives in the Xavier record books as the current record holder in four events: the Sprint Medley Relay, the open 100, the open 200, and the 4x400 relay—an extraordinary testament to her speed and legacy on the track.

After Regis, Leilani continued her running career at the University of South Dakota, competing at the collegiate level. Beyond athletics, she has built a career in marketing, working on the Account-Based Marketing team at Clickstop.

Leilani and her husband, Casey O’Donnell (LaSalle 1997 graduate and Xavier Hall of Fame inductee, 2007), are proud parents of two children, Kailea (8th grade) and Kian (6th grade), both current students at Regis. 

Eric Schmitt, Xavier High School Class of 2004, is being inducted into the LaSalle-Regis-Xavier Hall of Fame in recognition of his outstanding soccer career.

From his freshman season onward, Eric distinguished himself as one of the most talented and consistent players in Xavier soccer history. Over his four years, he earned numerous individual honors, including First Team All-Metro as a freshman, First Team All-MVC as a sophomore, junior, and senior, and multiple First Team All-State selections. By the end of his career, Eric was a two-time Iowa High School State Soccer Tournament All-Tournament Team Captain, as well as a participant in the prestigious 2004 Iowa High School All-Star Game.

Eric’s leadership and skill helped propel Xavier to remarkable success on the soccer field. The Saints advanced deep into postseason play each year of his career, reaching the quarterfinals in 2001, the semifinals in 2002, the state runner-up position in 2003, and ultimately capturing the 2004 Iowa High School Boys State Championship.

As both a standout individual and a driving force for his team, Eric exemplified excellence, determination, and leadership throughout his Xavier career. Eric currently serves as the President of Rapids & Affiliates in Marion.