Cub Football - Anchors Aweigh, two sets of brothers had distinguished Naval careers after playing football for loyola
THE BOENSEL AND SHATYNSKI BROTHERS PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR LOYOLA, GRADUATED FROM THE NAVAL ACADEMY AND COMPLETED IMPRESSIVE NAVAL CAREERS
Stories about the successful careers of Loyola alumni in various professions are legion, but not enough has been written about those who served to protect our country in military service.
Blocking an isolation play with power. Landing a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier with surgical precision.
Filling the A-gap with ferocity. Solving the most complicated statistical problems with ease.
Snapping the ball and quickly fighting to the second level with force. Protecting the nation from terrorists in the Middle East.
Getting off a block to make a tackle for loss. Commanding a ship on stormy, dangerous seas with the enemy lurking.
A tale about brothers who did all of the above.
Two sets of brothers excelled on the gridiron and in the classroom as Cubs, and then graduated from the United States Naval Academy before serving with distinction as officers-two as Admirals-in the United States Navy.
MARK BOENSEL’74 and MATT BOENSEL ‘76 were tough football stalwarts at Loyola, and MIKE SHATYSKI ‘76 and STEVE SHATYNSKI ‘78 started and excelled at center and at defensive tackle, respectively, for the Cubs.
The Shatynski brothers hailed from Downey (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), where they worked part time at a local supermarket to earn money needed to pay their high school tuition. That tells you about their dedication at an early age.
Mike started at center for the 1974 Loyola team that won the Del Rey League title and finished 10-1 after a heartbreaking upset loss in the quarterfinal round of the CIF AAAA playoffs. He was voted Most Valuable Lineman by his teammates.
Steve was a starting defensive lineman on the 1977 Del Rey League championship team which made it to the CIF Big Five Conference semifinals and upset Fountain Valley, the then number one-ranked team in California, in overtime in the second round of the playoffs. Both were tough-as-nails All-League competitors. And both were granted appointments to the U. S. Naval Academy where their pursuit of excellence continued.
The Boensel’s made the trek from La Canada (St. Bede’s) to attend The High. Mark Boensel started at fullback under first year coach MARTY SHAUGNESSY in 1973. Shaugnessy and his staff revived Cub Football after a brief down period, and in three seasons coached Loyola to a 13-0 season in which the Cubs won the CIF AAAA title and were crowned National Champions by the the National Sports News Service. Mark’s brother, Matt, was a rugged All-Del Rey League inside linebacker on what was one of Loyola’s greatest CIF title teams.
What are the odds that two brothers who played football at the same high school would be admitted to and graduate from the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy, much less a second set of brothers following the same path? And thereafter achieving the highest ranks in distinguished Naval service.
Below are brief summaries of the stellar Naval careers of the Boensel’s and Shatynski’s.
REAR ADMIRAL MARK BOENSEL
Multiple pages could be dedicated to Mark’s Naval career accomplishments, but here are some of the highlights.
Following Mark’s 1978 graduation from the Naval Academy he became a Naval Flight Officer. The fighter pilot was deployed to the West Pacific, Indian Ocean on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. That tour was followed by an around the world deployment on the USS Carl Vinson. Mark then served as a flight instructor and worked as a Weapon System Model Manager, followed by a stint as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer.
Mark graduated from the U. S. Naval War College of Command and Staff in 1989. The Admiral also earned post-graduate degrees in Business Administration, International Relations and National Security and Strategic Studies. He returned to the fleet as Squadron Commander in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf aboard the USS Independence as a participant in Operation Desert Shield. After serving in Washington, D.C. as Special Assistant for Aviation to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, in 1995 he commanded the Arabian Gulf deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
After serving in many high level positions, including Director of the Naval Operation Environmental Readiness Division in Washington, D.C., Mark was the Commander of Navy Region Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Admiral Boensel earned his second star in 2007. In addition to the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Mark was decorated with many other medals and awards. Mark accumulated 3,200 flight hours and 600 carrier landings.
REAR ADMIRAL MIKE SHATYNSKI
Mike earned his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979 as a Surface Warfare Officer. His sea tours included service aboard the USS Fanning, USNS Hassayampa and USS New Jersey.
in 1993, Mike began service with the Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Unit on Staff of Commander Naval Coastal Warfare Group One. Admiral Shatynski was later a leader of the Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit (MIUWU), including challenging deployments in Egypt and Kuwait after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole.
After 9/11, Mike was deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), and in 2002 the two-star admiral served in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom to protect ports and waterways. He assumed the duty of Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Forces in 2006. He led the implementation of Surface Sea Warrior Culture
Mike holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He earned numerous awards and honors including two Legion of Merit Medals and a Bronze Star Medal.
Admiral Shatynski is currently the Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of the Surface Navy at Battleship Iowa in the port of Los Angeles. He is also a co-founder and and Director of L.A. Fleet Week. He and his brother Steve were instrumental in having Navy SEALs assist in preseason training of Loyola’s football team in recent years.
COMMANDER MATT BOENSEL
Matt was commissioned as a Naval Flight Officer following his graduation from the Naval Academy, serving as an Operations Officer, Patrol Wing Ten. He served on P3 Orion Anti-Submarine and Maritime Surveillance aircraft. He later served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics.
Commander Boensel earned a Master’s degree in science from the Naval Graduate School and served for many years as a Senior Lecturer in Systems Engineering in the Naval Postgraduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Monterey.
COMMANDER STEVE SHATYNSKI
Commander Shatynski served on various warships as a Surface Warfare Officer during the Cold War, and later recruited officers for the Navy Nuclear Power program. In the Naval Reserves, Steve served as a Public Affairs Officer.
In addition to his current work as a Well Fargo Senior Vice President - Investment Officer, Steve serves as Area Coordinator for the U.S. Naval Academy Admissions Office for L.A./Orange County. He also serves on various Naval-related boards.
Commander Shatynski was a co-founder of the Cub Football support group, Loyola Gridiron Vanguard, for which he served as its second President and is a current board member. Steve’s only son, Stephan, recently graduated from the Naval Academy, an achievement for which Commander Shatynski is extremely proud.
MEN FOR OTHERS
Loyola’s mission, in addition to developing intellectually accomplished scholars, is molding “Men for Others”. The Shatynski and Boensel brothers have proven to be men for others in their exemplary service to their country. Anchors Aweigh! And thank you for your service, Cubs!
Stories about the successful careers of Loyola alumni in various professions are legion, but not enough has been written about those who served to protect our country in military service.
Blocking an isolation play with power. Landing a fighter jet on an aircraft carrier with surgical precision.
Filling the A-gap with ferocity. Solving the most complicated statistical problems with ease.
Snapping the ball and quickly fighting to the second level with force. Protecting the nation from terrorists in the Middle East.
Getting off a block to make a tackle for loss. Commanding a ship on stormy, dangerous seas with the enemy lurking.
A tale about brothers who did all of the above.
Two sets of brothers excelled on the gridiron and in the classroom as Cubs, and then graduated from the United States Naval Academy before serving with distinction as officers-two as Admirals-in the United States Navy.
MARK BOENSEL’74 and MATT BOENSEL ‘76 were tough football stalwarts at Loyola, and MIKE SHATYSKI ‘76 and STEVE SHATYNSKI ‘78 started and excelled at center and at defensive tackle, respectively, for the Cubs.
The Shatynski brothers hailed from Downey (Our Lady of Perpetual Help), where they worked part time at a local supermarket to earn money needed to pay their high school tuition. That tells you about their dedication at an early age.
Mike started at center for the 1974 Loyola team that won the Del Rey League title and finished 10-1 after a heartbreaking upset loss in the quarterfinal round of the CIF AAAA playoffs. He was voted Most Valuable Lineman by his teammates.
Steve was a starting defensive lineman on the 1977 Del Rey League championship team which made it to the CIF Big Five Conference semifinals and upset Fountain Valley, the then number one-ranked team in California, in overtime in the second round of the playoffs. Both were tough-as-nails All-League competitors. And both were granted appointments to the U. S. Naval Academy where their pursuit of excellence continued.
The Boensel’s made the trek from La Canada (St. Bede’s) to attend The High. Mark Boensel started at fullback under first year coach MARTY SHAUGNESSY in 1973. Shaugnessy and his staff revived Cub Football after a brief down period, and in three seasons coached Loyola to a 13-0 season in which the Cubs won the CIF AAAA title and were crowned National Champions by the the National Sports News Service. Mark’s brother, Matt, was a rugged All-Del Rey League inside linebacker on what was one of Loyola’s greatest CIF title teams.
What are the odds that two brothers who played football at the same high school would be admitted to and graduate from the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy, much less a second set of brothers following the same path? And thereafter achieving the highest ranks in distinguished Naval service.
Below are brief summaries of the stellar Naval careers of the Boensel’s and Shatynski’s.
REAR ADMIRAL MARK BOENSEL
Multiple pages could be dedicated to Mark’s Naval career accomplishments, but here are some of the highlights.
Following Mark’s 1978 graduation from the Naval Academy he became a Naval Flight Officer. The fighter pilot was deployed to the West Pacific, Indian Ocean on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk. That tour was followed by an around the world deployment on the USS Carl Vinson. Mark then served as a flight instructor and worked as a Weapon System Model Manager, followed by a stint as an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer.
Mark graduated from the U. S. Naval War College of Command and Staff in 1989. The Admiral also earned post-graduate degrees in Business Administration, International Relations and National Security and Strategic Studies. He returned to the fleet as Squadron Commander in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf aboard the USS Independence as a participant in Operation Desert Shield. After serving in Washington, D.C. as Special Assistant for Aviation to Assistant Secretary of the Navy, in 1995 he commanded the Arabian Gulf deployment aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.
After serving in many high level positions, including Director of the Naval Operation Environmental Readiness Division in Washington, D.C., Mark was the Commander of Navy Region Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Admiral Boensel earned his second star in 2007. In addition to the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Mark was decorated with many other medals and awards. Mark accumulated 3,200 flight hours and 600 carrier landings.
REAR ADMIRAL MIKE SHATYNSKI
Mike earned his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1979 as a Surface Warfare Officer. His sea tours included service aboard the USS Fanning, USNS Hassayampa and USS New Jersey.
in 1993, Mike began service with the Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Unit on Staff of Commander Naval Coastal Warfare Group One. Admiral Shatynski was later a leader of the Mobile Inshore Undersea Warfare Unit (MIUWU), including challenging deployments in Egypt and Kuwait after the terrorist attack on the USS Cole.
After 9/11, Mike was deployed in support of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE), and in 2002 the two-star admiral served in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom to protect ports and waterways. He assumed the duty of Deputy Commander, Naval Surface Forces in 2006. He led the implementation of Surface Sea Warrior Culture
Mike holds a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He earned numerous awards and honors including two Legion of Merit Medals and a Bronze Star Medal.
Admiral Shatynski is currently the Chairman of the Board of the National Museum of the Surface Navy at Battleship Iowa in the port of Los Angeles. He is also a co-founder and and Director of L.A. Fleet Week. He and his brother Steve were instrumental in having Navy SEALs assist in preseason training of Loyola’s football team in recent years.
COMMANDER MATT BOENSEL
Matt was commissioned as a Naval Flight Officer following his graduation from the Naval Academy, serving as an Operations Officer, Patrol Wing Ten. He served on P3 Orion Anti-Submarine and Maritime Surveillance aircraft. He later served in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff Logistics.
Commander Boensel earned a Master’s degree in science from the Naval Graduate School and served for many years as a Senior Lecturer in Systems Engineering in the Naval Postgraduate School of Engineering and Applied Sciences in Monterey.
COMMANDER STEVE SHATYNSKI
Commander Shatynski served on various warships as a Surface Warfare Officer during the Cold War, and later recruited officers for the Navy Nuclear Power program. In the Naval Reserves, Steve served as a Public Affairs Officer.
In addition to his current work as a Well Fargo Senior Vice President - Investment Officer, Steve serves as Area Coordinator for the U.S. Naval Academy Admissions Office for L.A./Orange County. He also serves on various Naval-related boards.
Commander Shatynski was a co-founder of the Cub Football support group, Loyola Gridiron Vanguard, for which he served as its second President and is a current board member. Steve’s only son, Stephan, recently graduated from the Naval Academy, an achievement for which Commander Shatynski is extremely proud.
MEN FOR OTHERS
Loyola’s mission, in addition to developing intellectually accomplished scholars, is molding “Men for Others”. The Shatynski and Boensel brothers have proven to be men for others in their exemplary service to their country. Anchors Aweigh! And thank you for your service, Cubs!
Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to Cub Football and Loyola athletics news: