Naval Legacy His Father And Brother Have Gone To The Naval Academy, And Mow Jeff Hollenbach Will Be Taking His Turn

Like military academy appointees before him, Jeff Hollenbach showed the grit and intellect necessary to enter the United States Naval Academy on the playing fields and in the classrooms of high school.

But there is another factor that entered in his decision to accept an appointment to Annapolis. He is a military academy legacy.

His father, Paul, graduated from the Naval Academy in 1970 and his brother Mike will be a senior there this fall.

Both brothers insist that the fact their dad preceded them to Navy and that he is a Blue and Gold Officer who recruits for the Academy in Bellevue, was a minor reason they chose Annapolis.

“The education, that’s what’s so appealing,” said Jeff. “The physical and academic sides are unparalleled at any school.”

Both Mike and Jeff attended a summer seminar at Annapolis for high school students following their junior year.

“It’s a week-long program where they put you through some of the physical aspects, give you tours of all the academic departments, you live in a dorm and they show you about the academy,” Mike said. “I fell in love with the place.”

The 45-minute session where Academy upper classmen yelled at them, “as scary as it was,” said Jeff, sold him. “The atmosphere and tradition was exciting.”

One of University High’s 12 valedictorians and an All-GSL football lineman, Jeff last month became a state champion shotputter with a school record throw of 58 feet, 10 inches. It was just his second year of track and field competition. Telling of his character was the fact Hollenbach also was willing to become wrestling fodder for a team that needed someone to fill the vacant 275-pound weight class.

“I wrestled so I could get pinned by heavyweights,” Hollenbach said, with a smile. “They made my role clear at the beginning. They wanted someone who would maybe lose by three points instead of forfeiting.”

That isn’t all that attracts attention to the imposing 6-foot-3, 230 pounder who led the sweep play in football and lofted a 12-pound iron ball to school immortality.

“He always has a broad grin on his face,” said Spanish instructor Joe Espinoza. “His outstanding quality is that he enjoys life.”

Espinoza, an instructor at U-Hi for 35 years has seen numerous outstanding students come through his classes, including Jeff’s older brother before him and younger brother Matt this year.

“He’s the kind of kid that makes you want to keep teaching,” Espinoza said. “Just like his brothers he’s a model student with the ability to pay attention, to work to understand and, if he doesn’t, to ask questions.”

Track coach Keven Frandsen said his rapid level of improvement in the shot, leading to a state championship, were products of hard work in the weight room, lofty goals and a belief he could reach them.

“It’s something within,” said Frandsen. “Everyone has potential. (For some) at some point it just clicks in. It’s something you don’t explain.”

Phyllis Dishon, Mike and Jeff Hollenbach’s mother, concurs. Other than instilling in her children a religious faith and limiting their use of television, the rest, she said, was up to them.

“Pretty much their ambition to do well in school came from inside,” she said. “I wasn’t too demanding. I didn’t push them academically or athletically. I wanted them to be good people.”

She and Paul met in high school and were married in 1971, divorcing nine years later. Paul served his active duty in California then spent spent 13 years as a reserve aviator at Whidbey Island Naval Station. Today he is a commercial pilot and instructor with Alaska Airlines.

Phyllis remarried Jim Dishon in 1984 and moved to the Spokane Valley in 1989.

Like Jeff, Mike, who graduated from University in 1993, was a class valedictorian with a 4.0 grade point average.

Jeff’s size made him a football natural. Until his junior year he had also played baseball.

“We had all returning seniors stacked in there,” he said. “(Coach Don) Ressa came to me during winter training and said I’d have a hard time making the team.”

He switched to track and first put the shot 40 feet. Thereafter he improved by a foot or more in virtually every meet, causing him to fall in love with the event. He will compete in track rather than play football at Annapolis.

“There weren’t a whole lot of meets I didn’t PR (set a personal record),” he said. “It’s always fun when you have success.”

The best was to come at state when he stunned his foes with a practice toss well over 60 feet.

“Everyone was freaking out,” said Frandsen. “Then he hit 58-10 on his first throw and everyone choked playing catchup.”

Now it will be Jeff Hollenbach’s turn to catch up beginning with Plebe Summer, the torturous physical and mental equivalent to military basic training.

Is having his older brother there an advantage or disadvantage? A little of both, said Mike.

“I won’t have too much contact with him in the training environment, but it’s definitely appropriate to be a shoulder to lean on if needed,” Mike said. “On the other hand maybe it’s a disadvantage because one of the goals as a plebe is to avoid extra attention. People in charge will probably know he’s my brother and that’s an extra way he’ll stand out.”

Jeff figures his tendency to smile, not that fact that his brother is a member of regimental staff, will be his biggest problem.

“The thing is to stay focussed, said Jeff. “As time goes by you go on to bigger and better things.”

Besides, neither Jeff nor Mike Hollenbach gave themselves much choice other than to attend Navy.

“They put their eggs in one basket,” said their mother. “There was no other place they wanted to go. If the Academy was truly what they wanted to do, I was happy for them.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 photos

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: OLDER BROTHER EXCELS AT STUDIES, FRISBEE After the initial shock of plebe summer wore off, Mike Hollenbach settled easily into life at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. He enters his senior year ranked among the top 25 students in his class with a 3.85 grade point average. Although admittedly not the athlete his bigger little brother Jeff is, Mike is a member of Navy’s Ultimate Frisbee team, which is an intercollegiate club sport. The 1993 University High graduate was 6-foot-1, 150 pounds and a cross-country runner for the Titans. One of the things coach Bob Barbero did a couple practices a season was to have his team run to Camp Caro in the Dishman Hills and play Frisbee. “When I got to school as a plebe, they made the announcement asking if anyone wanted to come out,” said Mike. “I had no sport and wanted one so I did.” Ultimate Frisbee is a 7-on-7 non-contact game played on an area the size of a football field. The thrower must be stationary while his teammates run to get open and score. Navy has won its section seven years in a row, said Mike, who has been a member of the team the last three years. Two years ago the team was a game away from the national playoffs. This fall he will be a team captain. Hollenbach, a mechanical engineering major, is torn between pursuing aviation or nuclear submarines. Because of his class standing he has had his choice of learning environment summer cruises. “I’ve been able to get periods of each summer off for leave I’ve wanted and it also plays into the actual service assignment,” Hollenbach said. Last year he took a nine-day submarine cruise from Bangor, Wash., to San Diego. This year he’ll be on an aviation cruise. Like most at the academy, his plebe year was the toughest. Boot camp is demanding with physical training compounded by yelling of superiors. After that shock wears off come the rigors of academia. “The classes are hard,” said Hollenbach. “I studied harder than I ever did in high school. There is not much free time.” Each year gets a little easier. Hollenbach is grateful for the experience and looking forward to the future. “I’ve learned a lot and had a really great time but you have to be willing to work really hard and give up the social life aspects of college,” Hollenbach said. His advice to aspiring Academy applicants? “If you are willing to give up partying and work hard you will get a lot out of it,” he said. “It’s a tremendous leadership experience, a tremendous education and a great opportunity.” Mike Vlahovich