Eleven LHS Student Athletes Make College Commitments

LEMONT, IL — Eleven Lemont High School seniors have made commitments to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. The school said the seniors are basketball players Paul O’Leary (Colorado School of Mines) and Jerry Radomski (Saint Xavier University); cheerleaders Gia Baldassano (Loyola University Chicago) and Natalie Kearney (Indiana University); football players Jack Faron (John Carroll University) and Anthony Martin (Carthage College); hockey players Avery Chmelovsky (Arizona State University) and Leah Roames (Marian University); tennis player Hannah Hill (Olivet Nazarene University); track athlete Aleksandra Guzy (North Central College); and wrestler Alex Oruna (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater).

LHS provided some background information and career highlights of all the student athletes.

Paul O’Leary, basketball

• 6’9” center who earned three varsity letters for head coach Rick Runaas
• Averaged 11.3 points and 4.9 rebounds over 83 career games
• Team co-captain and team MVP who earned All-SSC and all-area accolades as a senior in 2017-18
• Led the team in scoring and field goal percentage (.592) and was second in rebounding and blocked shots (17)
• Debuted on the varsity squad as a sophomore in 2015-16, averaging 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game
• Plays travel basketball for the Illinois Stars
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee
• Will play for head coach Pryor Orser at Colorado School of Mines, an NCAA Division II institution that is located in Golden, Colorado.

Jerry Radomski, basketball

• 6’4” forward who earned three varsity letters for head coach Rick Runaas
• Averaged 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds over 80 career games
• Team co-captain who was cited as the team’s Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2017-18
• Led the team in rebounding (6.4) and steals (31), was third in scoring (6.8), and posted a career-best shooting percentage from the field (.511)
• Averaged career highs in scoring (7.9) and rebounding (6.8) as a junior in 2016-17, leading the team in rebounding
• Debuted on the varsity squad as a sophomore in 2015-16, averaging 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds per game
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee
• Will play for head coach Tom O’Malley at Saint Xavier University, an NAIA institution that is located in Chicago, and is a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Gia Baldassano, cheerleading

• Earned three varsity letters for head coach Dave Erlenbaugh
• Served as team captain as a senior in 2018
• Cited as an All-South Suburban Conference-Blue Division performer as both a junior and senior
• Was a member of back-to-back IHSA Medium Division State Champion squads in 2017 and 2018, as well as the state runner-up squad in 2016
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee
• Will cheer for head coach Emily Swanson at Loyola University Chicago, an NCAA Division I institution that is located in Chicago, and is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Natalie Kearney, cheerleading

• Cheered for one season for head coach Dave Erlenbaugh
• Member of the 2018 IHSA Medium Division State Champion squad
• Previously cheered for four years at ICE All-Star and nine years with Xtreme Cheer
• High honor roll student and a member of the Link Crew
• Will cheer for head coach Julie Horine at Indiana University, an NCAA Division I institution that is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Kearney will participate on the Cream (Co-Ed) Squad that is responsible for covering football, volleyball and men’s basketball games.

Jack Faron, football

• Earned two varsity letters for head coach Bret Kooi
• Helped the Indians to a 23-3 record, two South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles, and two IHSA Quarterfinal appearances
• Switched to the offensive line as a senior and became a starter at right tackle
• Played as a defensive tackle as a junior in 2016, totaling 13 tackles (five solo), a fumble recovery and a pass break-up
• High honor roll student
• Will play for head coach Rick Finotti at John Carroll University, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in University Heights, Ohio, and is a member of the Ohio Athletic Conference.

Anthony Martin, football

• Four-year starter at running back for head coach Bret Kooi
• Helped the Indians to a 43-6 record, four South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles, two IHSA Quarterfinal appearances and an IHSA Class 6A State Runner-Up finish
• Two-time all-conference honoree
• Totaled 2,924 yards on 569 carries (5.14 per carry) and 22 touchdowns on the ground in his career, while adding 15 catches for 142 yards (9.5 per catch)
• Earned All-SSC Blue accolades and served as a team captain as a senior in 2017
• Cited as an All-SSC performer as a junior in 2016 when he totaled 806 rushing yards (5.38 per carry) and eight scores
• Emerged as the starter as a freshman in 2014, racking up 843 yards (5.14 per carry) and four touchdowns
• High honor roll student
• Will play for head coach Dustin Hass at Carthage College, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.

Avery Chmelovsky, hockey

• Right winger who most recently played for the Admirals Hockey Club
• Has played in three state championship games in the last four seasons
• Served as an assistant captain during the 2017-18 season
• Won a state title while playing with the Orland Park Vikings in 2015-16 and advanced to national competition
• Earned “Most Improved” honors as a member of the Sabre Hockey Association in 2014-15
• High honor roll student and National Honor Society inductee
• Will play for head coach Lindsey Ellis at Arizona State University, which is located in Tempe, Arizona, and is a member of the Western Women’s Collegiate Hockey League.

Leah Roames, hockey

• Center who most recently played for Sabre Hockey Association
• Member of the 19U A level state championship squad during the 2017-18 season
• Also helped Sabre Hockey to a Northern Illinois Hockey League title as well as a regional berth
• High honor roll student and a member of the Link Crew
• Will play for head coach Jamie Kivi at Marian University, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.

Hannah Hill, tennis

• Earned two varsity letters playing for head coach Chris Hill
• Posted a 10-4 record over two seasons
• Lemont posted back-to-back undefeated seasons and won South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles in 2016 and 2017
• Posted a first-place finish at the Aurora East Tournament as a senior in 2017
• High honor roll student and a member of the Marching Band
• Will play for head coach Chris Tudor at Olivet Nazarene University, an NAIA institution that is located in Bourbonnais, and is a member of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference.

Aleksandra Guzy, track and field

• Earned two varsity letters for head coach Tim Plotke
• Helped the squad to South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles in both 2017 and 2018
• Two-time SSC Blue champion in the pole vault
• As a senior in 2018, she placed first at the SSC Meet in the pole vault and third in the high jump
• Member of Lemont High School’s IHSA Medium Division Cheerleading State Champion squad in 2018
• High honor roll student
• Will participate for head coach Kari Kluckhohn at North Central College, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Naperville, and is a member of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.

Alex Oruna, wrestling

• Earned two varsity letters for head coach John St. Clair
• Posted a career record of 58-18 and twice advanced to the IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals
• Served as a team captain in 2018 and was named the team’s MVP
• Posted a 29-8 record and won IHSA Regional and IHSA Sectional titles at 182 pounds, while also finishing as the South Suburban Conference-Blue Division runner-up
• Won one of three matches at the 2018 IHSA State Finals
• Helped the team to SSC Blue, IHSA Regional and IHSA Dual Team Sectional titles and an appearance at the IHSA Class 2A Dual Team State Finals
• Honor roll student
• Will wrestle for head coach Ned Shuck at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

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  Photo provided by Lemont High School.