Four Lemont Student Athletes Make College Commitments

LEMONT, IL — Four Lemont High School student-athletes have announced their commitments to play collegiately beginning this fall. They include football players Joe DeMaio (Illinois Wesleyan University) and Dylan Swanstrom (Wartburg College), golfer Jack Crispo (Carthage College), and volleyball player Grace Ulatowski (Western Illinois University).

Lemont High School provided the following information on each athlete:

Jack Crispo – Career Highlights

• Earned three varsity letters playing for head coach Mark Hollatz
• Served as a starter on two of the best teams in school history in 2021 and 2022
• Lemont won four tournaments over his final two seasons and never finished lower than fourth in 18 tournaments
• His scoring averages as both a junior and senior rank among the top 15 in program history
  • Lemont posted consecutive fourth place finishes in the IHSA State Finals (2021-22), and captured three South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles (2020-22) during his career
• Earned all-conference accolades as a senior in 2022 after shooting a 74 to place as the runner-up at the SSC Meet
• Served as a team captain and posted a career-best 9-hole average of 37.4
• Earned medalist honors in two head-to-head matches against two-time state champion St. Ignatius
• High Honor Roll and National Honor Society student who maintained a 4.0 grade point average through his career
• Will play for head coach Jay Christiansen at Carthage College, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Joe DeMaio – Career Highlights

• Earned two varsity letters playing for head coach Bret Kooi
• Helped Lemont to a composite 23-2 record over two seasons, as well as two South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles, one IHSA Class 6A Quarterfinal appearance, and one IHSA Class 6A Semifinal finish
• Served as a starter at safety as a senior in 2022
• Led all defensive backs and was fifth on the team with 54 tackles (35 solo)
• Added a team-high seven pass breakups, as well as 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a forced fumble
• Contributed to a defense that allowed eight or fewer points six times and posted two shutouts
• Earned Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Academic All-State accolades
• Lemont went 12-1, posted a perfect regular season, won the SSC Blue, and reached the IHSA Class 6A Semifinals
• High Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Norm Eash at Illinois Wesleyan University, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Bloomington.

Dylan Swanstrom – Career Highlights

• Earned two varsity letters playing for head coach Bret Kooi
• Helped Lemont to a composite 23-2 record over two seasons, as well as two South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles, one IHSA Class 6A Quarterfinal appearance, and one IHSA Class 6A Semifinal finish
• Proved to be a dangerous wide receiver, totaling 52 catches for 929 yards (17.7 yards per catch) and 15 touchdowns during his career
• Earned All-SSC accolades as a senior in 2022 after standout efforts on both sides of the ball
• Averaged 16.5 yards per catch and posted career highs with 32 receptions and 527 yards receiving, while adding six carries for 36 yards on the ground
• Tied for second on the team with seven touchdown catches, was second on the team in receiving yards, and finished third in receptions
• Also spent time in the defensive backfield and led the team with four interceptions while adding 24 tackles (16 solo), one tackle-for-loss, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble
• Earned Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Academic All-State accolades
• Lemont went 12-1, posted a perfect regular season, won the SSC Blue, and reached the IHSA Class 6A Semifinals
• Also earned two letters in baseball, and was cited with All-SSC Blue honors as a junior in 2022
• High Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Chris Winter at Wartburg College, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Waverly, Iowa.

Grace Ulatowski – Career Highlights

• Earned three varsity letters playing for head coach Chris Zogata
• Helped Lemont to a composite 58-31 record in three years, including a 37-2 mark in South Suburban Conference play
• Lemont won three SSC Blue titles and two IHSA Regional crowns
• Two-time SSC Blue Player of the Year and team MVP
• Totaled 582 kills, 486 digs, 285 service points, 79 service aces and 41 blocks during her career
• Was a .240 career hitter who averaged 3.25 kills and 2.72 digs per game over 179 career games
• Repeated as the SSC Blue Player of the Year as a senior in 2022, while also earning Daily Southtown and Suburban Life all-area accolades
• Led the team in kills (240), kills per game (3.04) and service aces (46), and was second in both digs (240) and digs per game (3.04)
• Was tabbed as the team MVP for the second straight season, and also earned “Best Hitter” honors
• Lemont went 26-13, won the SSC Blue title with a perfect 13-0 league mark, captured an IHSA Regional title, and finished as the IHSA Sectional runner-up
• Plays travel volleyball with 1st Alliance and earned All-Tourney honors after helping her team to a third-place finish in its pool at the 2023 USA Volleyball 18s Junior National Championship
• High Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Dale Starr at Western Illinois University, an NCAA Division I institution that is located in Macomb.