Lemont Students Earn Two Medals At 2023 IDEA State Competition

LEMONT, IL — For the fourth time in school history, Lemont High School has earned multiple medals at the state’s top drafting competition, according to a release from the school.

At the 2023 Illinois Design Educators Association state competition, which was contested at Illinois State University on April 22, junior Maya Zielonka matched the school’s best state finals finish by placing as the state runner-up in the Architectural Board category, while seniors Nick Buczyna, Robert DiDomenico and Logan Staubus teamed for third place in Engineering Design.

Junior Jonathan Gronski (Architectural Board) and sophomore Jacob Sewell (Introductory CAD) also advanced to the 2023 IDEA State Competition, the school said.

Each Lemont student was making his or her state finals debut, and they earned their berths thanks to their performances in regional competition, according to the school.

Gronski placed first in Architectural Board and helped Lemont continue its regional dominance in that category. A Lemont student has won the regional in Architectural Board ten straight years, dating back to 2014, the school said.

Buczyna, DiDomenico and Staubus won the regional’s Engineering Design category, while Sewell and Zielonka finished as regional runners-up in their competitions. Students who finish among the top two in individual regional competitions earn state finals berths, as do first-place finishers in team events.

Under the tutelage of teacher Scott Duensing, Lemont has had at least one IDEA state qualifier in 15 of 16 years. It has earned multiple medals in state competition four times, with a high of three state medals in 2015 and 2021, the school said. It also advanced a school-record five entries to the 2020 state competition, but it was cancelled due to COVID-19.