Lemont's Taylor Campos Becomes School's Second IHSA All-State Academic Pick

Lemont High School senior Taylor Campos has been cited to the 2015-16 IHSA All-State Academic Team, sponsored by Caterpillar. More than 475 student-athletes from across the state were nominated for consideration by their schools, and approximately five percent of those nominees are part of the IHSA All-State Academic Team. Campos is the second Lemont student-athlete to earn this prestigious award.

The IHSA’s 2015-16 All-State Academic Team includes 26 student-athletes - 13 male and 13 female - who embody what it means to take advantage of the entire high school experience. In addition to those 26 honored students, 50 more are cited as honorable mention picks. The All-State Academic Team will be honored at a banquet in Bloomington on April 18.

Campos is the perfect representation of a “student-athlete,” and will leave an indelible mark when she graduates
this spring. Being cited to the IHSA All-State Academic Team recognizes her as one of the top student-athletes in the state. Earlier this year, Campos was honored as one of the top student-athletes in the nation when she became the female recipient of the 2015 Wendy’s High School Heisman Award. The Wendy’s High School Heisman Award program recognizes outstanding students across the country for their athletic prowess, academic achievement and leadership within their community.

Campos, who will participate in women’s cross country and track and field at the University of Chicago, is one of the most decorated student-athletes in school history. She has excelled as a distance runner on the school’s cross country and track and field squads for coach Tim Plotke, having represented the school in IHSA State Finals competition on four occasions. In the classroom, Campos has accumulated a GPA of better than 4.50 while taking the most rigorous classes the school offers. She is one of only two students in school history to achieve a perfect score of 36 on the ACT, and is a National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

Every IHSA member school is invited to nominate one female student and one male student for consideration for the All-State Academic Team. Nominees must possess a minimum 3.50 cumulative grade point average; have participated in at least two IHSA sponsored sports or activities as juniors and seniors; and demonstrated outstanding citizenship.

Nominations are evaluated by a committee comprised of IHSA principals, representatives of the Illinois Activities Directors Association and representatives of the Illinois Athletic Directors Association. One male winner and one female winner from each of the seven IHSA Board of Directors Divisions are selected initially, while the final 12 spots on the All- State Academic Team are filled by at-large candidates from anywhere in the state.

To view the 2015-16 IHSA All-State Academic Team, as well as the honorable mention selections, visit the following Web site: www.ihsa.org/Resources/AwardsRecognition/IHSAAllStateAcademicTeam.aspx

Lemont’s first IHSA All-State Academic Team recipient was Denise Soehrman ‘05 (basketball/golf) in 2005. Matt Solarski ‘01 (cross country/track and field) and Amber Trick ‘12 (cross country/soccer) were cited as honorable mention selections in 2001 and 2012, respectively.