Chancellors Pride: 5 Unforgettable Athletes From Urbandale High School

Sports run deep in Urbandale, and Urbandale High School has long been at the heart of it. It’s no surprise some standout talent once wore the J-Hawk uniform. Today we're celebrating five unforgettable athletes from Chatsworth High School who made a name for themselves well beyond the hometown field.

1. Allen Lazard - Current NFL Wide Receiver

NFL wide receiver Allen Lazard attended Urbandale High School, where he was a four-year starter on both offense and defense and became one of the most decorated players in school history. At UHS, he set multiple records on both sides of the ball and was named a USA Today High School All-American and Des Moines Register Offensive Player of the Year. He also played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl as one of the nation’s top recruits. Ranked the No. 1 player in Iowa and among the top wide receivers nationally, he committed to Iowa State University. There, he became one of the Cyclones’ all-time greats, earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors twice and setting multiple school receiving records. As an undrafted free agent, Lazard signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars, then the Green Bay Packers, where he became a key target for Aaron Rodgers. In 2023, he signed a multi-year deal with the New York Jets and has continued his NFL career as a productive receiver. (Sources: Cyclones, ESPN)

2. Kyla Inderski - Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Volleyball Hall of Famer

Kyla Inderski is one of Urbandale High School’s most accomplished female athletes. At Urbandale, she was a dominant volleyball player and earned multiple all-state honors during her high-school career while leading her team to three state tournament appearances. Decades after graduating, she was inducted into the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union Volleyball Hall of Fame, a rare honor recognizing her impact on the sport at the high school level. After high school, Inderski played collegiate volleyball at Drake University, where she continued to excel on the court. As a senior, she was named First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and earned MVC Scholar-Athlete distinctions, showcasing excellence both athletically and academically. (Source: Go Drake Bulldogs)

3. Edward Berlin - Former NFL Wide Receiver

Edward Berlin is a former NFL wide receiver from Urbandale High School. At UHS, Berlin was a multi-sport athlete earning varsity letters in football, baseball and track. A two-time All-State honoree in baseball and a playmaker in football, his career as a wide receiver continued collegiately at the University of Northern Iowa. He was drafted in the 2001 NFL Draft and played for multiple organizations in his career before hanging the cleats up. Edward served some time as an assistant coach at Grand View College. Berlin was inducted in the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. (Sources: UNI Panthers, GV Vikings)

4. Sean Runyan - Former Professional Relief Pitcher

Sean Runyan is another remarkable athlete who left an impact at Urbandale High School. Continuously developing through his high school career, Runyan earned All-State honors as a junior and took off his senior year with All-American praise, and being recognized as one of the top pitchers in the nation. He was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 1992 MLB Amateur Draft and worked his way through the minor leagues before debuting with the Detroit Tigers in 1998. As a rookie with the Tigers, Runyan became a left-handed bullpen specialist, leading the American League in appearances—just two shy of the AL single-season record. (Sources: MILB, MLB)

5. Elyse Prescott - Former Collegiate Runner

Elyse Prescott is one of Urbandale High School’s most accomplished female distance runners. At UHS, she was a four-year letterwinner in both cross country and track & field, a three-time all-conference and all-state honoree and helped lead Urbandale’s girls cross-country team to its first team state championship in 2015. She earned multiple top-finish honors at the Iowa Class 4A state cross country meet and set several school records. Prescott went on to run collegiately at the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, she earned multiple academic honors, served as a team captain and posted personal bests in multiple of her running events. (Source: Gophers Sports)

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