Nine LHS Student Athletes Make College Commitments

LEMONT, IL — Nine Lemont High School student-athletes have announced their commitments to compete collegiately beginning in the 2021-22 seasons, the district said in a release. They include baseball players Luke Guenther, Joliet Junior College; Ryan Tomaras, North Central College; Cris Villwock, College of DuPage; and Jake Wilk, Joliet Junior College; cross country/track and field athlete Niko Vallianatos, West Virginia University Institute of Technology; football player Evan Mutterer, Carthage College; gymnast/track and field athlete Megan Hunt, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh; swimmer Joey Kibbon, St. Cloud State University; and volleyball player Paige Connolly, Albion College.

Lemont High School provided each student's career highlights:

Paige Connolly – Career Highlights

• Has earned one varsity letter playing for head coach Chris Zogata
• Is expected to serve as the starting setter this spring
• Made her varsity debut as a junior in 2019, appearing in 75 games
• Tabbed with the team’s “Best Server” award after landing a team-high 57 service aces and averaging a team-best 0.76 aces per game
• Also led the team in ace percentage (19.1 percent) and was second on the squad in serve percentage (87.6 percent) and service points (148)
• Plays club volleyball for 1st Alliance, and currently is part of its 18 Red squad
• High Honor Roll and National Honor Society student
• Will play for head coach Kristin Slamer-de St. Aubin at Albion College, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Albion, Michigan, and is a member of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Luke Guenther – Career Highlights

• Ready for his first varsity season playing for head coach Brian Storako after the 2020 campaign was cancelled
• Lefthanded pitcher who is expected to log many innings as one of the team’s top pitchers
• Plays travel baseball for Lincoln-Way Xposure, and has been part of many tourney champion squads
• Has won better than 80 percent of his decisions in travel baseball, spanning more than 50 appearances
• High Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Gregg Braun at Joliet Junior College, which is located in Joliet, and is a member of the North Central Community College Conference.

Megan Hunt – Career Highlights

• Accomplished gymnast who also heads into her second varsity track and field season under head coach Tim Plotke
• Has achieved “Level 10” status as a gymnast for three years, which is the highest level in the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympics Program
• Member of the Aspire Gymnastics Academy
• Earned a runner-up finish in the floor exercise with a career-best score of 9.375 at the 2020 Excalibur Cup
• Posted a career-best all-around score of 37.200 while winning the all-around at the Aspire Classic in December 2020 and also was the beam champion at that event with a score of 9.500
• Quickly became a team leader in a shortened debut season in track and field as a junior in 2020
• Posted a career-best effort of 17’2” in the long jump, which is just two inches shy of the school record
• High Honor Roll and National Honor Society student
• Will compete in gymnastics for head coach Lauren Karnitz at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Will compete in track and field for head coach Justin Kinseth.

Joey Kibbon – Career Highlights

• In the midst of his fourth varsity season, including his second under head coach Josh Dunn
• Served as a team captain as both a junior and senior
• Three-time conference champion in the 200 free (2018, 2019, 2020) and a two-time conference champion in the 500 free (2019, 2020)
• Holds individual school records in the 200 freestyle (1:44.92) and 500 freestyle (4:47.57); also part of school-record relay teams in the 200 medley, 200 freestyle and 400 freestyle
• Competes as a club swimmer for FMC Aquatics
• Placed eighth in the 1650 freestyle at the Illinois Swimming Senior Championships in 2020
• High Honor Roll student
• Will swim for head coach Jeff Hegle at St. Cloud State University, an NCAA Division II institution that is located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and is an affiliate member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in men’s swimming.

Evan Mutterer – Career Highlights

• Heads into his second varsity season playing for head coach Bret Kooi
• Expected to serve as a team leader and as a starter at strong safety this spring
• Made his varsity debut as a junior in 2019
• Made a combined eight tackles (five solo) as a reserve in the secondary and on special teams
• Plays 7 on 7 football with TNT
• 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.

Ryan Tomaras – Career Highlights

• Ready for his first varsity season playing for head coach Brian Storako after the 2020 campaign was cancelled
• Is expected to serve both as a starting pitcher and as a third baseman
• Plays travel baseball for Team Easton, which finished Summer 2020 ranked sixth in Illinois and 13th in the Midwest according to Perfect Game
• Cited to the 2020 World Wood Bat Association Kernels Foundation Championship All-Tournament Team
• High Honor Roll and National Honor Society student
• Will play for head coach Ed Mathey 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.

Niko Vallianatos – Career Highlights

• Has earned four varsity cross country letters for head coach Jon DeGuzman and two varsity track and field letters for head coach Dennis Kennedy
• Served as a cross country team captain as both a junior and senior
• Finished first four times as a senior in 2020 and helped Lemont win a modified South Suburban Conference title
• Was sixth individually and earned all-regional accolades as Lemont won the IHSA Regional crown
• Posted a career-best 3-mile time of 16:03 in a home meet against Oak Lawn
• Established a personal best in the 3200 meter run (10:41.73) at the 2019 IHSA Class 3A Sectional
• High Honor Roll student
• Will compete for head coach Jeremy Bloom at West Virginia University Institute of Technology, an NAIA institution that is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and is a member of the River States Conference.

Cris Villwock – Career Highlights

• Has worked hard in the offseason to put himself in position to contribute for head coach Brian Storako
• Lefthanded pitcher who is mostly likely to see time as a reliever
• Plays travel baseball for Team Easton, which finished Summer 2020 ranked sixth in Illinois and 13th in the Midwest according to Perfect Game
• Cited to the 2020 World Wood Bat Association Kernels Foundation Championship All-Tournament Team
• High Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Bobby Wilson at College of DuPage, which is located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, and is a member of the North Central Community College Conference.

Jake Wilk – Career Highlights

• Ready for his first varsity season playing for head coach Brian Storako after the 2020 campaign was cancelled
• Lefthanded hitting outfielder who can alter games on the base paths
• Righthanded pitcher who is expected to serve as a reliever
• Plays travel baseball for Cangelosi Sparks, and currently is rostered on its 2021 White Team 17U
• Cited to all-tournament teams at the 2020 World Wood Bat Association 17U North Championship and the 2020 Perfect Game 17U Battle for the Midwest
• Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Gregg Braun at Joliet Junior College, which is located in Joliet, and is a member of the North Central Community College Conference.