High school sports roundup: Lemont's Gemma Cantone, Kyla Owens make college commitments

LEMONT – April 19 was an exciting day for Gemma Cantone and Kyla Owens.

The Lemont High School seniors officially solidified their plans to continue their athletic careers in college. Cantone committed to play volleyball at the University of the Incarnate Word, while Owens will bowl at Drury University.

Cantone, a 6-foot setter and right-side hitter, helped lead the Indians to a 41-31 overall record and 25-1 South Suburban Conference mark the past two seasons as she earned two varsity letters. Lemont won two SSC Blue division titles in that time.

During her senior season in the fall, Cantone led Lemont with 41 aces, was second on the team with 293 assists, third in kills (143) and fourth in digs (152). Her well-rounded game earned her SSC all-conference honors, and she won Lemont’s Best Hitter award.

Incarnate Word is an NCAA Division I program in San Antonio that went 12-17 last season.

Owens was a four-year varsity bowler for Lemont who helped the Indians to a 38-14 dual meet record in that time.

As a senior in the winter she posted a career-high average of 190, helping Lemont go 10-3 in the SSC. She placed fourth in the SSC tourney to earn all-conference honors, and she bowled a 1,128 series (with a 215 high game) to move on as an individual from the Plainfield South regional to the Andrew sectional.

Owens’ senior average was her highest in high school and represented her largest improvement. She averaged a 175 as a junior after 168 and 170 averages as a freshman and sophomore, respectively. She will join a Drury team that just completed its first season as an NCAA program.

Baseball

An eight-run sixth inning helped Lemont to a 15-3 win against host Tinley Park on April 25.

Ryan Sublette was hit by a pitch to start the Indians’ sixth, and he scored on Nate Madej’s double. Sublette later capped the inning with a two-run home run that drove in KC Simonich. Joe Kelley scored on Christian Krakar’s sacrifice fly, Madej came home on Chris Weber’s single, Marcus Ambroziak scored on a passed ball, and Simonich’s double scored Matt Slee and Angel Salinas in the inning.

Dom Connolly hit a home run to start the fourth and finished with two hits and two RBIs. Sublette scored three times, while Salinas, Krakar, Ambroziak and Slee scored twice. Salinas, Simonich and Weber each drove in two runs. Sean Haughey earned the pitching win.

Softball

After a lopsided loss against Lincoln-Way Central, Lemont got back on track with a 10-3 win against Plainfield South on April 22.

Julia Orozco went 2 for 3 with a double and four RBIs, and Evie Conway was 2 for 4 with a double, two runs scored and two RBIs to make a winner of pitcher Nina Mardjetko.

Lemont improved to 11-8.

Lincoln-Way Central won 11-1 in five innings April 21. Conway doubled and scored Lemont’s lone run.

Boys tennis

All five matches went to Lemont in a 5-0 dual meet win against Tinley Park on April 25.

Arjun Reddigari (No. 1) and Charles Balisalisa (No. 2) won 6-0, 6-0 in singles matches.

Patrick Kerrigan and Max Kral won 6-0, 6-0 at No. 3 doubles, while Ian Hartl and Faraz Longi (No. 1 doubles) and Matas Maleiska and Luke Pawlak (No. 2 doubles) dropped just one game in their victories.

Lemont placed second at the Joliet invite April 22. Balisalisa (No. 2 singles), Maleiska and Pawlak (No. 2 doubles) and Marty Stanys and Jacob Kecki (No. 3 doubles) all finished second. Reddigari won his third-place match at No. 1 singles 6-0, 6-0, while Longi and Peter Rogers won 6-4, 6-0 for third at No. 1 doubles.

Boys track and field

Throwers John Homerding, Matt Szoldaitis, Anthony Kostrubala and Ryan Kazminski teamed up for second in the 4x100-meter relay for throwers (56.90), while the traditional 4x100 relay of Chad Rosenblum, Tyler Hill, Gunnar Teselle and Adam Fugiel placed third (46.37) at the Plainfield South relays invite April 22.

Edward Brier, Hill, Rosenblum and David Tran placed second in the 4x110 hurdles shuttle relay (1:18.49). Sachan Shah, Thomas Irace, Matt Freese and Owen Ganzer took third in the 4x1,600 relay (23:08.42). Toby Hagen, Ryan Freitag, Luke Bailey and Andrew Deuschle were third in the distance medley relay (1,200 meters followed by 400, 800 and 1,600 distances) in 12:25.41.

Girls track and field

The 4x400-meter relay team of Julianne McClatchy, Gerda Simkeviciute, Marin Schiffman and Celine Ratulowski (4:10.04) and the 4x800 team of McClatchy, Beata Drozda, Gianna Lopez and Ratulowski (10:03.60) both placed fourth for Lemont’s best showings at the Lockport invite April 21.