5 LHS Student-Athletes Announce Collegiate Commitments

LEMONT, IL — Five Lemont High School student-athletes have announced their commitments to compete collegiately beginning in fall 2024, according to a release from LHS. They include baseball players Max Michalak (Parkland College) and Andrew Phelan (Moraine Valley Community College); men’s basketball player Ryan Runaas (Joliet Junior College); football player Alex Pasquale (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater); and men’s golfer Eddie Scott (United States Naval Academy).

LHS provided some information on each student athlete below:

Max Michalak – Career Highlights
• Is in his second season playing for head coach Brian Storako
• Utility player who has proven to be one of the team’s top offensive threats as a senior
• Has posted a .453 career batting average with 25 stolen bases
• Also has racked up a career slugging percentage of .722, with 20 of his 44 career hits going for extra bases
• Team captain who is batting a team-high .446 in 2024, with 14 extra-base hits and 24 runs batted in
• Leads Lemont with 37 hits, 11 doubles, three triples, 20 stolen bases, and 36 runs scored
• Ranks second on the team in walks (16) and on-base percentage (.534), and is third in RBIs, slugging percentage (.651) and OPS (1.185)
• Also has posted a 1-0 record with a save and a 1.00 ERA in four appearances on the mound
• Lemont is 24-8 and sits in second place in the South Suburban Conference standings
• Plays travel baseball for White Sox Elite, and also has earned Prep Baseball Report and Perfect Game all-tournament honors
• Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Zach Pych at Parkland College, an NJCAA Division II institution that is located in Champaign, and is a member of the Midwest Conference.

Alex Pasquale – Career Highlights
• Earned three varsity letters, including one as a senior playing for head coach Willie Hayes
• Helped Lemont to a composite 28-7 record over three seasons, as well as three South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles and three IHSA Playoff berths
• Twice earned All-South Suburban Conference honors during his career
• Three-year starter on the defensive line who totaled 114 tackles (35 solo), 36 tackles-for-loss, four sacks and five fumble recoveries in his career
• Served as a team captain as a senior in 2023
• Repeated as an All-SSC selection and received Suburban Life all-area honors
• Was Lemont’s only two-way starter in 2023, starting on both the offensive and defensive line
• Collected 34 tackles (10 solo), paced the team with 11 tackles-for-loss and two fumble recoveries, and added a half sack
• Lemont went 5-5, captured the SSC Blue, and qualified for the IHSA Class 6A Playoffs
• Also earned four varsity letters in wrestling
• Qualified for the IHSA Class 2A Wrestling Individual State Finals in both 2023 and 2024, and earned a fifth-place medal at 285 pounds as a senior
• Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Jace Rindahl at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an NCAA Division III institution that is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and is a member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Andrew Phelan – Career Highlights
• Is in his second season playing for head coach Brian Storako
• Outfielder who has seen consistent playing time as a senior
• Has posted a career batting average of .309, with 20 runs batted in and seven stolen bases
• Is batting .271 in 2024, with four doubles and 13 RBIs
• Has posted an on-base percentage of .380, scored 22 runs, and is perfect on six stolen base attempts
• Lemont is 24-8 and sits in second place in the South Suburban Conference standings
• Plays travel baseball for Rhino Baseball
• Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Mike Kane at Moraine Valley Community College, an NJCAA Division II institution that is located in Palos Hills, and is a member of the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference.

Ryan Runaas – Career Highlights
• Earned two letters playing for head coach Rick Runaas
• Point guard who averaged 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists over 66 career games at Lemont
• Tabbed as the South Suburban Conference Blue Division Player of the Year as a senior in 2024
• Team co-captain who earned team MVP accolades
• Earned WJOL All-Tournament honors and Daily Southtown all-area accolades, and was listed among the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 3A All-State Special Mention selections
• Averaged career highs of 13.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game
• Led Lemont in scoring, assists, 3-point field goals (54), free throws (87), free throw percentage (.798) and steals (56)
• Lemont went 19-12 and tied for first place in the SSC Blue with a 10-3 league record
• Transferred to Lemont from Mount Carmel after his sophomore year
• Plays AAU Basketball for Evan Turner 21 Buckeyes
• Honor Roll student
• Will play for head coach Danny Turner at Joliet Junior College, an NJCAA Division III institution that is located in Joliet.

Eddie Scott – Career Highlights
• Earned four varsity letters playing for head coach Mark Hollatz
• Served as a starter on three of the best teams in school history in 2021, 2022 and 2023
• Ranks first on the school’s career scoring list with a 9-hole average of 37.2
• Averaged under 40 each season of his career, and improved his average each year
• Led the team in scoring as both a junior and senior, with averages ranking among the best in school history
• Team captain as both a junior and senior
• Lemont posted top-four finishes at the IHSA State Finals each year from 2021-23, and captured four South Suburban Conference-Blue Division titles during his career
• Four-time all-conference performer who had 22 rounds under par during his career
• Earned all-conference accolades as a senior in 2023 after placing fourth at the SSC Meet
• Tabbed as the Joliet Herald News Boys’ Golfer of the Year, and posted a career-best 9-hole average of 36.6
• Was fourth individually (75) and earned all-regional honors while helping Lemont to an IHSA Regional title
• Earned sectional medalist honors with a four-under 68 while helping Lemont to an IHSA Sectional crown
• Posted a career-best state finals finish and earned all-state honors by placing eighth at the IHSA Class 2A State Finals
• Shot a 149 (80-69), and was the only golfer with a sub-70 round at the event
• Lemont established a new program best by finishing as the 2023 IHSA Class 2A State Runner-Up
• Lemont also posted a 13-0 dual meet record and won six straight tournaments before the state finals
• Would have qualified as an individual for the IHSA State Meet, but it was not contested due to the pandemic
• Accomplished junior golfer who has won multiple Mid-American Junior Golf Tour events
• High Honor Roll student and National Honor Society inductee
• Will play for head coach Jimmy Stobs at the United States Naval Academy, an NCAA Division I institution and service academy that is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and is a member of the Patriot League.