Lemont Athletic Hall Of Fame Induction Set For September 15

LEMONT, IL — The newest members of Lemont High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame will be introduced at a ceremony on Sept. 15 at Cog Hill Golf Club in Lemont. Included among the hall of fame’s 18th induction class will be Linda (Kacinskas) Anifer ‘91, Becky (Cortesi) Caruso ‘93, Clayton Fejedelem ‘11, and Shawn “PJ” Pipes ‘17.

The 2024 Lemont High School Athletic Hall of Fame Ceremony will begin with a reception at noon on Sept. 15, according to a release. Lunch will be served at 12:45 p.m., with the induction ceremony beginning at approximately 1:30 p.m.

Tickets are $25 each ($10.50 for children) and cover the cost of lunch; reservations must be made through the Lemont High School Athletic Department by Sept. 9. To make a reservation, call the athletic department at (630) 243-3207.

Supporting information for the Class of 2024 Hall of Fame inductees was provided by Lemont High School below:

LINDA (KACINSKAS) ANIFER ‘91 – Earned four varsity letters in girls’ bowling (1988-91)... became the first three-time IHSA state qualifier in program history... four-time All-Northeast Conference performer (1988-91)... three-time team MVP (1989-91)... one of just two bowlers in program history to post three “Top 25” state finals finishes... helped Lemont to IHSA Sectional titles and team state finals berths in 1989 and 1991... placed 22nd at the 1989 IHSA State Finals... earned all-state honors by placing 7th at the 1990 IHSA State Finals... capped her career by placing 11th at the 1991 IHSA State Finals... also participated in both girls’ volleyball and girls’ track and field... cited among “Who’s Who Among American High School Students”... earned induction to the National Honor Society... also was part of the Spanish National Honor Society... placed among the top 10 percent in her graduating class... remained active in the sport through the United States Bowling Congress and Joliet Bowling Association... both of her children (Kendra Anifer ‘19, Trevor Anifer ‘24) competed for Lemont in the IHSA Bowling State Finals.

BECKY (CORTESI) CARUSO ‘93 – Earned three varsity letters in softball (1991-93)... went 45-22 with a 1.46 ERA and 607 strikeouts in 455.0 innings... averaged 9.34 strikeouts per seven innings... also posted a .342 career batting average with 29 stolen bases... two-time All-Northeast Conference selection (1992-93)... tabbed with team MVP honors as a senior in 1993... earned all-area honors from several publications... cited as the WJOL Softball Athlete of the Year... chosen to participate in the Chicago Tribune Super 60 All-Star event... pitched every inning, posting a 21-8 record and a 1.25 ERA... struck out a career-high 314 batters in 186.0 innings (11.82 per seven innings)... also batted .349 with 15 stolen bases... earned team Offensive MVP and Pitching MVP honors as a junior in 1992... posted a 16-8 record and 1.81 ERA with 200 strikeouts... led the team with a .363 batting average... also participated in girls’ basketball and girls’ volleyball... earned softball scholarships from both the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Lewis University... has worked in the field of public education for 25 years, serving as both a school social worker and special education director.

CLAYTON FEJEDELEM ‘11 – Earned two varsity letters in football (2009-10)... two-time All-South Suburban Conference defensive back... helped Lemont to a 21-3 record, two SSC Blue titles, and two IHSA Quarterfinal appearances... totaled 152 tackles, nine interceptions, and 10 pass breakups in two seasons... team captain who was tabbed as the SSC Blue Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2010... collected 91 tackles and added five interceptions and three blocked kicks in 2010... scored seven touchdowns as a senior (3 rushing, 3 punt returns, 1 kickoff return)... tabbed with 2010 Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 6A All-State honors... also participated in boys’ lacrosse and wrestling... cited as Saint Xavier University’s Newcomer of the Year in 2011... helped Saint Xavier win the 2011 NAIA National Championship... earned all-conference honors as a sophomore in 2012... transferred to the University of Illinois and earned two letters... played in all 13 games and earned the team’s Defensive Skill Points Award as a junior in 2014... earned All-Big Ten honors from both the media and coaches as a senior in 2015... served as team captain and was Illinois’s Defensive Player of the Year... racked up 140 tackles and led the Big Ten and was fifth nationally with 11.7 tackles per game... selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2016 NFL Draft... played in 107 games over seven NFL seasons for the Bengals (2016-19) and Miami Dolphins (2020-22)... totaled 146 tackles with two fumble recoveries, one interception and one touchdown in his NFL career... was a special teams Pro Bowl alternate three straight years (2017-19)... four-time special teams captain for the Bengals (2018-19) and Dolphins (2020-21).

SHAWN “PJ” PIPES ‘17 – Earned three varsity letters in boys’ basketball (2015-17)... finished his career as Lemont’s all-time leading scorer (1,263 points)... helped Lemont to 50 wins over three seasons... three-time All-South Suburban Conference and all-area performer... averaged 16.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game over 75 career games... holds school single-season (166) and career (359) records for made free throws... twice honored among the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association all-state honorees (2016-17)... led the area in scoring as both a junior and senior, averaging more than 20 points per game each year... averaged a career-high 22.2 points per game as a senior... cited as an IBCA Class 4A All-Star in 2017... set career bests in scoring (542 points), free throws (166) and 3-point field goals (48) as a junior... played five years of college basketball, and was Lemont’s first Division I player in more than 40 years... scored more than 1,000 points in four seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay... made 49 consecutive free throws during the 2020-21 season... helped Green Bay to a College Invitation Tournament runner-up finish in 2019... served as a starter at Santa Clara University as a postgraduate student... has played professionally in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Latvia.

Lemont High School is seeking nominations for potential future Athletic Hall of Fame inductees, according to the school. Nominations are accepted in one of four categories - Athlete, Coach, Parent/Community Member, or Pride of Lemont. All nominees must be of good character, reflecting the qualities and ideals set forth in the school’s Athletic Code of Conduct. Nominees in the ‘Athlete’ category are not eligible for induction to the Athletic Hall of Fame until five years after their graduation from the school.