Lemont High Girls’ Soccer Coach, Player Honored as Best

Both the coach and the star midfielder of the Class 2A final-four-reaching Lemont High School girls soccer team have been recognized with “best of the year” awards by Sun Times Media newspapers.

Coach Rick Prangen, who took a young Lions squad to a 21-5-2 record and their third final-four appearance in five years, was named 2013 Herald-News Girls Soccer Coach of the Year; he told the paper that the season was a remarkable success for a team fielding up to seven underclassmen players.

“It’s a gratifying and humbling experience to get honored this way,” Prangen told the paper, also offering kudos to his assistant coaches and players. 

“This season, as far as gratification, it’s right up there as maybe the best we’ve had… It was very surprising to make this run this year, without a doubt. The girls came a long way.” 

Meanwhile, junior midfielder Kim Jerantowski, who scored 21 goals and 17 assists over the season, has been named the 2013 Chicago Fire/SouthtownStar Girls Soccer Player of the Year.

“I’m really grateful to get this honor,” Jerantowski told the Star. “I can’t believe it. It just shows that all my hard work paid off… This was the most rewarding season of them all. From Day 1 to our last game, we improved drastically.” 

According to the paper, Jerantowski will play for Northwestern University after her 2013-2014 season with the Lions—a season in which she hopes to win a state championship. 

Read more at the Herald-News and the Southtown Star websites.