Lane has had many great teams over the years.
What made these teams great is the overall system, tradition, and expectations
that one has when someone wears the Myrtle and the Gold. Also, every single
individual associated with the team helps in the teams success. What makes a
team great is not the individual stars on the team, the overall record of the
team, or whether they won any city championships. To measure success by those
metrics would diminish the efforts of every contributor to the team. A team is
successful if the members on the team have worked to their best ability and
utilized the potential that they had. So to me the person that puts the greatest
effort or tries the hardest will always be great indicator of achievement. Those
individuals are putting forth the necessary effort and work to become the best
possible athlete they can be regardless of talent level. That is why it is very
difficult for me to make the following list. The following lists are individuals
who happened to be outstanding athletes at Lane and have gone on to play beyond
the high school level. It is by no means my intention to state that they were
the most important members of their team that year. Rather, they are individuals
who happened to have the ability to play at another level beyond high school.
The list obviously is incomplete. If you know
of anyone who needs to be added to this list or recognize any corrections to be
made, please contact me the information and we will get him/her posted.
|
Name |
Year |
Sport |
Level Beyond High School |
Notes |
|
Fritz Pollard |
n/a |
Football |
National Football League (Akron Pros), Brown
University |
First African American Head Coach in the National
Football League; In 2005 Inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame;
State of Illinois Track Champion in 1912 in the 440 yard dash with a
time of 53 seconds |
|
Johnny Weissmuller |
1922? |
Swimming |
Olympics |
Attended Lane Tech but never graduated. He broke 24
world records in swimming including the 300-meter free style and 100
free style. Won 5 Olympic gold medals, 1 bronze medal, and two Chicago
Marathons. The most famous on-screen Tarzan. He has a star on the
Hollywood Hall of Fame |
|
Phil Caveretta |
1934 |
Baseball |
Chicago Cubs,
Chicago White Sox |
1945 National League MVP. |
|
Bill Fisher |
1944 |
Football |
Notre Dame, Chicago Cardinals |
Notre Dame ('46-'48), Chicago Cardinals ('49-'53) College Football Hall
of Fame |
|
Irv Medlinger |
1945 |
Baseball |
Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Athletics |
(LT '45), Pittsburgh Pirates ('56), Kansas City Athletics ('56)
|
|
Bato Govederica |
1946? |
Basketball |
DePaul; NBA (Syracuse Nationals) |
All-State player; member of Illinois basketball
hall of fame; Chicago Basketball Hall of Fame. |
|
Jim Flemming |
1957 |
Basketball |
DePaul |
Cager of the year for Lane in 1956, played basketball for DePaul
1958-61, inducted to the DePaul Hall of Fame in 1993, attended his 50th
class reunion |
|
Jim Woods |
1957 |
Baseball |
Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies |
Chicago Cubs ('57), Philadelphia Phillies ('60-'61) |
|
Wayne Gutowsky |
1957 |
Track and Field |
Western Michigan University |
Indoor and Outdoor City Champion in the Shot Put; attended Western
Michigan University where he ran track from 1957-1961; There he held the
school record (Indoor and Outdoor) in the shot put and discus. |
|
Robert Johnson |
1957 ? |
Football |
University of Michigan |
|
|
Mike Laferty |
1957 |
Basketball/Baseball |
Colleges,-Contra Costa Jc, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Cal State Hayward |
All-conference |
|
John Stamos |
1958? |
Football |
University of Michigan |
|
|
Chuck Logan |
1959 |
Football |
Northwestern, Pittsburg Steelers, St. Louis Cardinals |
Northwestern ('61-'63), Pittsburgh Steelers ('64), St Louis Cardinals
('65, '67-'68)
|
|
Mike Schwager |
1959 |
Football |
Northwestern |
Academic All Big 10 ('64)
|
|
John Felske |
1960 |
Baseball |
Chicago Cubs, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies |
Chicago Cubs ('68), Milwaukee Brewers ('72-'73), manager Philadelhia
Phillies ('85-'87)
|
|
Len Church |
1960 |
Baseball |
Chicago Cubs |
Chicago Cubs ('66)
|
|
Jerry Szukala |
1963 |
Baseball |
University of Illinois; minor league baseball (Chicago Cubs) |
AFTER COACHING AT WENDELL PHILLIPS HIGH SCHOOL HE COACHED AT LANE FROM
1983 TO 1995; 10th all time in the IHSA in wins for baseball |
|
Steve Bukieda |
1964 |
Cross Country |
University of Oregon |
Led Lane Tech's 1963-64 state championship cross country team by
finishing 2nd place overall. |
|
Lee Buzz Capra |
1965 |
Baseball |
New York Mets, Atlanta Braves |
New York Mets ('71-'73), Atlanta Braves ('74-'77)
|
|
Steve Livas |
1967 |
Football |
University of Illinois |
|
|
Tony Chronis |
1968 |
Football |
University of Illinois |
Lane Tech Football Booster Club president and Assistant Football Coach
at Lane Tech for many years. |
|
George Tyms |
1968 |
Track and Field |
Northern Illinois University; member of USA National Team |
state shot put title in 1968 ; won
the state title on a cold rainy day with a throw of 57-6 1/4. About
2 weeks later, I set a city of record of 61-1, which eclipsed the
old mark by over 5 feet and stood for 23 years. I continued on at
Northern Illinois University where my Lane teammate Rick Bilder
('69), who was 3rd in state and had a best of about 59-6, joined me
the following year. Together we dominated shot putting in the
Midwest for a number of years. During 1972 we both topped the
60-foot barrier for the first time making NIU one of only three
colleges in America with two 60-foot throwers. Although I qualified
for 6 NCAA championship meets (placed 7th in 1970 indoors) it was
Rick who finally broke through in 1973 and won NIU's first NCAA
medal in track.
For the remainder of the '70s we both
continued our athletic careers for the powerful University of
Chicago Track Club and qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in
1972, 1976, and 1980, where Rick was a finalist. During those years
we each won medals at national championship meets. In 1976 I was a
member of the U.S. national team for the USA vs. USSR indoor meet in
Leningrad. At career's end it was fitting that after being
teammates for most of 12 years we were separated by only 1 3/4
inches as Rick's best effort was 65-3 and mine was 65-1 1/4.
In 2000 we were inducted together
into the NIU Hall of Fame and coach Len Jareczek served as our
presenter.(Furthermore, the MC that night was NIU radio announcer
Bill Baker, also a Lane Tech grad!).
Sadly, "Big Rick" passed away
suddenly in 2001 at age 50 and "Coach" passed away just a few months
ago. It was a great run and I'll never forget those days that all
began in Gym 3 one December day in 1964. |
|
Rick Bilder |
1969 |
Track and Field |
Northern Illinois University |
3rd in state and had a best of about
59-6, Rick who finally broke through in 1973 and won NIU's first NCAA
medal in track; qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1972, 1976, and
1980, where Rick was a finalist. During those years we each won medals
at national championship |
|
Paul Rudolph |
1969 |
Football |
University of Minnesota |
|
|
Ken Ferguson |
1971 |
Football |
Drake University |
Chicago Sun-times player of the year 1970 |
|
Andre Allen |
1971 |
Wrestling |
Northwestern University |
NCAA All American at Northwestern
University and 2nd in IHSA State Wrestling tournament 1971
126lbs. |
|
Ed Tankersly |
1972 |
Football |
Arkansas State University, North Park College |
A great Lane running back. Led the nation in rushing for Division III
colleges. |
|
Phil Ferguson |
1973 |
Football |
n/a |
|
|
Mike Morgan |
1973 |
Football, also ran track |
University of Wisconsin, Chicago Bears (Pre-season) |
Made it to the pre-season roster of the Chicago
Bears. Now works for the state of Wisconsin.; also made it to the Bears
Roster where he returned 5 kicks. |
|
Leonard Robascewski |
1974 |
Football |
Winona State 74, Wright Junior College 76-77, NE Illinois 78 - 79 |
played defensive tackle |
|
John Andreasik |
1975? |
Football |
Wright Junior College 76 -77, Valparaiso university - 78 - 79 |
played defensive end |
|
Jim Stahl |
1975 |
Football |
North Central 75 - 78 |
played quarterback |
|
Len Petty |
1975? |
Football |
Wisconsin 76 - 79 |
OC |
|
Greg Konieczko |
1976 |
Football |
Wright Junior College; Northeastern State (Tahlequa, OK) |
played center |
|
Mike Burkett |
1976 |
Football |
Jackson College, Wright Junior College |
played defensive tackle |
|
Jeff Mazur |
1976 |
Football |
Southern Illinois 76, Wright Junior College 77-78, Northeastern Ill. 79
-80 |
played offensive tackle |
|
Steve Walker |
1976 |
Football |
Wright Junior College 77-78, Northern Illinois 79-80 |
played defensive back |
|
John Todesco |
1976 |
Football |
Augustana University 76 -80 |
played offensive guard |
|
Mike Lampa |
1976 |
Football |
Northern Illinois 76 -77 |
played offensive guard |
|
Peter Batsakis |
1976 |
Football |
Princeton 76-77? |
played offensive tackle |
|
Phil Lopez |
1976 |
Football |
John Caroll(OHIO) 76-79 |
played fullback |
|
Tim Moylan |
1976 |
Football |
Rock Valley Comm College - 76 - 77, Northern Colorado 78 - ? |
played running back |
|
Gino Belmonte |
1977 |
Football |
North Park College |
|
|
Glenn Anderson |
1979 |
Football |
Southern Illinois University |
|
|
Franco Laterza |
1979 |
Football |
Southern Illinois University |
|
|
Renwick Atkins |
1980 |
Football |
Kansas |
|
|
Tom Barrett |
1980 |
Football |
WIU |
|
|
Richard Blackmon |
1980 |
Football |
SIU |
|
|
Kevin Kolakowski |
1980 |
Football |
North Park College |
Played quarterback in both high school and college. |
|
Matt Marino |
1980 |
Football |
Ball State |
|
|
Danny Jarret |
1980 |
Basketball |
Butler University |
|
|
Gary Kuykendall |
1980 |
Football |
? |
|
|
Craig Nash |
1980 |
Football |
Monmouth College |
Played Nose Tackle |
|
Jim Federici |
1981 |
Baseball |
University of Illinois at Chicago |
All Section and All City - senior year as a outfielder on the City Champ
runner up team in 1981. |
|
Greg Watson |
1981 |
Football |
Southern Illinois University |
|
|
Robert Popowski |
1981 |
Football |
Michigan |
|
|
Ron (Chip) Fisher |
1981 |
Football |
University of Iowa |
QB/DB/KR/PR;
played in class 6A football team that went to the state semi-finals. |
|
Ron Ellingson |
1981 |
Football |
Triton |
|
|
Robert Gloeckler |
1981 |
Football |
Triton |
|
|
Earl Barnes |
1982 |
Football |
Lake Forest |
|
|
Kevin Bor |
1982 |
Football |
Triton/SW Missouri State |
|
|
Norm Kaiser |
1982 |
Football |
Lake Forest |
|
|
Mark Jacobs |
1982 |
Football |
Triton/Culver Stockton in MO |
|
|
Mark Nelson |
1982 |
Football |
North Park |
|
|
Mike Kuykendall |
1982 |
Football |
NEIU |
|
|
Menus Moore |
1982 |
Football |
NEIU |
|
|
Matt Morgan |
1983 |
Football |
Purdue |
|
|
Eric Morgan |
1983 |
Football |
Wyoming |
|
|
Walter 'Butch' Brzeski |
1983 |
Football |
Triton/EIU |
|
|
Alan Washer |
1983 |
Football |
|