Lemont Indians Win Tournament, Gear Up For Golf Fundraiser

Each week, Lemont Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments.

We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid.  Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to Local Editor Amanda Luevano at amanda@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the information included below.

And without further ado, this week's Whiz Kid are...

Lemont Indians 11U Travel Baseball Team

The Lemont Indians 11U boys travel baseball team won first place in the Lockport Lockdown tournament earlier this month, capping a successful season with a 67-percent win percentage. As their season ends, the team is gearing up for a golf outing to raise funds for their teams’ trip to Cooperstown Dream Park in 2013, where they hope their success from 2012 will continue.

The Indians’ first tournament game on the Fourth of July resulted in a tie against the South Side Rage, foreshadowing the showdown between the two teams in the July 8 championship.

After the initial game’s tie, the Indians won their next two games by slaughter rule before heading into the semifinal against the Illinois Edge. With a sizeable lead, the Indians defeated the Edge and entered a rematch with the Rage, which included two of the top three homerun hitters in the tournament’s homerun derby.

Although the Rage fought hard, they were unable to defend against the Indians’ blistering bats nor hit past their fierce fielders. In the end, the Indians took home the trophy in a 12-5 victory.

“What a great way to end the season!," head coach Rick Tauer said. "We couldn’t be more proud of the boys. They battled tooth and nail all year long and it paid off. We're looking forward to Cooperstown next year.”

The win caps a very successful season for the boys, whose record was 23-9-2. In addition to the first-place tournament finish last weekend, the team placed in the three other tournaments in which they played, including first place in Woodridge, second in Streamwood, and third in Glen Ellyn.

The Indians also placed third in the elite Gold North division in the I-80 baseball league.

The Indians will be going to the legendary Cooperstown Dreams Park in July of 2013, and are in the process of fundraising for that trip of a lifetime. They are hosting a golf outing at Big Run Golf Course in Lockport on Aug. 24. The outing begins at 8:30 am with a shotgun start and includes a round of golf, cart and lunch; non-golfers can purchase tickets to the lunch buffet. The event also features hole contests and raffle prizes.

Sponsors for the event are still being accepted, as are participants. Interested golfers or event sponsors should contact Laura Biggs at 630-240-9147 or Michelle Tauer at 630-674-0084.

The 11U Indians are: Chad Biggs, Jaxson Dian, Matt DiNardi, Luke Kilhafner,Justin Lazowski, Brandon Pollard, Joe Rita, Conrad Tauer, James Tauer, and Bobby Wisz and assistant coaches Jeff Dian, Jordan Lazowski, Scott Pollard, and Sheldon Rita.

The team would like to thank its generous sponsors, whose financial contributions help to provide the funds and resources they need to compete. The sponsors for the 11U team are: Athletico, Ampak Company, Country Financial, Fit4Kix.com, Forzley Eye Clinic, Front Street Cantina, I Flip N Dance, Jeffrey LaMorte Salon and Day Spa, Laborer’s Local 1001 Chicago, Norlux, Quality Quickprint, and Strike Factory.

The 11U Indians would also like to wish their 12U counterparts the very best of luck on their trip to Cooperstown next week. Play hard and with heart, we are all hoping for a victorious trip. GO INDIANS!

Editor's Note: This article was submitted to Patch by Lemont resident Mary Pollard.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

There are plenty of ways to keep up on  news:

• Sign up for our daily email newsletter

• Like us on Facebook for a slightly different take.