South Cook News

Lemont High School’s marching band concluded its competition season with an outstanding performance at the Illinois State University Marching Band Championship, which was contested at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University on October 23. Led by director Dave Nommensen and assistant director Matt Doherty, Lemont earned a runner-up finish in the Class 3A level, its best showing since finishing second at the 2016 competition. Lemont has placed among the top two in its class at this event 13 times since 1998.

Lemont finished as the Class 3A runner-up to state champion Marian Catholic after posting a prelims score of 78.200, and earned the Class 3A “Crowd Appeal” caption award. Its prelims score earned the band a trip to the nighttime finals, where it competed against the top bands from all six classes. This marked just the fifth time in the program’s history it reached the nighttime finals based solely on its score placement. It placed 11th among 15 bands at the nighttime finals.

The band’s 2021 show - “The Witching Hour” - included music arranged by Steven Pyter specifically for the Lemont band. Show selections included “Uninvited” by Alanis Morissette, “The Divine Comedy: The Inferno” by Robert W. Smith, and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police.

Lemont’s runner-up finish in its class at the state competition capped an awards-filled season. The band posted a runner-up finish in Class 2A at the Andrew Marching Invitational (2A), was third in Class 2A at the Stagg Jamboree, Romeoville Spartan Classic and Lincoln-Way Invitational, and was fourth in Class 3A at the Providence Catholic Invitational. At Andrew, the band won the caption award for Color Guard.

Lemont’s 2021 drum majors include seniors Jeremy Gumina and Kaitlyn Tuvilleja and sophomore Destina Sarussi. The band’s section leaders include seniors Olivia Brown (Percussion-Drumline), Delaney Plotke (Color Guard), Molly Thornber (Percussion-Front Ensemble), Kalli Tulipano (Clarinet) and Annette Winterland (Low Winds), and juniors Alyssa Greer (Low Brass), Suzie Knutte (High Brass) and McKinley McManus (Flute).

Sarussi (Flute), Tulipano (Clarinet), Winterland (Soprano Saxophone), senior Cullen DeWalls (Flugelhorn) and sophomore Zach Katauskas (Muted Trumpet) were soloists.

Lemont placed as the state runner-up in 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2016 prior to this year. It won eight consecutive Class 3A state titles from 1998-2005, prior to Marian Catholic moving from Class 4A to Class 3A.