Montini Catholic proudly awarded seniors Angelo DeSensi and Ashlynn Lindt with their coveted Male and Female Scholar-Athlete Awards.  The senior athletes accepted their awards during the Lasallian high school's Senior Celebration Awards on April 26th and were once again honored on May 11th at Montini's Varsity Athletic Awards.

The James Kavanaugh Scholar-Athlete Award was named after Montini's first Athletic Director and Head Football Coach.  During his thirty-plus year career at Montini, James Kavanaugh was a teacher, coach and counselor to over 2,000 students.  The James Kavanaugh Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to a male Bronco student/athlete who has exhibited excellence in the classroom and in athletics throughout his high school career.

"Our 2026 the award is presented to a young man who is the epitome of a student-athlete," said Athletic Director, Brian Casey '10.  Angelo worked hard to attain his 4.1 GPA and was most recently awarded the President's Gold Award for Academic Excellence.  He is a member of the National Honor Society and attained Academic All Conference status in two sports - Football and Basketball.

As a competitor, Angelo was a dominant two-sport athlete, serving as a team captain in both football and basketball.  On the football field, as the Bronco's left tackle, he earned All-Conference, All-Area and All-State honors, and was a dominant force behind the Broncos' second consecutive IHSA State Championship.  On the basketball court, he was a key contributor to a Broncos team that reached double-digit wins, consistently scoring in double figures.  "Angelo's transition dunk against Willowbrook provided one of the most iconic moments in Montini athletics this school year," said Casey.

Angelo will be a scholarship athlete at Northwestern University this fall -  where he will continue his education while playing Big Ten Football for the Wildcats.

 

Montini's Kathy Filipiak Scholar-Athlete Award is named in honor of “Miss Flip,” former Assistant Principal and the school’s first Girls Sports Coordinator. During her more than thirty years of dedicated service to Montini, Filipiak impacted the lives of more than 4,000 Bronco students as a teacher, coach, and administrator. Presented annually, the award recognizes a female student-athlete who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in both academics and athletics throughout her four-year high school career.

 

Ashlynn Lindt has distinguished herself through exceptional academic achievement, earning a 4.72 grade point average. In addition to being a member of the National Honor Society, she is an Illinois State Scholar, an AP Scholar with Distinction, a member of the Mu Alpha Theta Math Honor Society and a recipient of the President’s Gold Award for Academic Excellence.  She earned Academic All Conference status in both Cross Country and Track and Field all four years as a Montini athlete.

Athletically, she has excelled as both a cross country and track & field runner. Throughout her career, Ashlynn has qualified for the IHSA State Finals six times, earning All-State honors as a sophomore in Track & Field and as a junior in Cross Country. This spring she added another impressive accomplishment to her resume by capturing the GCAC championship in the 3200-meter run. Most recently, Ashlynn earned a State medal (3200 (placing 7th) and 1600 (placing 8th), ending her athletic career at Montini on a very high note.

 

Ashlynn will continue both her academic and athletic careers at the University of Dayton, where she will compete as a scholarship athlete in Cross Country and Track & Field.

Montini Catholic is a Lasallian college preparatory high school located in Lombard, Illinois (DuPage County).