LP_080918

lockportlegend.com sports
the Lockport Legend | August 9, 2018 | 39
fastbreak
Alumni Spotlight
Lantow makes a splash with Spartans
1st and 3
Adam Jomant/
22nd Century Media
Porters football
family gets together
for golf outing
1. Making a tradition
The Lockport Football
Alumni Organization
held their second
annual Drive for a
Touchdown Golf
Outing & Fundraiser
Friday, Aug. 3, at Broken
Arrow Golf Club in
Lockport.
2. The top trio
LTHS football alumni
Ryan Frederick, Brendan
Murphy and Nick
Pleva finished with
the best score of the
day at 14-under par.
3. Ready to roll
The event was
the LTHS football
program’s last large
event until the Porters
take the field Aug. 25
against Providence
at Huskie Stadium in
Dekalb.
Former LTHS
standout has
productive first year
at Michigan State
University
Kara Keating, Editorial Intern
For many people, setting
a goal and seeing it through
to completion is a considerable
challenge that can take
years; but that’s not the case
for Josh Lantow.
The former Lockport
Township High School
swimmer achieved most of
the athletic goals he set for
himself this past season as a
freshman on the swimming
and diving team at Michigan
State University.
“It was successful for me
because I met all the goals
that I set for myself, and I
had a lot of fun doing it,”
Lantow said of his first year
as a Spartan. “I really like all
my teammates there.”
The former Porter finished
his first year at Michigan
State this past spring where
he majors in animal science.
His final choice was between
MSU and Purdue, noting
both schools’ affiliation with
the Big Ten Conference and
their large campus atmospheres.
But when it came
down to it, being a Spartan
was a priority for him.
“I really liked the idea of
going to a Big Ten School
because I like how big the
campus is,” Lantow said.
Former Lockport Township High School swimmer Josh Lantow had a stellar freshman
season at Michigan State University and is looking to improve this year. MSU Athletic Communications
“Michigan State was just the
best fit for me because of the
major they offered and I just
liked the coaches and the
coaching staff.”
Before heading to Michigan
State, Lantow was
named varsity team captain
two years in a row at LTHS
and made the Illinois High
School Association All-State
team. During his junior year
of high school, he suffered
a compound fracture in his
arm, but came back from
it with the help of his head
coach, Jason Ozbolt.
Ozbolt knew Lantow
made the perfect decision to
head to East Lansing to continue
his swim career.
“I think it was a really great
decision,” Ozbolt said. “He
has talent and hardwork and
I think that it’s a great school
for him. It actually pushed
him farther and take him farther
in his swimming career.”
During his first season
as a Spartan, Lantow set a
personal and team record at
the Big Ten Championships
in the 200 free event with a
time of 1:39.02. He set another
personal record during
the competition by finishing
the 100 free in 44.99. The
team finished 10th overall in
the tournament.
Heading into his sophomore
season, Lantow set
goals of dropping time during
his individual events and
to make the relay team heading
into the Big Ten Championships.
“Some of my goals going
into next season are to make
finals and help score some
more points for my team individually,”
Lantow said. “I
also hope to break records in
the team events too.”
Ozbolt described his former
swimmer as a natural
born leader. He said Lantow
would push his teammates to
rally around a common goal,
and strive to earn that result.
Throughout the four years
of coaching Lantow, Ozbolt
always knew he would set
goals for himself and was
able to push past his weaknesses
to earn the end result.
“Sometimes he puts a lot
of pressure on himself, and
sometimes when he doesn’t
achieve that goal right away
I think he would get angry,”
Ozbolt said. “But in the end
he always turned that weakness
into a strength and used
that to fuel his own passion
and determination to push
himself to do well.”
Lantow started his swim
career around the age of 9
at the Lockport Swim Club
for two years and then joined
the Academy Bullets Swim
Club when he was 11. He
started getting into swimming
after the 2008 Summer
Olympics watching
four-time Olympic swimmer
Michael Phelps and the USA
Swimming team.
Outside of NCAA competition,
Lantow hopes to
make it to the Olympic Trials
for the upcoming 2020
Olympic Games in Tokyo
before ending his time at
Michigan State.
“Quite honestly, I think he
can go however far he has
the drive and the passion
for,” Ozbolt said. “I think he
has, especially towards his
later years of high school,
his talent and hard work really
started to pay off and if
he wants to continue working
with it and doing it, it
will take him as far as he
wants.”
LISTEN UP
“This is why I love living in Lockport and coaching in
Lockport. Because of the support that Lockport gets.
This is a great opportunity to see the alumni.”
Dan Starkey — LTHS football coach, on this year’s Drive for a
Touchdown Golf Outing & Fundraiser
Tune In
Girls Golf
Returning to action — Monday, Aug. 13, at Oakbrook Golf Course
• The Lockport Township High School girls golf team gets its
season underway with a road match
Index
37 - Girls Golf
35 - Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Max
lapthorne, max@lockportlegend.com.