Lyons Township High School senior Tucker King had an outstanding sports role model in older brother Cooper, a 2023 graduate.
“Growing up and watching him do everything, we’ve also been through everything together,” Tucker King said. “We kind of dedicated the hard work to each other. Just watching him really motivated me to do great things.”
Tucker followed in his brother’s footsteps – and also forged his own path in baseball and football. At the school’s senior awards assembly, King received the Charles “Chuck” Bennett Award and Nora Ezike the Hubbard-McKee Award as the top male and female athletes among this year’s senior class.
Cooper King was the Bennett Award recipient in 2023. He’s now playing football at Illinois Wesleyan University.
“When I first saw [the honor] I was super-happy because my brother also got it,” Tucker King said. “[Cooper] was kind of happy and at the same time he was like, ‘That was [my] award.’ That was pretty funny.”
Ezike already is working out with her Stanford University women’s basketball team until mid-July after establishing herself among the greats in LTHS girls basketball history.
“I was very honored and thankful to be nominated and win that award. It was really nice to feel appreciated and that I’d done well,” Ezike said. “I didn’t really know that [honor] was a thing before because the scholarship nights were only for seniors. I knew I won something because I didn’t really apply for scholarships.”
Tucker King will play baseball at the University of Cincinnati. He was named the West Suburban Conference Silver Division Pitcher of the Year this past season in addition to his second straight all-conference honors.
King joined varsity baseball as a sophomore. He also played four years of football, two on varsity, and was part of the Lions’ 11-1 conference championship team this past fall. Cooper King also excelled at football as well as wrestling at LTHS. Tucker wrestled as a freshman.
“Right when he got [the Bennett Award], that just gave me extra motivation to work my butt off and do what I can on every single sports team I’m on and try to stand out as much as possible,” Tucker King said. “Thankfully, all of the hard work I put in kind of paid off a little bit, but it’s only the beginning.”
The 6-foot-2 Ezike was named Class 4A all-state by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association after being on the third team as a junior. She became a varsity basketball regular midway through her freshman year. This past season, Ezike scored a single-game school-record 40 points against Prospect, averaged 21.0 points and 6.9 rebounds and surpassed 1,000 career points. The Lions won regionals and finished a program-best 31-3.
Ezike also was a three-year girls soccer goalie, helping the Lions toward their current streak of 12 straight regional championships. This spring, she served as a soccer manager while making her debut in track and field. She ran in the 200-meter dash and with the 4 x 200 relay at the conference meet.
While Ezike made excelling at multiple sports look easy, she also maintained high standards as a student.
“I feel like I learned so much over the years. Being in athletics, the most important thing you learn is work ethic. Also time management with all of the practices and extra stuff while you’re keeping up with everything,” she said. “You really create a system or certain routine you follow and that helps you learn leadership and being part of a community and team. You have new players and multiple players you stay with through the years. It took some time to get used to [balancing] but one you find that system and support, it gets easier and you can stick to that once you find out what works for you.”
King is headed to Cincinnati this weekend to train with the Bearcats’ other four pitching recruits for a month before returning home for a week
One of King’s greatest sports memories was his six-strikeout performance against perennial power Providence his junior year.
“Especially because it was at the end of the season right before the playoffs. Unfortunately, we beat them and then they ended up winning the [Class 4A] state championship,” King said.
“I’ve been so lucky [at LTHS] to create such bonds with a ton of people, teammates and even coaches. I’ve also faced a lot of adversity, coming up short in playoff games. Those moments really stick with me and I’m going to carry those over with me to Cincinnati and it’s going to make me work hard.”
The LTHS Coaches’ Medal Award for leadership and citizenship in student affairs went to Cooper Komsthoeft and Ella Jean Kelly.
The Donald Francis Lange Memorial Awards for character, leadership, scholarship and athletic ability were given to Sami Rabah and Audrey Cavaliere.
The Stenger Medal Awards for best in all-around participation, good citizenship and sportsmanship went to Devin Wong and Ashley Culin.
The U.S. Army Reserve Scholar-Athlete Award recipients for four-year team members in high academic standing went to Ben Wuggazer and Dahlia Highland.
The Richard Strauch Student Assistant of the Year recognizing loyalty, promptness and dependability went to Kate Badrov.
The Student Athletic Trainer of the Year for effort, dedication and service went to Natalie Makovetskiy.