Over the years, Lake Forest High School has produced many college athletes, some going on to play their sport at a professional level. While Lake Forest has had athletes play in all divisions of the NCAA, some LFHS athletes have soared to remarkable heights. During this occasional column, I will write about Lake Forest athletes of the past; starting with Matt Grevers, Reilly Lanigan, and Tommy Rees.

Matt Grevers

Before graduating from Lake Forest High School in 2003, Matt Grevers set three school records and contributed to Lake Forest’s first men’s team state championship. After high school, Grevers went on to attend Northwestern University. As a freshman, Grevers was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, in addition to winning four Big Ten Championships. Before graduating, Grevers became the first Wildcat to become an NCAA champion since 1958, beating Florida’s Ryan Lochte ― his future Olympic teammate ― in the 100-meter backstroke.

Beginning in 2004, Matt Grevers competed in the Olympic trials and the World University Games in 2005. After qualifying for the 100-meter backstroke, Grevers joined Michael Phelps and became a part of the United States Olympic team. Ever since joining the Olympic team, Grevers has compiled a multitude of medals.

Reilly Lanigan

Ever since she was a junior at Lake Forest High School, Reilly Lanigan has had her eyes set on competing in the Olympic trials. In and out of the pool, Reilly was determined academically and athletically. Lanigan made a mark on the high school swim team by being a three-time state finalist in the 200 IM and 100 butterfly, and a two-time finalist in the 200 and 400 relay events. After graduating from Lake Forest, Lanigan decided to take her talents to South Bend, Indiana, where she joined Norte Dame’s swimming team. During her years at LFHS, Lanigan also played lacrosse.

Lanigan began her swimming career at Notre Dame by finishing first in the 400 and 500 freestyle against Michigan State and Iowa. Lanigan also competed in the 2017 ACC championships as a freshman. Along with many other accomplishments and accolades. With her swimming career coming to an end at Notre Dame, Lanigan will always be remembered as a great swimmer for the university.

Tommy Rees

Before becoming Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and starting all 12 games for the Fighting Irish during his senior season, Tommy Rees had a lot of success during his football career at Lake Forest High School. Many would agree to say that Tommy Rees may very well be the best football player to come out of Lake Forest. After graduating, Rees enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, where he had a spectacular career going 23-8 as a starter. 

After graduating from Notre Dame in 2017, Rees took after his father and searched for a career in coaching. After short stints with the Northwestern Wildcats and the Los Angeles Chargers, Rees became Notre Dame’s quarterback coach in 2017. After just one season as the quarterback coach, Tommy Rees was named the offensive coordinator for the Fighting Irish. Led by Rees’ offense, Notre Dame made the College Football Playoff and only lost one game during the 2020 regular season.