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Lake Erie College 2023 Hall of Fame class headlined by Riverside's Anthony Bilal

mark podolski, the news-herald, willoughby, ohio
·2 min read

May 19—Lake Erie College will induct its first-ever football player to the school's athletic hall of fame, and the first recipient is a no-brainer.

Riverside graduate Anthony Bilal — an All-America record-setting running back during his time with the Storm — was recently announced as that player and is a headliner for the LEC 2023 athletic hall of fame class.

The class includes seven players and one team. Joining Bilal is track and field national champion Jamil Dudley, NCAA runner-up wrestler Zak Vargo, baseball standouts Luke Raley and Ryan Rua, track and field standouts Nadia Lee and Destiny (Prusky) Johnson and the 2015 men's lacrosse team that was ranked No. 1 in the country during that season.

The class will be inducted during a ceremony Sept. 30 as part of LEC's alumni weekend.

We are excited to officially announce our 2023 Hall of Fame class!

Official announcement: https://t.co/CPcVr9E4SL pic.twitter.com/IsBnXCe8Mt

— Lake Erie Storm Athletics (@LakeErieStorm) May 17, 2023

Bilal (class of 2016) was a two-time All-America selection for the Storm. In 2014, he was third in voting for the Harlon Hill Trophy for the top player in Division II. He rushed for 2,091 yards that season, and finished his career with 5,839 yards, 79 touchdown and a per-game average of 146 yards.

The 2015 men's lacrosse team won a school-record 15 games, won its conference, and was the first team in school history to advance to the final four.

Rua (who played at LEC from 2009 to 2011) hit .374 and hit 27 home runs and drove in 131 runs. He drafted by the Rangers in Round 17, and eventually made it to the big leagues with Texas. Riley (2014 to 2016 with LEC) is the highest LEC player to be drafted when the Dodgers selected him in the seventh round. He played for L.A. in 2021 and is currently with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Vargo (class of 2015) ranks first in LEC wrestling history with 105 victories. He was the NCAA D-II national runner-u at 157 pounds in 2013.

Dudley (class of 2014) was a jumper for LEC and as sophomore became the school's first-ever national champion, winning the NCAA Division II high jump. He was a two-time national champ and eight-time national qualifier.

Johnson (class of 2015) was LEC's first female national qualifier in school history. Lee (class of 2017) holds the school mark in the indoor and outdoor triple jump, and was a three-time national qualifier.