Upper St. Clair graduate appreciates assists from others
At 18, Ryan Buonomo has already racked up an enormous debt. A debt of gratitude that is.
He credits others for his success on the lacrosse field. His family, his teammates, his coaches all contributed to his record-breaking, award-winning career at Upper St. Clair High School.
Most recently, Buonomo earned All-America honors from USA Lacrosse. He was both an athletic selection as well as an academic pick because of his 5.0 GPA.
“I’m happy to have gotten All-America. It’s a great honor and it’s nice to put a bow on my career but I wouldn’t have been able to do this without all the people who have helped me succeed,” Buonomo said.
First and foremost was Buonomo’s family.
His father, Frank, played hockey at Rutgers. He worked in management in the NHL, including with the Pittsburgh Penguins, before taking a position as senior vice president as well as chief marketing and communications officer at Brentwood Bank.
His mother, Kristen, played soccer growing up in Wisconsin. Currently, she is a professor at Carlow University. She introduced her oldest son, Brady, to lacrosse.
“It seemed a good fit for him and since he was doing it, I thought it must be cool,” Buonomo said.
So he picked up another stick.
Buonomo, like his father and brother, also played ice hockey. Buonomo even mimicked his brother. He learned to shoot left-handed although he writes with his right hand.
“It’s how my brother played,” Buonomo explained. “I wanted to do it the same way he does.”
A winger, Buonomo played nearly a dozen years of club hockey with the Pittsburgh Predators and three seasons of high school hockey for USC. However, he was devoted to lacrosse.
“I loved hockey but I made lacrosse a priority,” Buonomo said. “The games are similar in speed, movements and creativity. Skating is fun but lacrosse is a unique sport. It can be super creative. Finding different ways to score and pass is pleasant.”
Scoring is what Buonomo did best for the Panthers. He racked up 232 goals and 68 assists to finish with 300 career points. He graduated as USC’s all-time point scorer as well as goal scorer.
“It’s a great honor and I’m proud to get those records but it would not have happened without coaches that believed in me as a freshman and upperclassmen that accepted me then and allowed me to acclimate to playing at the high school level,” Buonomo said. “That set me up for success,”
Buonomo noted he cherished the points mark most because it “encapsulates” both aspects of scoring. However, he acknowledged the discrepancy between his goals-to-assists ratio. He attributed that to his teammates’ unselfishness. “They set me up,” he said. “Without them I would not have experienced the success I had.”
While his name is forever etched in the USC record books, Buonomo hopes he is remembered for the intangibles that enabled the Panthers to become a perennial playoff contender. This spring, USC finished fourth in the WPIAL and runner-up in the conference. The Panthers were 12-8 overall with a PIAA state playoff appearance. They finished 5-1 in the section.
“Records are really cool, but for me, leaving a legacy means leaving a place better than you found it and I think we accomplished that,” Buonomo said. “Being a good teammate was more important than the record on the field. It was more about creating a better culture, a cohesiveness among all the players, and building camaraderie. When you are spending time together and doing things as a team that strengthens a program.”
This fall, Buonomo has targeted Merrimack College in North Andover, Mass., as the place to leave his next mark. He will play lacrosse for the Warriors, who were NCAA Division II national champions in 2018 and 2019, before making the jump to Division I.
“My goal was to play at the highest level and I thought Merrimack was the right fit, academically and athletically. Great environment. It felt like home,” Buonomo said. “It checked all the boxes.”
Buonomo will major in neuroscience. While he is not sure where that will lead, he is leaning toward a career in medicine in part because of one of his best friends and former teammate, Sam Levine. Last spring, Levine was diagnosed with DIPG, a highly aggressive and incurable brain tumor.
“USC has so many resources and I took an anatomy class that really intrigued me but Sam’s story has really inspired me,” Buonomo said. “For him and for others who are going through the same thing, I’d like to help somehow. Maybe find a cure or help prevent it in the future.”
Buonomo’s own future is bright. Because he expects to see playing time as a freshman, he trained in a men’s league at Duquesne University as well as playing an Olympic format-style game in a Monroeville league this summer. He’s also practiced his shooting in the net set up in his front yard.
“I’ve been working on my off hand and building strength and speed,” he said in an effort to make the jump to the next level. “I hope to see playing time. I know I’ll have the opportunity because the coach doesn’t hesitate to play freshmen,” he added.
And while he was a big contributor from his freshman through senior years at USC, Buonomo did not win a championship in high school. Buonomo has no regrets regarding that factor. He said that his high school career “has been all good” as it has included a plethora of personal accolades: three-time all-section’ two-time all-WPIAL, the all-American laurels and a selection to represent USA in international competition during the Brogden Cup in Maryland.
“I’ve had an awesome experience and while I would have wanted a championship, I’m not sure I would have wanted it any other way,” he said. “I could not have asked for more because I have had the greatest coaches and teammates. Playing lacrosse, I have encountered the nicest people”
Buonomo added that he’s learned plenty at USC that will carry him to the next level and beyond in life.
“It’s been a gift to wake up every day and to have gone to a nice school and played in a beautiful stadium,” he said. “Being grateful for what you have and living in and appreciating the current moment is such an important lesson to have learned.”
Ryan Buonomo
Info box
Who is he: 2025 Upper St. Clair High School graduate named All-America, both athletically and academically, in lacrosse.
Age: 18
Birthdate: Dec. 19
Parents: Kristen and Frank
Sibling: Brady
Academics: Valedictorian. Maintained 5.0 GPA
Athletics: Set multiple school records in lacrosse while achieving all-section, all-district and all-America honors.
Activities: Kids Helping Kids, Natural Helpers, Pickleball Club
College choice: Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Major: Neuroscience
Food: Sushi
Book: Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Color: Blue
Music: Coldplay. “They put on an amazing show.”
Athlete: Winnipeg Jets center Jonathan Toews
People might be surprised to know this about you? I can play the drums. He took lessons for six years and owns a set of drums. He also worked with Shubda Das, who is the principal assistant director of the Mt. Lebanon Percussion. “It’s something I do on the side. It’s a fun hobby.”
Life lesson sports has taught you: How to work with others and be a great team member.