Girls soccer: Brooke Brown, Cook County All-Area Captain
As much as anyone, Brooke Brown has been a huge part in the success of Barrington soccer during the past two seasons.
Those seasons produced - among so many achievements - back-to-back 3A state runners-up finishes, the prestigious Naperville Invite title, and yet another MSL crown, the 11th straight, and 16th in program history, three of which came with Brown in the Fillies' starting 11.
Brown was quite simply the best player in and around the area. The Fillies star senior is the 2023 Captain of the Daily Herald All-Area Cook County Girls Soccer Team.
"I am quite frankly speechless hearing the news of me being honored," were the first words coming from Brown, who recently was named All-State for the second consecutive year, to go along with being named MSL West POY as well.
"I'm very fortunate to be on a team and in a program that has been a huge part of my life, and so very grateful to my teammates and a coaching staff that has helped me earn this honor. Without them, it would have never come my way," added Brown, who follows former teammate Nicole Gwiazda, who was the 2022 All-Area captain.
"Brooke is a very special player, and person, someone who values her academics just as much as her play on the field, while being a caring, wonderful person, and so coachable, who has put her stamp on our program during her four years here," says a proud coach Ryan Stengren, who earlier in the year claimed his 300th career victory.
"By far, coach Stengren is the best I've ever played for, and what makes him more special, besides being incredibly organized, and tactically so smart, is how he cares more about all of us as persons before a soccer player, and I will forever remember that more than anything else," said Brown.
Brown is an absolute rock in the middle of the park: fast, a technical marvel, whose excellent ball-placement is second to none. She can 'wow' with her two-footed skill on the ball, while her impeccable positioning, awareness, and decision making is in full view, each and every time out.
"She is easily the most technical player we've had here in the last 4-5 years, and it's her incredible soccer IQ that never ceases to amaze me," says Stengren.
During the last two seasons, Brown has netted 33 times, while adding another 35 helpers, and will take those statistics to Cornell University next fall where she will continue to play.
"Cornell offered me the perfect combination of academics and soccer, while being in a great Ivy League setting, plus a beautiful campus as well," said Brown, who will likely begin her studies in business or marketing, while taking advantage of 12 years of her study in mandarin perhaps later.