Gorecki nets player of the year honor from Gatorade
The stars continue to come out in the Mid-Suburban League.
For the second time in three years, a player from the MSL has been named the Gatorade Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year.
Haley Gorecki, who led Fremd to second placed in the Class 4A state tournament, has earned the 2014-15 award.
Two years ago, Rolling Meadows' Jackie Kemph was crowned the title after leading the Mustangs to second place in the Class 4A tourney.
Gorecki is the first to be chosen from Fremd High School. With 2,166 points she is the Vikings' second all-time leading scorer behind 2001 graduate Maggie Fontana (2,528 points).
The Gatorade award recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court.
Gorecki is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award announced in March.
She joins an elite alumni association of past state girls basketball award-winners, including Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central), Diana Taurasi (1998-99 and 1999-00, Don Antonio Lugo, Calif.), Maya Moore (2005-06 Collins Hill, Ga.), Rashanda McCants (2004-05, Asheville HS, N.C.), Shyra Ely (1999-00, Ben Davis, Ind.) and Lisa Leslie (1988-89, Morningside, Calif.).
Gorecki, who will play for Duke is a 6-foot senior point guard who averaged 23.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 3.2 assists this past season.
She led Fremd to its winningest season in school history (29-5), shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 78.3 percent from the free throw line this winter.
Gorecki has maintained a 3.03 GPA in the classroom.
A member of the National Honor Society, she has volunteered locally on behalf of her church, as part of toy drives to benefit needy children and as a neighborhood animal caretaker. She has also donated her time to Feed My Starving Children.
"Haley is the perfect choice for Gatorade Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year," said Mark Johnson, who faced Gorecki four times in his two seasons as Palatine's coach. "She goes about her business like a professional. She is hardworking and a fantastic passer and ballhandler in addition to her 22 points per game. She is the best player that I have had to prepare a team to compete against in 20-plus years of coaching. There are no weaknesses in her game, and she has raised the level of her teammates' games with her unselfish play."
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade high school sports leadership team in partnership with USA TODAY High School Sports, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.
Gorecki joins recent Gatorade Illinois Girls Basketball Players of the Year Tyra Buss (2013-14, Mt. Carmel), Kemph (2012-13), Morgan Tuck (2011-12, Bolingbrook), Ariel Massengale (2010-11, Bolingbrook), Tricia Liston (2009-10 and 2008-09, Fenwick), Sarah Boothe (2007-08, Warren), and Brittany Johnson (2006-07, East Richland) among the state's list of award winners.