Next-level path is looking great for Hersey's Gritt

In her 19 seasons in charge of Hersey's girls basketball program, coach Mary Fendley has developed numerous standout players who have helped her win 378 games.

Of that group, four have gone on to play at the Division I level.

And recent fans of the Huskies are very familiar with one.

Heading into her senior season, Claire Gritt, already knows she will be playing the game at it highest level in college next season.

This summer, Gritt made her commitment to Denver University.

She joins Nicolette McCartny (San Diego State), Julie Mantilla (Yale) and Megan Rogowski (DePaul) as the other D-I players Fendley has coached.

And only six other Huskies other than Gritt have started four years for Fendley.

"Coaches (Mary) Fendley and (Julia) Barthel (assistant) have consistently pushed me to be the very best that I can be both on and off the court," said Gritt, a three-time all-area selection who returns with four other starters this season.

Last season, when Fendley missed the final month due to cancer surgery, Barthel stepped in to take over the team.

Gritt stepped up to fight the cure for cancer in honor of her longtime coach and her grandfather Keith Gritt who passed away from cancer last spring.

"Claire has great empathy for others," Fendley said. "She is a constant example of hard work, positive emotion, and healthy competitiveness."

Like so many, Gritt is deeply affected by loved ones fighting against cancer.

"Unlike most of us, she did something about it," Fendley said. "She created a website, designed and sold T-shirts to support those fighting cancer. Thanks to her hard work and compassion, she was able to donate over $1000 to the American Cancer Society. Not many 17-year-olds I know would take the initiative to do something so positive and important to help others."

On the court, Gritt has helped Hersey to 74 wins in three seasons, including a Class 4A regional championship last year.

It all started at a young age for Gritt, who began attending

the Hersey summer camps in the fourth grade.

"Claire set herself apart at a really young age," Fendley said. "By the time she started coming to camp, she and (teammate Kelly Weyhrich) already showed great ball-handling and knowledge of the game."

She loved the game from the start.

"Ever since I was really young I was always in gyms watching my older siblings, shooting and dribbling around," she said. "I started playing on teams in first grade and fell in love with the game."

Gritt has dreamed about playing at the D-I level for a long time.

"I always heard if you have a dream or a goal, you should write it down, so that's what I always wrote down," she said. "I think what really helped me accomplish this goal is the mindset that you can always get better and work on things. I'm personally always trying to improve my game in all aspects."

Fendley says Gritt's passion for the sport sets her apart.

"She plays so much, because she loves it," said Fendley, a former three-sport standout at Rolling Meadows High School in the 1980s. "In turn, she continues to improve her skills and her intuitiveness on the court.

"She shoots during water breaks, and she watches tons of game tapes. I think she is equally happy to see her teammates succeed as she is for her own successes."

Gritt went over more than 1,000 points last year while leading the Huskies with 15.1 points per game. She also averaged 5.9 rebounds with 73 assists and 69 steals.

Fendley knew she had a special player entering the program four years ago.

"Her skills were obvious as a young player at camp," the coach said. She and her feeder teammates only lost one game in three years, including going 44-0 as sixth graders."

Her success has hardly wavered at Hersey and she hopes it continues at Denver.

"I chose Denver because everything just felt right about it," said Gritt, who plans to get a bachelor's and master's degree in education. "I loved the team, coaches, school, campus and the location. Compared to some of the other schools I was being recruited by, Denver was the perfect campus size for me."

Basketball has been the perfect fit for Gritt, who also has played soccer at Hersey.

"I'm just so thankful that I have had the coaches I have all these years," Gritt said. "Coach (Steve) Silva in fourth grade really instilled the love of the game and developed my skills early. Coach Kahleaf (Russell) physically and technically pushed me to bring my game to the next level. I am so excited that I am going to Denver to play under some great coaches with some awesome new teammates."