Northwest athlete of the year: Dual abilities served Fremd standout Adrian

There's only one item of information necessary to reveal the athleticism of Missy Adrian.

She had the option of playing Division I soccer or basketball in college.

And all you have to know as to whether her life priorities are in place is that she chose basketball for academic reasons.

The Fremd senior earned pre admittance into Bradley University's seven-year Doctorate Physical Therapy Program. There is no women's soccer team at Bradley, so basketball became her sole option.

"I wanted to see how sports would work out with my academics,"Adrian said. "I'm looking forward to the challenge."

Anyone who followed the career of the 2017 Daily Herald Cook County 'Female Athlete of the Year' knows she will surely be up to the task.

This winter, she returned from a stress fracture and helped lead the Vikings girls basketball team to its third straight trip to the Final Four.

This spring, Adrian capped off her brilliant athletic career by playing a key role in helping the girls soccer team to a 15-5-1 record.

"Missy's smarts on the field helped guide our attack," said Fremd girls soccer coach Steve Keller. "She played the playmaking role this season with intelligence and tactical brilliance."

Adrian didn't lose a step when she was asked to drop into a defensive role at midfield.

"Her ability to read the game enabled us to post a .61 goals against average with 11 shutouts," Keller said. "Missy was a joy to coach and acted like another coach on the field. She embodies heart, desire and competitiveness."

All the same qualities which coach Dave Yates saw from her on the basketball floor.

"She is an amazing athlete who developed into one of the top defenders I have coached in my time at Fremd," he said. "We lost a lot heading into this season. Missy's defense eliminated most team's top scorers, which gave us an opportunity to win just about every game we played in."

Adrian will be hoping to do the same in Peoria when she is playing for Braves coach Andrea Gorski.

In her three varsity seasons, Fremd posted an 87-16 (. 845) record. As a senior she averaged 7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and nearly two steals per outing while shooting 59 percent from the field.

"Missy is a great addition to our basketball family and is a perfect complement to our other newcomers," Gorski said. "She has a winning background and her work ethic combined with her commitment to excellence will have a positive impact on our program. We are excited to watch her grow both on and off the court during her time at Bradley."

She says many people have helped her grow throughout the years.

"I have to say thank you to all of my great coaches, teammates and teachers," Adrian said. "I live in a great community. I have had so many fantastic people that have helped me along the way. I want to thank my head basketball feeder coaches (Mike Fullerton and Mike Sherkey) and coach Yates and all the coaches at Fremd who prepared me for college basketball.

"Also coach Keller, all my Celtic Soccer coaches, basketball, soccer teammates, teachers and my parents who also gave me opportunities to play sports. I could never have done this without all of the support of others."

Obviously, with the field she has chosen, Adrian wants to help support others one day.

She has already gotten a jump in that area serving as a volunteer at Barb's Precious Rescue and Adoption Center in Palatine and at the Willow Creek Church Care Center. She loves working with children and also helped out for Yates' basketball training camp and the Celtic Soccer youth training programs.

"Missy is a great kid who is a kid magnet," Yates said. "I really enjoy watching her coach and interact with younger kids. She is a natural."

Adrian is motivated by making sure she is working her hardest.

"Hopefully younger kids will do that, too," she said. "I think it's important to stick with things even when things are tough or not going your way."

Among the many highlights for Adrian are the IHSA All Academic Team nomination (only female from Fremd) and earning Fremd's Jaymes R. Huddleston 211 Fremd Memorial Scholarship.

"That boy Jaymes Huddleston was a superior athlete and scholar," Adrian said. "It was a honor to get that award in Jaymes' remembrance. Also playing three state finals (two seconds and one fourth) and our regional soccer championship were highlights."

Adrian was Fremd's co-Female Athlete of the Year along with basketball standout and Harvard recruit Grace Tworek.

"Many athletes are asked to step up their senior year," Yates said. "Missy did not disappoint and she rose to the occasion both on the floor and also in a leadership position on our team. It is refreshing to see an athlete excel in more than one sport in this era.

"If you would have asked Missy a few springs ago what sport she would play in college, I am sure she would have said soccer. By playing two sports, Missy kept her options open and I think benefitted from this."

In the future, Adrian hopes many patients will benefit from her work.