Kampschroeder completes stellar 4-year run at Naperville North
When Greta Kampschroeder leaves her lifelong Naperville home in a couple months to start playing college basketball at Oregon State, there's plenty the McDonald's All-American and one of Naperville North's all-time best will miss.
It starts with her parents Brad and Amy Kampschroeder, both who helped grow her love of basketball. Brad was a walk-on basketball player at Kansas and Amy played at Valparaiso.
There's Kampschroeder's sister Tori, the "polar opposite of me," Greta said, who loves music, singing, and playing electric guitar in her band.
And all her teammates and friends who helped Naperville North climb to new heights the past four years, their DuPage Valley Conference title this year fresh in Greta's mind.
But near the top of that list are Kampschroeder's two dogs, Captain, a Boston terrier, and Daisey, a mutt.
"They are like my best friends," Kampschroeder said. "Everyone knows I'm obsessed with my dogs.
"To me they are little fuzzy human beings. They don't judge you. They love you no matter what. They are super goofy. I think my dogs have the best personalities. My dogs can read my emotions. If I'm not feeling great or if I'm really sad they will come over and give me some love and cuddle with me. I think they are super smart and super lovable."
Kampschroeder, the captain of the 2021 Daily Herald DuPage County All-Area Girls Basketball Team, will head to Oregon State as one of the best players the area has seen. The versatile 6-foot-1 guard, who was ranked the top senior in the state and No. 12 nationally by ESPN, averaged 17.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists a game, shooting 89.7% at the free-throw line.
She was remarkably consistent in her four seasons, starting at 16.7 ppg as a freshman. If it wasn't for the shortened season this year, Kampschroeder would have scored over 2,000 points and become the school's all-time leader; she does leave with the most rebounds to go with her 1,745 points.
Basketball all started at a young age. Kampschroeder said her first basketball memories come with her grandfather, Bill Cole, who played college basketball at Indiana Tech.
"We would be in my driveway and he would tell me to dribble as fast as I can for one minute and he would count to see how many dribbles I had," Kampschroeder said. "And then I would do it over and over to beat my score."
Kampschroeder also played soccer growing up, initially telling her parents she hated basketball and liked soccer better.
"I was a very stubborn child for sure," she said.
By seventh grade there was such a conflict with weekend tournaments for both sports, Kampschroeder decided to stick with basketball.
By eighth grade she had her first college offer at Minnesota.
Then came high school basketball, a four-year run that went by faster than she could imagine.
"I remember my first high school game like it was yesterday," Kampschroeder said. "My experience with the Naperville North girls basketball program has been amazing. Every year we have gotten better and better. Unfortunately this year there wasn't a state tournament. I think we could have gone all the way down to state. I'm really happy with the team we had this year. I love the coaches and all the girls. I just love that Naperville North has a name now and they are going to keep that name going for years to come."
Kampschroeder picked Oregon State over Stanford and countless other big-time schools. She expects to play shooting guard with the Beavers, and she is working on her speed, strength and fitness along with skill work before she leaves in June.
"With how strong and athletic some of the girls are in college, everything in college has to be a little sharper, a little faster," Kampschroeder said. "Tightening up my ballhandling, my shooting, and defense is super important."
Erin Colletti coached Kampschroeder's final two years at North - a 25-6 season last year and 12-1 this season.
She certainly will have a close eye on how Kampschroeder's college career goes.
"I have admired Greta as a player and person since a young age coming to our camps in junior high," Colletti said. "She was the type of player that stood out immediately not only because of her skill, but also because of her ability to make others feel confident and comfortable on the floor with her.
"I have never coached a player with such passion for the game of basketball and such a strong will to better herself everyday. Greta will be dearly missed but she has paved the way for future success at Naperville North, and I look forward to watching her career continue to flourish at the college level and most likely professional."
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Getting to know Greta Kampschroeder
Favorite class: Adaptive P.E. I get to work with special needs students. It's really fun.
Favorite movie: The Truman Show.
Favorite type of music: Alternative rock.
Pregame meal: Oatmeal.
What I like most about basketball: I love the feeling of having more pressure on me, having the ball in my hands.
Favorite basketball moment: In 2018, I played for All-Iowa Attack. We won U-17 Nike nationals on a buzzer-beater 3-pointer and Kevin Durant was at our game.
Ten years from now, I'll be: Traveling the world. I just want to explore the world.
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All-Area first team
Lauren Cohen, Sr, PG, Glenbard South
Lauren Huber, Sr., F, Glenbard East
Claire Hyde, Jr., G, Wheaton North
Greta Kampschroeder, Sr., G/F, Naperville North
Kendall Moriarty, Sr., G, Benet
All-Area second teamm
Morgan Demos, Jr., C, Benet
Gabi Melby, Sr., G, Naperville Central
Sydney Molis, Sr., F, York
Hannah Schuringa, Sr., F, Timothy Christian
Sophie Sullivan, Jr., PG, Willowbrook
Honorable mention
Cassidy Allen, Sr., G, Lisle
Sara Balli, Jr,. G, Lake Park
Lenee Beaumont, So., G, Benet
Shannon Blacher, So., G, Montini
Mariann Blass, Sr., G, York
Kate Chaparro, Sr., G, St. Francis
Stephinie Dasbach, Sr,. F, Willowbrook
Abby Drendel, So., G, Naperville North
Claudia Gallegos, Sr., C, Neuqua Valley
Lily Huntzinger, Jr., Wheaton Warrenville South
Alia Johnson, Sr., F, IC Catholic Prep
Megan Juneman, Sr., F, York
Alison Kickel, Sr., F, Naperville North
Karly Maida, Sr., G, Naperville Central
Eleanor Monyek, Jr., F, Hinsdale Central
Shailee Patel, Sr., G, West Chicago
Julia Simon, Sr., G, Wheaton North
Meghan Stapleton, Sr., G Downers Grove South
Emma Thorne, Sr., G, Lake Park
Taris Thorton, Sr., F, Willowbrook