Sloan a star on field, in classroom for Geneva

Geneva senior Shawn Sloan ranks fifth in his class and had 15 goals last season.
(Donnell Collins/For the Beacon News)

Font Size

Email

Bookmark

Black Text

White Text

While working at a youth camp in early July, Geneva soccer coach Ryan Estabrook gave senior Shawn Sloan a copy of Neal Bascomb's "The Perfect Mile."

In this 2004 best-selling book, Bascomb chronicles the journey of Wes Santee, John Landy and Roger Bannister as they trained in the 1950s to become the first to run a sub-four-minute mile.

Bannister won this three-way battle, achieving the milestone on March 6, 1954, as he crossed the tape in 3:59.4. But his claim to fame was not limited to his athletic exploits -- Bannister became a preeminent neurologist and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975.

What a perfect role model for such an extraordinary student-athlete.

"Bannister was a great athlete but was also really engulfed in studies," Estabrook said. "(Shawn) really took that to heart. He'll probably be the first Geneva athlete to get both all-state and academic all-state. He's quite a kid."

Along with being one of the top soccer players in Illinois, the 17-year-old is eyeing a pre-med or chemical engineering degree at Georgetown, Davidson or High Point. Sloan ranks fifth in his class of 494, owns a 4.46/4.0 GPA and boasts SAT (1380) and ACT (31) scores that would make any college admissions officer salivate.

But before he decides which East Coast school he'll soon call his academic and athletic home, Sloan has work to do for a Geneva squad that came within 80 minutes last season of making its first state appearance since 2004.

"The guys are looking up to me since I've been on the team so long," said Sloan, a four-year varsity performer. "It's a little more pressure, but I have confidence and I think they have confidence in me."

And why wouldn't they? With Geneva matched up against No. 1 seed Wheaton Warrenville South in last season's Wheaton Academy Sectional semifinal, Sloan scored the game-winner in the second half as the Vikings won 2-1.

Two days later, Sloan notched another game-clinching goal as fifth-seeded Geneva (19-6-2 in '07) took the Class AA sectional crown with a 4-1 victory against Wheaton Academy - the Vikings' 16th consecutive win.

"I give credit to my team for giving me the ball in the right position," said the center midfielder/forward, who recorded 15 goals and 10 assists in 2007. "Those goals were scored pretty much the same way ... it was more hustle than skill."

With that kind of modesty and team-first attitude coming from one its most skilled players, Geneva believes it has a chance to erase the memories of last season's 1-0 super-sectional defeat to eventual state runner-up Neuqua Valley.

"We're absolutely one of the teams in the mix," Estabrook said. "But unfortunately, there are a lot of other teams in there too.'

But with No. 11 setting the pace toward the finish line at North Central College, Sloan could help the Vikings author a storybook ending for this latest chapter of Geneva soccer.

Boys Soccer Season Preview