Wheaton Academy gives rookie coach a title

Wheaton Academy's Leah Fortune (10) and teammate Jenn Lee celebrate the team's third goal against Lemont in the Class 2A championship.
(Michael R. Schmidt/For the Herald News)

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After being named girls soccer coach at Wheaton Academy this past winter, Scott Marksberry got on the phone and called Val Tom to see if she was interested in coaching with him.

“When I called her before the season, I started the conversation with, ‘Would you be interested in winning a state title this year?’” Marksberry said. “She was like yes, tell me a little bit about it. I told her and she goes, ‘Sounds good.’”

Marksberry’s promise came true Saturday in Naperville, as the Warriors captured their second state title with a 3-0 victory over Lemont in the Class 2A final at North Central College.

Jenn Lee scored a goal in both halves, and Texas-bound star Leah Fortune also tallied to make Marksberry the first soccer coach in IHSA history to win a title in his first season.

“It’s great,” Marksberry said. “From the start of the season, we’ve been saying that we’re writing a story of the season. I inherited a pretty good crew (from former coaches Dave Underwood and Chip Huber), and this was a great way for the girls to finish their story.”

Lee got Wheaton Academy (22-3-2) on the board midway through the first half when she hammered home a rebound off a corner kick. Despite trailing just 1-0 at the half, Lemont (21-6) managed to record just two shots on goal against Warriors goalie Emily Mulder.

Fortune extended her team’s lead to 2-0 10 minutes into the second half. The senior forward’s determination in the box resulted in the ball slipping past Lemont goalie Erin Stahurski and into the right corner of the net.

Lee landed the knockout punch six minutes later when she headed home Crystal Thomas’ corner kick to give the Warriors a commanding three goal lead.

“This was a story of 22 girls coming together and believing in one another,” Lee said. “Everything we accomplished is because of what Christ gave us. And it’s great this story ended in victory.”

Brianna Henke scored in Sycamore’s 2-1 loss to Chatham Glenwood in the third-place game.