Lincoln-Way East's Ellie Feigl is the 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year: ‘Most special for me.'
Ellie Feigl entered her final season for Lincoln-Way East this spring with something to prove.
The senior forward was a four-year varsity regular for the Griffins who made an immediate impact as a freshman. Then as a sophomore in 2023, she tied for the team-lead in goals with 17 as Lincoln-Way East finished fourth in Class 3A.
Last spring, however, her production dipped. She ended up with 11 goals and the Griffins were shut down 1-0 by district rival Lincoln-Way Central in the sectional semifinals.
That left a bitter taste in Feigl's mouth.
'Last season, I had set some goals for myself that I didn't quite meet,' she said. 'Coming into this season, it was my last hurrah for high school soccer. I wanted to give it all I had and leave everything out there.
'There was, for sure, motivation for me to come back that much stronger, faster than I did last year. I think I did that, and I'm happy to end my high school career on a high note.'
Feigl, a Missouri State recruit, hit all of those high notes. The 2025 Daily Southtown Girls Soccer Player of the Year scored 22 goals and dished out nine assists while leading the Griffins (18-4-1) to their second sectional championship in the last three years.
It took eventual Class 3A state champion O'Fallon to knock out Lincoln-Way East with a 3-0 decision in the Bloomington Supersectional.
'It didn't end exactly the way we wanted it to,' Feigl said. 'We would have loved to go to state. But we had a really special ride and a really special group of girls.
'I think what made it the most special for me was just being a leader, being a team captain. That's something I've wanted to do since I was a freshman, and I'm thankful that my coaches and my teammates believed in me.'
Lincoln-Way East coach Mike Murphy said there was 'no doubt' about Feigl being a captain.
'She always has a positive attitude and she's always friendly,' Murphy said. 'The nice thing was we had a lot of young players and she took them under her wing and tried to help them develop and also taught them about what's expected in our program. She did a great job with that.'
Freshman midfielder Adelyn Thomas, who tied for the team lead with 22 goals, said Feigl provided invaluable help.
'Playing with Ellie has been amazing,' Thomas said. 'She's a great player. She's taught me about Lincoln-Way East soccer. Everyone on our team looks up to her.'
One of those young players Feigl tried to mentor was her sister, Ava, a sophomore defender who was a starter for the Griffins. Their youngest sister, Mia, also plays soccer.
'Soccer has brought my family closer together,' Feigl said. 'It's awesome. It's really cool for me to be the oldest and just watch them grow. I've seen them both accomplish so many things already and I can't wait to see what the future holds for them.
'Being a good role model to them is something that has meant a lot to me.'
In the process, Feigl was named the SouthWest Suburban Conference's player of the year and earned all-Midwest and all-state honors.
She's now off to play Division I soccer, something she first set as a goal when she was in 'fifth or sixth grade.'
'It became more real in eighth grade and freshman year when that recruiting process kind of started,' Feigl said. 'It's been a dream of mine for so long and I'm so excited to step into this new chapter of life.'
Feigl is leaving quite a legacy at Lincoln-Way East. Her 57 career goals rank second in program history. And especially this season, they were well-earned.
'Not only was she scoring goals, she was scoring against elite teams,' Murphy said. 'In past seasons, she might have had a couple hat tricks against weaker teams that inflated her numbers.
'This year, she scored the first goal against Lincoln-Way Central to lead us to the sectional championship. She scored against Naperville North, scored against Naperville Central, scored against Oswego, and you can keep going.'
Feigl, though, hopes to be remembered at Lincoln-Way East for more than just the big goals.
'I hope they'll say I was a great person, a great friend, a great encourager and someone that motivated our team,' she said. 'I'm so thankful I was able to make the impact that I have, especially this year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Chicago Tribune
20-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
‘Super cool': Lincoln-Way West's Conor Essenburg is the 2025 Daily Southtown Baseball Player of the Year
Lincoln-Way West's Conor Essenburg took a Monday night flight to Phoenix, where he participated in the MLB draft combine from Tuesday to Wednesday. But before he headed to the airport, however, Essenburg spent the day helping at the Warriors' youth camp. Not to mention signing plenty of autographs and posing for even more photographs. Essenburg, a senior outfielder/pitcher, has embraced his local celebrity status. 'It was awesome,' Essenburg said. 'I had tons of little kids coming up to me. Just being able to do that kind of stuff is super cool to give back to the community. I used to be that kid that used to follow players around and try to get their pictures and autographs. 'It makes my day every single time.' There's a good reason why Essenburg's attention is highly sought by youngsters. The Kentucky recruit just completed a prolific career as a two-way star for the Lincoln-Way West. Essenburg capped it with his best season yet. The 2025 Daily Southtown Baseball Player of the Year batted .464 with 42 runs, 19 stolen bases 11 doubles, 10 homers and 49 RBIs. On the mound, he finished 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA and a whopping 94 strikeouts in 44 2/3innings. Essenburg also was named the SouthWest Suburban Conference's player of the year and earned all-state honors. But his recognition didn't stop there. The American Baseball Coaches Association and Rawlings named him an All-American. He's one of four players from Illinois and the only one from the Southland to gain that honor. None of that comes as a surprise to Essenburg's teammates like junior outfielder Carson Paulas. 'It's so much fun watching Conor play,' Paulas said. 'He's such a great hitter and pitcher and just does everything well. He works really hard.' As impressive as Essenburg's numbers were, Lincoln-Way West coach Jake Zajc has been equally proud of his growth off the field. Essenburg has developed a bit of a reputation for being short-tempered. In the past, he wasn't necessarily the best leader. But this season was different. 'Over his four years at Lincoln-Way West, he's obviously improved on the field, but he's made a lot of vast improvements off the field,' Zajc said. 'It's been a learning experience along the way. 'His improvement with all that stuff from junior to senior year was very impressive. He made a conscious effort to be a good teammate and he was a great leader for us.' Back to the autographs. Essenburg said a few years back he would follow around Max Clark, then a highly touted high school player in Indiana who was selected third by the Detroit Tigers in the 2023 MLB draft. 'I never got an autograph or a picture, but I got to see him play,' Essenburg said. 'I have his autograph now, though. I have family who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he plays (for the High-A West Michigan Whitecaps) and I went to a game. 'He signed two of my cards and took a picture with me.' Essenburg, who plans to focus on hitting and playing in the outfield at the next level, could be following Clark's path soon. He was one of five high school players from Illinois invited to the draft combine and one of two locals along with senior pitcher Jack Bauer from Lincoln-Way East. 'It was my goal to be able to finish off my high school career by going to the combine,' Essenburg said. 'When I got the invite, it was amazing. I called my dad (Troy) and he was like in tears over how proud he was of me. I thought that was the coolest thing ever.' One thing that may top that would be hearing his name called in next month's draft. Then Essenburg will likely have a big decision to make between going to Kentucky or signing with a pro team. 'I think I'm prepared for it,' Essenburg said. 'I think I'm starting to understand that no matter where I end up, I'm going to be in a really good spot. 'It's kind of just a win-win situation.'
Chicago Tribune
20-06-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 Daily Southtown Baseball All-Area Team
Three players from state champ St. Laurence and three from state qualifier Brother Rice highlight first and second teams. Jack Bauer, Lincoln-Way East, senior, pitcher: Went 4-2 with 2.36 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 29 2/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Mississippi State. Jimmy Benson, St. Laurence, sophomore, pitcher: Finished 11-1 with 1.09 ERA and 71 strikeouts in 57 2/3 innings for Class 3A state champs. All-state and all-conference. Sean Cody, Richards, senior, infielder/pitcher: Hit .452 with 41 runs, 34 stolen bases, seven doubles and 19 RBIs. Finished 6-1 with 1.04 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. All-state and conference player of the year. Committed to Illinois-Chicago. Brady Cunningham, Brother Rice, sophomore, infielder/pitcher: Went 6-0 with 1.85 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 53 innings for Class 4A fourth-place finishers. Hit .395 with 39 runs, 10 stolen bases, 18 doubles, four homers and 29 RBIs. Conor Essenburg, Lincoln-Way West, senior, outfielder/pitcher: Batted .464 with 42 runs, 19 stolen bases, 11 doubles, 10 homers and 49 RBIs. Went 5-0 with 0.94 ERA and 94 strikeouts in 44 2/3 innings. All-American, all-state and conference player of the year. Committed to Kentucky. Lucas Grant, Joliet Catholic, senior, pitcher: Went 8-4 with 1.05 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 66 2/3 innings. Conference pitcher of the year. Committed to Purdue. Enzo Infelise, Providence, senior, catcher/utility: Hit .516 with 36 runs, five stolen bases, 12 doubles, 12 homers and 48 RBIs for sectional champs. All-state and Lawless Award winner as Catholic League MVP. Committed to Cincinnati. Mickey Lotus, St. Laurence, junior, infielder: Batted .513 with 56 runs, 40 stolen bases, seven doubles and 27 RBIs. All-state and all-conference. Bren Milburn, Crete-Monee, senior, utility: Hit .439 with 53 runs, 12 doubles, 32 RBIs and an Illinois High School Association-record 93 stolen bases. Went 7-2 with 1.37 ERA and 59 strikeouts in 51 innings. All-state. Conference player and pitcher of the year. Committed to Morton College. Nate O'Donnell, Providence, senior, infielder/pitcher: Batted .439 with 47 runs, 15 stolen bases, 13 doubles, nine homers and 41 RBIs. Went 5-4 with 2.59 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 46 innings. All-state and all-conference. Committed to Minnesota. Jacob Parr, Lemont, senior, outfielder: Hit .404 with 24 runs, five stolen bases, four doubles, five triples and 31 RBIs. Honorable mention all-state. All-conference. Committed to Ohio State. Gavin Triezenberg, Brother Rice, senior, infielder: Hit .420 with 45 runs, 27 stolen bases, 16 doubles, four homers and 41 RBIs. All-state and conference player of the year. Committed to Arizona. Daniel Coyle, St. Laurence, junior, infielder/pitcher: State championship game hero hit .319 with 41 runs, 16 stolen bases, four doubles, three homers and 43 RBIs. Went 4-0 with three saves, 3.15 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 20 innings. Quinn Durkin, Sandburg, sophomore, outfielder: Hit .496 with 41 runs, 18 stolen bases, three doubles, five triples and 23 RBIs. All-conference. Shea Glotzbach, Lemont, senior, infielder/pitcher: Finished 6-1 with 1.98 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 56 2/3 innings. Hit .310 with 33 runs, 15 stolen bases, seven doubles, four homers and 32 RBIs. All-state and all-conference. Committed to Missouri-St. Louis. Caden Kendall, Andrew, junior, pitcher: Went 5-4 with 1.42 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 68 2/3 innings. All-conference. Adam Kozak, Lockport, junior, outfielder: Hit .375 with 27 runs, 21 stolen bases, 10 doubles, three triples and 20 RBIs. All-conference. Jake Matise, Mount Carmel, junior, pitcher: Finished 8-1 with 2.20 ERA and 63 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings. Conference pitcher of the year. Braydon McKendrick, Brother Rice, sophomore, pitcher: Went 11-1 with 1.79 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 58 2/3 innings. All-state and all-conference. Luke Mensik, Lincoln-Way Central, senior, pitcher: Finished 3-2 with 0.76 ERA and 45 strikeouts in 46 innings. All-conference. Committed to Xavier. John Olejniczak, Oak Lawn, junior, utility: Batted .500 with 34 runs, 10 stolen bases, 15 doubles, two homers and 36 RBIs. Went 8-2 with 2.25 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 59 innings. All-conference. Zach Pomatto, Joliet Catholic, senior, catcher: Hit .454 with nine doubles and 27 RBIs. Conference MVP. Committed to Northern Kentucky. Rafe Slager, Chicago Christian, senior, infielder: Batted .451 with 40 runs, 14 stolen bases, four homers and 39 RBIs. All-conference. Committed to Olivet Nazarene. Rowan Smyth, Evergreen Park, senior, pitcher/outfielder: Hit .406 with 45 runs, 18 stolen bases, 11 doubles, three homers and 21 RBIs. Finished 6-3 with 1.47 ERA and 93 strikeouts in 47 1/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Lewis.
New York Times
20-06-2025
- New York Times
Dana Holgorsen finds a comfort zone at Nebraska: ‘I'm back doing what I love'
LINCOLN, Neb. — A whiteboard covers the east-facing wall in Dana Holgorsen's office at the Osborne Legacy Complex. On it, scrawled terminology and diagrams of plays mark the signature of an offensive wizard in his comfort zone. 'I'm back doing what I love, what I probably know that I'm better at than the CEO-type stuff,' Holgorsen said in the third week of June, his eighth month as the Nebraska offensive coordinator. Advertisement His office windows allow a view to the north, and a glass door opens to a balcony with a table, where he can sit and watch over the practice fields below. Rain splashed the table on this Wednesday morning during an interview in his office. Holgorsen said he doesn't care about getting wet. Nor does he care about the temperature as it soars to 100 degrees in June or when it dips to 15 below in January, when he would walk to work, slightly less than a mile, from his pad in the Haymarket district. He cares about comfort. He didn't feel that at Houston, where he coached for the last five of his 13 seasons as a head coach. He'll always go back to visit his three children. He's closing on the sale next week of one home that he owns there, and he wants to unload the other. Holgorsen hasn't owned a car for more than a year and a half. When he was fired as the head coach at Houston in November 2023, the dealer who provided the vehicle came to retrieve it and made an effort to sell him another set of wheels. Holgorsen said no thanks. The dealer offered to let Holgorsen keep the car he'd been driving. He declined. Houston is paying Holgorsen's $14.8 million buyout over a four-year period. He inked a two-year deal with Nebraska in December that pays him $1.2 million annually. 'I'm in a good headspace,' he said. Holgorsen is wrapping his busiest three-week stretch of the year, he said. Nebraska hosts recruits and stages camps on a seemingly endless loop for much of June. Mixed in, the coaching staff is allowed eight hours per week with the current roster in organized team activities. The OTAs are generally broken into short segments. They don't include hitting or work in pads, but Holgorsen values the time to reinstall plays and concepts. The Huskers conduct film and meeting sessions and run individual drills, routes on air, and review motions and alignments. 'To me, it just gets you ready for camp,' Holgorsen said. Advertisement Training camp starts July 28, one month before the season opener against Cincinnati at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Meanwhile, Holgorsen is continuing a deep review of video cut-ups from spring practice. He's scripting the full first week of offensive install for camp. He'll be done with it this weekend. Then what? 'Dana things,' said Holgorsen, who turns 54 on Saturday. Holgorsen took control of the Nebraska offense in the second week of November after the Huskers lost four consecutive games. He'd been out of a full-time role in coaching for just short of a year and was living in Texas when Matt Rhule called. The move by Rhule, in his second season, hinted at desperation. At minimum, it was a gamble. But the Huskers needed to take a big swing. In 10 victories under Rhule before Holgorsen came on board, Nebraska allowed an average of 9.2 points, and not once more than 14. The problem was on the offensive side. Finishing the season with Holgorsen calling shots, Nebraska won two of four games, allowing 24 and 15 points. In its 20-15 win against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, the Huskers' offense was able to run out the final 4 minutes, 11 seconds of the clock. Quarterback Dylan Raiola took a knee three times at the end to secure the victory. It represented a big step. To that point, in four games with Holgorsen at the helm, Raiola completed 71.7 percent of his passes for 6.5 yards per attempt, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. In the four games prior, he connected on 58.5 percent for 5.4 yards per attempt, with one touchdown and six picks. Nearly six months after the bowl victory, Nebraska's first since 2016, Holgorsen sees more growth from his QB. 'He's not a freshman anymore,' the coach said. 'Having a year under his belt, I see that leadership stuff start to stand out. He's doing a really good job in the locker room. He's doing a really good job off the field. He's bonding with his teammates better. I think those are all signs of maturity.' Advertisement Raiola took receivers Dane Key and Jacory Barney to the College World Series in Omaha this week. That trio joined other pass catchers on a Raiola-sponsored trip to Texas for training exercises last month. Raiola is a former five-star signee who spurned Ohio State and Georgia to play for his father's alma mater. When it comes to his QB, Holgorsen believes that to whom much is given, much is required. 'He understands that component of being the starting quarterback,' the OC said. 'I've been very impressed with how he's attacked this summer. I think it's awesome. I see a different side to him now than I did when I got here.' The integration of Holgorsen's offense and how to build it with pieces at his disposal, he said, 'makes sense to me now.' In November, he had to adjust his standard approach to running an offense to avoid disrupting players. 'Going into Year 3 with coach Rhule, the continuity just makes a lot more sense,' Holgorsen said. 'And it's night and day compared to what we were doing toward the end of the year.' On Sunday, Holgorsen will travel to Key West, Fla. There, he plans to reunite with Hal Mumme and Kliff Kingsbury. They connected at the memorial service for Mike Leach in December 2022, days after Leach died of complications from a heart attack at age 61. They're a tight group. Mumme contributed heavily to the development of the air raid offense as head coach at Iowa Wesleyan from 1989 to 1991. Leach was Mumme's OC; Holgorsen played wide receiver for them. They all moved to coach at Valdosta State. During that stint, Holgorsen first visited Key West with Leach. Leach and Mumme went to Kentucky before Leach reunited with Holgorsen at Texas Tech in 2000. Holgorsen served as Leach's OC in Lubbock for eight years. They designed plays for Kingsbury, the QB who became Tech's head coach in 2013 and now coordinates the offense for the Washington Commanders. While at Leach's memorial, the air raid crew vowed to gather someday to celebrate Leach. Part of the group is doing it next week in Leach's favorite beach spot to relax. The legendary coach, who last worked at Mississippi State, visited Key West often and lived there between jobs at Texas Tech and Washington State. Advertisement 'He would just walk around Key West and talk to strangers all day long,' Holgorsen said. 'That was him.' The multi-day event was coordinated by Eli Manning's TV series, 'Eli's Places,' produced by NFL Films and ESPN. The idea calls for Holgorsen, Mumme, Kingsbury and possibly some others — Holgorsen doesn't know many details — to simply pay homage to their lost friend. 'We're just going to go to different bars and spots and tell stories about Mike,' Holgorsen said. From Florida, Holgorsen is headed to Europe with his son, Logan, to attend the F1 Austrian Grand Prix and tour the Swiss Alps. Dana said he might stay for a few days in Italy or Greece, then head to Cabo San Lucas in Mexico with his two daughters and Logan. 'Where I head after that is a mystery,' he said. He'll be back in Lincoln a couple of days before camp in late July, ready to change the trajectory of Nebraska's offensive play. He'll do it by starting each day on his feet, getting outside and walking. It clears his mind. 'There's scientific evidence,' Holgorsen said, 'that sunlight for the first hour or two in the morning, that's the best thing for you to wake up.' The walking, too, allows him to feel a connection to Leach, who famously walked to work often while at Washington State. Holgorsen said he feels a responsibility to help carry Leach's legacy. In a place like Lincoln, that's not difficult, with its affection for football. Holgorsen has taken well to this state — and to his place in the Nebraska football machine — since a hurried introduction last fall.
