Athletes who walked the hallways at Naperville Central, Waubonsie Valley, and Metea Valley are now enshrined alongside the state's all-time greats.

On Saturday, July 25, Casey Krueger (Naperville Central, class of 2008), Vanessa DiBernardo (Waubonsie Valley, class of 2010), and Zach Wood (Metea Valley, class of 2012) were inducted into the Illinois Sports Hall of Fame's 2026 class in Springfield, NCTV17 reported. All three went on to compete at Division I college programs and built professional careers from their high school foundations.

The Illinois Sports Hall of Fame inducted its inaugural class in 2024. Former North Central College cross country coach Al Carius and Naperville Central basketball star Candace Parker were among the first honorees. The official Hall of Fame building in Springfield is expected to be completed in the summer of 2028.

Krueger: from Redhawk track star to Olympic gold

As a sophomore in 2006, Krueger won the IHSA state championship in the 800-meter run at Naperville Central. The following spring, she became the first athlete in Illinois history to win both the 800-meter and 400-meter Class AA state titles in the same season. She returned to soccer her senior year under head coach Ed Watson, earned All-State and All-American honors, and helped Central win a regional championship.

After playing at Florida State University, Krueger was drafted fifth overall by the Boston Breakers in the 2013 NWSL draft. She joined the Chicago Red Stars in 2016, signed with the Washington Spirit in 2024, and won gold with the U.S. Women's National Team at the Paris Olympics that summer.

DiBernardo: three state titles and a hometown draft pick

DiBernardo won three IHSA state soccer championships at Waubonsie Valley (2007, 2008, 2010) as an All-State selection. She played collegiately at the University of Illinois before the Chicago Red Stars selected her fourth overall in the 2014 NWSL draft. She and Krueger were teammates on the Red Stars from 2016 through 2022, two Naperville-area rivals who grew up on opposing sidelines and ended up sharing a professional locker room. DiBernardo now plays for the Kansas City Current.

Wood: Illinois's all-time leading scorer

Wood was a member of Metea Valley's first graduating class in 2012. Playing for the Valley Co-Op lacrosse team, he posted 316 goals, 144 assists, and 460 career points, finishing as the all-time leading scorer in Illinois high school lacrosse history. A two-time All-State selection, Wood went on to play at the University of Virginia.

All three inductees turned IHSA careers into Division I scholarships: Krueger at Florida State, DiBernardo at Illinois, Wood at Virginia. For current student-athletes at Naperville Central (District 203) and Metea Valley (District 204) heading into fall practices in August, the path from local competition to elite college play has three more names to prove it exists.