Even before she had played her first match at Hinsdale Central, Nida Hamilton remembers doing interviews and having pictures taken next to teammates Hanna Mar and Courtney Dolehide.
Now four years later, she ended her high school tennis career in much the same fashion.
While the entire trio no doubt lived up to the hype, none did more so than Hamilton, who helped the Red Devils capture four consecutive state championships.
Individually, she collected a pair of doubles titles (teaming with Dolehide) along the way with a runner-up finish in singles mixed in.
For her personal accomplishments and what she has meant to the Hinsdale Central tennis program, Hamilton has been named the Fall 2009 Girls All-Area MVP.
“It was really great,” the senior said. “Our team every year was really good. We all connected and it was just awesome being one of the few teams that was able to win state four years in a row.”
Though she was ranked nationally throughout her stay at Hinsdale Central, Hamilton chose to continue playing for the high school team, a decision she would make again.
“I really enjoyed high school tennis,” she said. “The coaches were great and it was really fun being on a team. When I was little, I always played team sports. It was nice to be back in a team atmosphere and cheering for everyone.
“It has meant a lot. It was a great experience and I made a lot of new friends, first older and now younger ones. It was a lot of fun and a great way to spend time with my friends.”
Hamilton showed her expertise with the game of tennis by being successful for the Red Devils in both doubles and singles action, a feat a lot of players can’t pull off.
“It was great playing doubles,” she said. “It is fun working with another person on the court who can pump you up. We (Courtney and I) were really good friends and it was fun playing with her. Singles is fun also but a lot tougher for sure. Singles the last two years has been very tough. There are a lot of good girls but it is still really fun.
“I used to like doubles a lot more. Lately, I have been playing more singles. As I have gotten better, I’ve grown to enjoy singles a lot. Both are fun.”
This fall, Hamilton finished with a record of 25-1 in singles play despite battling illness for most of the final third of the season. Her only loss came in the state quarterfinals to the eventual champion. She immediately turned her attention to rooting for her doubles teammates, which included younger sister Kristy.
“It was really hard,” Hamilton said. “I was coughing all of the time. Obviously I was a little disappointed after I lost but the girl played well. Even if I was healthy, it would have been tough to beat her. But after that, I was excited about the next match for our team and that was our doubles team in the semis. I went over there and cheered for them.”
Hamilton will continue her tennis career at Northwestern next year. After that, she isn’t ruling out any possibilities.
“I really like the coach,” Hamilton said. “She was a really great player and has done well with the Northwestern program. I like the location and I like being close to the city. I can go downtown or to Chinatown which I like. It is also a great academic school. It is perfect all-around.
“As of right now, I am definitely going to play all through college. If I continue to improve, I will see where it takes me and maybe try some pro tournaments. If that goes well, then I will stick with it.”
As for the Hinsdale Central program she leaves behind, the Red Devils will have a huge hole to fill going forward.
“She is a leader by example,” said Hinsdale Central head coach Jerilyn Scardina. “Not only is she an exceptionally talented athlete, but she is a great student. She is a calm influence. You never see her get too excited and her sportsmanship is impeccable.
“Nida has the fastest reaction time I’ve ever seen and her game revolves around a wide selection of shots. Based on that wide range of shots and the spin she uses, she can be successful in both doubles and singles. And she is one of the toughest-minded players to go through Hinsdale Central.
“In a sport that is individually based for success, she has been a true team member for four years.”
Fall Girls Athlete of the Year Hamilton leads an all-area team that also includes the following standouts:
Erin Ahern
GOLF
Hinsdale Central, junior
This junior became the leader of a young Hinsdale Central squad and her consistent play helped the Red Devils to a sixth-place finish at the Class AA state meet. Individually, Ahern placed 15th overall with a two-day score of 157, which included a 77 in the first round. She also led the team with an 81 at the sectional which came after she won medalist honors at the Nazareth regional with a 77.
Britta Baarstad
VOLLEYBALL
Downers North, senior
The 6-foot-tall senior capped an outstanding three-year varsity career by leading the Trojans to the sectional semifinals. The versatile Baarstad finished with 365 kills, 217 digs, 64 service aces and 44 blocks, contributing all over the court. She finished her Downers North career with a 13-kill match in the Trojans’ three-set sectional semifinal loss to Benet.
Marika Cusick
TENNIS
Hinsdale Central, freshman
Just a freshman, she shared the court with Kristy Hamilton and that duo helped Hinsdale Central to their fourth consecutive state title by finishing fourth in doubles. The twosome also won the sectional title with a thrilling three set win over fellow Red Devils doubles tandem of Anne Lombardi and Julia Quintero.
Meagan DeSalvo
CROSS COUNTRY
Hinsdale South, junior
DeSalvo represented the Hornets at the Class 3A state meet with a 63rd-place finish. The junior crossed the finish line in 18:33 and has a chance to be one the premiere distance runners in the West Suburban Gold conference during next spring’s track season.
Gabriella Effrein
CROSS COUNTRY
Downers North, junior
One of two returning state qualifiers for the Trojans, Effrein and Samantha Fry provided leadership both on and off the course for a young Downers North team (three freshmen in its top seven) that rolled to a surprising eighth-place finish at the Class 3A state meet. Effrein was 59th at state, and preceded that by taking fourth at regionals and eighth at sectionals.
Robyn Eggert
VOLLEYBALL
Downers North, senior
Eggert had more big digs than a construction crew, posting a staggering total of 523 digs in Downers North’s regional title season. Also a standout on serve receive, she had a 95 percent passing success rate. The 5-foot-4 libero also was a back-row force with 34 service aces.
Samantha Fry
CROSS COUNTRY
Downers North, junior
Her 11th place individual finish at the Class 3A state meet was the Trojans’ highest since current assistant coach Elizabeth Tumpach’s 10th-place run in 1996. Fry’s big jump from a 31st-place finish at state last fall keyed Downers North’s rise into the top 10 teams at state for the first time since 1997.
Abby Grilli
SWIMMING/DIVING
Hinsdale Central, senior
This senior diver ended her outstanding career in fine fashion, taking home a third-place medal in that event at the state meet with a score of 431.55. Grilli was a four-time state qualifier who also placed third a year ago. In addition, she was the sectional title winner this fall with a 483.35.
Kristy Hamilton
TENNIS
Hinsdale Central, sophomore
The younger sister of Nida, this sophomore made her own mark at the state tournament, teaming with Marika Cusick to finish fourth in the doubles bracket. That duo also was West Suburban Silver conference champions at No. 2 doubles and finished with a record of 25-3 together this fall.
Nida Hamilton
TENNIS
Hinsdale Central, senior
On the varsity since she walked into Hinsdale Central, Hamilton leaves with four team state championships. She also won doubles titles as a freshman and sophomore before placing second in singles in 2008. This fall, despite battling illness for the last month of the season, Hamilton posted a record of 25-1 while reaching the quarterfinals in the singles bracket. She will continue her career next fall at Northwestern.
Jill Hardies
Hinsdale Central, freshman
CROSS COUNTRY
This freshman had an outstanding debut campaign for the Red Devils and was the No. 1 runner on a team that finished 11th in the state. Hardies capped off her fall with a 17th-place showing at the Class 3A state meet in Peoria, coming through the chute in a time of 17:51. Hardies was also fifth at the sectional and the runner-up at the Lyons regional.
Jenny Hois
Downers South, senior
TENNIS
The four-year standout and University of Wisconsin signee rolled into the fourth round of the state tournament with a perfect 28-0 record this season before suffering a loss to the eventual singles state runner-up. For her career, she had a 16-7 record in state matches and reached the consolation semifinals in 2007.
Courtney Keefe
Lemont, senior
VOLLEYBALL
A key part of three straight 30-win teams at Lemont, Keefe was a strong attacker at the net and much more. Along with amassing nearly 350 kills on the year, the senior was the Indians’ leader in passes to target and digs while also placing second on the team in service aces.
Claire McNulty
Downers North, senior
TENNIS
McNulty finished her career with three consecutive trips to the state tournament, producing successful results each time. After winning two matches as a sophomore, McNulty posted a 5-3 state record over her past two seasons, including two straight wins to open play this fall.
Hanna Mar
Hinsdale Central, senior
TENNIS
Another one of the outstanding players who walked through the doors at Hinsdale Central as freshmen four years ago, Mar leaves with three team state championships. The senior, who didn’t play last year due to medical reasons, was also the runner-up at state in singles as a sophomore. This fall, the Duke-bound player finished 28-1 with her only loss coming in the quarterfinals to eventual state champ Jerricka Boone of Morgan Park Academy.
Sam Marek
Downers North, senior
VOLLEYBALL
The second-year varsity starter was another key ingredient to the Trojans’ success, both with her strong setting (788 assists) and excellent defense and serving. Marek also had 188 digs, and a 95 percent serving effectiveness that included 26 aces.
Jamie Netisingha
Hinsdale Central, junior
VOLLEYBALL
This libero was one of the best back-row players in the area, setting the defensive tone for the 30-5 Red Devils. Netisingha finished with a astronomical 478 digs, easily a team-high, while tallying 31 aces, which tied her for second-place on Hinsdale Central. The Division I recruit also totaled 45 assists and 21 kills on the fall.
Haley Sims
Downers North, junior
SWIMMING
Sims had already established herself as one of Downers North’s all-time best swimmers by November of her sophomore year, and added to her list of three state finals swims in her first two years with a big junior season. She capped a season of breaking several pool records in the 100-yard butterfly by placing second at state in that event and was runner-up in the 200 freestyle as well.
Natalia Skiba
Hinsdale Central, junior
VOLLEYBALL
She can do it all on the volleyball court and played a major role in arguably the Red Devils’ best season ever. Not only did Skiba trail just Ally Davis on Hinsdale Central with 231 kills, but she was also second on the team with 358 digs and 31 aces. The 5-foot-8 player, who was an AAU All-America libero for her club team, added 25 blocks.
Alexis Spivak
Downers South, senior
SWIMMING
A state qualifier in the 100 butterfly since her freshman year, the University of Missouri signee followed a fourth-place finish at state last fall by taking fifth as a senior.
Sara Sternard
Westmont, senior
VOLLEYBALL
A rare player who plays both volleyball and basketball at the high school level, the 6-foot-1 Sternard continued her dominant play in both by leading the Sentinels to the Class 2A supersectionals in volleyball for the second time in the last three years.
Meredith Sweeney
Hinsdale Central, senior
SWIMMING
This senior capped off her time in the pool at Hinsdale Central by contributing across the board at the state meet last weekend. Individually she placed 10th in the 100-yard backstroke with a time of 58.23 seconds. She also swam a leg on the 400 free relay that placed fifth, the 200 medley relay that finished sixth and the 200 free relay that was ninth.
Melanie Waszak
Lemont, senior
SWIMMING
A three-year state qualifier who was 12th in the 100 butterfly as a junior, Waszak won virtually every regular season individual event she swam en route to another trip to state and eighth place in the butterfly this fall.
Vicki Wrobel
Lemont, junior
VOLLEYBALL
Lemont’s setting was in the capable hands of junior Wrobel for the second straight year, and she efficiently ran the offense and did much more in the Indians’ latest solid season. Waszak dished out over 700 assists, and effectively finished off points herself in the back row as the Indians’ runaway leader in service aces with over 60.
