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7 Days Until the State Girls Track & Field Announcement
Gatorade 2025 - 2026: Player of the Year

Girls Soccer - Illinois

Gatorade Player of the year

Emerson Burke

Forward
NAPERVILLE CENTRAL HS
NAPERVILLE, ILLINOIS
JUNIOR
Height: 5-FOOT-9
Press Release

Peak Performance

40

Goals

17

Assists
“Emerson is the most dynamic player every time she steps on the field. She has the rare ability to beat defenders in multiple ways in order to get a goal for herself or assist a teammate. She’s a technically sound player and she’s proven this year that she’s a clinical finisher around the goal. You have to respect the way she plays the game on both sides of the ball as a forward, her relentless work rate and her desire to do whatever it takes to win.”
Steve Goletz
Head Coach - Naperville North

Athletic Excellence

The 5-foot-9 junior forward led the Redhawks to a 22-1-1 record and the Class 3A state final this past season. Burke scored 40 goals and passed for 17 assists, breaking the school single-season records for goals and points (97) in a season. Burke scored twice in the state semifinals as Naperville Central beat Warren Township High, 5-0. Ranked as the nation’s No. 165 prospect in her class by TopDrawerSoccer and No. 10 in the Midwest Region, she was also the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association’s Player of the Year. 

Academic Achievement

Burke has maintained a 4.03 weighted GPA in the classroom. She’s made a verbal commitment to play soccer on scholarship at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2027. 

Exemplary Character

Burke has volunteered locally with the Veteran’s Club, which serves former servicemen and women in the community via home visits, hosting events and fundraising. She has also donated her time as a youth soccer coach.