Madison Kawall will always be linked to Somonauk’s moment in the sun.
Two years ago, Kawall was the leadoff hitter as a sophomore for the Bobcats, who placed second in Class 1A in the softball program’s first state finals appearance.
Kawall, though, can do more than swing a bat.
The 5-foot-7 senior guard in basketball reached 1,000 career points in December, becoming the fourth Somonauk girl to do so. She’s also the first guard, a target she set back as a freshman.
That plan hit a detour last January, when Kawall tore her ACL. But when she cleared the 1,000-point hurdle, she hit another milestone that had everything to do with her comeback.
“I think it’s the first time any of us had ever seen her cry,” Somonauk coach Eric Roberts said. “She does everything by action. She is quiet and reserved. Freshman year, she hit a buzzer-beater and didn’t even crack a smile.”
Kawall scored 24 and 29 points, respectively, in wins last week against LaMoille and Sandwich, improving her season average to 17 a game. She’s at 1,141 career points, and remains on pace to finish second on the school’s all-time scoring list.
“It was a happy, and a sad, moment when I passed 1,000,” Kawall said. “I had to work so hard to come back. I think I’m still not quite there. I can’t jump as high as I used to, but there are other parts of my game that make up for it.”
Kawall’s athletic abilities come with the territory.
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Her dad, Scott, starred in baseball at Naperville Central and at Waubonsee Community College, and also coached baseball and softball collegiately.
Madison’s older sister Ashlee now plays college softball at Evansville. Madison, an electric leadoff hitter in softball, hit .536 with 33 stolen bases as a sophomore.
“My goal is to go Division I, too,” said Kawall, who first plans to play basketball and softball at Waubonsee.
Roberts recognized a talented athlete before Kawall even arrived in high school. He coached her in track in junior high, where Kawall was a state long jump champion.
Kawall is second on Somonauk in rebounds, leads in steals and is the top defender.
“She has unbelievable quickness, a knack for where the ball is going to be like a free safety,” Roberts said. “She’s one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached.”
Remarkably, Roberts thinks Kawall has been an even better basketball player after the injury.
“She’s realized the limitations of what she can and cannot do,” Roberts said. “When she would drive to the basket before, she would try to drive and finish through people. Now, she’ll pull up and try to find another option.”
Roberts targeted Kawall for a mid-December return, but she was cleared by October and hasn’t missed a game. Good thing for Somonauk, a team snakebit by injury.
Jensen Parks, the Bobcats’ second-best player, tore her ACL in the season’s first game. Kawall’s sister Lauren, a sophomore, blew out her ACL in mid-December.
Kawall, who now looks forward to playing two sports in college and potentially pursuing a degree in athletic training, can identify with what her two teammates are experiencing.
“It’s hard to be able to watch and not do anything,” Kawall said. “I tell them all the time that it’s a bump in the road they’ll get over.”
Somonauk (5-11) started its season 0-4 but has regrouped as Kawall found her stride and started putting up huge numbers.
“We’ve adapted our offense,” Roberts said. “We have screens coming at people all day long. That has helped open things up for her. We are a completely different team than I thought we’d be.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News.