As far as skill goes, sophomore forward Nevaeh Gyurko has a high ceiling for South Elgin.
It also doesn’t hurt that the 5-foot-11 Gyurko has the height to go with it. She used that advantage in other sports, dabbling with basketball and volleyball before committing exclusively to soccer.
Usually the tallest player on the field, Gyurko carries an outsized presence with a manner and style that cuts against the grain. She also has a reach and range befitting her previous pursuits.
“I love to use my size and athletic ability,” Gyurko said with a smile. “I have a more direct playing style, and once I establish my position, I think I’m very hard to lodge off the ball.
“With my height, I get there first. I love being that target player who can score from distance.”
In her second season on the varsity, Gyurko has emerged as an offensive centerpiece this spring by scoring nine goals for the Storm (7-6). She also has added six assists.
Her promise and progress can be measured above all else, and Gyurko is right there.
“Nevaeh has come a long way since last season,” South Elgin coach Jerzy Skowron said. “The scary thing is she still has room to grow and develop. She has already tripled her goals scored from last season. She has taken on the task of being our top threat and run with it.
“By the time she is done here, she could be at the top of the record books with Katrina Barthelt and Savanah Uveges.”
The only downside is that her emergence was facilitated by an injury to senior forward Ella Dihel, who scored a team-best 17 goals last season in earning all-state and all-area recognition.
“Ella is an amazing player who also mentored me last year,” Gyurko said. “She helped teach me how to play against girls who are older than me.
“It’s definitely been harder up front. I feel like there’s more space to cover and I have to spend more time building communication with the other players. In a way, it feels like a whole new team.”
Sophomore midfielder Avianna Hernandez is a newcomer for the Storm who transferred from Larkin. Leading the team with eight assists, she has formed a clear bond with Gyurko,
“Nevaeh is a very talented player on and off the ball,” Hernandez said. “Her speed and ability to make creative runs up top make her stand out.
“As a person, she is very positive and always lifts people up around her. Even in the rough times, she always has an encouraging attitude to make the team better.”
If her skill and elite size paved the way into the soccer, Gyurko was seemingly destined to play sports since that and competition are seemingly a natural byproduct of her DNA.
Her maternal grandfather, Jay Dolezal, played college basketball at Marquette. Her other grandfather, Alex Gyurko, was a club coach for Green White and a longtime soccer official.
Her parents met at an indoor soccer game of the defunct Chicago Horizons, and both played in high school at Hoffman Estates. Her father, Mark, played in college at Wisconsin-Parkside. Her mother, Stacey Dolezal, played at Boca Raton.
Nevaeh took up the game at age 5, carving out a small field in her backyard.
“I think it was easier growing up playing sports and being around my parents who are both very competitive,” she said. “When I’m off the field, I’m very kind and compassionate and always want to make sure everybody is OK.
“I flip the switch on the field and have a different mentality. I have a great competitive drive. I’m results oriented, and anything I do, I always want to win. It just runs in the family.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
