Honoring Excellence
The Oak Brook Athlete of the Year Program
For five decades, the Oak Brook community has celebrated the accomplishments of its young athletes through a tradition that recognizes hometown excellence in sports.
Established in 1974 by Oak Brook founder Paul Butler, the annual Oak Brook Athlete of the Year award honors a male and female high school senior whose athletic achievements have distinguished them among their peers and brought pride to the community.
Tradition Inspired by an Olympic Moment
The inspiration of the award program traces back to an Oak Brook Olympian.
In 1968, John Kinsella was a 16-year-old swimmer at Hinsdale Central High School who earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team competing in Mexico City. Kinsella went on to win a silver medal, becoming the youngest male Olympic medalist in any sport at the time.
Oak Brook residents celebrated Kinsella’s achievement with a parade and an outpouring of pride that eventually sparked the idea to formally recognize outstanding athletes in the community.
More than 50 years later, the award still reflects the original vision.
Tradition Rooted in Excellence
“The first and most important criteria is athletic success. We’re recognizing athletes who have truly excelled in their sport,” said committee chairman Tom Truedson. “These athletes make our community feel proud both on and off the field.”
Vija Barber
Winners are honored at the opening ceremonies of the village’s annual Taste of Oak Brook event. Introduced to the main stage last July were the 2024-25 honorees: Vija Barber and James Philipneri.
Barber was a four-year varsity swimmer and team captain at Hinsdale Central High School. She qualified for the IHSA Girls Swimming and Diving State Finals in both 2023 and 2024, helping her team place 5th in the 200-freestyle relay and 6th in the 400-freestyle relay—performances that rank as the second- and third-fastest relay times in program history. A two-time high school All-American, Vija also excelled academically as a National Honor Society member, Illinois State Scholar, Outstanding Math Senior of the Year, and magna cum laude graduate. She is now studying mathematics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she continues to swim in the university’s club program.
James Philipneri
Philipneri was a four-year varsity tennis player at Hinsdale Central High School, helping lead the team to four consecutive state championships at the IHSA Boys Tennis State Finals. A two-time conference doubles champion and IHSA Scholastic Achievement Award winner, he balanced athletics with service and leadership as a Peer Buddies leader, Special Olympics coach, and tennis instructor at Salt Creek Club. Philipneri also played the saxophone in band, earned the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, and was a member of the National Honor Society. He is currently attending Lehigh University studying neuroscience.
Stepping onto the stage as their accomplishments are shared with several thousand people is a moment of pride for the athletes, their families, and the community.
“The athletes and their parents are incredibly appreciative,” Truedson says. “You realize how many early mornings, late nights, practices, and sacrifices went into that moment.”
Tradition Championed by the Chairman
Truedson’s appreciation for youth sports comes from personal experience.
A lifelong Oak Brook resident, he described himself as “not much of an athlete” growing up. He spent countless hours participating in Oak Brook Park District programs, but struggled to find his place in organized sports.
He discovered gymnastics as a student at Hinsdale Central High School. Despite being cut during freshman tryouts, Truedson rose to become Hinsdale Central’s top pommel horse gymnast – winning conference, district, and sectional titles. He went on to compete at the University of Oregon, where he earned conference and national championships and was twice honored as an NCAA Division I All-American.
Truedson credits athletics with shaping his life and career.
“The success I experienced in sports raised my expectations for what I could achieve,” he says.
“These athletes make our community feel proud both on and off the field.”
— Tom Truedson, committee chairman
Tradition that Lives On
Truedson became chairman of the Athlete of the Year committee in 2017, joining members John Baar, Ralph Maxson, and the late Walter Barber. Today, six committee members preside over the process of reviewing nominations that pour in from high schools across the area.
The Oak Brook Athlete of the Year is about more than celebrating impressive performances. Recognizing the lifelong skills and qualities that achievements in sports can build in kids has become a favorite annual tradition of pride for the Oak Brook community.
For more information or to submit a nomination, visit obparksfoundation.org.
Celebrating Character, Commitment, and Community
The Oak Brook Park District Foundation will accept nominations for the 25-2026 school year through early June. Nominees must be a high school senior and an Oak Brook resident who has earned a varsity letter in an individual or team.
