How did Naperville North senior Madeline Andelbradt get involved with the high jump? Well, we’re glad you asked.
Her introduction actually was by chance.
“I joined track relatively late — like sixth grade,” she said. “The coaches tested me out in every single event, and I just liked doing high jump the best.”
Once committed to that event, Andelbradt became increasingly serious about it, joining the Plainfield-based Jump High Athletic Club in the eighth grade to work on her technique.
The breakthrough came during her freshman year at St. Francis. She finished fifth in the high jump in Class 2A.
“At first, I didn’t think I was going to be that competitive at the state level,” she said. “I didn’t know everyone else’s abilities.
“As soon as I figured that out, I knew what I could do and what I could become.”
That is a scary thought about Andelbradt, an Iowa recruit and one of the most versatile and gifted track athletes in the state.
Andelbradt, who transferred as a junior to Naperville North, participated in a special sprints program last fall with the Huskies’ powerhouse cross country program.
She worked on her explosiveness and fast-twitch muscles.
The payoff showed during the indoor season, and the results were spectacular. Andelbradt set a new indoor school record in the high jump with a 5-7.25.
That mark equaled her best outdoor jump.
“That was our second or third indoor meet,” Andelbradt said. “I was very happy to do that so early in the season.”
Her anchor leg in the 1,600-meter relay punctuated the Huskies’ comeback victory over Naperville Central in the DuPage Valley Conference indoor meet at North Central College.
Last spring, Andelbradt finished fourth in the high jump and fifth in the 300 intermediate hurdles at the Class 3A state meet, leading Naperville North to a third-place finish.
With Andelbradt as a centerpiece, the Huskies are again a 3A state contender. Her impact rubs off, according to senior sprinter Macy Fleury.
“Madeline’s ability to perform well in any circumstance is truly inspiring, both to myself and her other teammates,” Fleury said. “She is always ready to give her best effort while motivating everyone else to do the same in a very charismatic way.”
From the start, Andelbradt always has had an experimental side — a willingness to try anything. She also upends the typical presuppositions.
Most elite high jumpers have a basketball background or tend to be tall and angular. Andelbradt is 5-foot-5. Athletically, she is what coaches call a “freak.”
Until she arrived at Naperville North, she never even ran the hurdles.
“She is a very talented, natural athlete,” said Dan Iverson, who coaches the girls cross country and track teams.
Performing well at state gave her the confidence to excel at the highest levels.
The indoor season also allowed her to entertain different options for the first time. She competed in the long jump and also worked on the high hurdles.
She was recruited to Iowa as a high jumper.
“There were other schools in the mix, but I felt like Iowa was the best school for me as an athlete and a person,” she said. “I think with all the new resources offered at Iowa, my talent is really going to transfer well there.”
As she sets her sights on the crucial events of the outdoor season, Andelbradt is ready for all challenges.
“What has always pushed me is the motivation from my teammates, coaches and parents,” she said. “No matter what school, they have always pushed me to do my best, even if I have a bad day.
“They always push me to be better.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
