DELLIN ALL IN

Winnetkan Charlotte Dellin devoured a book about all of the English monarchs last year.

It took the recent New Trier Township High School graduate, who was born in London, an entire season to finish it.

“That was my fall read,” Dellin says. “I’m a history buff and a big reader.”

And, as of June 1, a reigning figure herself, right here in the realm of Illinois.

On that day, Dellin became a state soccer champion when she and her New Trier teammates edged St. Charles North High School 5-4 in the penalty-kicks session— after a 3-3 tie through a combined 100 minutes of regulation and two overtimes—in the Class 3A girls’ soccer state title match at North Central College in Naperville.

The 5-foot-7 Dellin, a fantastic forward who’s fearless and dominant in the air, scored on a header off an Annie Paden corner kick in the 88th minute (first overtime) and converted the Trevians’ second PK, capping her remarkable postseason.

In seven playoff games, the future Fairfield University booter notched seven goals, including the tally in a 1-0 defeat of Lyons Township High School in a supersectional contest; both goals in a 2-0 win over Loyola Academy in a sectional semifinal; and a pair of goals in a 7-0 defeat of Niles North High School in a regional final.

“My parents (T.R. and Becky) think I thrive in pressure-packed moments,” says Dellin, who netted a team-high 17 goals for New Trier’s 25-2-4 squad in 2024 and earned All-Sectional honors after her fourth varsity season. “Maybe they’re right. I’m always willing to do the grunt work in any sport I play (she also played prep basketball), and I’ve always loved flying around soccer fields and basketball courts.

“I compete one way—with a hair-on-fire mentality.”

Dellin’s final New Trier soccer season got off to a chilly start by her standards, or, in her words, “a rocky beginning.” Instead of hoping it would turn around magically, she arranged a midseason meeting with New Trier coach Jim Burnside, who had guided the girls’ soccer program to six state championships.

“I didn’t feel as confident as I should have as a player,” recalls Dellin, one of five captains for Burnside’s seventh state-title crew. “But I felt so much better after our talk. One of his messages to me was, ‘Play more simple soccer.’ Coach Burnside then encouraged me to be more of a target player for my teammates by looking to distribute the ball and create chances to score with my back to the goal. You know what I learned in his office that day? Never be afraid to have a tough conversation.”

A revitalized Dellin hit the soccer pitch in the Trevians’ next game, against York High School’s Dukes, and let her effort and talent do all of the conversing for her in a 2-0 victory on April 18. Burnside and Dellin shared more than a few high fives along the sideline.

“Hard high fives,” Dellin says. “He’s such an amazing coach and human being. Burnside truly cares about his players and New Trier Girls’ Soccer, and he’s such a proponent of the team motto— ‘Serious Fun.’ I will always be grateful for him and his assistants and the opportunities to battle with all of the gifted, dedicated teammates in my seasons at New Trier.”

T.J. Dellin, a standout golfer, attended New Trier for his freshman year only, and his future wife, Becky Bruney, grew up in New Jersey before attending the University of North Carolina as a field hockey recruit. Charlotte Dellin’s mother and aunt Lori played for one of UNC’s NCAA national championship field hockey teams.

“I was told my mindset as an athlete, along with my aggressive style of play, is similar to my aunt’s,” says Dellin, whose late grandfather, Fred Bruney, was a defensive back on Ohio State University football teams and played professionally for the 49ers, Steelers, and Rams. “My mom is my best friend, who doesn’t have a mean bone in her body. I love the way she carries herself and approaches life. You’re not going to find someone who has a more positive presence than my mom’s.”

Becky Dellin works in sales. Charlotte Dellin intends to major in Sports Management and minor in Business Law at Fairfield, with an eye toward becoming a professional sports agent.

“I want a career related to sports,” says Dellin, who will report for her first Division I college preseason practice in Connecticut on July 27, ahead of the Stags’ season opener against visiting College of the Holy Cross on August 15. “It would be rewarding to represent athletes who have big dreams in sports.”

The outgoing, fun-loving Dellin also reads dystopian books in her free time, enjoys architecture “because I like to look at pretty things,” and has played the ukulele since she was a sixth-grader. She’s a soccer camp coach this summer, providing invaluable tips to grade-school boys and girls four days per week in Northfield.

“Hanging out with friends is way up there on the list of things I like to do,” Dellin says. “I’ve always liked being around others, talking and laughing. But I’m an extroverted introvert; I cherish my time alone as much as I treasure time interacting with the wonderful people in my life. Nearly every day during the school year, I’d get up early for my morning walk around the neighborhood, no matter how cold it was.

“I was out that front door at 6 a.m.”

Dellin’s “Serious Fun” run with New Trier Girls’ Soccer ended on June 1. Pure elation about the win clashed with the sudden realization that she’d never get to poke a pass or soar for a corner kick as a Trevian again. Dellin wore her first-place state medal for 48 straight hours upon receiving it in Naperville. The shiny prize went quite well with her cap and gown on Graduation Day June 2.

“For two seasons, the seniors in our soccer program identified with something Winnie the Pooh said,” Dellin says. “He said, ‘How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.’”