Leaving behind a soccer legacy nearly unparalleled at Chanhassen High School, 2026 graduate Bella Naples led the Storm to new heights and captured nearly every award the season had to offer, culminating with the Star Tribune’s All-Minnesota Player of the Year. She is also a co-winner of CCLN’s Girls Senior Athlete of the Year.
The section semifinal against powerhouse Edina came down to penalty kicks. The crowd was loud. The moment was enormous. And Chanhassen had one of the best players in the state on their side: Bella Naples.
She stepped up for the first kick and converted. Then, when Chanhassen needed her again, she stepped up a second time. Same result. When the final whistle blew, the Storm had done something they hadn’t done in 10 years — beaten Edina.
Naples let the moment wash over her.
“It was pure excitement,” she said. “It was so amazing seeing the work we had put in as a team pay off, and being able to celebrate that moment with my teammates, coaches and friends is something I’ll never forget.”
Followers of Chanhassen Storm soccer won’t ever forget her, either. For her work leading the Storm to a Metro West Conference championship, a program-record-tying 13 wins, and the program’s second-ever section championship game appearance, Naples has been named co-winner of CCLN’s Girls Senior Athlete of the Year for 2025-2026. She was also named the Star Tribune‘s All-Minnesota Player of the Year in girls soccer, one of the top individual honors in the state.
The player and the program
Naples grew up steeped in soccer. Her father and uncle both played collegiately, and she is the third of four soccer-playing sisters. She played alongside older sister Claire during her freshman year at Chanhassen, and younger sister Liv joined her on the Storm roster during her junior and senior seasons.
“Soccer has always been more than just a sport for us,” Naples said. “It’s something that brings our family together, and it’s something we have bonded over for as long as I can remember.”
That foundation translated directly onto the field. Naples scored 27 goals and added eight assists as a senior, finishing her Storm career with 80 goals. She earned Metro West Conference Player of the Year honors and was named a Ms. Soccer finalist.
But behind all of it was a coach who had believed in her long before any of those accolades arrived.
Katie Clark has coached Naples since under-13 soccer at CC United, Carver County’s youth club. This season, Clark was named the Class AAA Coach of the Year. Naples said the honor was well-earned.
“One of the things that makes her such a great coach is how calm she is,” Naples said. “She trusts us to play and make decisions on the field, while also making sure we’re prepared before games, at halftime, and afterward.”
Naples pointed to a simple but meaningful team tradition as evidence of Clark’s culture-building: before every game, each player receives a whiteboard to write down goals, thoughts, or encouraging messages to teammates.
“Every player feels supported while also being challenged to be their best,” Naples said. “Coach Katie helped us all stop hoping we could compete with the best teams and start expecting that we would.”
A special senior class
Naples was quick to deflect individual credit toward the teammates who surrounded her. She has known Natalie Carlson literally since birth, and the two have played soccer together since age 3. She described Leah Jonswold as one of the funniest people she knows, but also one of the most serious and hardworking when soccer demands it. Brynn Jonswold is someone Naples said she has always looked up to and is grateful to have shared a high school roster with all four years. And Sofia Erickson, Naples said simply, is her best friend in the world.
But ask Naples what she’ll remember most about her time with the Storm, and she doesn’t reach for goals or trophies. She reaches for pasta.
“I think one of the memories I’ll cherish most is our team pasta dinners,” she said. “They had nothing to do with goals, wins or stats, but they brought us together and helped create the friendships that made our team so special. Ten years from now, I think I’ll remember the people and the relationships much more than any individual accomplishment.”
A program-defining season
The Storm entered 2025-26 with high expectations and delivered. Chanhassen went unbeaten through Metro West play, claimed the conference title, and climbed into the top 10 in the Class AAA state rankings. Naples scored in all but two regular-season games, and in those two she still contributed assists. The most electric moment came in sections, when Naples converted those two penalty kicks to eliminate Edina — a program that had beaten Chanhassen for a decade — and send the Storm to their second-ever section championship game.
They lost that game on a rain-soaked field, but there wasn’t rain heavy enough to dampen what Naples and the Storm accomplished this season.
A soccer legacy
Naples will take her game to the University of Minnesota, following in the footsteps of Grace Fogarty, the Gophers forward who mentored her as a Chanhassen freshman in 2022.
“From the coaching staff and team culture to the opportunity to represent my home state, it just felt like the right fit,” Naples said. Her father and uncle’s collegiate soccer roots made the decision feel like something larger than just athletics.
When the Star Tribune named her All-Minnesota Player of the Year, Naples framed the honor the way she frames everything: through the people around her.
“While it’s an individual award, it is also a reflection of the teammates, coaches and family members who helped me along the way,” she said. “More than anything, it reminds me of the amazing teams I’ve been a part of and motivates me to keep improving.”
Eighty career goals. A conference title. And classmates — and a senior season — she’ll never forget. Bella Naples left her mark on Chanhassen soccer — and the Storm left their mark on her.
RUNNER-UP
Katya Sander, Holy Family, Hockey
A Chanhassen native and University of Minnesota commit, Sander became one of the best defenders in the state after switching back to the blue line as a sophomore. She quarterbacked the Fire power play, chipped in nine goals and nine assists for the Section 2AA champions, and was named to the Star Tribune All-Minnesota team. Sander took home co-honors in the inaugural Senior Defender of the Year award and was a top-10 semifinalist for Ms. Hockey.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Breanna Beckering, Southwest Christian, Volleyball
A two-time all-state and all-conference selection and a Star Tribune All-Minnesota honoree, the Chaska resident was the latest standout in a rich Stars tradition. Beckering played on three state-qualifying teams, including the 2025 Class AA consolation championship squad, and finished her career with more than 840 kills and 220 blocks. She will continue her career at Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa.
Jada Daggs-Powell, Chaska, Gymnastics and Competitive Cheer
A two-sport standout, Daggs-Powell set the Chaska school record on the balance beam and qualified for the State Gymnastics Meet. She also competed on the Chanhassen Competition Cheer team that placed fourth at the UCA High School Nationals, pairing a state-level individual season with a national-stage finish. Daggs-Powell will join the Iowa Central competition cheerleading team this fall.
Emma Hanson, Chaska, Volleyball
A senior middle blocker and two-time captain for the Hawks, Hanson anchored the Chaska front line and was a varsity regular for years. A steady force at the net and a leader for a traditional Chaska powerhouse, she will play volleyball at Eastern Illinois University.
Maddy Kimbrel, Holy Family Catholic, Hockey
Kimbrel claimed the 2026 Ms. Hockey Award, the sport’s highest individual honor, and was named the Star Tribune All-Minnesota Girls Hockey Player of the Year. The forward led the Fire in scoring with 37 goals and 20 assists, finishing her career with 189 points, and served as an alternate captain on the Team USA U18 squad. The Mound native will play for defending NCAA champion Wisconsin.
Bryn Lunski, Chanhassen, Volleyball
A senior outside hitter, Lunski was one of the premier hitters in the metro and a powerful presence on the Chanhassen front line. She earned Class AAAA All-State recognition in her final season and helped lead the Storm to the Metro West Conference title and a Section 2AAAA Final appearance. She will go on to play for a St. Thomas program that qualified for the Division I NCAA Tournament last season.
Anna O’Keefe, Chanhassen, Volleyball
A senior captain and one of the metro’s best setters, O’Keefe directed a Storm offense that won the Metro West Conference and reached the Section 2AAAA Final. She will continue her volleyball career at Northern Michigan University.
Ayla Schmitz, Chaska, Track and Field
One of the most accomplished jumpers in Chaska history, Schmitz qualified for the State Meet in the high jump three times and ranks second all-time in the Hawks’ record books in the event. She paired that with strong marks in the long jump throughout her senior season.
Addi Schneider, Chaska, Basketball and Soccer
An offensive machine on the basketball court and soccer field, Schneider leaves Chaska basketball as one of its all-time leading scorers. She was the driving force behind Chaska’s memorable run to the State Basketball Tournament in 2024-2025, where the Hawks captured the Class AAAA consolation championship. Schneider will continue her basketball career at the next level, at Concordia University in St. Paul.
Kayla Swartout, Holy Family, Hockey
Swartout earned the Jori Jones Award as the state’s top senior goaltender, backstopping the Fire to a No. 1 ranking and a third-place state finish. The Shakopee resident finished her career with 61 wins, a 1.61-goals-against average, and a .936 save percentage, and will play at Wisconsin alongside Kimbrel.
Bella Travis, Southwest Christian, Soccer
A Ms. Soccer finalist and an All-State selection, Travis was one of the most dynamic attacking players in Class A. She was among the state’s assist leaders and helped guide the Stars to their first Class A state title game in 2024. Travis will play college soccer at Olivet Nazarene University in Illinois.
Zoe Zielinski, Chanhassen, Lacrosse
A four-year varsity player and honorable mention all-state selection, Zielinski was a draw specialist and attacker who controlled possession for the Storm. Zoe Zielinski will be a Zip, as she heads to Akron University to play Division I lacrosse.
