There weren’t many ways that Mya Leon could improve on a star-studded freshman season.

But even after scoring 34 goals in her first high school season, the St. Charles East sophomore knew that there were a few things to improve her potency on scoring drives.

And even with the whole state knowing her name, she delivered, and then delivered some more.

Leon finished with 47 goals on the season, breaking a school record that stood for 28 years, and added 16 assists. She led the Saints to a DuKane Conference title and earned All-State honors for the second straight season.

But even with all of the accolades, Leon, who is the Kane County Chronicle girls soccer Player of the Year for the second consecutive season, still feels like there’s even more for her to improve on.

“During club season, I really took time to focus on my accuracy and finding the side of the net,” Leon said. “I definitely felt like I was more composed in front of the net, which definitely helped with my success. There were a few opportunities last season, and even this year, where I know I could have had more success, and I think my training in the offseason got me ready for that.”

The changes she made showed in nearly every game. Leon finished the season with goals in 22 of the Saints’ 26 games on the season. She also had 12 games with multiple goals, including nine where she scored a hat trick or more.

Was it a shock to Saints coach Vince DiNuzzo to see the jump she had?

“Not exactly,” DiNuzzo said. “I saw how motivated she was to make a leap. We knew that she would have a target on her back and she faced it every time she stepped on the field. But I knew that with a little more polish in the offseason, she could make a jump, and I think she’s capable of making a more significant jump next year.

“It’s funny though to say ‘Hey, here’s what you can improve on’ for a freshman who scored 34 goals. But she’s still only 16 years old, and still has so much to offer and a lot more room to grow.”

The evolution showed down the stretch this season for Leon. After scoring just four goals over her final 10 games in her freshman season, she went on to put up 15 over her final 10 contests this season.

“Around that time last year, they started marking me and it definitely made me realize I needed to get more physical,” Leon said. “Having that happen was such a new experience for me and something I had to learn from and work around this year.”

Leon said her biggest goal of the season came against Geneva. The goal not only helped the Saints go undefeated in the regular season and secure their first conference title since 2021, but also clinched the single-season record for goals in a season, with former record holder Laurie Kelly (formerly Seidl) in attendance to see it.

“That goal really meant something because something was on the line there, and it was one of the best moments of my life,” Leon said. “I had a lot of friends on that Geneva team too, so the community around me and everything was amazing.”

But even with all the individual success, DiNuzzo noted that Leon always made sure that the main focus was on the success of the team, which helped with the Saints making it all the way to the sectional final.

“Even when I told her she was closing in on that single-season scoring record, her focus stayed on who we played next and how we could win,” DiNuzzo said. “She’s just that type of kid who really wants to see the team succeed. It’s different. You don’t typically see that, especially for a sophomore.”

Leon said that while she’s focusing on going for the all-time scoring record over the next two seasons, with seven starters returning next season and another coming back from injury, she wants to help the Saints get back to the top of the state.

“As a whole, we’re really holding higher standards of ourselves,” Leon said. “Our biggest thing this season was flipping the script, and we did that. Now that a lot of us are going to be upperclassmen after being the young team the past few years, we know we’re going to have to step up and be the role models and continue to pass on what the East culture is all about.”