SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of Dec. 7, 2011)
Bryn Frankhouser wasn’t a headliner for the Plymouth Whitemarsh field hockey team this past fall, but talk to coach Marianne Paparone, and it’s clear the veteran coach would take an entire team of Bryn Frankhousers. “She’s very quiet on the field and is a kid that tends to fall through the cracks a little bit because she’s not very vocal, and she doesn’t demand a lot of attention,” Paparone said. “But she’s a kid who is every coach’s dream because she listens, she works hard, she’s respectful, and she’s responsible.” Frankhouser, a three-year varsity player, was a key contributor to the success of a PW squad that advanced to the district tournament. She scored 15 goals and earned third team all-league recognition.
Making her success on the hockey field even more impressive is the fact that Frankhouser played the entire season at less than 100 percent, battling shin splints early in the season and playing through hip flexor pain the entire season. “She was a positive kid and not just this year but all four years,” Paparone said. “I don’t think she ever missed a practice. She plays hurt, and she’s always in a good mood and gets along with everyone.”
An academic all-state selection this year, Frankhouser also excels in the classroom where she takes AP math and is enrolled in honors classes. In addition to working two jobs, she is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Anti-Defamation League. She is an orientation leader, a member of the steering committee of her senior class and is a member of student council.
Frankhouser is doing internships with a speech therapist and an occupational therapist. Her plans are to pursue a career as an occupational therapist. “I always knew I wanted to do something where I help people,” she said. Frankhouser hopes to play hockey at the collegiate level and is talking to both Elizabethtown and Scranton.
To view Frankhouser’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/bryn-frankhouser
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Dec. 7, 2011)
Chris Ruhl is a rare three-sport athlete. The Abington senior excels in football, basketball and baseball. If that wasn’t enough, Ruhl is enrolled in six AP classes. He admits his workload can become fairly staggering, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m having way too much fun playing three sports to even let it cross my mind to give one up,” Ruhl said. The senior standout strives for perfection, whether in the classroom or on the field. “His competitiveness drives him to be an excellent player not just in football but in the other two sports, and it also drives him to be an excellent student,” football coach Tim Sorber said. “That’s the thing that I admire about him the most – he’s able to compete in three sports and do extremely well in academics. I use Chris a lot as an example of how you can balance academics and athletics. He never missed workouts. He works extremely hard in the weight room and in our strength and conditioning program. The kids see and respect that type of effort.”
Ruhl was a key part of two National Conference championship football squads, and he recently was named a recipient of a Mini Maxwell Award, presented annually by the Maxwell Football Club to players in the Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey areas who combine athletic prowess, academic excellence and community service.
Although he will be a major contributor to both the basketball and baseball teams, Ruhl, who boasts a 4.5 GPA and is one of the top students in his senior class, believes football will help get him into a prestigious academic school with a quality engineering program. He is in the process of talking with and visiting numerous schools, mostly in the Patriot League and Ivy League.
To view Ruhl’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/chris-ruhl
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