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 Sept. Oct. 1, 2015)
Most current high school students are barely aware of the major earthquake that rocked Haiti in January 2010. More than 300,000 people were reported dead and a similar number injured. Meanwhile, an estimated 1 million in a country already dealing with poverty issues were left homeless. Among those meeting the challenges of rebuilding 
was Dr. Joseph McGarvey, a cardiologist, and his spirit of volunteerism was not lost on his granddaughter, Rebecca Markham, now a senior captain of the Abington field hockey team. “I knew that, one day, that was something I would also like to do.” Markham has no hesitation when she lists her ‘grandpop’ among her role models, which may explain why she was among eight Abington students to spend a week in Haiti in June.
The opportunity came about as she and the other members of the school’s buildOn program raised $30,000 to build a Haitian school. “It was awesome,” Markham said. “It was the best week of my life. From the start, the people were all so welcoming. When we got there, we were on a truck, and they were all waiting for us. They were singing and dancing and ran after our truck when we arrived. I’m hoping to go back this summer.”
Markham’s future goals include following in her grandfather’s footsteps and becoming a doctor, but she won’t be in it for the money or the prestige. Her motives, as they are when playing field hockey, are selfless. Markham – who has done community service at Philabundance and Cradles for Crayons – points to an organization like Doctors Without Borders when asked where she pictures herself a decade down the line. “Doctors Without Borders pulls everything I love together,” she said. “I love science, I love travel, and most of all, I love helping others. I used to worry about money, so that crossed Doctors Without Borders off my possible list. I think my trip to Haiti really helped me to realize what’s important. I learned so much about what it means to be truly thankful and happy.”
Ranked No. 5 in her class of more than 500 students, Markham does take some time to herself to “hang out with friends” and ski in the winter and surf in the summer. She also runs track. And that is just fine with field hockey coach Amanda McMahon, who said that Markham is not only “one of the most talented players on the team” but one rich in character. “She’s a great kid with a humble heart and a fantastic role model for others,” said McMahon, adding that Markham has volunteered the last several years as a counselor at field hockey clinics. “Rebecca is one of the most selfless players I have ever coached. She has been a three-year starter for the Ghosts, and she will do anything that will help the team be more successful. Rebecca is one of our captains because she leads the team by her hard-working example. Whether it is practice or a game, Rebecca gives 100 percent every day.”
To read Markham’s complete profile, please kick on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/rebecca-markham-0056259
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 1, 2015)
Mark Lopez-Shefcyk has played a major role in the rebirth of a Harry S Truman football program that had fallen on hard times. Last year, the then junior quarterback threw for more than a thousand yards and also surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the ground for a 7-5 squad that just missed out on a district playoff berth. “You could tell when he walked onto the team as a freshman that this kid was going to be something special,” coach Jon Craig said. “You could see it in the way he conducted himself. Obviously, his ability was there. He was almost the way he is now from the get-go – just poised and a leader in the huddle.”
Lopez-Shefcyk entered his senior season the cornerstone of a Tigers’ squad that was in the conversation for an SOL Continental Conference crown. The script was going exactly as planned. In their season opener, the Tigers defeated a West Chester Rustin squad that last year was the third-seeded team in the district tournament. One week later, the Tigers fell to highly regarded Upper Dublin, but more costly than the loss was an injury to Lopez-Shefcyk’s knee. After several days rest, the senior quarterback was back on the field for Truman’s game against Bensalem the following week. It was business as usual when – with the Tigers driving – Lopez-Shefcyk made a cut and felt a pop in his right knee. An MRI four days later confirmed his worst fears – he had a torn ACL as well as a bone bruise. It was a devastating blow to not only the senior quarterback and his team but to the Truman community.
Tom Monaghan coaches Lopez-Shefcyk on the baseball diamond in the spring but also recognizes his value on the gridiron. “Our football program has come so far over the last couple of years,” the Tigers’ baseball coach said. “What coach Craig is doing there and what he’s building has been great. Mark has been as big a part of that as coach Craig has been. Mark’s that kid that has that ‘it.’ It’s a very hard thing to describe, but when you come across kids that have it, you know exactly what you’re talking about.”
A three-year varsity player in both basketball and baseball, Lopez-Shefcyk – who will undergo surgery to repair his knee this month - hopes to be back on the diamond by next summer’s American Legion season and on the gridiron for his freshman collegiate season. “My doctor told me that my knee’s going to be stronger than before I hurt it,” Lopez-Shefcyk said. “I’m going to hit rehab really hard, and I’m going to bounce back a lot stronger. I’m still in contact with some (college) coaches, I’m still going to visit schools for football. I’m just hoping they see my thought process of how strong I feel I’m going to come back from the injury and how ready I’m going to be to get back on the field. That’s one thing I can’t wait to do – get back on the field.”
Lopez-Shefyck plans to pursue a career in the field of athletic training.
To read Lopez-Shefcyk’s compete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/mark-lopez-shefcyk-0056258
- Log in to post comments
