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 March 21, 2012)
Rae-Claire Embree lived through her share of adversity during her final high school swimming season. The Council Rock North senior missed pool time as she battled her way through strep throat, mononucleosis and tendinitis in her shoulder. Some might have seen these obstacles as reason to throw in the towel. Embree used them as incentive and came back at leagues to finish in second place in the 50 and 100 freestyle races and was a member Rock North’s first place 200 free relay as the Indians claimed the team title at the National Conference Championships. “She fought through everything, and she really peaked and blossomed at the end of the season at leagues and districts,” coach Ted Schueller said. “And that’s taught the younger kids on the team. Watching Rae-Clair, seeing her battling, she’s a good example of learning how to deal with those things. She shows the kids about the mental toughness of pushing through that.”
Despite missing time in the pool, Embree’s performances through the season and at SOL’s allowed her to advance to the District One Championship meet for the third consecutive year. “Every year she’s improved,” Schueller said. “This year, I think she performed way beyond even her expectations and mine. Rae-Clair has kind of been in the shadow of those elite level kids ever year she’s been on the team, but you’ll never hear her complain. It’s always, ‘Where do you want me to go? Where to you need me? She is the consummate team person.”
Embree is just as motivated in the classroom as she is in the pool. She is taking two AP classes and several honors classes and is narrowing her choice of colleges. She plans to continue her swimming career, whether at the club or varsity level. She plans to pursue a degree that will keep her involved with sports, possibly communications or journalism.
To view Embree’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/carly-black
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of March 21, 2012)
Ozzie Moyer wrote his name in the record books when the Souderton senior captured the gold medal in diving at the PIAA Class AAA meet. “As far as I’m concerned, for Souderton diving, he’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent,” coach Todd Bauer said. “I have had a couple of coaches tell me they can’t wait to swim against us because their kids like to watch Ozzie dive. He’s fun to watch, and he’s definitely raised the level of the program, no question.” Making Moyer’s accomplishment especially remarkable was the fact that it came on the heels of a second place performance at districts – Moyer’s fourth consecutive second place finish in the district meet. The day after he finished second, Moyer was back on the board. “He didn’t take any time off, and that’s a credit to him,” diving coach Bill Hence said. “A lot of kids – four years in a row of finishing second would have gotten discouraged, but he didn’t. He knew what the grand prize was.”
And Moyer knew exactly what it would take to win the grand prize, so when he found himself in the same spot at the state meet he had been in at districts heading into his final dive, Moyer was ready. “That’s where losing kind of teaches you – I thought, ‘All I have to do is not do what I did at districts,’” he said. Moyer nailed the dive, and the rest is history. “He did his dive, and it was so good everybody in the stands knew nobody was going to catch him,” Baer said. “It was just beautiful, and the whole crowd went crazy. When he won, everybody was going up to him, giving him high fives and hugging him. Unless you were one of the four kids that were in the running for states, you were cheering for Ozzie. He’s a genuinely nice kid. He’s the type of kid you would want to marry your daughter. He’s a coach’s dream. That’s for sure.”
An excellent student, Moyer has accepted a scholarship to the University of North Carolina. He is uncertain of his major but is interested in something related to the study of the body that would prepare him for pursuing a career in physical therapy.
To view Moyer’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/ozzie-moyer
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