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. 10, 2014)
Meghan Izak likes to challenge herself and admits that throughout her high school career she has said “yes” to everything. A three year-starter and two-year captain of the field hockey team, the William Tennent senior is passionate about field hockey. She is equally enthusiastic about dancing, and inspired by her aunt – and dance teacher – Kristine Izak, Meghan has taken lessons at the Jane Lopoten School of Dance two nights a week September to June for as long as she can remember. Then there’s math, Izak admits she ‘hated’ the subject when she was younger, but in high school, all that changed, and she is not only part of the school’s mathlete team, she is also a member of the Math National Honor Society.
Hockey, dancing and math are just the tip of the iceberg. Izak is also active with her church youth group, meeting with them once a week, and she has taken mission trips that have been life-changing experiences. “I’ve gone everywhere from Africa to Kensington Philadelphia and everywhere in between,” Izak said. Her trip to Kenya the summer before her sophomore year was particularly eye opening. “It changes your whole outlook on life,” she said. “I feel like I’ve grown up in such a materialistic world where everyone is so excited about the newest iPhone, what kind of clothes you’re wearing. It’s very different when you go to a culture like that where it’s just survival.”
If it seems as though Izak has many passions, she does, and she doesn’t seem to sell any of them short. “From a freshman to a senior, she has grown phenomenally into the person I knew she could be,” Tennent hockey coach Kaitlyn Rauchut said. “When times are tough, she always gets going. Obviously, she’s a very talented player, but off the field, she’s a leader. She not only leads by example but is a wonderful role model for younger players.”
A member of the National Honor Society and Science Honor Society, Izak’s schedule is loaded with AP classes, and she boasts an unweighted GPA of 3.72. She has her sights set on becoming a physical therapist, an interest that was sparked by her own life experiences. “Actually, my mom has MS and my dad (works in the field of) orthotics and prosthetics, so I’ve kind of grown up around therapists and people helping people,” Izak said.
To read Izak’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/meghan-izak-0046494
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Sept. 10, 2014)
To say soccer is in Riley Woron’s blood would be the understatement of understatements. Sure, the Springfield senior “played a little bit of little league,” but baseball was not the sport for him. “Soccer was just my place,” Woron said. “It is where I feel most comfortable.” His brothers were deep into soccer, and he began with Montgomery United early, playing for its U-8 squad while serving as a ball boy and catching Springfield coach Dan Meder’s eye. “He ran the lines as a ball boy for his two older brothers, and even at that time, nobody worked harder than Riley,” the Spartans’ coach said. “He ran more than the boys on the field.”
The hard work has paid off, as the center defensive midfielder is the senior co-captain for the Spartans. “Riley has been a four-year varsity starter, and while he is captain this year, he has led this team for several years,” said Meder. “His work ethic and positive attitude are contagious. He is willing to serve any role the team needs. He’ll play any position, he’ll make any adjustment we ask and he leaves it on the field, he gives everything he has.” Woron has the same level of respect for Meder, partly because he doesn’t place total emphasis on winning as the be-all and end-all for the smallest school in the Suburban One League. “He makes sure we respect each other, respect other teams, and respect the coaches,” said Woron.
When it comes to the subject of respect and love, look no further than Woron’s family tree. Nancy Woron, his grandmother, is better known as “Nana.” Even though she lives in Massachusetts, that doesn’t stop her from being regarded as someone who has “always been there” in his life. “She makes the trip down at least 15 times a year,” he said. “She makes every game she can make and always cheers me on. She has taught me about keeping my promises, about integrity and about doing what’s right,” he said. To that same end, his brothers have played similar roles as mentors who have been through the same experiences.
Woron volunteers for the Special Olympics, and he is the president of Student Council. He coaches soccer and floor hockey for special needs teens and adults. He is hoping to play soccer at the Division III college level at Carnegie Mellon University.
To view Woron’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/riley-woron-0046495.
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