Thanks to our continued partnership with Univest Financial, SuburbanOneSports.com will once again recognize a male and female featured athlete each week. The recognition is given to seniors of high character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams or who have overcome adversity. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of April 12, 2023)
All anyone can really ask for is leaving behind a legacy. For Upper Moreland senior Skye Kramer, there will be a phrase to remember her by. “We have a saying on our team, when it comes to Skye,” said soccer coach Lisa Benvenuto. “Her last name is Kramer, and we say, ‘You just got Kramed.’ That’s the kind of intensity she brings to everything that she does.” As a defender who doesn’t get onto the stat sheet – unless one is calculating winning 50-50 balls in the air and other “effort” plays – Kramer is proud to wear her motto on her sleeve. “It came about because I always went 110 percent on the field, so I ended up accidentally knocking people over so I could get the ball, which is like the legacy I’m going to leave,” she said. “It feels really cool to have this name left behind because it’s something that people are going to remember.”
In reality, though, Kramer is not going to be easily forgotten. “She is one of those kids who leaves a lasting impression,” said Benvenuto. “There is definitely going to be a void. Each girl that passes through the program leaves their own individual mark – whether it’s a practice player or a game player. When you are losing a strong captain, someone who puts out that effort that you want to see from everybody - as a teacher, you say ‘I could take a classroom full of them.’ As a coach, I would take a team of all Skyes for sure.” Added track coach Doug Smith: “It’s going to be a hole, of course. And it’s not just a hole on the track, with the points she gets us. It’s also the person she is. It’s that smile that she has. She is really one that you can’t replace. Every day is another day of fun with her. She is just an amazing girl.”
Ironically, Skye entered Upper Moreland very much in the shadow of her older sister, Chloe, who is two years older. “One of the cool things with Skye is that, when she first started out, she was always known as Chloe’s sister,” said Smith. “Now, she’s Skye. It’s no longer, ‘Oh, that’s Chloe Kramer’s younger sister.’ Now, she’s Skye. She has created her own identity and she is leaving her mark on Upper Moreland.” Part of forging her own identity included honing leadership skills that were certainly shaped as a girl scout and now an Eagle Scout. She carried those traits over to athletics as a captain for soccer and both indoor and now outdoor track but also within the school community as one of the students running the Mini-Thon dance marathon.
One of the captains of the soccer team, Benvenuto calls her a “true leader.” “She is a kid who doesn’t take anything for granted,” said Benvenuto. “She might not be the fastest kid on the field. She might not be the most skilled soccer player on the field. But what she lacks in those things, she has in heart and grit. She’s a competitor. When she goes out to do something, there is no level other than 100 percent. If you are watching our games, she is not necessarily going to be that player that stands out. Instead, she is the kind of player who is consistent. She is going to be a player who does everything that she has to do to help her team win.”
The soccer team has made districts on a semi-regular basis, and it has done so the last two years with Kramer as a key defender. “Your team can only be as good as its chemistry, and it’s built around the kids,” said Benvenuto. “She’s like that glue that kept everybody together. She has been a part of that success the last couple of years. She has been a big part of our program.”
Kramer is committed to Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa., to run track, and she gave up softball as a senior to train full-time on high jump while running middle distance in individual events and relays. Given her length, at 5-7, Allegheny is intrigued with Kramer as a high jumper and brought up being a pole vaulter. An aspiring Park Ranger, Kramer was at a scouting event at the University of Tennessee and came to the realization that a large school was not the atmosphere for her. Looking to study environmental science, she found a match in Allegheny College.
To read Kramer’s complete story, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/skye-kramer-00106036
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of April 12, 2023)
Nate Wiseman, according to his coach, is the very definition of a ‘program kid.’ The New Hope-Solebury senior - who saw his freshman baseball season wiped out by the COVID pandemic - played mainly for the jayvee as a sophomore and then stepped into the starting lineup as a junior who excelled. This year, Wiseman is a captain and anchors the infield at shortstop. “He really developed,” coach Tony Vlahovic said. “As a freshman he came in – he’s not a big kid, but he was small, and he wasn’t as strong. He just kept working at it and just kept getting better each year. He’s one of those kids you point out as an example to the younger kids.” Yes, Wiseman is undeniably an example worth following on the baseball diamond, but it’s much more than that. “He’s also a very good golfer – he went to states in golf,” Vlahovic said. “He’s a multi-sport athlete, he’s a musician, he’s bright as can be. He’s a well-rounded kid. His family is a good family, and he’s just a well-rounded person all the way around.”
Well-rounded might actually be an understatement, and although he’s not big on talking about himself, Wiseman boasts quite a resume. The New Hope-Solebury senior is a National Merit Scholarship Program semifinalist, scoring among the top one percent of U.S. high school seniors on the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). He takes a course load of honors and AP classes and is a member of National Honor Society and Peer Leadership. Music is also an important part of Wiseman’s life. He is a member of the school’s concert band and plays bass in the jazz band. “My dad and brother play guitar, so I picked that up too,” he said. “I taught myself, and then there’s YouTube. My dad and brother helped out, especially with guitar, and playing bass is pretty similar. Especially during COVID when I had nothing to do, I’d play guitar all day. I play a lot – that’s my life outside of sports.”
Wiseman’s high school career on the links was capped with his New Hope-Solebury squad capturing the SOL Freedom Division title as well as another trip to the state tournament. He tied for 16th out of 72 golfers at the PIAA AA State Tournament. As for baseball, last summer he joined the Plumstead American Legion team for the first time and plans to play again this summer. After earning All-SOL Freedom Division honors at second base last year, Wiseman was moved to shortstop this year. He also pitches in relief, and he’s been a positive leader for a young Lions’ squad. “He’s one of those kids, he’s a quiet leader, but he’s solid,” Vlahovic said. “I can rely on him. He helps do clinics with the little kids. This year’s he’s been a little more vocal.”
Although he will not play collegiate sports at the varsity level, Wiseman plans to stay involved at the club or intramural level. He’ll have plenty of options when he heads to the South Bend, Ind., and the University of Notre Dame this fall. “There’s a lot of cool club and intramural sports - whether it’s baseball or golf or whether it’s a random sport playing for fun,” Wiseman said. He plans to major in aerospace engineering. For now, Wiseman is enjoying his final high school baseball season, an experience he wouldn’t have wanted to miss. “I’ve always liked being a part of the program,” he said. “I was always into baseball, and I knew I could be pretty good on a team if I stuck with it, so I stuck with it. Just playing the sport is always fun. It’s a break from stress or whatever else is going on in high school. It also gives you a community. In baseball season, you’re together six days a week for 3-4 hours. It’s a group you grow pretty tight with over time, and it’s nice to have that.” There’s no mistaking Wiseman is a player and leader that will be missed. “Whatever he has, he leaves everything he has on that field,” Vlahovic said. “He’s a heart and soul kind of kid. He will play any position I ask him to, and he’s smart. He’s just a great kid.”
To read the remainder of Wiseman’s story, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/nate-wiseman-00106040
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