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 Nov. 30, 2011)
Madi Vitelli was a captain and leader of her Central Bucks South soccer squad this fall. The Central Bucks South senior, who moved into the area from Hawaii when she was in eighth grade, has been playing varsity since she was a sophomore. “I put her in as a role player, and she just worked hard,” coach Joe Bocklet said. “Every year she got better and better. She does all the little things. Obviously her play on the field was a big part, but off the field, she was a role model.” Last year, Vitelli earned the starting nod as a midfielder but moved to left defensive back because of injuries. It was the turning point of her soccer career. “She was awesome,” Bocklet said. “She was lacking some confidence in herself, and once she started playing there, she got the chance to make some runs out of the back and get involved in the offense too.”
This year Vitelli came full circle as she returned to play forward where she started as a sophomore. She earned first team all-league recognition. “She’s relentless, works hard for the ball,” Bocklet said. “It’s amazing how much she’s matured in the past three years from a fringe player to a team leader.”
Vitelli is a captain and point guard of the basketball team this winter. “Madi is a leader on and off the court by giving 100 percent of herself to the team and having a work ethic second to none,” coach Beth Mattern said. “She is our vocal leader on the court and is the glue that holds our team together.”
In the classroom, Vitelli, who takes honors and AP classes, boasts a 4.0 GPA. She is a member of the student council, the French Honor Society and the Key Club. She wants to attend a large school next year and has been accepted at Penn State and Pitt. She is also considering Temple, Delaware and UConn. She plans to pursue a career in the medical field.
To view Vitelli’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/madi-vitelli
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Nov. 30, 2011)
Ryan Hickey was a senior captain of a Council Rock South football team that made history when it became the first team in the 10-year history of the program to advance to the District One AAA title game. He is the fourth in a line of brothers to play football. “We knew we were going to have a great player in Ryan Hickey,” coach Vince Bedesem said. “Every one of the Hickey boys has this innate ability to play football. They have that sense about them that you can’t coach.” Hickey was the quarterback of the defense in Rock South’s secondary, and it is that innate feel for the game that made him such an effective leader of a Golden Hawk defense that was one of the area’s stingiest. “We have the ability to do things because he’s back there,” Bedesem said. “Ryan’s always at the ball, and he sets us up back there at the free safety position.”
Hickey – who was projected to earn significant varsity playing time -suffered a season-ending injury when he tore his ACL during preseason of his sophomore season. He returned to all-league honors as a junior and was a first team all-league defender as a senior. The injury gave Hickey a new perspective. “Now I know every play you’re in a game you have to realize how lucky you are,” he said. “There are some people out there who can’t do that, and at any minute, it can be taken away from you. It happened to me. I was just doing something I did every day, and my knee popped. You never know when it’s going to happen, but everything happens for a reason. It’s the kind of thing that makes you stronger as a person.”
An excellent student, Hickey also has a commitment to community service has volunteered extensively with – among other things - the Shooting Stars, a basketball program for special needs children. “He epitomizes what we always talk about - not just on the field but off the field,” Bedesem said. Hickey would like to attend a large school like Penn State, Pitt, Temple or Delaware. He is undecided on a major.
To view Hickey’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/ryan-hickey
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