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, 2011)
Mandy Joy Lohse has endured her share of adversity during her diving career, but the Council Rock North senior never lost her positive outlook on life. Lohse burst onto the scene with great promise as a freshman, but she was hampered by a shoulder injury the past three years. The injury not only shattered her dream of one day diving at Penn State but of diving at the collegiate level at all. Lohse has been told that shoulder pain will always be a part of her life. This season, less than a year removed from major shoulder surgery, Lohse dove through the pain and came oh-so-close to advancing to districts, all the while throwing herself into the new role of helping her teammates. “If I can’t dive, I want to help other people,” Lohse said. “I want to see people achieve their goals. I love watching people succeed. It’s one of my favorite things. It’s what makes me smile.”
Lohse, who coaches the Breezy Point diving team during the summer months, all but filled the role of assistant coach to Jane Ann Cantwell, the diving coach at both Rock North and Rock South. “I could not have done it without her,” Cantwell said. “She was invaluable. One day I couldn’t make a South meet, and North didn’t have a meet. Because of my job, I couldn’t be up at Central Bucks South where Council Rock South was swimming. She went up and sat with the kids.”
An unsung hero on her team, Lohse – despite her limitations – won her share of league meets and finished fourth at the National Conference Championship. “She’s been basically our best diver for four years,” Rock North swim coach Ted Schueller said. “She’s always there, dives through the pain, doing whatever for the team and never wants to be off the board.”
Nest year, Lohse – an excellent student – will attend Bloomsburg where she will major in early childhood development with her sights set on one day being a coach.
To read Lohse’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/female-featured-athlete
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of March 21, 2011)
Kyle MacDonald has earned a soccer scholarship to Penn State University, but that is just the tip of the iceberg for the Pennsbury senior. “You’re not going to find a person on campus that doesn’t want to interact with him, be a part of what he’s doing,” coach Tom Stoddart said. “He’s just a great person. MacDonald has excelled on the soccer field for the Falcons. As a senior he scored eight goals and contributed 12 assists. “His technical ability is higher than most players,” Stoddart said. “His athletic ability, his preparation and his understanding of the game is definitely there.”
MacDonald was a first-team All-SOL National Conference selection. He was named to the ESPN Rise All-State Top 40 Players in Pennsylvania, and he was team captain of his YMS Thunder premier team since 2005. His YMS squad is ranked second in the country. Stoddart acknowledged that he will be missed next season for more than just his soccer skills. “I’ll replace him on the field,” the Falcons’ coach said. “I’ll find players that can play, but everything else he did is what we’re going to miss. He’s one of those players who, having been able to work with him, you become a better person.”
Off the field, MacDonald is ranked number one in his senior class of 840. He carries a 4.7 GPA on a scale of 5.0. He is a member of the Art Committee for Sports Night, the Senior Prom Committee and the National Honor Society.
MacDonald chose Penn State from a list that included Lehigh, Lafayette, Carnegie Mellon and Pitt. He is leaning towards majoring in architecture.
To read MacDonald’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/male-featured-athlete
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