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 April 4, 2011)
Liz Cowley is passionate about the sport of lacrosse. The Pennsbury senior – a two-year captain – doesn’t just love the sport, she excels at it. A second team all-league selection and team MVP last year, Cowley is the undisputed lead of this year’s Falcon squad. “She really sets the example of intensity for the team, and the girls look up to her,” coach Kelly White said. “She knows the game so well, and she’s a very vocal player, but she doesn’t have to say anything – she truly leads by example. Every practice she’s going 110 percent, and that’s how she plays. Every day is game day for Liz. She’s so much fun to coach.”
Cowley, a self-motivated student off the field as well, is president of Pennsbury’s Humanities in Progress Club, a club that works toward creating a tolerant and more peaceful environment in school. “At Pennsbury, we try to spread and teach non-bullying tactics,” she said. “Not just accepting one another but being completely tolerant of diversity and kind of spreading the love.”
Cowley is also involved with Pennsbury Friends, a club affiliated with HIP that works with the special needs students. “She’s just great with the students,” said White, a faculty advisor for the program. “She’s just that all-around great kid, and I can’t speak highly enough of her.”
Despite her love of lacrosse, Cowley does not presently have plans to continue her career at the collegiate level although she does hope to stay involved in the sport in some way. She is considering Temple but is uncertain of her college choice or major. “I like being involved with special needs kids and doing charitable work,” she said. “I like to give back. I feel like I’ve been so (blessed) in life, so whatever I do, I definitely want to be giving back.”
To read Cowley’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/female-featured-athlete
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of April 4, 2011)
Jake Braun might not find himself in the spotlight, but he has been a key contributor in the Pennridge volleyball program’s ascent to not only the top of the league but also the district and state. The senior libero is the anchor of the Rams’ defense and was a key piece of last year’s district championship squad that advanced to the state semifinals. “As a sophomore, he was the smartest kid I had ever coached,” Pennridge coach Dave Childs said. “He’s very smart when it comes to the game. He knows what’s going to happen before it happens, and he’s able to get in position. That’s really what sets him apart from most players. He’s smarter than everybody.”
Braun is the lone captain of this year’s squad that –despite the loss of a pair of all-state hitters to graduation – is undefeated and ranked in the top 10 in the state. He is one of the squad’s unsung heroes. “We’ve had good hitters the last few years, and we have good hitters now, but they don’t get the ball if the ball is not passed to the setter,” Childs said. “It’s the thing that goes unnoticed a lot, but now I think people are starting to realize that he’s a good player. I think he’s one of the best in the area, and people are starting to see that now.”
An excellent student, Braun is a member of the National Honor Society as well as the Executive Council of the Class of 2011. He has been enrolled in AP classes since his sophomore year. He has narrowed his college choices down to Drexel and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is leaning toward RPI where he will double major in nuclear and electrical engineering.
To read Braun’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/male-featured-athlete
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