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 (May 2, 2011)
Madison Brunk is described by her lacrosse coach as ‘one of those kids that comes along once in a lifetime.’ A National Merit Scholarship Finalist, the Cheltenham senior is ranked number one in her senior class of 365 and boasts a GPA of 3.96 out of a possible 4.0. A four-year member of both the varsity swim and lacrosse teams, she was captain of both this year. “She’s mature beyond her years,” Cheltenham lacrosse coach Dave Burton said. “We see kids come here all the time as freshmen, and they’re innocent, they’re naïve, they’re fun, and as they go through high school, they experience different things, and you see them all change, but she hasn’t changed. She just maintains this great sense of authenticity, and it never wavers.”
Brunk has been swimming competitively since she was five, and although she excels in the pool, the Cheltenham senior has chosen to continue her lacrosse career at the collegiate level. “Madi played varsity all four years, but she says herself that she just learned to play this year,” Burton said. “It just clicked for her, and she’s one of our best players by far.”
A nominee for the prestigious 2011 Dannehower Award, Brunk is a member of the National Honor Society and serves as a tutor. She has taken numerous AP classes as well as dual enrollment classes at Arcadia University and Manor College. Despite her rigorous schedule, she still finds time to volunteer. One Friday night a month, she travels with the youth group from her church to Logan Circle where they serve a group of homeless men and women.
When it came time to choose a college, Brunk applied to eight schools – Alabama, York, Grove City, Messiah, Drexel, Penn, Johns Hopkins and SUNY Binghamton - and was accepted at all eight. She narrowed her final choices to Drexel and Messiah and on May 1 chose Messiah. One of her reasons for choosing Messiah was its emphasis on service. “In the engineering program for their senior project, you’re not building a solar car,” Brunk said. “Instead, you’re going to contract with a hospital in Zambia and build what they need – a compressor or a wheel chair or something like that, so you’re using your degree to help people.” It’s a philosophy that Brunk says will guide her when it comes to choosing a career path after college.
To read Brunk’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/female-featured-athlete
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 3, 2011)
Anthony Greco is a leader and two-year captain of Abington’s lacrosse team. The senior contributes at both ends of the field for the Ghosts as a long stick midfielder. “I wouldn’t change that position for anything,” Greco said. “I love it. You have to be the most fit. You’re running the whole game. You get a chance to play both sides of the ball. You can go on defense or you can take it down on offense and score.”
Greco does the things that don’t show up in the box score and has played a major role in the Ghosts’ ascent to the top of the National Conference standings. “He’s the leader of our man-down,” coach Randy McNeill said. “He knocks down a ton of passes, and in all our big games he’s been averaging eight or nine ground balls. He’s a great leader on and off the field. He works hard, leads by example, but he speaks when he needs to speak.”
A first team all-league selection last year, Greco enjoys sharing his passion for lacrosse with youngsters and helps coach third and fourth graders for the Abington Lacrosse Club. “I’m giving back for what people did for me,” he said. “I love helping little kids with the knowledge and make them love the sport the way I do.”
Next year Greco will be playing lacrosse at Cabrini College. He plans on majoring in criminal justice.
To read Greco’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/male-featured-athlete
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