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 May 30, 2011)
Liz Parkins has carried her softball team to unexpected heights this season. The Souderton senior led the Indians to their first state playoff berth since 2006, and if softball wasn’t enough to occupy her time, Parkins also competed in four track meets this spring. She even qualified for the SOL meet in shot put. All of this came about after Parkins became involved in an off-season program set up by coach Courtney Hughes and track coach John Rowe to help the softball team improve its speed and agility. Competing in track was a bonus, but elevating her game on the softball diamond was the ultimate reward for Parkins’ hard work. The hard-throwing senior fanned over 200 batters this year (147 in 94 innings during the regular season). Her earned run average during the regular season was 0.74. Beyond that, Parkins is a fierce competitor. “The girls see Liz’s face in games, and they want it for her because she’s playing with such passion for the game, and that communicates to her teammates,” Hughes said. “They want to win, and they want to do well because they see what she’s doing.”
A senior captain, Parkins has been a positive leader to a relatively inexperienced squad. “She’s always smiling,” Hughes said. “She doesn’t scream at her teammates, she doesn’t get mad at them. I’m sure she gets frustrated when we’re not playing the way we should and we’re making errors because that’s just natural, but she doesn’t ever let them see it. You see a lot of pitchers that expect perfection, and if you’re not perfect, they’ll let you know. That’s not how Liz is. She wants you to do great behind her. She’s just so approachable and endearing to everybody, and she’s really able to bring a team together.”
An excellent student, Parkins took several AP classes this year. She will be attending Shippensburg University this fall, the recipient of a softball scholarship. Parkins is undeclared but leaning toward a criminal justice major.
To read Parkins’ complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/female-featured-athlete
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 30, 2011)
Josh Mindlin went out for track to stay in shape for soccer. He ended up rewriting the record books at Council Rock North. The senior standout holds the schools records in the 100-meter, 200-meter and 55-meter (indoors), and he also is part of Rock North’s record-breaking 4x100, 4x400, 4x200 (indoor) and the outdoor sprint medley relays. “We had a ninth grade team when he was a freshman, and he stood out right away as a freshman,” coach Dave Marrington said. Mindlin finished sixth in the state in the 200 this spring, and he also was part of Rock North’s 4x100 relay that captured fifth place at the state meet. Having Mindlin on the team, according to his coach, is like having an assistant coach within the sprint group. “Josh is the kind of kid who – if he saw kids doing things that weren’t right – he would let them know,” Marrington said. “I think he learned to respect the sport and the program. He wanted to make sure everyone was getting the same thing out of the sport that he was.”
Mindlin – who comes from a strong athletic family - has been winning races since he stepped onto the track, and many of the records he broke at Rock North were held by his older brother Matt. “He told me he’s proud of me, and he’s glad the records are at least staying in the Mindlin family,” Josh said.
A standout student, Mindlin was accepted at West Point, but he was disqualified due to a medical reason. Instead, he will be attending the University of Pittsburgh where he plans to continue his track career. He will be majoring in biology/pre-med with the goal of one day becoming a neurologist. Last year, Mindlin passed his exam to become a licensed EMT, and he volunteers what little spare time he has on the ambulance.
To read Mindlin’s complete profile, click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/male-featured-athlete
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