Univest Featured Athletes (Week of March 29)

SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and 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.

Emily Howard excelled for four years as one of the area’s premier divers. The Pennsbury senior accumulated a dazzling 59-1 record during that span with one second place finish. She owns the Pennsbury pool and school record for six dives with a point total of 264.85. She was a four-time all-SOL, all-District One and all-PIAA State diver. A National Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association All-American, Howard is an eight-time AAU All-American and an AAU National Champion of the three-meter board. “She’s a great kid,” Pennsbury diving coach Joe Costello said. “I saw her when she was 12 years old, and she was the best 12-year-old that I’ve ever seen dive.” Howard has only gotten better since then. As a junior and senior, she won both SOLs and districts. She finished eighth in the state as a junior and fourth this past winter. “She made me look real good,” Costello said.

 

Keanen Ellison is an advertisement for the value of perseverance and determination. The Abington senior grew up playing close to the basket, but when he stopped growing, he was forced to play on the perimeter. Shooting did not come naturally for Ellison, but he began working with a shooting coach, and for the past year and half has taken between 500 and 1,000 shots every day. He contributed as a reserve for the Ghosts this past season, but he never lost his passion for the game and plans to try out as a walk-on next year at West Chester University. “That shows how much he loves the sport,” coach Anthony Hall said. “Usually kids that don’t get a whole lot of playing time sometimes perceive that to be – ‘It’s not fun, it’s not worth it, so I’m just going to let the game go.’ He said right away, ‘I’m definitely trying out for the team.’ He’s still working on his game, and I think that shows great toughness and just great mental stability. He’s just a great kid all the way around. He’s going to be a success in life.”