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 Jan. 23, 2013)
Rachel Saunders is one of the state’s elite divers. The Central Bucks West senior has not only advanced to the PIAA championships every year since she was a freshman, Saunders also was named to the 2012 National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association (NISCA) All-American Team. But Saunders is special, according to her coach, for reasons that go well beyond her accomplishments on the diving board. “Oftentimes divers set themselves apart from the swim team,” West coach Vibeke Swanson said. “Rachel became really good friends with a lot of the swimmers, and because of that, diving and swimming has become one team. I really think Rachel has a lot to do with that. She was voted captain this year, and its not often you have a diver as a captain.” It’s also uncommon to see a top-flight diver compete in swimming events, but that’s exactly what Saunders is doing this year. Since West has such a small squad, the senior captain swims a leg in the 200 freestyle relay.
While Saunders doesn’t mind swimming when pressed into duty, it is on the diving board that the senior standout is creating her legacy at West. She already holds the school diving record for six of 11 dives. Saunders also competes with her USA Diving team. The Bucks’ senior captain participated in the 2011 and 2012 USA Diving Junior Zone A Championships and also advanced to the 2012 Junior East National Championships, finishing 28th in the 1M competition. “She’s just incredible,” Swanson said. “She has such great presence, and she’s fun to watch. She’s just amazing off the board.” What sets Saunders apart? “Her persistence for excellence and her drive to constantly get a little sharper and achieve the next level,” Swanson said.
An excellent student, Saunders is a member of the Key Club, a community service club at West. Her talents on the diving board have landed Saunders a diving scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh where she will major in business with a possible interest in marketing.
To read Saunders’ complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/rachel-saunders-0031693
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Jan. 23, 2013)
Jack Lavery has overcome adversity to make important contributions to a Hatboro-Horsham basketball team that owns the top spot in the SOL Continental Conference standings. At the end of his junior lacrosse season, Lavery was diagnosed with two hernias and was forced to undergo surgery. It put the Hatboro-Horsham senior out of commission for close to five months. Coach Dennis Steinly, who initially assumed Lavery would be his starting point guard after serving as the sixth man last year, didn’t think he would be back after the operation, and the job of starting point guard was given to someone else. Lavery opted to give basketball a try this season, and he is contributing off the bench for the Hatters. “He’s done a great job for us,” Steinly said. “He’s really flourished in that (sixth man) role. He’s playing behind some kids who are younger than him, and that’s just a testament to his character and maturity to come off the bench. His attitude and energy are contagious. A lot of kids see he doesn’t have his head down, and that positive influence rubs off on them and throughout the whole team.”
Although he comes off the bench, Lavery, an impact player on defense, gets starter’s minutes, averaging nearly 25 minutes a game. He is the Hatters’ steady, go-to guy, and he is just as steady in the classroom. He boasts a 3.6 GPA and takes AP calculus and economics as well as honors English. A member of the National Honor Society, he’s narrowed his college choices to West Chester and George Mason. He plans to major in business and then join his dad’s insurance company.
Lavery is part of a non-profit organization called Woody’s Circle of Care, which his dad helped established. The organization raises money to help local families in need. “I’m glad to be helping people,” Lavery said. “It’s very uplifting. Maybe someday I’ll run the foundation and carry on the tradition.”
To view Lavery’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/jack-lavery-0031698
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