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. 29, 2014)
If Jackie Cios were a light, it would be impossible to turn her off. The Pennridge senior has that kind of glow. An example of her unique spirit was that she was elected as a team captain last year and remains in that role this year. “It’s just who I am,” Cios said. “(After practice), I make sure everyone has a ride home and then I leave.” But like the unsinkable Molly Brown, who survived the 1912 sinking of the famed Titanic, her story is not one without hurdles. While Cios’ light never went out, it dimmed during an on-land cardio training session outside early on in the fall water polo season. In a freak accident, she broke her foot, and the senior captain was out the rest of the season. She remained with the team, providing positive leadership. “I coached the jayvee a few times – it was fun,” said Cios, who said she wouldn’t rule out coaching in the future.
But a recovery time that was supposed to be six weeks turned into 12. Her dreams of making districts in the 200 or 500 freestyle during her final swim season began to fade, and there were moments when she felt like giving up. That’s when she credits coach Ryan Griffiths for keeping her focused and inspiring her to fight back against the mounting odds. “Coach G was just so great about the whole foot thing,” said Cios. “He has been supporting me all along, going back to my freshman year. He pushed me, and now I’m starting to lower my times again.”
From the perspective of her coach, having a student-athlete like Cios – a member of the National Honor Society – for four years is like finding money under your pillow. “Jackie is the vocal leader among our team both in and out of the pool,” he said. “She consistently has a positive word of encouragement for all of her teammates as well as our leader of team cheers and announcements (on the wall of the team’s Facebook page).” Griffiths, also the water polo coach, was most impressed with how Cios handled herself after sustaining the injury. “While she could not lead in the water, she was a player-coach who was a tremendous asset to the coaching staff as the season progressed,” he said. “During the swim season, Jackie leads our team in attendance. She is one of the first ones out of the locker room (at practice) and one of the last to leave. Her improvements in her events are a direct result of her effort and drive to improve both herself and her teammates.”
Cios plans to attend either Drexel or St. Joe’s and become a CPA.
To read Cios’ complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jackie-cios-0041342
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Jan. 22, 2014)
Chris Rowland is a ‘program kid.’ The Council Rock North senior went through the ranks, paid his dues and is reaping the benefits. “He developed up from the freshman team,” coach Derek Wright said. “He didn’t feel any entitlement, and he wasn’t given any position. He worked his way up through the program like old school, the way it used to be. We take a lot of pride in seeing a kid like Chris succeed.” A two-year starter, Rowland is a captain and leading scorer on this year’s squad, and he is an advertisement for the value of hard work. “Chris has been one of our most improved players throughout the 12 years I’ve been at North,” Wright said. “He’s made a ton of progress. He’s gone from a kid that was physically a little weak and was really just one dimensional in that he was just a really good shooter, but if he missed a couple of shots in a game, then he would kind of disappear and put his head down to really being one of the hardest workers we’ve had in this program on both ends of the floor. He’s learned the game immensely on both ends of the floor as well. He’s become our leading rebounder and one of our leading assist men. He’s no longer just a catch and shoot guy. Most importantly, his attitude is terrific.”
Rowland’s leadership was especially significant this season when the Indians – with a new nucleus of players – stumbled out of the gate to a 3-6 start. The low point of the season, according to Rowland, was a 39-30 loss to Bensalem, a loss that proved to be a turning point. “After that, we all looked at ourselves in the mirror and were like, ‘What can we do better individually to help the team?’” he said. “We put in a ton of work and got after it during practice. We knew what we were capable of. We just had to start playing like it.” The team responded to the Bensalem loss with a five-game winning streak and boasts a record of 11-9 as the season heads down the home stretch.
Rowland, according to his coach, is one of those players both coaches and teammates enjoy being around. “He doesn’t take himself too seriously,” Wright said. “He doesn’t have an ego that sets himself apart from anybody else. I think he has a nice balance of competitiveness, but at the same time, I think he puts things in perspective. He garners a lot of respect from his peers and with the younger kids in the program.”
Much as he loves the sport, Rowland will not be playing basketball at the collegiate level but hopes to stay involved at the club level. An honors student, Rowland is a member of the National Honor Society and also SHARE, a community service group affiliated with the school. He has narrowed his final choices down to Penn State and James Madison with plans to major in business with an interest in accounting.
To view Rowland’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/chris-rowland-0041380
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