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 Oct. 20, 2016)
Shannon McCrackon uses the word strength often when describing Seema Sajjan. It’s not the first word that might come to mind when watching the diminutive midfielder in action, but McCracken – who says the North Penn senior does “pack a punch” – isn’t referring to physical strength but rather to the remarkable mental strength Sajjan consistently displays on the field and off. During the field hockey team’s disappointing 0-4 start, Sajjan stayed strong, never hanging her head, never losing her positive spirit, and the senior captain’s leadership was significant. “She just said, ‘We have to work harder,’” McCracken said.
Sajjan’s mental toughness was put to the ultimate test in January of 2016 when – on the day she was to return to school after winter break – she received life-changing news. “I got a phone call from my brother saying my dad had passed away,” Sajjan said. “My dad was in India to take care of my grandmother, so it was like ‘What are you talking about? That can’t even be possible.’ I would have never imagined. It was just such a shock.” Within hours, Sajjan was on her way to India with her family. “The flight was 12 hours,” she said. “It was hard sitting still, crying. There were my mom, sister and brother, and we’re all a mess.” It was during those dark hours that Sajjan found herself on the receiving end of tremendous support. “I told a couple of friends, and it spread,” she said. “I got texts from my teammates. My coaches e-mailed me, e-mailed my mom. Just knowing there were people back home that when I got back they’d be able to help me and support me was really helpful. I was away two weeks and missing two weeks of school. It was hard.”
Sajjan was a positive leader of the field hockey team. “She’s the first to tell a teammate they made a great play,” McCracken said. “She’s super supportive of her teammates.” Off the hockey field, academics are a priority for Sajjan, who is in the top five percent of her senior class of 1,066. An officer in the National Honor Society, Sajjan is taking five AP classes this year. Although she is uncertain of her college choice, Sajjan is committed to her career path, planning to major in biology or chemistry with the goal of one day becoming a pediatrician. “My dad always wanted me to become a doctor,” Sajjan said of her father, Shiva Sajjan. “It’s just something to honor him.”
To read Sajjad’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/seema-sajjan-0065740
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 20, 2016)
Underneath the Friday night lights, Neshaminy center AJ Sanko is deep in the trenches, battling for gridiron supremacy. Come Sundays, he returns to the same field, but it is not to visit the blood or sweat or tears he has left behind. Win or lose on Friday, he joins with other Bucks County area athletes – some from schools considered rivals – and all walk away winners with a sense of renewed perspective, participating in the Bucks County Challenger program. “He teaches special needs children the ins and outs of football,” coach Steve Wilmot said. Now a senior, Sanko got involved as a sophomore, the same year he emerged at the top of the depth chart as an undersized center in what turned out to be a retooling year. It has become as much a part of his regular routine as lifting weights in the offseason. “It’s a lot of fun,” Sanko said. “When you see a smile on their face, it just means so much. It makes you think how lucky we are.”
Sanko’s senior football season could not have gone any better, and he is looking forward to wrapping up his career with a return trip to the district playoffs. The clear-cut leader of the offensive line, Sanko makes a lot of calls in what is a diverse system, but because he is not a skill position player, scoring touchdowns or putting up big stats, Sanko's notoriety comes more within the circle of the team. “This year, his leadership and production is off the charts,” said Wilmot. “He has graded out over 95 percent in all of our games and makes all the players around him better with his communication and understanding of the game. Although still undersized compared to the players he goes up against, he demonstrates outstanding technique and the will to succeed on every play. I call him a great leader, not for what he says, but for his actions on the football field." Sanko has made life-long friendships through football, and he will leave behind quite a legacy. "I have had the opportunity to coach many great centers the past 22 years at Neshaminy," Wilmot said. "AJ is the best. He is a special player that doesn’t always get the publicity in the newspapers on Saturday morning. His contribution to his team is invaluable.”
Active in Neshaminy’s Future Business Leaders of America, Sanko is eying a career in accounting or business with Villanova and Delaware atop his list of schools. He takes all AP and honors classes and carries a 3.9 GPA.
To read Sanko’s compete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/aj-sanko-0065727
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