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 for week of Oct. 28, 2019
Livia Truong is a standout defender in the backfield of a Plymouth Whitemarsh field hockey team that has done nothing but win. This fall the Colonials captured the program’s seventh consecutive SOL American championship and advanced to the District One 4A title game for the first time since 2004. It’s hardly a surprise to hear that Truong is passionate about her sport. After all, what’s not to love about winning 56 straight conference games (67 all told) for a program that has lost just nine games during her four-year career. “I’m pretty sure my coaches are tired of me because I always come in their class during school or jump in their meetings, and I’ll always be talking about the team we’re playing next or talking about a new play,” Truong said. “I talk about my new stick, I talk about everything field hockey. I stalk field hockey all the time.”
Interestingly, Truong had no plans to continue her field hockey career after high school even though she knew walking away wouldn’t be easy. “She’s always been a player every season sophomore year and on – at the end of the season, she would come into my room and say, ‘I’m going to miss this so much. I love the team – the field hockey team is the best part of my school year,’” coach Charise Halteman said. With her final high school season winding down, Truong is no longer quite so sure she can or will walk away from hockey. It’s a change of heart she had when the Hofstra coach came calling. “After the Hofstra coach reached out to me, I realized I didn’t want to stop playing field hockey after this season,” Truong said. “It was something I wanted to keep going with. I visited the campus and I met with the coaches, and I really, really liked them. I never knew I would be at a good enough level to play collegiately, so when the Hofstra coach reached out to me and said I had potential, I was a little shocked.”
Truong, according to Halteman, clearly underestimated herself. “Hockey is something that has always meant a lot to her, and she’s had a lot of fun doing it,” the Colonials’ coach said. “I don’t know if she realized how good a player she is because she’s always been overshadowed by a lot of players who have a lot of stats. She was always skilled. She really has always done her job well. She has good hand-eye coordination. She’s a defender who has attacking ability, so that makes her a fun player to watch and coach.”
An excellent student, Truong has her sights set on becoming a physician’s assistant. Her course load includes three AP classes with the remaining honors classes. She is a member of the National Honor Society, the steering committee for her class as well as Student Council. These days, Truong’s focus is on field hockey. “It hasn’t hit me that we’ll be playing past Halloween,” she said. “I haven’t had a Halloween practice since freshman year.” It’s hardly a surprise to hear Halteman acknowledge that Truong is a pleasure to coach. “Obviously, she’s athletic, which is always enjoyable to help somebody get better in this sport,” Halteman said. “Every day she brings energy, she has fun with what she’s doing, and being part of this team is clearly important to her. Those are the athletes you just love to coach because you know the time and effort as a coach you’re putting in – it matters to an athlete like Liv. She wants to be a better field hockey player, she loves the sport, she also enjoys being part of something bigger than herself. That’s why she may be considering playing in college because she likes being part of a team. She has a lot to offer. She’s a really fun high school athlete, and it’s fun to be a part of her life.
To read Truong’s complete profile, please click on the following links: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/livia-truong-0088156
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Oct. 28, 2019
In 2018, the devil was in the details for Marc Macione and the Abington football program. The Galloping Ghosts had a talented squad last year, but little mistakes added up and prevented them from their ultimate goal of reaching the playoffs. Macione, who was named second team all-league at linebacker as a junior, knew some things needed to change if he was going to get back to the playoffs one more time, the first since he was a backup player as a freshman. “As soon as last season ended, we had a little time off and then we were right back in the weight room,” said Macione. “We put in more disciplined drills this offseason, suicides and conditioning things that help win those close games the more disciplined you are. We put our heads down and got back to basics, just doing the simple things.”
Macione, who was named a team captain prior to the season, also saw a need to reshuffle some of the Abington team culture. Not a complete overhaul, mind you, just some tweaks here and there. “A lot of young guys had to step up this year, and they were hungry,” Macione said. The results have been loud and undeniable. Prior to a non-league loss to Central Bucks West in the last regular season game, Abington had won eight straight games. The Ghosts went an undefeated 6-0 in league play, claiming the SOL National crown; it was Abington’s first league title since 2011, which was on the team’s checklist of goals, the same it is every year. Each season, Macione explained, the Abington program has three goals: beat Cheltenham, the team’s local rival; win the league; and get a home playoff game. Check, check and check.
Coach Kevin Conlin noticed a definitive difference in Macione’s approach between his junior and senior seasons, most notably in how he conducted himself after being named a captain. “The biggest thing Marc has really shown for us is that he’s an excellent leader on the defensive side of the ball,” Conlin said. “Not just on the field, but in the offseason; over the summer he and a few others took it upon themselves to become leaders of the program. As good as he was as a linebacker, we needed seniors to step up, and it’s not an easy job to do. We always tell the kids that it’s not a popular position, but it’s rewarding. The biggest instrument in our success is how active Marc has been in so many different areas. He’s really flourished as another coach on the field, and he really helped our program take the next step this season.”
Macione likes the idea of continuing his football career at the next level, but he’s not letting football dictate his next move, either. He’s got lots to figure out, and if football makes sense and the right opportunity comes along that lines up with Macione’s academic interests, then sure, he’ll play. A strong student who is a member of the National Honor Society, he is drawn to math and science courses that challenge students to solve a problem. Wherever he ends up, Macione is confident that his time as a student-athlete at Abington has adequately prepared him for what comes next. “When I first came here and stood in the gym, I saw we hadn’t had a league title banner since 2011,” he said. “I had four years to work my butt off and do what I had to do to put that banner back up there. And if I touched people on the team personally not just because of the football player I was but because of who I was as a person, that’s how I want to be remembered. Someone who was good on the field but a better person and man off of it. That’s what this program does - it changes you. It might be a cliché, but it’s true: you come in as a boy, and leave as a man.”
To read Macione’s complete profile, please click on the following links: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/marc-macione-0088169
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