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. 5, 2020
A picture is worth a thousand words. In this case, the picture was a photo of Upper Dublin girls’ water polo goalkeeper Jasmine Thek leaping out of the water to make a save in a game against North Penn. The photo—which appeared in a local newspaper —was a fairly routine save by the then-freshman keeper in a regular-season game. But for Upper Dublin water polo coach Chris Ianni, that photo spoke volumes about Thek’s potential. “It really hit me when she was in ninth grade how good she could really be,” Ianni said. “I think about that picture, she’s blocking the shot and you can see how high she is out of the water. It’s an incredible photo, and that’s when I realized she could be outstanding, she really had no limits to how good she could be.”
Ianni wasn’t the only one who noticed Thek’s abilities and marveled at her progression. After being named Honorable Mention All-League as a freshman, Thek garnered First-Team honors as a sophomore and junior and collected numerous comments from local coaches and officials. “After States her sophomore year, the assistant commissioner of the CWPA saw her play, and she was making save after save, blocking breakaways, 5-meter shots,” Ianni said. “He told me, she’s going to be MVP of the state by the time she’s a senior. She’s a humble kid, she can be very quiet, but she takes those compliments and they make her stronger.”
Thek’s actions in the pool—both in games and during practices—speak volumes about the journey of a young woman who has dedicated herself to improving as a keeper and developing into a leader for her teammates. Having a steady presence in net is critical for any team, but this year in particular, Thek’s steadiness and leadership have been critical amidst all the uncertainty that has surrounded the summer. For a time, it appeared that the pandemic that cancelled the spring 2020 sports season may do the same to water polo and several other fall sports. As it is, the last few months have been anything but normal, with the team using area outdoor pools for preseason practices.
“For our goalie to be the best player on the team and a leader, going into this season is really exciting,” Ianni said. “We’re all looking forward to how good we can be and to see how great Jasmine can be. To have a leader like her is invaluable. She really is the heart of the team, she knows the team and the game well, knows strategies, and when we talk defense, not only can she break it down, but she has the vision and knowledge to explain it to teammates. For Jasmine, it’s always been about having fun with her teammates. She’s competitive, she has an edge to her and she pushes others, but this is a kid who always has a smile on her face. She brings such a joy to the game. At the end of day, she’s playing a sport she loves and she wants everyone else to love it.”
In addition to her all-league honors and recognition from other coaches and officials, Thek plays for the highly competitive Maverick Water Polo Club and was selected to participate in the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program in the summer of 2018. Thek expects to take yet another step on her water polo journey next year. She is still contemplating her choices, but expects to play water polo in college. She’d like to stay within driving distance of home, and is planning on majoring in psychology with a minor in philosophy. In the meantime, though, she’s still navigating remote learning while taking three AP and two Honors courses in her senior year. She also plays trombone in the band and is a member of the National Honor Society.
To read Thek’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jasmine-thek-0091527
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Oct. 5, 2020
Mateo Infante is a young man of few words. That’s just fine with Upper Moreland soccer coach Justin Allegra because according to the Bears’ coach, the senior captain chooses his words wisely. “He leads by example,” Allegra said. “He’s not a kid that’s going to rah rah and get the team riled up. He’ll go over and do one-on-one kind of briefings and things like that. That’s where he’s going to lead, and that’s the best thing for him. He’ll do a captain’s practice – all the things you don’t really see, he does.”
Infante - a rare two-year captain – is a three-year starter for the Bears and has been a force in the middle since he stepped onto the field. “He’s hardnosed,” Allegra said. “He’s not the tallest kid, but he’s very fundamentally sound. He’s not afraid to run through a ball. If he sees that the game’s a little chippy, he’s not afraid to get in there. He’s just a hardnosed player, but he realizes when his finesse needs to kick in. He plays in the center, and he’s pretty much my quarterback in the midfield.”
Infante got his start on the club circuit at a young age with a team in Philadelphia. When he was 12 years old, he moved to the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals, and for several years, he was on the Philadelphia Union Academy. In 2016, he was back with the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals and is still part of that club. During his time with the Philadelphia Union Academy, Infante – who has seen the country playing soccer - travelled to Qatar for a showcase tournament. It was a memorable experience for the UM senior. “Adjusting to customs of everyday life was a lot different, just adjusting to all the customs, the religion over there,” Infante said. “It was really dry and hot during the day, and we usually played at night because of it. Just how they played – they put so much effort into it. It was a different way of seeing how people played it. It almost seemed like it was a life or death situation to them.”
With his sights set on playing at the collegiate level, Infante admits it was tough losing the spring season with his club team due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was hard to be looked at by college scouts and to be recruited,” said Infante. “I really want a nice balance (in college). I don’t want to just go for soccer. I’m really interested in being a physician’s assistant, so that plays a big part in my choice, but losing a big part of my junior year, it really put into perspective what it means this final year and to make the most of it.” An excellent student, Infante is in the top 10 of his senior class and is interested in both Alvernia and Johns Hopkins. “I really like helping other people, and I really am interested in science and health care,” he said of his career choice.
Ask Infante what he enjoys most about his high school soccer experience, and he doesn’t point to a game. “Honestly, it’s just being around the guys and just having the chance to play,” he said. Having Infante in the midfield is a coach’s dream. “For a coach, it’s great,” Allegra said. “I don’t have to worry about him in the middle of the field. I know the midfield is literally taken care of. He acts as my distributor and facilitator for the entire team. This kid’s great.”
To read Infante’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/mateo-infante-0091536
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