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 Dec. 14, 2020
As the libero on Upper Dublin’s girls’ volleyball team, one of Annie Faust’s primary duties is to be the first—and often last—line of defense against the biggest and best hitters that opposing teams throw at them. It’s not exactly easy to stand your ground as a volleyball comes rocketing at you. But there’s nowhere Faust would rather be. “It’s exciting,” the UD senior said. “There’s just this rush of emotions when you see a girl going up at the net or getting set outside. We face some really good hitters, but it’s really rewarding to dig a good hitter. It’s something that made me learn to really love the game and learn it better. Three years ago, I would have said something pretty different.”
Indeed, it’s been quite the journey for Faust, a four-year starter in a critical defensive position. A confident and intelligent player, Faust admits it was much different during her freshman season, the lone ninth grader on an experienced squad. “I was not the greatest player my freshman year,” Faust said. “I did my thing and watched the seniors and the experienced players lead the team.” Faust set about improving her skills and abilities, but also devoted countless hours on honing the mental aspect of her game. One of the more cerebral positions in all of sports, being able to see the plays as they develop is a key for a successful libero. “You could see how timid she was at first as the only freshman on the varsity squad,” said UD girls’ volleyball coach Paul Choi. “But halfway through her freshman season, you could see her getting more vocal, you could see her start to do the things she wouldn’t do at first. That’s when we realized that we have an incredible player and we need to keep pushing her and getting her to where she needs to be. Annie is really the heart of our team, and that’s when you could see her start to become that on the court.”
Her sophomore season, Faust earned her first of three first team all-league selections. As a junior, she was named a captain. And this year, Faust and her fellow tri-captains—her twin sister Maggie and Emily Senior—were tasked with keeping the team positive while preparing for a season that might not happen as a result of COVID, and finding ways to provide a sense of team unity despite an inability to hold most of the traditional team bonding events of the past. This summer, that meant socially distanced outdoor team workouts that ended with time spent talking and getting to know one other. It also meant maintaining a positive attitude during the weeks when it looked like a fall sports season might not happen.
Though the season was shortened and nonleague games cancelled, the Flying Cardinals tied for second place in the Suburban One American Conference. Carrying the 15th seed into the District One Class 4A playoffs, the Cards defeated second-seeded and undefeated Pennridge in the opening round. In the second round Upper Dublin needed only four sets to dispatch seventh seed West Chester Rustin, marking the first time in program history that the Cards advanced past the second round of districts. With a combined 43 digs between the two playoff games, there was no mistaking who was leading the Cardinal surge. “Annie was huge,” Choi said. “She knows how to turn it on at the right time. You could see her preparation pay off during the district games. You could see she understood what the game plan was. Annie’s not one who cares about personal achievements. She’s willing to be where she needs to be, to dive or put her body on the line to do what the team needs. When you’re willing to do all those things, those stats will come. As a coach, I know that we’re losing a big part of our defense—she’s the type of athlete that every coach wants. She’s done incredible things not just for our team but the program itself. But more than that, Annie is an incredible person. She’s fun to be around, fun to watch on the court. Having had her on varsity for four years, it’s been really fun to build up that relationship with her. She’s a special player and special person and we’re going to miss that.”
To read Faust’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/annie-faust-0092313
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete for week of Dec. 14, 2020
Shane Hartzell. The name is a familiar one to fans of high school football, and with good reason. The Pennridge senior has found himself in the spotlight since bursting onto the scene as a sophomore, but to his teammates, Hartzell is just “one of the boys.” “I think it’s funny – you look at him as a person, and he’s just my best friend, he’s one of the boys,” senior Jack Ferguson said. “But on the football field, he’s a very good player, a different person in a way.” A very good player might actually be an understatement. The all-state middle linebacker spent his high school career creating havoc for opposing offenses, but when the spotlight invariably finds him, Hartzell is quick to steer the conversation away from himself. “Football is really a team game,” he said. “When people say, ‘Oh, Shane Hartzell,’ I think – ‘Well, you know we have so many guys on this team who can do good things and have done good things. Let’s talk about the team, let’s talk about the other guys.’”
And that’s not just lip service. That’s who Shane Hartzell is, and it’s just one of many reasons he was a natural fit to be a two-year captain. “He’s probably one of the hardest working kids I’ve ever met,” Pennridge coach Cody Muller said. “His junior year, he was a true lead by example – that was his style. He was very quiet. He and I had a conversation going into his senior year. I told him, ‘Hey, you lead by example, you do a tremendous job, but I need you to be more vocal, take the next step in terms of leadership,’ and he did this year. He did a great job of talking to the team, talking to the players. Shane’s voice was heard. He took the next step in the sense of being a leader, going beyond just being the example.”
Hartzell’s work ethic helped set the tone for a Rams’ squad that captured the SOL National Conference title this fall and advanced to the District One 6A title game for the first time in program history. Muller had an idea that Hartzell might be something special when their paths crossed at South Middle School. “I student taught at South in 2016, and Shane was in eighth grade at the time,” Muller said. “I didn’t have him in class, but I knew about him just seeing him at the gym and other things like that. Even then the kids were telling me how good of a kid he was, not just football and athletics but how nice, respectful, the whole nine. I got to know that pretty early.”
A four-year varsity player, Hartzell suffered a season-ending ankle injury in the third game of his junior year but still earned all-state honors for the second consecutive year. This year he led the program to new heights and recently signed a letter of intent to play the sport he loves at Villanova University. An excellent student, Hartzell is a member of the National Honor Society. Next year he plans to major in health sciences with a possible interest in becoming a physical therapist, a career choice that was influenced by both his injury and an anatomy class he took last year.
Although they say no one is irreplaceable, Hartzell’s will be big shoes to fill next year. “After our Quakertown game, I asked him if we could dye his hair, change his number and bring him back for another year,” Muller said. “He looked me squarely in the eyes and said, ‘Coach, I would if I could.’’ The one thing I can say about Shane and the young man he is – he’s really grown into his own. You’ll never hear anything bad about him when you talk to teachers at the school or anybody in the community. My head coach from UNH always had a saying that he used with us, and it holds true for me even to this day – ‘It’s not about the x’s and o’s. It’s the Jimmys and Joes.’ It’s the kids that make the program. You can have the best scheme in the world as a coach, but it’s going to come down to execution and your players and how bought in they are to it. Shane was from day one. This whole senior class did a lot for our program from top to bottom, so I couldn’t be more happy for them for what their future is going to bring, but it is tough to say good-bye to them.”
To read Hartzell’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/shane-hartzell-0092316
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