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 May 25, 2016)
Jackie Heim has a simple ritual before every at-bat. To the casual observer, it might look as though the William Tennent senior is doing nothing more than rearranging the dirt in the batter’s box before she steps to the plate, but it’s much more than that. “I write my dad’s initials in the dirt every time I got up to bat, so I always remember him that way,” Heim said. “I always pray to him a little bit before I go in the batter’s box. I focus on it and say, ‘Dad, this one is for you, no matter what happens.’” David Heim – Jackie’s biggest supporter – lost a courageous battle with cancer on May 1, 2015. Two days after his funeral service, Heim stepped to the plate in the 10th inning of her team’s game against Abington with a runner on second in a tie game. What happened next was right out of a movie as Heim – who had been encouraged to take some time off – ripped a one-strike pitch over the right center field fence for a two-run home run, propelling the Panthers to an electrifying 10-8 win. “He wouldn’t have wanted me to miss playing for anything,” Heim said. “I go out there and I don’t play for myself, but I play for him because he was my biggest fan, my biggest inspiration. He told me never to give up, so I go out there for him.”
Heim has turned her talents on the softball diamond into a scholarship to La Salle University. “She’s real, real competitive,” Tennent coach Biz Keeny said. “She’s somebody that comes to practice and wants to compete, somebody that comes to practice and wants to learn. She plays 100 percent all the time. Her intensity level is extremely high.” Heim committed to La Salle in December of her junior year, and her voice takes on a pensive tone when she recalls that difficult year. “My mom was working and my dad was sick,” she said. “I have a little sister who is also into sports, and it was my junior year which is the most important year of high school. It was definitely hard coping with it, but I had a good support system around me so they helped me out a lot. My team and coaches all texted me, called me and said if I needed anything they were always there for me.”
As for her career choice, Heim is following in the footsteps of her mother, Joanne Heim, a nurse of 30-plus years. It was her mother who nurtured Heim’s childhood dream of becoming a firefighter. “I was never your typical little girl growing up,” she said. “I never played with Barbie dolls. I was always out there playing sports and stuff like that. One day we saw a fire truck driving down the street and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I told my mom I wanted to be a firefighter when I grew up. She bought me a whole bunch of firefighter toys, bought me all the clothes.” Heim took part of a cadet program offered by the Hartsville Fire Company. When she turned 16, she joined the Warminster Fire Company and has been with them ever since.
To read Heim’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jackie-heim-0062692
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 25, 2016)
When Aaron Ngo marches in the Cheltenham High School graduation processional in just a few short weeks, he will leave behind an athletic legacy as a two-year co-captain for the boys’ cross country team, a lead-by-example role model who put in more time and ran more miles in practice than anyone else, and an individual who epitomized team spirit. Not too shabby for a guy who had never participated in cross country before high school. Ngo had some experience running – he competed in track and field in middle school, but he spent his time as a sprinter. And he soon found that navigating three miles of ever-changing terrain was a whole lot different than running track. “It was difficult at first,” Ngo said. “I remember trying to run two miles and just having to stop. But all the conditioning definitely helped, (and) the encouragement from my coach and my teammates. Over time, it became easier and easier. It became, ‘I can keep up with this guy…now I can keep up with this guy.’”
Boys’ cross country coach Tom Sexton saw that even as a freshman, Ngo had the dedication and work ethic to make him a successful runner. “You could tell that Aaron was the kind of kid who wants to do everything right,” the Panthers’ coach said. “He would always be the most faithful coming to summer practice. That’s just the way he is. He’s been a co-captain since his junior year, and that really came naturally for him, I think. He’s a natural leader because of how responsible he is. Every year you could see him growing in his maturity and his responsibility. As a senior, he’s practically like an assistant coach.” Ngo’s intense summer workouts made him a role model for younger runners. “Aaron runs more miles than any of our runners,” Sextons said. “He knows he’s not the fastest natural runner, so he’s got to run more miles to put on more strength. He didn’t get the places he wanted all the time, but he never let it affect his attitude.”
Off the field, Ngo is just as dedicated and hard working. He is a member of the National Honor Society – where he serves as secretary – and is a fixture on the honor roll. He is ranked in the top 20 of his senior class. Those academic accomplishments helped him earn acceptance to the University of Michigan. He will enter the university’s Ross School of Business where he is looking at majoring in entrepreneurship or finance. As President of the Student Council and co-chair of the charity committee, Ngo was heavily involved in planning fundraisers and charity events throughout the year. He has also been involved in Unified Track and Field this spring. Along with Abington and Souderton, Cheltenham fielded a team of Special Olympic athletes, who competed against each other with fellow students and coaches helping train and encourage them. “It was really inspiring,” Ngo said. “It’s great to see them get so involved and excited to run.”
To read Ngo’s compete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/aaron-ngo-0062691
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