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 29, 2013)
Julia Schoenewald is the two-year captain of a Central Bucks East softball team that captured the District One AAAA title this spring. The senior standout anchors the Patriots behind the plate. “She’s a really good communicator and keeps me aware of the heartbeat of the team, letting me know if there’s something going on or if there’s something we need to work on,” coach Erin Scott said. “With two young pitchers, if they’re struggling a little bit, I don’t need to call a timeout. She’ll step up and go talk to them, calm them down without me having to go out there. Julie is a very mature person, and especially this year, I think she’s more confident in her role and more of a leader.”
Schoenewald has been a fixture in the starting lineup since she walked onto the field as a freshman. After playing first base her first year, Shoenewald has found a home behind the plate. “She’s got a real good arm, and she gets rid of the ball quickly,” Scott said. “I think the catcher is the quarterback of the team, and especially this year, I think she’s gotten even more comfortable and confident in her role.” Schoenewald is the team’s top offensive weapon, hitting at a .500 clip during the regular season and leading the team in RBIs. “She is a very consistent player, which I think is one of the biggest things in softball,” Scott said. “She has power and can hit home runs, and she can hit singles. She can do it all.”
Off the diamond, Schoenewald also finds herself in leadership roles. She has been an officer of student council since she entered high school and this year serves as president. She is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society, and she is a teen leader of her church youth group. “She’s just a really well-rounded kid,” Scott said. “It’s been neat to see her grow over the years. She will definitely be successful in whatever route she goes.”
This fall, Schoenewald will be taking her talents to Brown University where she will major in neuroscience.
To read Schoenewald’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/julia-schoenewald-0035313
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 29, 2013)
Sean Kropp is a senior co-captain of a Pennsbury volleyball squad that not only earned the District One AAA title but also has advanced to the state title game. It is not unusual to hear chants of ‘MIT, MIT’ from the student section after a Kropp kill hits the floor. The chant is in reference to Kropp’s college destination, and the senior outside hitter, according to his coach, is a special student-athlete. “Sean is well respected not just by the people on our team but all the way around the school,” coach Justin Fee said. “The people who know him and the teachers who know him love him. He’s always a gentleman to everybody, and he’s kind of a stand-up kid. He’s always doing the right thing. Obviously, he’s a great, great student to get accepted at MIT. I can’t find anything wrong with the kid.”
A three-year varsity starter, Kropp is one of three Falcon players with 200-plus kills this season. “As a ninth grader, our jayvee coach pointed him and Pat (Merrick) out as two kids he was 100 percent sure were going to be superstars for us and would help keep us at the top of our game hopefully when they were seniors,” Fee said. Neither has disappointed, and Kropp, according to his coach, is a “lead by example” kind of guy.” “Sean is a positive leader,” Fee said. “He’s not going to be jumping down people’s throats or yelling at them to get them to do things. If something needs to get done, he’s going to be the first one to step up and go do it and ask people to follow him.”
Just as he excels on the volleyball court, Kropp also excels in the classroom where he takes a full course load of AP classes and boasts a 4.82 weighted GPA. A member of the National Honor Society, he received a perfect 800 on the math section of the SAT (2200 overall). A self-described “math person,” Kropp received his acceptance from MIT on March 14 – Pi Day. He hopes to continue his volleyball career at MIT. Although he is undecided on a major, he is considering biochemistry.
To view Kropp’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/sean-kropp-0035286
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