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 Oct. 3, 2012)
Nicole Bonacci excels on the tennis court. The Abington senior has moved through the ranks on her tennis team and this year is playing second singles. A team captain, Bonacci leads by example on and off the court. “Nicole is a very hard worker,” coach Kristy Heyser said. “She never moans and groans about anything and sets the tone for practice. She’s respected by her teammates, she’s easy to get along with, and she’s competitive on the court. She’s a joy to coach.”
What most people don’t know and wouldn’t suspect is that Bonacci has been battling diabetes since she was in fifth grade. “If I didn’t know that from her PIAA form, I would never know that she has diabetes because she’s not the kind of kid that ever talks about it,” Heyser said. “She never mentions it, she never complains.” It makes things more of a challenge.” It’s a challenge that doesn’t faze the personable Bonacci, who injects herself with insulin four times a day and tests her blood sugar religiously. “It seemed normal,” she said. “My brother has had it his whole life, and my dad got it when he was young.” Bonacci has not let the disease affect her performances on the court and has learned to effectively monitor her blood sugar levels.
Tennis is just one of Bonacci’s talents. She also is a gifted artist and is enrolled in AP art. Bonacci, a member of Abington’s Key Club, is a member of the National Art Honors Society. Inspired by her art teacher, Nicole Caracciolo, Bonacci hopes to one day teach ceramics. She would like to attend the Tyler School of Art but is also impressed with Kutztown University’s art curriculum. As for tennis, Bonacci hopes to keep it as part of her future, possibly playing club tennis in college.
To read Bonacci’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/nicole-bonacci-0028787
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of Oct. 3, 2012)
Christian Sanders has been a welcome addition to Upper Merion’s cross country team this year, and the senior standout – who never ran cross country before – has made an immediate impact. Early in the season, he finished 10th in the Central Bucks East Invitational, and in his first race back after being sidelined briefly with a slight knee injury, he finished first overall in Upper Merion’s meet against Wissahickon. “On top of working extremely hard at practice, he’ll give 110 percent,” coach Lynda Newhart said. “He’s always positive and never talks negatively about people. Rarely do you see him without a smile on his face, and he’s always encouraging his group to help them rise to their potential. For somebody who’s never been involved in cross country at all and is still learning the sport, he really is a breath of fresh air.”
The senior standout transferred to Upper Merion from Paul Robeson High School in West Philadelphia shortly after the start of his junior year. He had never played competitive sports until he played for the junior varsity basketball team last winter. Last spring, he excelled in the 400 and 800 for the Vikings’ track squad and was encouraged to try cross country to keep in shape for track. He experienced immediate success and has set lofty goals for his final high school season – he wants to break the school record for the 400 and also earn a berth in districts. Last year, Sanders’ best 400 split was 50.4. The school record is 49.93. He missed out on a district berth by less than a tenth of a second.
Sanders, who plans to major in communications, aspires to earn a scholarship to college, a goal clearly within his grasp, but for now he is enjoying his senior year at a school that has become his home. “I really love this school,” he said. “If (people) would have seen where I grew up – it’s totally different. Some of the kids don’t understand how good they really got it.”
To view Sanders’ complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/christian-sanders-0028786
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