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 April 10, 2013)
Jackie Sweeney sees things through the eyes of an artist. The Pennsbury senior can work the lacrosse field like Rodin planning a sculpture. “I’m not going to pursue art in college but I really enjoy it,” Sweeney said. “It creates a sense of balance for me. I have school, I have sports, and I have art. In art, you are thinking critically, but it’s not the same as science or math or English. You’re figuring out where to place each piece in order to express what you want to express. You have to pay attention to detail and notice things you wouldn’t otherwise.” That critical thinking, attention to detail and ability to bring it all together are skills that help Sweeney on the field.
Sweeney is an integral part of a Falcon lacrosse program that has been on the rise. They have made two consecutive appearances in the District One Tournament the last two seasons. How much does Sweeney mean to her team? “The girls on the team this year wanted to get t-shirts made up that stated ‘Thank God for Sweeney!’” coach Kelly White said. “That sums up how we all feel about Jackie. She is by far one of my top players. Furthermore, she has the utmost respect from her teammates and coaches. The team relies heavily on Sweeney because they know she can make the big play.” Fellow senior Kelsy Gumbert also had high praise for Sweeney. “She’s such a team player,” Gumbert said. “She is so unselfish with the ball. She knows when to go to goal and when to pull out, and she looks for feeds to other people. She’s so smart on the field. She’s always a part of the plays, and she’s amazing at every position she’s played.”
Beyond her ability on the lacrosse field, White describes Sweeney – aka ‘Sweendog ‘ as an incredible young lady. “She is an exceptional student-athlete, loyal kind, and extremely diligent,” the Falcons’ coach said. “I have never witnessed a player of student as dedicated as Jackie. I remember her as a freshman on varsity, and her progression in lacrosse has been astonishing. Her work ethic and determination are admirable, and she consistently motivates and inspires those around her to accomplish their personal best.”
Sweeney has narrowed her college choices to Penn State, Delaware and St. Joe’s. She is undecided on a major and hopes to continue playing lacrosse at the club level.
To read Seeney’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/jackie-sweeney-0033689
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of April 10, 2013)
Kyle Hagerty was your typical All-American kid. He dreamed of one day playing professional baseball and didn’t have a care in the world. All that changed one day in September of 2008 when Hagerty, then in eighth grade, returned home from soccer tryouts. “My being me, I’m competitive in everything, and I tried to finish first in everything,” he said. “I went home, and I fell asleep. I woke up numb on my right side. I tried to go downstairs, and I was hitting things as I was walking. I really didn’t know what was going on. I tried to go to the computer, and it just wasn’t working out for me. My dad took me to the hospital, and I was flown down to CHOP.” The diagnosis – a spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage or, in layman’s terms, a stroke. So began a courageous journey for the Pennridge senior, who has gone on to excel in track and has used that setback as motivation to succeed. Hagerty aspires to pursue a career as a pediatric neurologist, a career choice that was influenced in no small part by his stroke.
Hagerty’s road to recover was a long one. After two months of rehab at CHOP, Hagerty began a regiment of outpatient therapy. By December, he was back in school for half days, taking only his core classes. In January, he was discharged from therapy and returned to school full time. Through it all, he never lost his competitive drive. “When I got back to school, we did the shuttle run in gym class, and I got an 8.9, and all of my friends were getting 8.4,” Hagerty said. “I was like, ‘I have to get 8.4.’ I finally went after school and I got 8.4 I go all-out in gym class. Even in Spanish class, I’m competitive.”
After getting cut from his baseball team for three straight years, Hagerty opted to compete in track, and he has excelled. “This year he joined in the winter, and he had a great winter season,” coach Bob Hosier said. “He’s constantly showing improvement.” He is a member of Pennridge’s 4x100 relay that has already qualified for districts. He also is a standout long jump. “Courageous is the word we like to use,” Hosier said. “Obviously, he fought through his problem, and he is now having success. He’s very happy. It’s just a shame it had to happen in the first place. Knowing he had a stroke and he’s out there doing what we do at practice every day is very, very great.”
An excellent student, Hagerty is leaning toward attending Moravian College where he will pursue his interest in science as a pre-med major. There’s an interesting side not to Hagerty’s stroke. “Before I had my stroke, I didn’t really have a great memory,” he said. “When I came out of the hospital, I remembered everything. It basically boosted my memory.” A psychiatric test in 2009 showed that Hagerty’s memory is in the top five percentile of the population. Some other side effects aren’t quite as pleasant, but his successes far outweigh his setbacks. “He’s good in school, he’s good in track,” Hosier said. “He’s well spoken, he’s polite. He’s just an all-around great kid. Things are turning out very nice now.”
To view Hagerty’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/kyle-hagerty-0033686
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