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 15, 2013)
Brittny Buonanno-Taylor is a fierce competitor, and the Quakertown senior will do whatever it takes to make the play, whether it’s diving for a loose ball on the basketball court or laying out to make the catch on the softball diamond. There’s nothing especially unusual about that. Until you consider the fact that less than two years ago, Buonanno-Taylor was undergoing eight months of intensive chemotherapy and radiation as she battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma. “She goes all out,” Quakertown softball coach Rich Scott said. “She is all out – 100 percent. When we were playing Souderton, she was diving all over the field. It was unbelievable.”
A rare three-sport standout, Buonanno-Taylor received the diagnosis that she had Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the start of her sophomore basketball season in December of 2010. “I felt completely fine,” she said. “I was just noticing lumps in my neck. We went to the doctor, they did a biopsy, and they figured it out. I was shocked because I have been healthy my whole life. I’ve been playing sports my whole life. I was young, and I wasn’t expecting that at all because I was feeling completely fine.” Buonanno-Taylor underwent surgery after Christmas, and her chemo and radiation treatments began shortly thereafter, which meant trips to CHOP several days a week. Quakertown basketball coach Greg Swavely witnessed firsthand Buonanno-Taylor’s courage in the face of adversity. “One thing that kept her really going was the idea of getting back on the basketball court,” he said. “I think that was one of her driving forces – to get back with the team and to get back to something she loves doing. It’s amazing how she handled everything through it. There were times when I was thinking, ‘I don’t know how this girl does it.’ She could barely walk. I think every part of her body was hurting. She would just come off a chemotherapy treatment, and she would go out there – it was almost like she forgot about everything, every ache and pain she had, and she was just kind of in a zone. After the game, she would have ice on just about every part of her body. You were reminded that she was hurting through it all, but it was a testament to her courage and strength.”
Buonanno-Taylor, who competes with the golf team in fall, credits sports and the support she received from her family, coaches and teammates for keeping her going. Through it all, she not only continued competing in sports but also kept up with her schoolwork, finishing her sophomore year with all A’s and B’s.
On August 31, 2011, Buonanno-Taylor received the news that she is in remission. This fall, she will attend Delaware Valley College where she will major in secondary education with the goal of one day teaching history. She also plans to play basketball and hasn’t ruled out the possibility of playing softball as well. Recently, Buonanno-Taylor was honored by the Quakertown-Pennridge Sports Hall of Fame as the most courageous athlete of the year. “It was inspirational to watch the courage it took for Britt to compete in three sports while battling her illness,” athletic director Syliva Kalazs said. “Amazing person, amazing accomplishment.”
To read Buonanno-Taylor’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/brittny-buonanno-taylor-0034993
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of May 15, 2013)
Ryan Kelly was the backbone and spiritual leader of this year’s Central Bucks South lacrosse team. In the Titans’ first round win over Kennett, the senior captain made a season-high 22 saves in goal, surpassing the 800-save milestone for a stellar career. A program that once struggled to win a few games per season won in the postseason for the first time since the school’s doors opened. Kelly has been a huge part of that turnaround. “He is an amazing goalie,” coach Mike Sharman said. “He averages about 13 saves per game, and we have allowed six goals per game, which is really good compared to previous years.”
But there is more to Kelly than just a solid and oft-spectacular lacrosse goalie. As evidenced by his recent appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy where only one in every five to 10 applicants who earn a nomination by a member of Congress or Senate is even accepted, the team captain is a rare breed. “My captains have to be good citizens,” Sharman said. “It’s not just about being a star player. You have to be a star person too, and that’s Ryan. He’s the captain because of his leadership skills. In lacrosse, as the goalie, you are the quarterback of the defense. By nature, you have to be vocal out there, but he is also a leader by example. He holds himself accountable. He has had good games, some absolutely amazing games and games where he would be the first to tell you that he could have done better. He is always striving to improve. You can’t ask for anything more than that. The kids love him and respect him. As coaches and players, we are just fortunate to have been around him. He is a real consistent kind of kid. He always has a smile on his face.”
Kelly was the catcher for a Warrington baseball team that reached the Cal Ripken state title game, but he caught the lacrosse bug in middle school. As a ninth grader, his choice was to be a jayvee catcher or a varsity goalie. “I just started focusing on lacrosse, and everything just fell into place,” Kelly said. Particularly gratifying has been playing a central role in the program’s about-face under Sharman’s guidance. “It has been one of the best experiences of my life,” said Kelly. “I always saw there was potential, starting with the kids in the Class of 2013, to make something special happen.”
Kelly chose the U.S. Naval Academy from a prestigious list that included Princeton, St. Joseph, Dartmouth, Holy Cross, Air Force and Binghamton as well as Amherst. Kelly plans to major in engineering and looks forward to the mandatory minimum of five years of service that will follow. “It’s a great opportunity to serve your country,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity to give back. I was thrilled (to be accepted). Not a lot of people get to realize their dreams.”
To view Kelly’s complete profile, please click on the following link: http://www.suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/ryan-kelly-0034980
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