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Fall alumni season-ending check in

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Stay up to date with the Whitman-Hanson Regional High alumni playing at the next level.

With the winter season at the college level in full swing, it’s time to look back on how the Whitman-Hanson Regional High alumni did during the fall.

Football

Nick Villanueva(Curry) – Junior from Hanson led the Colonels’ receiving corps with 655 yards and six touchdowns, and he ranked second with 50 receptions en route to being named to the second-team All Commonwealth Coast Conference.

Women’s cross country

Sam Coletti(West Point) – Junior from Whitman finished at 23:00.7, the fourth fastest on the team, to spark the Black Knights’ fifth-place finish at the Patriot League Championships on Oct. 27.

Abby Newman(Bentley) – Junior who hails from Hanson finished 26thwith a time of 21:19 in the Shacklette Invitation on Sept. 1. … Also finished in the top 75 on Nov. 4 in the Northeast Championships.

Men’s soccer

Anthony Pasciuto(Keane State) – The Abington native started 12 games, posted six shutouts and a 9-4 record in his freshman campaign.

Women’s soccer

Katie Amado(Massasoit) – Amado, a Whitman resident, started 12 games in net, and she recorded four shutouts and 56 saves.

Lauren Bonavita(UMass, Amherst) – Freshman tied for a team-high seven goals and added five assists. … Hanson resident was selected to A-10 All-Rookie Team.

Betty Blake(Massasoit) – Freshman defender from Whitman ranked third on the team with 12 goals, and she dished out seven assists for a total of 31 points. … Had hat tricks both on Oct. 4 against Quinsigamond Community College and Oct. 16 against Bristol Community College.

Ari Comendul(UMass, Amherst) – Senior from Whitman scored a goal and recorded an assist.

Alexis Fruzetti(Southern New Hampshire) – Junior transfer from Duquesne scored four goals, two of which came in a 2-1 victory over Merrimack on Oct. 4. … Hanson native scored her other two in a 4-0 victory over Le Moyne on Sept. 8.

Rachel Kelly(Regis) – Junior from Whitman scored six goals and dished out three assists for a 15-point junior season.

Taylor Kofton(Boston University) – Norton native scored four goals to go with two assists during her freshman campaign.

Eve Montgomery(Manhattan) – Freshman who hails from Abington scored her first collegiate goal in a 2-0 victory over St. Peter’s on Sept. 29.

Brooke Newcomb(Massasoit) – Freshman from Whitman passed for four assists, three of which game in a 3-0 victory over Springfield Technical Sept. 22.

Alex Santos(Massasoit) – Sophomore Hanon resident ranked fourth on the team with nine goals to complement nine assists. … Scored five times in a 13-0 victory over Bunker Hill on Oct. 3.

Amanda Sesock(Massasoit)– Sophomore, also from Hanson, ranked fourth behind her two former high school classmates in goals with seven. … Also added seven assists.

Women’s volleyball

Halle Julian(Eastern Nazarene) – Freshman from Whitman ranked second on the team in blocks per set (0.51) and third in both kills (111) and hitting percentage (.257).

Jordyn Keith(Curry) – Sophomore, who is also from Whitman, played in a co-team-high 88 sets and posted 234 digs, good for third on the team.

Julian rises to the occasion for Eastern Nazarene volleyball

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Julian (No. 11) / Courtesy photo

Halle Julian earned an extend role in her freshman season at Eastern Nazarene College.

Coming into the season, Whitman native Halle Julian had two ways to measure success in her freshman campaign on the Eastern Nazarene College women’s volleyball team: individual improvement and team accomplishment. She can check off both of those boxes.

“It was just an awesome experience and I couldn’t have imagined a better freshman year,” she said.

The 2018 W-H grad made an impact immediately for Eastern Nazarene, which advanced all the way to the New England Collegiate Championship this season, where it fell to South Vermont, 3-1. The Lions’ final record was 20-7, –a significant improvement over their 11-19 campaign in 2017.

In her first season with the Lions, Julian, a middle hitter, saw action in 79 of the squad’s 93 sets; she ranked second on the team in blocks per set (0.51) and third both in kills (111) and hitting percentage (.257).

“For a freshman to come in and put up those kind of numbers in the first year of being a college player is pretty good,” said Eastern Nazarene women’s volleyball head coach Derek Schmitt.

Schmitt said Julian’s consistency on the court is why she saw significant playing time as a freshman.

“She had some pretty good offensive numbers in matches,” he said. “I thought she was consistent in her play and you could just count on her every night to go out there and be out there doing whatever it took to win. Try and score some points for us offensively and work hard for us blocking.”

Schmitt said he was surprised Julian cracked the learning curve that comes with being a freshman so quickly to make an impact right away.

“She was able to handle the change because the college game is definitelyfaster,” Schmitt said. “She was able to adapt quicker than I thought she would. I think she picked up on things quickerthan a lot of freshman would have.”

Julian credited her time playing for former W-H girls’ volleyball head coach Josh Gray as having a major impact on her.

“He taught me how to play the game I do today,” Julian, the Panthers’ all-time blocks leader on record, said.

Julian’s best match statistically this season came Oct. 11 against Gordon College; she registered a career-best 11 kills and swatted seven blocks.

“She really just developed as a middle blocker and as far as being able to handle the pace of the game and being able and being quicker to the outside to block the pin hitters and to be able to get better offensively and get better timing,” Schmitt said. “The good thing is she’s already got that 6-foot-2 frame, that’s not going to change.”

Julian said she’s already been in the gym as she strives to make an even larger impact for the Lions next fall.

“My goal is to improve my blocking because with this speed, you got to get out to block super fast and it’s hard to press over sometimes, but I definitely want to get better at my blocking,” she said. “I’ll use this season at motivation.”

Bonavita a score for UMass’ women’s soccer team

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Bonavita against UMaine. / Courtesy photo: Thom Kendall Photography

Lauren Bonavita, of Hanson, put forth seven goals in her freshman campaign, which was tied for the team high.

When Jason Dowiak was announced head coach of UMass Amherst’s women’s soccer team last December, Lauren Bonavita was the first person he called.

Since Dowiak had not recruited the incoming class, he needed to find out more about the team’s incoming freshmen. Dowiak had a solid idea of just what Bonavita, coming off a 43-goal season and 113-goal soccer career at Whitman-Hanson Regional High, would bring to the team – a dynamic scoring presence. Further game footage sent over by Bonavita affirmed his thinking.

“I got to see three or four mostly high school games,” Dowiak said. “What was unique about Lauren was her knack for being able to create really good, quality scoring chances. I think in one of the high school games she sent me she scored four goals.”

During the spring, Bonavita, who hails from Hanson, impressed him, while playing for her club team FC Boston.

“I think out of four or five spring games that we watched her play, only one of those games did we walk away saying ‘Ah, we kind of expect more,'” Dowiak said. “All of the other games she was the best player on the field and it wasn’t even close, and she was scoring a boat load of goals. I think in a matter of seven or eight club games last year she had 13 goals and 13 assists.

“And we were tracking, we started watching and we were like, ‘OK, so she had two or three that game. She had three in this one and then she only had one goal in this game but she had three assists. Obviously we started getting really excited of what she’s capable of.” When the fall arrived, that goal scoring was on full display for Dowiak’s Minutewomen and played a key role in their turnaround.

Bonavita tied for a team-high seven goals and added five assists as UMass went 11-6-1. It marked a four-win improvement on 2017 and the team’s first season above 10 wins since 2011.

In the Minutewomen’s opener against Maine, Bonavita set the tone of the fall in the 36th minute with the first goal of the season. “It was very, very exciting,” she said. In the first four Atlantic 10 games, Bonavita notched a goal and two assists – including the winning pass in a 1-0 victory over St. Bonaventure on Sept. 27. Thanks to this, UMass began conference play 4-0 for the first time in over 10 years.

“It’s not like all scoring,” said Bonavita, who was selected to the A-10’s All-Rookie Team. “It’s about helping the team and making the right decisions and helping the team and passing it to an open player. I was just able to help the team push toward the win whether it was offensively ordefensively.”

Bonavita said the most important thing she learned at W-H that translates into the college level is conditioning.

“Our fitness with coach [Dave] Floeck would be the two-mile run in the summer and just making sure you’re working throughout the sum mer to get your fitness up,” she said.

Bonavita also noted competing in a rigorous Patriot League throughout high school helped her to compete at the next level.

“Definitely playing against those high-competitive teams kind of set me up, I mean college is completely different, but setting me up for what I’m going to be looking at in college,” Bonavita said. “But Duxbury, Silver Lake and Hingham all have like club players who are playing in college, so it was definitely a high-competitive game and then coming to UMass it was similar and everyone was working together.”

Thanks to her strong performance this fall, Dowiak said he is excited to watch Bonavita’s growth over the next three seasons.

“I think that we’ve got an amazing player on our hands that we can really develop into someone that can come out and be productive against just about anybody,” Dowiak said.

They’re armed and ready: Josselyn brothers join forces at Bridgewater State

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Colin (top) and Matt (bottom) Josselyn. / Courtesy photos: Bridgewater State University Sports Information Office

Brothers Colin, a junior, and Matt Josselyn, a freshman, both of Hanson, joined together to play baseball for Bridgewater State University this season.

When freshman Matt Josselyn of Hanson decided he no longer wanted to attend the University of New Hampshire, he knew right where he wanted to go. With his brother Colin, a junior, attending Bridgewater State University, it seemed like the perfect fit.

“He had a big impact just to go somewhere where I was more comfortable and had a way in at the school, with my brother being there, was very influential,” Matt, who transferred to the school this semester, said of his older brother.

The move certainty grew their relationship, which already was close.

“He’s over almost every day to play video games and relax,” Colin said of Matt.

Not only do they share the same couch and television on occasion, but they rep the same Bears uniform out on the diamond as well, and it’s been a special season for them both.

The brothers — despite their ties — didn’t get to play much competitive baseball at all growing up together due to the near two-year age gap. All they had was a season of fall ball and a summer of Legion ball together, and Matt wasn’t ready to advance to the varsity level at Whitman-Hanson Regional High until after Colin graduated.

“Being able to work together at it is something we had never really done,” Colin explained. “We played catch all through the summer and a little bit in the fall, and now him standing next to me on the foul line playing catch everyday has definitely grown our relationship a little more.”

Bridgewater State head coach Rick Smith said having the Josselyn brothers — who are both pitchers — on his club adds a sense of family in the team dynamic, and he likes it.

“It’s always good to have a brother combination because one looks out for the other,” Smith said. “Right away I could notice Colin was kind of taking Matthew under his wing and making sure Matthew was adjusting well.”

For Colin, last year was tough as he suffered a season-ending labrum tear in his throwing shoulder before the Bears’ annual season-opening trip to Florida. In his return to the bump this season — which came March 6 against Eastern Nazarene — he was lifted after 5.2 innings. With a runner on second base and two outs, there was a call to the bullpen for his younger brother Matt.

“I thought it was pretty amazing,” Matt said of what was his first collegiate appearance. “I don’t think I’ve ever pitched on the same mound that he has ever in my life. So, it was pretty special to come in and I know it was pretty special for our parents to watch that of him handing the reins and putting his confidence in me to continue pitching a great game, which he did before me.”

Colin said when he saw his younger brother warming up between innings, he tried to give him a jolt of confidence.

“I just said, ‘Hitters aren’t as good as you think they are. I know it’s college and they’re probably a little better [because] your above-average high school players are playing in college. But, you’re an above-average high school pitcher so just go out and do you,’’’ Colin said.

Matt fired 1.1 scoreless frames in relief.

“It was very cool to watch and early in the year I kind of tried to play on it,” Bridgewater State pitching coach Josh White said. “And I said to Colin, ‘Listen, your brother is going to pick you up right here.’ And we tried to use that as a motivational thing and it was pretty cool to watch though and it’s something I’ve never seen.”

Colin said he’s used his little brother as motivation for some time now.

“In the competitive spirit of it, since I’ve been in college, I’ve always heard stories of him excelling at the high school level,” Colin said, “so it made me try harder to have my parents go back from my game and say, ‘Hey, Colin looked good today too.’ Just because of that little brother competitive rivalry aspect, so it kind of propelled me to work harder and it also helped him.”

Having an older brother who grew up as a talented baseball player certainty had its benefits to Matt.

“I think he definitely has [made me a better player],” Matt said. “I saw him when I was in middle school and through high school [where] he was a three-year varsity player and I knew I wasn’t as good as him, but I always tried to be as good as him, so to finally get my chance and play on the same team as him, it’s pretty cool.”

Since that outing, both Colin and Matt have seen action in three games apiece and shared the hill April 11 against Curry.

“It is pretty cool,” Colin said. “For him, I think he gets to see a familiar face. I think I get more nervous watching him pitch than he is. It’s very nice to have him around.”

McAleer is making impact at Nichols

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W-H alum Mel McAleer has found smooth skating as a Nichols Colege Bison. / Courtesy photo: Jill Souza

Mel McAleer, a Hanson native, is impressing on the ice at Nichols College.

Mel McAleer is no stranger to success.

At Whitman-Hanson, as a member of Pembroke/Whitman-Hanson (2013-14) and then Whitman-Hanson/Silver Lake (2014-17), her teams boasted a 53-26-7 record and cracked the Division 2 tournament each season. During that span, McAleer registered 114 goals and 73 assists. Now, she is carrying over that success at Nichols College.

It took McAleer, a Hanson native, all but 6:55 into her first collegiate contest to find twine. At the 13:05 mark of Nichols College women’s ice hockey’s season opener against SUNY Canton on Nov. 3, Kelly Ferreira passed to Jordyn McGuire who fed the puck to McAleer and she skated a few strides and buried a shot far side for a power-play goal, pushing the Bison up 2-0.

“After realizing that we scored, it was the best feeling.” McAleer said. “My coach did let me keep the puck and I gave it to my mom and she put it in her room as display.”

The tally, which turned out to be the game-winner, came 49 seconds after McAleer dished out her first collegiate assist on a goal scored by McKenna Gernander.

Since that first tilt, McAleer has nine goals and 11 assists and had been tabbed Colonial Hockey Conference Rookie of the Week twice.

McAleer’s most recent honor came Feb. 4 after she tallied four points (two goals, two assists) in 5-2 win over Neumann the day prior. Not only was it a career day for the freshman, but it was a record-setting contest for Nichols, as it set a regular-season wins mark with nine.

“I think that was absolutely my fondest moment because we all dialed in,” McAleer said of the game. “We all worked as hard as possible and together we made [women’s ice hockey] history. This year’s team is a team of firsts and it feels good to be a part of something so successful.”

McAleer’s path to the Bison is a unique one. She was actually recruited by former head coach Wil Brown, who stepped down, and was succeeded by former University of Maine women’s ice hockey assistant Mike O’Grady.

“I touched base with Mel when I got the job and she was in and said she was coming, so we kind of just went from there,” O’Grady said.

McAleer said the biggest adjustment from the high school to college level has been the speed of the game.

“Passes are much crisper and come much faster,” she said.

Building on speed

While at Whitman-Hanson, WHSL head coach Kevin Marani always raved about McAleer’s speed, but O’Grady said he’s seen her develop in other facets of the game as well.

“I think the other part that has come along is her ability to see some lanes, [and] not only put the puck in the net, but also give the puck,” O’Grady said. “She’s gotten better with some patience and the speed of the game and just the way things happen and reading lanes and more of some of the intricacies that come into the college level, playing within a system and understanding how to play within a system and how it can continue to help her be successful in putting the puck in the net.

“She’s grown in that way in terms of her hockey IQ has grown a ton, she’s not just playing at the Mass. high school level, where she was able to be really successful but at the same time, she was so skilled that she stood out a lot more where at the college level, you have to buy into the system, which she’s done very well to be successful.”

McAleer said the key to success at the collegiate rank is simply just competing for your teammates.

“Success on the ice at the college level is playing for the girl sitting next to me,” McAleer said. “I work as hard as possible from the minute I lace up my skates.”

McAleer, whose pregame ritual consists of putting on her headphones and imagining herself making plays from a fan’s perspective, said fully intends to finish out the campaign strong.

“A personal goal I have for myself is my first collegiate hat trick, but my main goal is my team’s success at all costs,” McAleer said. “I hope to get far in playoffs because we are absolutely capable of that.”

Keith takes volleyball skills to Curry starting lineup

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W-H alum Jordyn Keith, seen at a recent practice session, earned a starting spot in the season-opener vs. Fisher College on Sept. 1. Her goal for next season is to work on her strength and speed. / Courtesy photo: Curry College Athletic Dept.

Whitman-Hanson alum Jordyn Keith is the only freshman starter on Curry College’s women’s volleyball team.

It was three years ago when members of the Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball team took a trip to Curry College to soak in a few sets as spectators.

One of those on the adventure was then-sophomore Jordyn Keith, who immediately fell in love with the campus. She then went home, did some research, before ultimately applying. After getting in, she soon received an email from new Colonels head coach Bori May, asking her to attend preseason on a tryout basis. After a week of play, she was penned on Curry’s women’s volleyball roster.

As if making the team was not enough excitement for Keith, May tabbed her as a starter ahead of Curry’s season opener against Fisher College on Sept. 1. That was something she never expected.

“Being a freshman starter is a huge accomplishment for me,” Keith said. “I came into the season not knowing if I would even play a single game, and it shocked me when [coach May] told me I would be starting.”

Keith –– the only Colonels freshman starter –– finished the season with 69 kills, 12 assists, 52 service aces and 181 digs to her credit.

Keith said one of the struggles she faced this fall was a position change, something she was no stranger too. As a senior at Whitman-Hanson, she was shifted from outside hitter and defensive specialist to libero, where she flourished, leading the Patriot League in digs and aces. At Curry, the 5-foot-4 Keith saw action as not only a libero, but as an outside hitter and defensive specialist as well.

“I had to adjust to hitting and blocking which isn’t easy, but I’ve improved since I began hitting on the team,” Keith said.

Another struggle Keith endured is just mustering up enough confidence to go out and compete against some of the wily veterans she goes up against. Her solution: try to smile and think positively, no matter what.

“As the only freshman starter, it is difficult to be new to college volleyball and to transition from being a senior in high school, to a freshman again in college where all the older girls are more comfortable and experienced than I am,” she said. “I think about how I am on that court for a reason, and that everyone has bad games. We win and lose as a team.”

Former Whitman-Hanson Regional High girls’ volleyball head coach Josh Gray, who coached Keith for three years on varsity, said he’s seen her grow her game immensely.

“I first met Jordyn in my first season coaching at Whitman-Hanson and from day one of tryouts I knew that she was a special player,” Gray said. “There was no doubt in my mind that she was going to make varsity and that she would contribute from the start. She was so committed and devoted to the sport and did whatever she could to get better every day. “

Gray said Keith’s dedication to her craft has played a major role in the player she is today.

“Jordyn is one of those players who gives everything she has to her team and is willing to do whatever it takes to give her team has a chance to win,” Gray said. “Jordyn’s ability to read the ball and react to it before anyone else is one of her greatest assets on the court because it allows her to make plays others can’t.”

As Keith heads into the offseason, she said she is going to keep doing the things that got her to this point.

“One major goal I have is to work hard for next season,” Keith said. “I am going to start going to the gym more often to stay in shape and to work on becoming stronger and faster on the court.”

Eli hockey standout

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Yale freshman Billy Sweezey has found smooth going on the ice as he has also worked to tackle the challenges of an Ivy League college’s classrooms. / Courtesy photo

Hanson native Billy Sweezey has been a standout for Yale’s men’s hockey team.

Commitment, confidence, grit, poise, resolve and wit. All are on full display when you watch Yale men’s hockey defenseman Billy Sweezey skate.

The Hanson native just concluded his inaugural campaign on the ice for the Bulldogs. He coined it his “most fun” season yet. The 6-foot-2, 204-pounder appeared in all 33 games for Yale, scored a goal, notched five assists and led the club with a +13.

Sweezey’s path to one of the oldest schools in the nation is an interesting one. After beginning school and high school hockey at Archbishop Williams, he transferred to Noble and Greenough, repeated his sophomore year and played three seasons there and was honored as a captain his senior campaign. After Nobles, he decided to take a year off from school and competed in the United States Hockey League for the Chicago Steel. In the midst of all that, he committed to Yale as a junior in high school.

Sweezey said one of the toughest shifts to the collegiate ranks he was tasked with was not on the ice.

“The transition into a college classroom, especially at a place like Yale, was pretty tough,” Sweezey said. “My dad always stressed doing well in school to my brother and me, so I was able to get back into the swing of things after a few weeks.”

Sweezey said everything on the ice went relatively smooth after he was able to work diligently with his coaches to get past the adjustment period.

“The biggest difference is the speed,” Sweezey said. “Guys are faster and stronger so you have that much less time to make a decision out there. The room for error is extremely small.”

One aspect Sweezey said he prides himself on is his physicality on the ice. However, it can be a detriment at times, and caused a few issues at the early stages of the season. Though, he was able to figure out how to become more disciplined, which can be seen by a season-best sixgame no penalty streak from Jan. 13 to Jan. 28.

“I think I improved in that aspect a lot this season,” Sweezey said of his discipline. “A lot of it comes down to being able to relax during the games and keep my emotions in check; never getting too high or too low.”

The rising sophomore said when he reflects back at his 2016-17 campaign, one moment that comes to mind is Yale’s 3-2 overtime win over Dartmouth in the first round of the ECAC playoffs on March 4. In the triumph – the Bulldogs’ last home tilt – Sweezey netted a third-period assist that knotted the score at 2-2.

“After the game and handshakes, we lined up and saluted our games for the final time,” Sweezey said. “It really hit me that I was going to be part of something really special for the next three years.”

Sweezey, who went through the Hanson School System up until high school, said he looks forward to the offseason for a bevy of reasons.

“I still see all my friends from home when I’m there and look forward to coming home,” Sweezey said. “I’ll probably skate two to three times a week doing skills work. Then I’m in the gym lifting four to five times a week. I also play three on three with my best friends once a week which is probably the most fun.”

Catching up with Brenndan Rogers

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A Q&A with Whitman-Hanson Regional High alum Brenndan Rogers.

Brenndan Rogers had an illustrious career as a two-sport athlete at Whitman-Hanson Regional High.

On the hardwood, the shooting guard netted 774 points over his career and played a pivotal role on the Panthers’ school-record 22-win campaign last season that ended at the TD Garden in the Eastern Mass. final — averaging 15.8 points per game in the postseason.

On the diamond, Rogers was eerily as dominant — posting a 7-1 record, one more win than the team had the prior season, and 0.80 earned run average over 52 1/3 innings during his final go-around. In the Panthers’ opening playoff game, Rogers hurled five innings of two-hit ball to power W-H past Somerset Berkley 11-0.

Last March, Rogers committed to play basketball at New England College, where he majors in business. In nine games for NEC, the Hanson native is averaging 10.1 points per game and is shooting 42.1 percent from the field for a Pilgrims squad (7-2) that is off to its best start since 2010-11.

The Express caught up with Rogers to reflect on his time at W-H and to see how he is adapting to college thus far.

Q: What did you learn on the hardwood at W-H?

A: “The importance of teamwork and working with a good group of guys towards a common goal. Also, the value of hard work and doing everything in life with your best effort.”

Q: How has the transition to college been on the court?

A: “The transition into college sports is just the beginning of a new process. You’re now at a level where you’re competing against the best of the best high school athletes. Also, you’re going up against guys that are grown men at 23 or 24 years old. Everything in your game has to be taken up a notch and your body needs to be at top shape. But most importantly, trusting the process with your teammates and coaches to become a successful athlete at a higher level.”

Q: How has the transition to college been in the classroom?

A: “Moving from high school to college classes was a big jump for me. I wasn’t the best high school student so it was important for me to bear down and get good grades. The work is a lot more challenging, but the professors prepare you well enough so that you can deal with the assignments. You also have a lot more time to complete assignments so time can be helpful.”

Q: What is one valuable lesson you acquired at W-H that you have taken to the collegiate ranks?

A: “A valuable lesson learned in high school was that everything happens for a reason. And no matter how hard life can be sometimes, you should never let it affect who you are.”

Q: What’s your fondest memory from W-H?

A: “My fondest memory at W-H would definitely be bringing the entire school and community to TD Garden during my senior basketball season. We had an amazing run and were one of the best teams in school history. On the other side during baseball, pitching and winning the first tournament game in eight years for W-H was a great moment for me.”

Q: Who is your favorite professional athlete and how has s/he inspired you?

A: “My favorite professional athlete would defiantly have to be Paul Pierce. He was a big inspiration growing up, watching him lead the Celtics for so many successful seasons. He inspired me to push through any hard times and difficulties as he went through some rough years in Boston but always stuck through it with the team.”

Q: What goes into your offseason preparation?

A: “The offseason was full of a lot of running and weight lifting. Going from high school to college sports calls for a lot of preparation going into the season. Running helped with staying in shape and getting faster for a fast pace college game. Weight lifting was important to get stronger to play with older and experienced competition.”

Q: What day of the week do you most look forward to?

A: “My favorite day of the week is either Friday, or Saturday. Both days are usually when I have games so it’s the highlight of the week.”

Q: What’s your favorite food?

A: “My favorite food is either chicken or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Both have been my top favorite foods since I was a kid.”

Q: What’s been your biggest accomplishment at college thus far?

A: “My biggest accomplishment so far in college would either be my team’s success, or my personal success in the classroom. Our team ended first semester at 7-2, and is heading into next semester with a lot of momentum. In the classroom, I finished the semester with a 3.4 GPA.”