Click / Touch Ads to View More
![]()
SJM_SpringAthletes_0419FINAL_Feature 3 / 28 / 19 2 : 17 PM Page 7 thebar Raising brett guetens A senior outside hitter , Guetens had 158 kills and 99 service points last year to help the Minutemen reach the sectional semifinals . Also a standout forward on WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP Washington Township’s state championship soccer team , he will focus on soccer next year at West Chester . VOLLEYBALL South Jersey Magazine : I know that soccer is your SJM : Do you know what you want to study ? main sport , but is volleyball important to you as BG : I’m probably going to major in political science well ? and minor in business , because I’m going to go to law Brett Guetens : Yeah , definitely . I went to a bunch of school after college . Since middle school I’ve always to be a lawyer . … I’m not sure exactly what my friends ’ games freshman year and fell in love with wanted kind of lawyer , but I’m interested in sports contracts . it , so I wanted to try it . Sophomore year , I stopped playing basketball and took the winter off , but I SJM : Do you like going to school at Washington wanted to play another sport in high school . I tried Township ? out for the team , it went really well and the coach BG : Township is my favorite place , honestly . Everyone loved me . I ended up sitting varsity for the first few but eventually I got to start . Now I’m a senior games says they don’t like school , but what they really mean and it’s my second - favorite sport . is they don’t like homework and tests . I would rather go to school every day and see my friends than SJM : What do you like about it ? stay home . My mom has been teaching BG : I love the speed of it . Nothing is better than a really there for 20 years , so I’ve been good volley with another team . I like that it has different around that school since I movements than soccer and I’m able to use my hands could walk . … I’ve met so and other parts of my athletic ability . Usually people many great people don’t think it’s that big of a sport — they think it’s just a through the years gym class sport — but it’s a lot more than that . through clubs , sports and classes , SJM : The Washington Township girls team had a and there’s no great season in the fall and I know your team is place I’d looking to match that . What are your goals ? rather be . BG : We have a good amount of seniors coming back and we actually have a few new players who should good for us . We lost three really important players be from last year , but I think we’ve gotten better and the conference has lost a lot of seniors . I think this is when we can really make something happen , and maybe win the conference or the Gloucester County Tournament . We’ll see how it goes . SJM : Are you excited to play college soccer at West Chester ? BG : I am . I had been talking to a lot of coaches at all three levels and I made the decision the day after Christmas . It was hard because I was looking at a lot of good schools . I was thinking heavily about where I could fit in best , where I could make an impact in soc - cer and where I could do great educationally . West to the national championship game Chester made it for Division II and ended up losing . In my head I thought , ‘ Maybe we can make it there next year , me and the other freshmen can help and we can win one . ’ After winning a state championship , the only way to beat that is by winning a national championship in college . So I talked to my family and they had pretty much known from the beginning I was going to pick West Chester . I love the coach , I love the team and I think it’s going to be a great experience . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 16 issue 1 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 50 |
Click / Touch Ads to View More
![]()
SJM_SpringAthletes_0419FINAL_Feature 3 / 28 / 19 2 : 17 PM Page 8 karly A key player since her freshman year , Messina contributes with her arm and her bat . The junior pitcher went 17 - 6 with 86 strikeouts last year and batted . 456 with 21 RBIs to make the all - conference first team and lead Cherokee to its second Olympic messina Conference American Division title in a row . CHEROKEE SOFTBALL South Jersey Magazine : What are KM : Definitely . As I was growing up , lege but continue to support each oth - your goals for this season ? we used to pitch in the backyard to - er along the way . Karly Messina : I want to become a gether and she helped me a lot . When leader instead of just talking about my SJM : Who is a tough hitter in South she was in college , Anna and I would personal goals . I want to be better at Jersey you enjoy facing ? travel to all of her games and I think leading the team , having confidence in KM : Jayden Hunter from Lenape is a that made me want to get better and the circle and working well with my really good hitter . She has the go to college and be like her . catcher . I want to help the team with my same hitting coach as me , so I hitting and throw strikes so I can get SJM : What did it mean to be named know she works hard and works more strikeouts . one of the team’s captains this sea - a lot on pitch counts and how son ? to battle the pitcher . She’s def - SJM : This is your last year playing KM : It’s a huge honor , especially be - initely a tough competitor to with your sister Anna . What has it cause I’m not a senior . Being alongside go against . That whole meant to you to be teammates with Anna and Jordyn Deveney is really cool , Lenape team is tough to go her at the high school level ? because they’re both great leaders . I’ll against . KM : It’s so much fun to play with her , be able to learn from them and take it especially because we bounce off each SJM : What do you like into next year . other at practice . It builds my confi - Cherokee ? about dence and it builds her confidence . … KM : SJM : Do you want to play in college ? I like that it’s a big school . I We’ve been playing together for a KM : Yes , definitely . I’ve started looking don’t know everybody , but the while and she definitely helps me . and a couple of schools are interested people I do know , I’m very close with . in me . I haven’t made a decision yet . All of the teachers are extremely sup - SJM : You have another older sister Anna is going to Ramapo , but I don’t portive with both my schoolwork and who was a standout pitcher too . Did think that is an option . I think we both my softball . They’re always asking Laura have a big influence on you ? want to go our separate ways for col - how I’m doing in both aspects . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 16 issue 1 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 51
