South Jersey Magazine - Moorestown / Mt. Laurel

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SJM_FallAthletes_1023FINAL.qxp_Feature 10 / 19 / 23 10 : 28 AM Page 5 ? ava thomas Haddonfield girls cross country SJM:How did you get into running ? Thomas’memorable junior season included individual sectional and county titles in cross country , AT:My mom ran in college at Penn , and I kind of andshe went on to place seventh at states and 16th at the Meet of Champions ( MOC ) for the Bull - always knew that I was going to run , but I didn’t start dawgs , who won South Jersey and state championships as a team and took second at the MOC . In the until high school . I played soccer and wasn’t good ; I did spring , she won the MOC crown in the 3200 meters with a thrilling comeback . swimming and still do it in the summer , but I’m not good at it . I’m not good at other sports in general , but I knew in high school I was going to do running . I’m not SouthJersey Magazine : What stands out as your out all of my junior year , it was really rewarding to see much of a hand - eye coordination person , but running greatestmemory from last year ? Is it the MOC how all of the months of work culminated in that . It doesn’t really require that . I did it freshman year and I titlein track ? was really exciting . was expecting to like it , but I found that I loved it . AvaThomas : That comes to mind first . But through - SJM : Do you think about that race a lot ? SJM:Do you ever run with your mom ? AT : I do . It kind of feels like a different person almost . AT : Sometimes we do . Sometimes she’ll bike alongside It’s still weird to say that I won that race . It was like an me . It’s fun . out - of - body experience when I look back on it and I’m still shocked about that . I don’t think I’ll ever not be SJM:Do you know what you’re doing next year ? shocked that it’s something that happened . AT : I can’t really say anything about that now , but I should be making an announcement in the next couple SJM:Cross country was also a special season , for of weeks . Things are being finalized right now so I’m youand the team . not allowed to say anything publicly yet , but it’s AT : Definitely . It was a lot of fun , because there was a exciting . Starting back as a freshman is going to be group of five of us that always raced together . At the weird , but there are going to be so many people in col - end of the season , we performed well at MOCs . You’re lege who are insanely good , so I’m excited to train with all racing the same distance and doing the same them and I’m excited to compete at that level . workouts and you’re all racing together , and that’s why cross country is prob - SJM:What do you like to do for fun aside from ably my favorite season . I feel like running ? it’s much more of a team sport AT : I’m a big reader : That’s one of my favorite things to and I just love my team . That’s do at the end of the day . I’ve recently taught myself to one of the reasons I’ve done crochet — me and my friends have all learned how to running for so long . do that together , so that’s been fun . I also like to bake , and I’ve been trying to pick up the piano again because I used to play that . Sometimes I get hyper fixated on things and get really into them . I go through phases of things I like to do . I like to watch horror movies too : It’s October now and Halloween is coming up , so that’s always fun . … It’s spooky season , which is my favorite time of year . SJM : What is your baking specialty ? AT : I like to make French macarons . They’re very diffi - cult and I’ve failed at them quite a few times , but they’re always fun . You have to slap the baking pan to release the air bubbles and that’s always fun . I like to make pies , because pie is my favorite dessert , and I like to decorate things as well . SJM : Do you listen to music while you’re running ? AT : No , and it’s so weird that I don’t . It’s something that I should do and it would probably make the run go by so much faster , but I never really got into listening to music while I run . I feel like I would be weird for me to do it now , so I just don’t . SJM : Do you like growing up in Haddonfield ? AT : I do . It’s such a nice community to grow up in and I’ve met a lot of great people . I’ve made a lot of friends who I’ve had for years and years . It’s going to be a nice place to come back to and feel at home and feel safe there . Haddonfield is a great place to grow up in , the schools are great and the running program is great there . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 7 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 32 |

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SJM_FallAthletes_1023FINAL.qxp_Feature 10 / 19 / 23 10 : 29 AM Page s ? SouthJersey Magazine : You always seem to environmentwas way different than any other game michael lemay standout during Lenape games , particularly weplayed that year . Last year , the same thing . Both on defense . Is that your favorite part of the teamshate each other and it’s usually a great game . game ? Lenape football SJM:What’s it like to play for “ Coach Woj , ” Michael LeMay : It’s definitely my favorite part — LeMay , a senior wide receiver / safety , is a three - year starter Joe Wojceichowski ? I’vebeen playing it since I was young . I play offense too , for the Indians who contributes in all phases of the game . ML:He’s my favorite coach I ever played for . He has butit’s more new to me . I’ve always played defense . He especially makes an impact on defense thanks to his so much passion for the game and it makes me pas - fearless physical play and his ability to create sionate . He’s believed in me since I was a sopho - SJM:You’re not the biggest guy out there , but turnovers . more , 5 - foot - 9 and 155 pounds . If you can play the thatdoesn’t seem to bother you when you’re game , he’ll play you . makingtackles . ML : I use my speed to my advantage . I’m not big , SJM:Do you have certain players that you like butwhen you hit someone [ with a head of steam ] , tomodel yourself after ? that’swhat it takes to bring them down . I’ve always ML:I like Harrison Smith and look up to him . I beensmall and when I was younger I would be like , wasn’told enough to watch Brian Dawkins play , but “ Wow , these guys are humongous . ” But when you get I’ve seen [ videos ] and love how passionate he was older , the mindset changes and you don’t really care for the game . I look up to wide receivers like Adam anymore.You just want to go out and hit someone . Thielen , who was an undrafted guy but came into the league and proved a lot . I liked Julian Edelman SJM:How old were you when you started too . playingfootball ? ML:Around 5 years old , so I’ve been playing for basi - SJM:How is the recruiting process going ? callymy whole life . My dad wasn’t allowed to play ML : It’s going OK . I have one Division I offer [ from football , but my older brother was a wild kid when Marist ] and I have a lot of D - II schools interested . hewas younger and he would always pick on my sis - I’m trying my best to get more Division I , because I ter , so my parents put him in football . I was the want to play at the highest level — obviously not sameway , an energetic kid , so they put me in foot - FBS , because I don’t have the size , but FCS . ball and that’s when I started to love it . SJM : You have several traditional rivals in the SJM:Do you like going to school at Lenape ? area . Who is the biggest ? ML : It’s pretty enjoyable . I love the staff : They all ML:Cherokee . Shawnee is also a rival , but Cherokee do their best to make sure I leave the school with is the biggest . My sophomore year , Cherokee was a great education and that I’m ready for college . the first game we played , and I can definitely say the It’s a great school . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 7 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 33

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