South Jersey Magazine - Cherry Hill / Haddonfield / Voorhees

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SJM_WinterAthletes_1224_V2FINAL.qxp_Feature 12 / 20 / 24 1 : 08 PM Page 3 MP : I wouldn’t say it came naturally , but I was inclined to keep trying and keep fighting . I wanted to MAYA learnhow to get out of bad positions and learn new things . I had the drive to keep going , so that came nat - PASTERNAK urally and it helped me progress . SJM : Are you trying to recruit more girls to the team ? Cherry Hill East wrestling MP:Oh yeah , we really want to recruit more girls . It In just her second season of wrestling last year would be great to grow girls wrestling at East . It’s a as a sophomore , Pasternak took third place at veryfast - growing sport for girls and it’s a great oppor - regions to earn her first trip to states , and she tunity to get in now . I started not knowing anything , and I really like it now . There are a lot of opportunities wenton to reach the podium in Atlantic City in that come with it and it can teach you a lot about life eighthplace for the 100 - pound weight class . It too , like time management , persevering and advo - willbe exciting to see what she has in store for cating for yourself , all of that . anencore in the coming months . South Jersey Magazine : How did you become SJM:You have made great strides in a short time . interested in wrestling ? Whatdid your success last year mean to you ? MayaPasternak : I heardabout it one day on the MP : It showedme in general not to doubt yourself , announcements at school . There was a girls wrestling becauseyou can come a long way , from knowing interest meeting and I said , “ OK , that sounds inter - nothing to having pretty good success in the sport . Not esting . I might as well try because I’m not doing any only that , it taught me that you should keep trying sports . ” new things , because you never know where it’s going to take you . SJM:So you had no background in the sport before then ? SJM:What else do you do for fun ? MP : No . I did jiu - jitsu for a little bit in eighth grade , MP:I’m in Girl Scouts , I like cooking , I like volun - but the sport of wrestling was new to me . I actually teeringand just traveling and trying new things . thoughtyou had to hold someone down for three sec - onds [ to secure a pin ] when I first heard about it , SJM:What stands out among your favorite which is not true . I had no idea what the rules were traveldestinations ? and I didn’t know anyone who wrestled either . MP : I went to Ecuador and that was really fun — the Galapagos [ Islands ] was probably one of my favorite SJM:Did it come naturally once you got out on places I’ve been . But you can send me anywhere and themat ? I’ll have fun . on passing and shooting . … I’ve played ever since SJM:What do you like about growing up in then and I just love the game . SouthJersey ? ALEXA AH : I love the opportunities that it gives me . We are SJM : Do you play year round ? in close proximity to cities and we can also go to the HENRY AH:Yes , I play with the Philadelphia Belles . I would to grow up beachwhenever we want . I wouldn’t want say it’s faster because AAU doesn’t have as many set anywhere else , to be honest . plays . We work on scoring more and transition . It’s Lenape girls basketball definitely cool to play people from different states and traveling to places like Chicago and Ohio , and just get - Asenior guard , Henry has been playing varsity ting to experience different levels of talent . sinceshe was a freshman and is already a member of the 1,000 - point club . She is coming SJM:Do you know what you’re doing next year ? off a memorable junior campaign in which she AH : I hope to go to Syracuse and major in visual com - averaged14.2 points and helped Lenape go 26 - municationsand sports media . I want to work with 7and win the Group 4 state championship . sports teams and brands — maybe teams in the NFL or other highly known brands . I like to create videos SouthJersey Magazine : What a ride it was for andcontent for social media , or pretty much you and the team last year . What stands out anything I can do with a camera . whenyou look back on it ? Alexa Henry : Definitely the teamwork we had SJM:Are you looking throughout the whole season . Compared to other sea - toplay basketball in sons , we played together more than anything , and I college ? think our chemistry on and off the court pushed us to AH:I’m not looking to get to that point . play . I’m definitely going to miss it and SJM:Do you have similar goals this year ? missmy teammates and AH:Wewould love to go back - to - back and win the coaches , but I’m excited to whole thing again , but we’re really just focused on seewhat’s next . the little things right now . We’re going step by step . SJM : What else do you do for fun ? SJM:How long have you been playing and how AH : I obviously like to hang out with my friends , but I didyou get interested in the sport ? spend a lot of my time editing videos , taking pictures AH : I would say maybe since I was 6 years old . My dad and helping other players , teams and companies with [ gotme interested ] . We used to do camps and work their social media content . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 9 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 20 |

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SJM_WinterAthletes_1224_V2FINAL.qxp_Feature 12 / 20 / 24 1 : 08 PM Page 4 that first year , but I knew it was worth going into . SJM:What do you like about going to school at Cherokee ? S A M G R E E N SJM:What are some of the keys to being successful ? SG : I like the social time . I can do my schoolwork and SG : A lot of it is just natural — some people have it all the teachers are great and I know I’m getting a and some people don’t . That sounds a little arrogant , good education , but I can also have time with my Cherokeeboys track but the mental part is also huge . The worst thing you friends during the day . can do is get in your own head about it . It’s important Greendiscovered a love and talent for the high to lift and get stronger , but it’s really about consis - SJM:What do you like about growing up in jumpas a freshman at Cherokee and has been tency . SouthJersey ? gettingbetterevery year since . Last year as a SG : I’ve been here all of my life … and it just feels junior , he placed fourth at sectionals , third at SJM:Are you hoping to compete in college ? like where I’m supposed to be . We’re close to the statesand fifth at the Meet of Champions during SG : Oh yeah , I would love to . I’m hoping to go to the Shore , close to indoorseason , and he went on to excel in the University of Maryland — that’s my biggest school Philly , and it’s springoutdoor season as well . He has lofty right now for academics and track . I’m in contact with agood expectationsfor his final year with the Chiefs . coachesand going through the recruiting process . middle spot . I like being SouthJersey Magazine : Do you have any certain SJM:Do you know what you want to study in college ? around this goals in mind for this season ? SG : Yes , hopefully biomedical engineering . Honestly , area . SamGreen : I want to break the school record and engineering just kind of grabbed me , and I think the hopefully just get closer to the 6 - 10 and 7 - foot mark . biomedical field is great . It’s not going away anytime My baseline is the school record , which is 6 - 8 ½ . Ed soonand I would love to contribute to health care Kramer [ has it ] — I think he set it in 2011 or 2012 . technology . SJM : What made you want to try the high jump SJM:What do you do to get ready for a big inthe first place ? meet ? Is it more about pumping yourself up or SG : There’s this guy , Mike Pascuzzo , who went to the clearingyour head ? Olympic Trials and was a really good high jumper . He SG : It’s a bit of both . I definitely like to get in the was there for [ my first ] practice and they said , “ You mood for it . On the bus ride there , I’m not talking ; I’m can either do a hills workout or go high jump . ” And I either listening to music or taking a quick nap . When I was like , “ Well , I’m not doing a hills workout . ” So I get to the meet , all I’m focused on is my jumping . I went with high jump and it worked out pretty well . have limited social time , and I try to stay out of my own way , if that makes sense . I don’t want to think SJM:Did you know you had that talent ? about it too much , but I want to be in the right mind SG : No . It wasbrand new for me , but I caught on path to be able to do what I want to do . pretty quickly and I really enjoyed it . I wasn’t amazing AI : Yes . When I was little , me and my dad would SJM:What do you like about growing up in shoot at the high school and we would see the posters Moorestown ? A N A L Y S E for the girls ’ and the boys ’ [ all - time scoring leaders ] . fun and AI : Growingup in Moorestown is definitely My goal is to beat the highest boys ’ record , which I thecommunity is very welcoming . I know a lot of think is 1,500 . people think we’re rich and snobbish , but I think I N T E N Z O we’rehumble and the people are nice . SJM : What stands out when you look back on last season ? SJM:What do you do for fun away from Moorestown girls basketball AI : I definitely learned a lot . With all of the fans and basketball ? Justhalfwaythrough her high school career , [ thegym being ] so loud , I learned how to stay calm AI : Basketball usually thisjunior has already amassed 720 points , 326 andwork with my teammates . We never turn on each takesup most of my reboundsand 167 assists . She averaged a team - other , we always have each other’s backs and I think time , but if I’m not high14.1 points per game as a sophomore to that’s really important . Some teams we play will start playing basketball , helpthe Quakers set a school record for wins in yelling at each other , but my team doesn’t do that . I go to the gym or aseason and reach the sectional semifinals . We all work well together and I think it shows . hang out with my friends and SouthJersey Magazine : You have had two SJM:Who is your biggest rival ? family . reallygood seasons already at Moorestown . AI : Cherry Hill West : They’ve Were you surprised at all by the success you beengood since my freshman were able to have right away ? year . We’ve beaten them every Analyse Intenzo : I wasn’t really surprised because I timewe’ve played them , but put in a lot of work . I knew going in as a freshman last year we beat them on a that my team was really good and we worked well buzzer - beater . … We always together . They really helped me . lookforward to that game . SJM : What goals do you have this year for your - SJM:Women’s basketball has come self and the team ? along way in recent years . Do you feel like AI : I’m excited because I’m almost at 1,000 points , so thesport is being appreciated more ? I would like to join the 1,000 - point club . My team is AI : It definitely got big because of Caitlin Clark and pretty good this year and I think we can win a Group 3 Angel Reese . That’s how it kind of started , and I think championship . it’s important to show people that girls can play bas - ketball too . They might not be dunking , necessarily , SJM:The 1,000 - point milestone is always spe - but their games are entertaining to watch , just like cialfor a high school player . Is that something the boys ’ are . growing up ? youdreamed about SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 9 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 21

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