South Jersey Magazine - Gloucester County / Newsstand

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SJM_WinterAthletes_1223FINAL_Reg4 . qxp_Feature 12 / 18 / 23 5 : 19 PM Page 2 With another winter Heather O’Day Cherokee swimming sports season upon SJM : Does it motivate you to reach the A final One of the premier freestyle sprinters in this year ? HO : It definitely does . I was in A final my sophomore South Jersey , O’Day placed ninth in the state us , these nine year and it’s very competitive , especially in the sprints . in the 100 free last year and helped Cherokee Hundredths of a second will determine whether you reach the sectional semifinals . She is primed student - athletes make the A final or not . I definitely know that I have for a memorable senior season before contin - to go into prelims focused . uing her career at Colgate University . from South Jersey South Jersey Magazine : What are your expecta - SJM : How did you get into the sport in the first place ? tions this year for yourself and the team ? HO : I kind of always have swam . Both of my parents Heather O’Day : I’m really excited because we’re go - are ready to take are swimmers , so that probably sprinkled into my deci - ing to have a great team this year . We did lose a lot of sion to focus on swimming . I had always done other seniors , but we have a really good freshman coming in sports — I did soccer , lacrosse and cross country — but I their game to who’s a freestyler and will really help our relays . I’m was probably 14 when I decided that swimming would super excited to swim those in meets and at states . be my main sport . another level . SJM : Are you focused on your times or do you aim SJM : Do you think it takes a special kind of per - for certain places at the big meets ? son to commit to swimming , considering the HO : At dual meets , I would say my goal is to get my hard work and long hours it entails ? hand on the wall first . But at bigger meets , getting a HO : For sure . It can be really soul - destroying . processes the game and how he takes every day seri - best time is usually my goal . It’s a hard sport , but I love it . ous and how every little thing matters [ was helpful ] . I think stuff like that helped make me the player I SJM : I know they changed the Meet of Champi - SJM : What led to your decision to commit to am today . ons format this year , eliminating the consola - Colgate ? tion finals . How do you feel about that ? HO : It was a pretty easy decision for me — I got lucky . SJM : Do you watch a lot of basketball ? HO : I don’t like it . I don’t think it’s right because I feel When I visited , I loved the campus , I loved the team TD : Yeah . I’m a big college guy . all the swimmers should get a chance to compete culture , I loved the coach and they have great acade - again . There are a lot of fast swimmers who compete in mics . They had everything I wanted in a school . SJM : Are there any guys you like to model your B finals too . I was in B finals last year and I got a best game after ? time from it . It’s just not fair . SJM : Do you have any siblings ? TD : Tyler Kolek from Marquette ; Erik Reynolds from HO : I have a twin sister , Kerry . She runs for Cherokee . St . Joe’s is really good ; Derek [ Simpson ] is my guy so We’re fraternal and we’re very different . She could I like watching him ; A.J . Hoggard and Tyson Walker walk in and you would be like , “ You guys are related ? ” from Michigan State . I like watching point guards play at a high level . SJM : Do you get along though ? HO : Yeah , we do . We spend a lot of time together . She SJM : You’re going to be playing at the same used to swim up until freshman year . She was a really level as those guys pretty soon . How excited good breaststroker and I can’t do breaststroke to save are you to see what you can do in college ? my life . She always had a faster time than me in TD : I can’t even form it into words . I’m super excited , breaststroke until last year . I was determined to beat I’m going into a good situation at Merrimack , and I her and I finally did . think they’re going to welcome me with open arms . SJM : What do you do for fun when you’re not SJM : Do you know what you want to study ? swimming ? TD : I’m going to major in communications and mi - HO : I like to hike . There are a lot of good areas around nor in journalism , specifically sports journalism . I’ll here to do that . I basically live in the woods , so they see where it takes me , but I’m looking to get into TV . have a lot of trails behind my house . I also love going to the beach , especially since it’s so SJM : Is there a rival team you like facing the close . most ? TD : Of course there are the district schools like SJM : How do you prepare for Cherokee and Shawnee , and Cherry Hill East is al - a big race ? ways tough . We’ve played Egg Harbor for two years HO : I feel like a lot goes into it . now , once in the [ sectional ] semifinal and once in Probably about two weeks before the final , and they’re tough . I always look forward to the meet actually starts , I like to vi - the Score at the Shore too , because you get good sualize my races , get focused and Mainland and Holy Spirit . … And competition like make sure I’m eating good , get - Eastern is always good too . ting enough sleep and stretch - ing . It’s definitely a process , SJM : What do you do before a big game ? Do you but I feel like that’s what have any certain music you like to listen to ? works best for me . Right be - TD : A lot of Drake . That’s about it — I don’t really do fore my race , I like anything specific , except maybe close my eyes for a to take some deep breaths , little bit . I’m not really superstitious . I might wear the focus and get ready to same shoes if I’ve played well , but that’s about it . swim fast . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 9 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 27

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SJM_WinterAthletes_1223FINAL_Reg4 . qxp_Feature 12 / 18 / 23 5 : 19 PM Page 3 Luke Sherlock Shawnee wrestling sneaking into the state finals . We have a couple of new man and sophomore year , but I haven’t been to Escape kids and I think we’ll be solid . the Rock yet . I like those big tournaments because it Just halfway through his high school gets you ready for later in the season . The atmosphere is wrestling career , Sherlock already has two SJM : Who do you partner with at practice ? similar to states , where you have to wrestle your best district titles and two runner - up finishes at LS : I partner with Chris Ahrens and I’ll also wrestle with for two or three days and kind of grind through it . regions . He finished with 37 wins last year as Jordan Segal . Jordan is a smaller guy and he’s a lot more a sophomore , including two in the 113 - pound technical than the other guys , so he helps me in that SJM : What’s it like wrestling at Boardwalk Hall bracket at states , and helped Shawnee go 21 - sense . Chris is a lot bigger than me so he helps me get for states ? 5 with a sectional championship . He has lofty stronger and see what it’s like when I’m going to wres - LS : It’s awesome walking out onto those mats . You goals for himself and his team this winter . tle at a higher weight . You never know what you’re go - have the whole crowd around you , and warming up in ing to get , so you have to be ready to wrestle any type the back is also really cool . It’s exciting to be there . I South Jersey Magazine : After two terrific seasons of style . went my eighth grade year just to get ready for it , and to start your career , are you excited to see what it’s so much fun just watching your friends wrestle . you can accomplish this year ? SJM : Do you pay attention to other guys from Luke Sherlock : Oh yeah , I’m excited . I want to place at your weight class from around the state ? SJM : What do you like about wrestling ? states this year and I’m looking to win a region title . I LS : I definitely look at that stuff because it’s good to see LS : I like how there’s nobody else out there , so you can’t want to do better than I did last year . how other people are doing and how you can keep up . blame your teammates for your mistakes . You can’t say , It also keeps you motivated when you see someone who “ It was my team’s fault that I lost . ” No , it was you . SJM : Has the experience of wrestling in two re - you think you’re neck and neck with maybe doing a lit - You’re the only one who can make yourself win and gion finals been a big help for you ? tle bit better than you . I like to look at the rankings , and you’re the only one who can make yourself lose when LS : Yeah , it will definitely help me this year . Losing in I also like to see where my teammates are ranked . you’re out there . There’s a lot of pressure but I guess I the region final gave me insight into what I can do to really like that . get better and how I need to improve . It also fueled me SJM : What tournaments will your team be to win it this year . wrestling in this year ? SJM : What do you like about going to school at LS : We’re wrestling at Beast of the East , and later in Shawnee ? SJM : How does the team look ? January we’re going to be wrestling at Escape the Rock . LS : I like how there aren’t too many people there and LS : The team looks good . I think we have a really good They’re two really big tournaments and I’m looking for - everyone is close . Even during my season , I’m still shot at winning another sectional title and maybe even ward to them . We went to Beast of the East my fresh - watching the basketball kids and talking to the kids who play other sports . All of the sports are really tight . SJM : Have you always lived in the Medford area ? LS : Yes I have , my whole life . It’s a chill town , not too much goes on , and I like that aspect of it . SJM : What other hobbies do you have ? LS : I like to go down the Shore and I lifeguard in the summer in LBI , Surf City . It’s a lot of fun . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 20 issue 9 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 28 |

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