The votes are in. With the help of Copper Creek Contractors, Ryan Edwards of the Armstrong-Potomac men’s golf team and Ella Schweighart of the Villa Grove women’s golf team are this week’s winners. Below are their comments in their own words, along with their biggest supporters: their teammates.
Ryan Edwards | Armstrong Potomac Men’s Golf
➜ Why he’s Athlete of the Week: Edwards helped the newly formed Armstrong Potomac golf team make team history by winning its first-ever match on Aug. 19. The Trojans defeated Villa Grove and Heritage with a team score of 189, and Edwards earned medalist honors with a nine-hole round of 44.
➜ From Edwards: “I’m very excited to be a junior on Coach Armstrong’s first golf team. My teammates and I are excited and I’m proud to lead the team. … I was pretty surprised (about the win), but we were very excited and proud of ourselves and ready for the next tournament.”
➜ My favorite movie is… “The Sandlot.”
➜ My favorite genre of music is…country.
➜ My favorite sports team/player is… the Chicago Cubs.
➜ If I had one superpower it would be to hit the golf ball straight down the middle of the fairway. I would hit it below par or exactly at par.
➜ The song I always listen to before a match is…the song that’s playing on the bus radio.
➜ My go-to post-game meal is… Jersey Mike’s or sometimes Dairy Queen.
➜ The thing I hate most about golf is when someone crosses my line on the putting green.
➜ My favorite golf memory is… after practice last week I was playing a par 3 and chipped in for birdie.
➜ At the top of my bucket list is…going professional in any of the sports I play (golf, basketball, or baseball).
➜ Athlete of the Week finalists: Race Claybrook, Mahomet Seymour Golf, Easton Freedman, Prairie Central Golf, Brycen Umstadt, LeRoy Golf
Ella Schweigert | Villa Grove Women’s Golf
➜ Why she was named Athlete of the Week: Schweigert earned top honors in two games during the first week of the season. She led the Blue Devils to a win over Armstrong Potomac on Aug. 19 with a personal-best score of 39. Two days later, she recorded 42 in a win over Central A&M and Tuscola.
➜ From Schweigert: “I’ve seen some of my friends get selected as Athlete of the Week, but I can’t believe it’s actually me. I didn’t even start playing golf until my freshman year of college. … I bought a golf simulator this winter and have a chipping range in my backyard, which has helped me get more practice in the off-season. I probably played golf every day over the summer. Getting out on the course, perfecting everything and learning more about myself has really helped my scores this year.”
➜ My favorite TV show is… “Gilmore Girls.”
➜ My favourite musician is… Adele.
➜ My favorite athlete is… Nelly Korda.
➜ If I could have any superpower it would be… to be invisible.
➜ My pre-game routine is… drinking Alani Nuu and making sure my hair is always neat and tidy.
➜ My go-to post-game meal is… It depends on how I feel at the time.
➜ My biggest golf superstition is to take a deep breath and reset before each shot.
➜ My favorite golf memory is… shooting 39 on my home course and making my second eagle. It felt so good and everyone was like, “Oh my gosh, you can’t make 39.”
➜ At the top of my bucket list is… playing Pebble Beach.
➜ Athlete of the Week Finalists: Kate Bushu, Sullivan Golf; Addie Irwin, Arthur Christian Volleyball; Anna Haupt, Danville Tennis