Oswego East Student Athlete of the Week-Abby Szadorski

Last season's girl's swim team made school history by finishing 2nd in the state as a team. Current sophomore Abby Szadorski was able to gain valuable experience swimming against the best competition in the state, and is counted on this season and beyond to use that experience to help keep the Wolves as one of the premier programs in the state, which is why she is this week's Oswego East student-athlete of the week.

Abby and her twin sister Alexa started swimming at age 9 for Delta Aquatics. "We tried other sports and did not have a lot of success, so we both tried swimming and fell in love with it," says Abby. "Abby began her swim career at the age 9 and has been swimming competitively ever since," says Michelle and Mike Szadorski.

Abby's competitive nature has helped her fall in love with the sport and has given her the determination to continuously improve as she has gotten older. "I love the meets, my teammates, and I'm a competitive person, which is what I like best about the sport," says Abby.

In last year's state tournament, Abby earned an opportunity to swim the 100-yard breaststroke against some of the best swimmers in the state and compete for a state championship. This season, she is hopeful to not only qualify for the state tournament in the 100M breaststroke again but make it in the 200 individual medley. Deryl Leubner, Abby's head coach, sees a bright future for Abby, saying, "Abby definitely should plan on being on the podium at the state meet in her career."

Swimming with her twin sister Alexa has built a competitive bond, as both sisters compete in the 100 breaststroke against each other in tournaments. "They seem to have an unspoken rivalry between them, and are competitive with one another in such a way that it motivates and drives them to succeed both in and out of the pool," says Michelle and Mike. "We do not really talk about times with each other, but we are definitely competitive," says Abby.

Abby is hopeful she and her teammates can continue using the lessons from last year's state title run to improve. "The last two years has given our team a tremendous amount of confidence when we swim ranked teams," says Leubner. He goes on to add, "In years past, we wouldn't really compete against the better teams. Now they feel like they can win any meet at any time." This season, Abby was able to finish second at the conference tournament in both the 200 individual medley and 100 breaststroke, and will undoubtedly only grow stronger as the Wolves look to the state tournament.

Swimming and the experience of being a student at Oswego East have helped Abby gain the confidence and mentality needed to make a push for an individual state medal. "High school has brought about an increased level of self-confidence and many new experiences and friendships," says Michelle and Mike. They go on to add, "Abby has shown tremendous strength and determination in the last few years, and seems much more focused and works hard at all she does."

The hard work put in to succeed does not end in the pool, as Abby brings that tenacity and focus into the classroom to compete at the head of her class, as evidenced by her 4.08 G.P.A. and willingness to enroll in such rigorous courses like Pre-AP English 2, Honors Algebra 2, and Honors Spanish 3.

Abby's quiet demeanor, but hard work ethic, is evidenced as a student. Her Honors Algebra 2 teacher, Phil Butera, says, "Abby isn't necessarily one of the students who is glamorized. She is a grinder, someone who is interested in doing well in the classroom as well as in her athletic endeavors. She is a very conscientious student, which serves her well in the pool when she competes."

As only a sophomore, Abby is undecided about future college plans, both in where she wants to attend and what she would like to major in, but is highly interested in continuing her swimming career. Based on her accomplishments already, there is no doubt that goal is achievable as Abby continues putting in the work to be successful. Abby advises future Wolves, saying, "Get involved in after-school clubs and sports, as you will have an opportunity to meet a lot of new people." Oswego East will be cheering the girls on as they look to add to their large trophy case in the upcoming state tournament.