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mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | September 14, 2017 | 41
Athlete of the week
Athlete of the Month
10 Questions
with E.J. Charles
E.J. Charles is a senior at
Lincoln-Way Central on the
boys golf team
How did you get started
in golf?
Right before freshman
year, a couple of my friends
were bored, and their dads
had golfed, so they used their
dads’ clubs. But, no one in
my family ever really golfed
except for my grandparents.
So, the first time I went out,
I played with my grandmother’s
clubs. Ever since, I just
fell in love with [golf].
What are your plans for
college?
I’ve been in talks with
Bradley University in Peoria
and the University of
Evansville. Both of those
coaches I’ve been talking
to a little bit, so we’ll see
where it goes.
What do you like most
about the sport?
You can never actually
win. You just have to keep
working hard. You can keep
getting better and better. And
once you get better, you can
strive for perfection, but
you’ll never reach it. [That]
is, I guess, what keeps me
coming back.
What’s the hardest part
of golf?
It’s a frustrating game.
I’ve never been the guy to
throw my clubs or freak out,
but I’ll get frustrated sometimes
just like anybody else
on the team, or any other
team … The thing I get frustrated
the most with is when
I make a stupid mistake, like
if I get too aggressive. Every
once in awhile you hit a
bad shot, and it’s like, “What
was I thinking?”
If you won the lottery,
what would you buy?
Probably a new car; my
“check engine” light has
been for a little bit … I think
BMWs look pretty cool.
What’s the ideal postround
meal for you?
Anything in large quantities,
really. Sometimes we’re
on the course for six, seven
hours and I’ll get pretty hungry.
So, whatever mom has,
I’ll scarf down.
What one item could
you not live without?
Probably my clubs. I feel
like without them, I don’t
know what I’d do with my
time.
Photos submitted
What’s your dream
foursome for a
scramble?
Me, Tiger Woods, Matt
Kuchar and my buddy, Cam
Pyle.
What is your dream
job?
Something where I could
have a lot of money doing
not a lot of work. That’s ideal,
so then I could just play
golf all the time.
If you could own an
exotic pet, what would
it be?
Probably a lemur. I
watched “Madagascar” recently,
and Julian, the lemur,
seemed like a pretty
funny dude. So, I’d own a
lemur.
Interview conducted by T.J.
Kremer III, Editor
Dan Slater, a lacrosse player from Orland Park, won the August Athlete of the Month
competition for publisher 22nd Century Media’s Southwest Chicago branch. 22nd Century
Media File Photo
Eagles lacrosse player
claims August crown
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
Recognition for lacrosse
player Dan Slater just keeps
coming.
Slater, a sophomore at
Sandburg High School, already
earned accolades for
his defensive play in July,
when he was invited to the
River City Sportsplex in
Richmond, Virginia, as a
2017 Brine National High
School Lacrosse All-American.
Now, he is 22nd Century
Media’s Southwest Chicago
Athlete of the Month
after winning the August
competition. He earned 204
votes to claim the title.
Slater has been playing
lacrosse since the third
grade, according to the information
provided with
his National Lacrosse Classic
selection. He was a part
of the Orland Park Chiefs
Youth Lacrosse program
for six years and has played
for the past three years in
the New Wave Lacrosse
Club system. He was one
of two freshman on the junior
varsity team with the
Chiefs Lacrosse team and
also made the varsity roster
for playoffs.
The Athlete of the Month
competition pits featured
Athlete of the Week selections
from our south suburban
newspapers against one
another in an online voting
contest.
The next contest was to
begin Sunday, Sept. 10.
To vote, visit Moke
naMessenger.com, hover
over the “Sports” menu tab
and click “Athlete of the
Month.” Readers can vote
once per session per valid
email address. Voting ends
at 5 p.m. Sept. 25.
All athletes featured in the
August Athlete of the Week
sports interviews are automatically
entered into the
contest.