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mokenamessenger.com sports
the Mokena Messenger | December 7, 2017 | 43
Athlete of the Month
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Jaden Hacha
Jaden Hacha is a senior
defensive lineman with the
Griffins football team
How’d you get started
in football?
Through my dad. I wanted
to try it out my freshman
year and see how it goes.
Ever since then I just fell in
love with the sport.
Kirsten Leitshuh, a sophomore on the Lincoln-Way West girls volleyball team, won the
November Athlete of the Month competition for publisher 22nd Century Media’s Southwest
Chicago branch. 22nd Century Media File Photo
LW West girls volleyball
player is November champ
Bill Jones, Managing Editor
Kirsten Leitshuh is only a
sophomore, but she already
has made a big impact as an
outside hitter for Lincoln-Way
West’s girls volleyball team.
She already has Division
I schools scouting her, has
a family history of standing
out on the volleyball court,
and now can add one more
item to her impressive and
ever-growing resume.
Leitshuh is 22nd Century
Media’s Southwest Chicago
Athlete of the Month after
winning the November competition.
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 is to begin
Sunday, Dec. 10.
To vote, visit MokenaMessenger.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. Dec. 25.
All athletes featured in
the November Athlete of the
Week sports interviews are
automatically entered into
the contest.
Do you have any plans
for college?
Yes, right now I’m interested
in playing college football,
and I’ve gotten offers
and I’m really leaning toward
[Illinois State University].
… [I’d like to study]
special education. I feel like
it’s my calling. I have a lot of
family members who do it. I
always help around with the
special needs kids. Some of
them are good friends. I always
felt it was my calling.
What do you like most
about football?
The brotherhood. It’s my
home away from home type
of thing. I’m with them more
than I am at my own home,
and, honestly, I wouldn’t
want it any other way. It’s
just a bond that won’t be
broken between the coaches
and the players.
What’s your spirit
animal?
A griffin. It’s both ruler
of the sky and the land, so I
feel like it’s just dominant in
whatever circumstance you
put them in; no matter what
happens, they’ll still strive in
that situation.
If you won the lottery,
what would be the first
thing you would buy?
I’d probably use it for my
brothers and my college tuition.
… I know one of my
brothers is really into Star
Wars. My youngest brother
really likes video games, so
whatever theyprefered.
If you had to pick one
player to line up next to
you, who would it be?
Probably my brother (Jaron).
He got pulled up and, I
mean, it’s a cool experience
to have him there and to go
through it with him, but it’d
be really cool to play along
with him, too.
Do you have a nickname?
Which one? A lot of people
on the football team call
me “Big Ol’ Ham,” “Big
Hach,” or, “Big Hoss,” anything
like that. The “Big Ol’
Ham” is the primary one.
photo submitted
If you could own an
exoctic pet, what would
it be?
A spider monkey. I’ve always
loved spider monkey.
They’re just so small and full
of energy. And they’re very
friendly, too, so you can just
bring them around wherever.
Do you have any
phobias?
Flying, even though I’ve
never flown before, but I do
not intend on flying, either.
What advice do you have
for next year’s team?
Live in the moment. It
goes by really fast. It feels
like just yesterday we were
starting June camp … It flies
by. Just live in the moment
and don’t take it for granted.
Interview conducted by T.J.
Kremer III, Editor