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lockportlegend.com sports
the Lockport Legend | January 10, 2019 | 29
Athlete of the Week
10 Questions
with Thomas Abramite
Thomas Abramite is a sophomore at Lockport
Township. He is one of the top swimmers
for the Porters swim team and plans to
play water polo this spring.
How has the swim season gone so
far?
It’s been fun. I’ve met a lot of new people.
We have a lot of strenuous practices, but they
pay off at the end.
This is your second season on the
varsity swim team. Did you expect
to come in as a freshman and make
varsity?
Yes, I did. I’ve been swimming competitively
since I was nine, so coming into high
school I knew I had a better chance to swim
up on varsity since I was prepared for it.
How did you first get involved in
swimming?
I’ve been involved in swimming for a long
time. I learned to swim at age four and my
family has always been involved in it. My
mom, Katy, swam for the Lockport Stingrays
club team back in the day. As I said, I’ve
swum competitively since I was nine. I just
love the water too.
Do you play any other sports?
Yes, I play water polo. I was on the JV
team last season and hope to be on the varsity
this year.
So what do you like better, swimming
or water polo?
I like water polo better. It’s more of a team
sport. In water polo, the games are always
competitive and changeable. The only thing
we can change in swimming is our time.
Randy Whalen/22nd Century Media
What are your favorite swimming
events?
The 50-yard freestyle and the 100-yard
breaststroke. I also like to do the breaststroke
part of the medley relay and individual medley.
That stroke is just the easiest for me and
I’m pretty good at it.
What have you learned from Lockport
coach Jason Ozbolt?
I’ve learned a lot from him. Mostly to keep
at practice and to keep pushing yourself.
He’s also helped me in my technique and
how to improve it.
Do you do anything to hype yourself
up before a competition or game?
I usually just say positive thoughts and
want to do well. It’s all psychology. It’s just
important to stay mentally positive.
You’re only a sophomore, but would
you like to swim or play water polo
in college?
I haven’t thought that far ahead yet, but if
I did I’d probably swim. Just because I like
water polo more doesn’t mean I’m better at
it. I feel I’m more advanced in swimming.
What’s the best thing about being an
athlete at Lockport?
Just that the teams and the coaches are all
very good. The coaches are really good at
what they do. Also, our facilities are really
good. Especially compared to some other
schools.
Interview By Freelance Reporter Randy Whalen
This Week In...
Lockport Township
High School Varsity
Athletics
Wrestling
■Jan. ■ 10 host Stagg, 5:30
p.m.
■Jan. ■ 11 host Lemont, 6 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 12 at Neuqua Valley
Mega Quad, 9 a.m.
Girls Basketball
■Jan. ■ 10 at Sandburg, 6 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 14 host Plainfield
North, 6:30 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 16 host Stagg, 6:30
p.m.
Girls Basketball
Boys Basketball
■Jan. ■ 11 host Homewood-
Flossmoor, 6:30 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 15 at Joliet West,
6:30 p.m.
Girls Bowling
■Jan. ■ 10 host Lincoln-Way
Central, 4:30 p.m. at Strike N’
Spare II
■Jan. ■ 12 at Fred Green Classic,
9 a.m. at Wood Dale Bowl
■Jan. ■ 15 at Lincoln-Way East,
4:30 p.m. at Thunder Bowl
Boys Bowling
■Jan. ■ 12 at IHSA Regional,
TBD
Boys Swimming
■Jan. ■ 10 at Sandburg,
5 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 11 at Riverside-Brookfield,
5 p.m.
■Jan. ■ 12 at Riverside-Brookfield,
8 a.m.
■Jan. ■ 15 host Lincoln-Way
East, 4:30 p.m.
Cheerleading
■Jan. ■ 13 at Oak Forest Invite,
8 a.m.
Dance
■Jan. ■ 12 host Lockport Invitational,
8 a.m.
Porters looking to eliminate ‘bad spurts’
Randy Whalen
Freelance Reporter
Based on the records of
both teams, anyone who
wandered into the gym at
halftime of the Lincoln-Way
East/Lockport Township
girls basketball game last
week was surprised to see
the score: Lockport 25, East
24.
The Porters continued
their lead for the first few
minutes of the third quarter
as well. But then East turned
up the pressure and went on
to a rather convincing 61-43
victory over the Porters in a
SouthWest Suburban Conference
Blue Division game
on Friday, Jan. 4, in Frankfort.
Katchie Savic led the way
for East with 18 points. Sydney
Nekola contributed 12
key points and Olivia Molnar
added 10 points for the
Griffins.
The loss was the third in
a row for Lockport (7-13,
0-2), which was coming off
a fourth-place finish at the
Oswego East Holiday Tournament.
Junior center Jenna
Cotter (8 rebounds) and
sophomore forward Elena
Knebel (14 rebounds) each
scored 12 points to pace the
Porters.
A 3-pointer by junior
guard Sawyer Hollatz (5
points) with 5:24 left in the
third quarter to put Lockport
up 30-28 seemed to be the
wake up call for the Griffins,
who embarked on a 16-0 run
in just over a three-minute
span.
The Porters did close back
within 46-36 at the end of
the third quarter, but never
got closer. Junior guard Lilly
Genis (6 points) hit a pair
of 3-pointers in the opening
minutes of the fourth quarter
as East opened up a 54-36
lead. Lockport responded
with a 7-0 run of its own and
got within 54-43 on a layup
by Knebel with 3:20 to play
in the game, but didn’t score
again.
At the end of the first quarter,
the game was knotted at
13-13. The Porters scored
the first seven points of the
second quarter to take their
largest lead. But back came
East as a layup by Savic put
her team back ahead 24-23
with 1:21 left in the first half.
Cotter, however, hit two free
throws with 27.1 seconds to
play in the half to give Lockport
the advantage that they
would take into halftime.
Senior guard Payton Grcevic
also contributed six points
for the Porters.
“One thing we’ve got better
with is most every game
we’re competitive,” Lockport
coach Dan Kelly said.
“Offensively we are looking
to be more aggressive. But
Lincoln-Way East kept pressuring
the ball and any mistake
we made, they capitalized.
We turned it over way
too much.
“We’ve had many games
where we’ve played well for
two-and-a-half, three, and
even three-and-a half quarters.
But we just can’t finish.
We always have that bad
spurt.”
That’s exactly what happened
again to Lockport (7-
14) the next day, Saturday,
Jan. 5. The Porters traveled
to New Lenox and let a late
lead slip away in a 68-60
loss to Providence. Ahead
32-28 at halftime and 51-47
after three, they were outscored
by the Celtics 21-9 in
the fourth quarter.
Cotter (14 points) led
Lockport while senior guard
Kaeli Ford added 12 points.