OP_071819

OPPrairie.com sports
the orland park prairie | July 18, 2019 | 35
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
10 Questions
with Jimmy Rybarczyk
Jimmy Rybarczyk is a
senior-to-be football
player at Sandburg High
School.
What is your proudest
moment in athletics?
Sophomore year, I
played varsity the whole
season and it was a big
change for me. There were
a lot of ups and downs but
in the sectional semifinal
game against Lincoln way
East, I hit my first varsity
home run in a pretty big
spot, too. Our team ended
up going all the way to
state and that was one of
the best experiences of my
life.
Are there any
embarrassing
moments you had in
sports?
Sophomore year. I
would get chronic nosebleeds
during our spring
season and the first time
we were in Indianapolis
for a tournament for Sandburg
and I was in the outfield
and I wiped my nose
and there was blood all
over my hand and I by the
time I got back to the dugout
my entire white jersey
was covered in blood.
Is there something
people don’t know
about you?
When I am older I want
to own my own big business.
Do you have a hero,
JEFF VORVA/
22ND CENTURY MEDIA
or someone you look
up to?
From a baseball standpoint
Branden Comia and
Dan Santiago have been
the two people I have
looked up to my entire
life. Dan Santiago Is my
neighbor and he played
baseball at Sandburg and
ever since I was like 7 or
8, I would spend my summers
playing tennis ball
baseball outside at parks
in the street and he’s been
a huge inspiration and role
model. Branden Comia
who is a former teammate
and friend since junior
high. He’s always been
“the guy” in Orland Park
and he is an amazing baseball
player he took me under
his wing when I was a
sophomore. He would take
me to lift at school in season
at 4:30 in the morning
or to hit at like 9 at night.
I have tons of respect for
him and his game and he is
another role model to me.
Is there a movie you
could watch over and
over without getting
bored with it?
“Grown Ups” has always
been one of my favorite
movies to watch. I
just think it is hilarious.
If you could have
dinner with anyone —
living or dead — who
would it be with?
Mike Trout just so I can
pick his brain about hitting
and defense in the outfield
and also his work ethic
with training
Favorite food?
Chipotle - you can find
me there several days a
week.
Is there a food you
hate so much, you
wouldn’t eat if it you
are given a million
dollars to eat it?
I would eat almost anything
for a million dollars
I’m not to picky.
If they made a movie
about your life, who
should play you?
I would want to star in it
and direct it since no one
knows me better but me.
What would that
movie be called?
“Nonstop.” If you ask
any of my friends I am
always really busy and I
like being busy. I can’t sit
in the same place for more
than an hour I have to be
active all the time.
Interview by Sports Editor
Jeff Vorva
From left, Erin Greenfield, Nicole Poole, Lauren O’Leary, Julia Ruzevich and Kate
Ruzevich are Orland Park players who not only led Moraine Valley to the NJCAA
national tournament, all five earned academic honors. JEFF VORVA/22ND CENTURY MEDIA
AREA SPORTS ROUNDUP
Orland Park players show
academic chops at MVCC
JEFF VORVA, Sports Editor
Orland Park student-athletes
helped Moraine Valley
Community College
boast a host of national
and conference academic
honors for the 2018-2019
school year.
National Junior College
Athletic Association Academic
Student-Athletes
must have a 3.6 GPA or
higher after completing at
least 24 credits and participate
in the college’s sport
for at least one season.
Moraine Valley athletes
who received this honor
from the area included
basketball player Julia
Ruzevich (Marist), soccer
player Daniel Rohder
(Sandburg) and volleyball
player and Lauren Gausselin
(Sandburg).
To earn the Skyway
Conference distinction,
students must have earned
a 3.0 GPA or higher after
completing at least 48
credit hours while participating
in one of the
college’s 12 sports. The
MVCC honorees include
Lauren O’Leary (Sandburg),
Julia Ruzevich and
Kate Ruzevich (Marist);
runners David Alvarez
(Sandburg) and Jasmine
Abunaim (Sandburg),
The All-Conference
Freshmen Academic athletes
completed at least
24 credit hours with a
3.0 GPA or higher. Moraine
Valley recipients are
basketball players Erin
Greenfield (Sandburg), Nicole
Poole (Sandburg) and
Dean Samara (Sandburg).
Payton hits three
Orland Park native Mark
Payton hit three home runs
in host Triple-A Las Vegas’s
13-9 win over Salt
Lake on Saturday, July 13.
That brought him to 13
homers on the campaign,
his first with the Oakland
organization after spending
five seasons in the New
York Yankees system.
Eagles drop two
Sandburg’s baseball
team, which earned a regional
title in summer
league play, dropped two
games at the Illinois High
School Baseball Coaches
Association Lockport Sectional.
The Eagles dropped a
5-4, eight-inning heartbreaker
to eventual champion
Lincoln-Way East.
They followed up with a
10-3 setback to Lincoln-
Way West.