Following his being named as FTHS Athlete of the Month for September, the Patriot Press sat down with cross country star Jack Wicke.

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What’s your favorite part about cross country?

– I think the aspect of challenging yourself to beat yourself every week in a race. It’s not just a competition against other schools, it’s a competition about yourself to see how well you can do.

Do you have a pre-meet ritual?

– I am a big music guy. Obviously, with running you have a whole stretching routine. I like to listen to Playboy Carti, Kanye, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott.

Are you ever nervous before your meets?

– Yes, all the time, and the music helps with that.

How did you get into cross country?

– I got into running because at a young age I saw I was pretty fast and my brother Joe was running with my dad and I thought I might as well try it. I tried it and I was really good at it so I started doing it in middle school and just went off from there.

How do you feel about the stigma around cross country kids?

–I think that sometimes it is well deserved but no one knows about all the hard work that goes into running cross country. It is underappreciated for sure.

What’s your favorite part about being part of a team?

– I enjoy being with teammates and having a network of people who are there to support you. And you can understand and empathize with their struggles because you’re going through the same thing as them. It makes you stronger not only as an individual but also in that team aspect of it.

What’s your favorite memory running for Township?

– My favorite memory is probably A-North 2021, because even though I didn’t do great in that race, it started pouring. It was so much fun. It was just a fun day and one of the only times I have gotten to run in the rain. It was just fun to do it with the team.

What is your biggest goal?

– My biggest goal is on an individual level to go sub 17:30 at Ocean County Park, and on a team level it is to qualify for Shore Conference Championships.

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

– Dan Valentino. 

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Here are some of Jack’s accomplishments from September:

• Captain
• Fastest team time in each race of the month
• Set a personal best time in each race of the month

Here’s what Coach Fromuth had to say about Jack’s impact: “He has consistently led the team by example at practice and at meets so far this season. Other team members have run better as a result of his leadership at practices and meets.”

Following her being named as the FTHS September Athlete of the Month, the Patriot Press interviewed Field Hockey sensation Nyla Cruz!

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First of all, congratulations! Is this your first time winning Athlete of the Month?

– Yes.

Awesome! What position do you play?

– I play right, inner forward.

What’s the most challenging aspect of playing there and what do you like most about it?

– The most challenging aspect is being able to stay focused and mentally being prepared for what’s about to happen in the game. Using both your mental parts and physical parts is huge. Perceive what you’re trying to do in the game and help yourself and your team get somewhere.

What’s your favorite part about field hockey? 

– My favorite part of field hockey is definitely my teammates. Being with the whole team, they are all just so much fun. Their energy is off the roof. They’re so funny. They literally cheer for everything. Just being around everybody is my favorite part by far.

Do you have a favorite game or memory at Township specifically?

– My favorite game was actually this year. It was our first game and we were playing Manasquan. It went to overtime. The score was 1-1. And, I think about 5 minutes into the game, there was a breakaway and the ball went all the way down the field and I took it. It was just me against one player. I pulled right around the player and shot the ball into the goal and it went in. It was a pretty cool moment.

Do you have any pre-game superstitions or rituals?

– Definitely music. I love listening to music before a game because I feel like I really use that time to clear everybody out and use the music to help myself up.

Do you have a favorite musician?

– I feel like in games rap music. But, I like listening to everything. I make the playlist for everybody and put in all our music.

What do you like to do in the offseason?

– During the summer, I try to get myself prepared by going to any camps I can find. Field hockey wasn’t my first sport, it was something I picked up in middle school. But, I really enjoy it, so I do my best to learn more about it and find more camps. This year I went to a Jersey Intensity camp with all these people that I had no idea who they were and I showed up by myself just to get better in any way I can.

It paid off! How did you get into field hockey? You mentioned that you were relatively new to it?

– I never knew it was a sport until fourth grade when one of the players, senior Liv Smith, said she was going to play it in middle school. I was like, “What’s that?” So, when we were in the summer of fifth grade going into sixth grade, she taught me and her sister, Sienna, the basics of the game and we all started playing. In my first game for middle school, I started. The coach put me in defense. That wasn’t normal for a sixth grader. Since then, I’ve started loving the sport. My coach made it so much fun and I love it.

What’s something interesting that people don’t know about you?

– Whenever I have time to, I really like reading and drawing. I don’t do it a lot because I never have time but that’s a little hobby that I like to do on the side.

Do you have a favorite author?

– This is kind of silly but my favorite author is Marie Lu. She made the Legends series which was the first book that really got me into reading in middle school.

If you could like anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

– It would be Texas. My family that I’m really close with and have the most fun with, they all live over there. They’re also Hawaiian and go to Hawaii sometimes so I wouldn’t mind going with them.

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Here were Nyla’s accomplishments in September:

• Game-winning goal in overtime vs. Manasquan on Opening Day
• 3 goals, 6 assists in September (56% of team’s goals)

Here’s what Coach Latz had to say about Nyla: “Nyla is the spark that fuels our team. She has the energy, speed, and hunger that ignites the rest of her teammates. Always vocal and positive, everyone feeds off her leadership and ability on the field. She is a force, to say the least.”