With winter sports games having begun on January 8th, Abington High School’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee(SAAC) has decided to honor two winter athletes during each week of the season. SAAC will recognize one male and one female athlete per week, from the Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, and Hockey teams. To kick off the first week of these spotlights, the athletes highlighted are Gracie O’Connell and Matt Maguire. 

Gracie O’Connell

Gracie O’Connell is this week’s female athlete spotlight. She is a senior captain on the Varsity Girls Basketball Team as a guard. She has been playing basketball since kindergarten and her favorite memory with the sport was being able to play on the varsity team with both of her sisters during her sophomore year. She chose to play basketball because she had always grown up around her older siblings playing and found it really fun. During her time on the team, her favorite accomplishment was making it to the state quarterfinals during her sophomore year. Along with playing basketball, she plays soccer and runs track, but her favorite sport to watch is hockey. Her favorite class is Crossfit because she thinks it’s a lot of fun and is so different from any other elective or gym class offered at the high school. O’Connell credits her success to her parents who have helped her become the athlete she is today by encouraging her to do her best and work hard, but most importantly have fun and enjoy the sport. As she nears the end of her high school career, her favorite memory from high school is making funny music videos with her soccer team each year.