Abington High School’s Student Athletic Advisory Committee(SAAC) has decided to honor two winter athletes during each week of the 2020-2021 winter season. SAAC will recognize one male and one female athlete per week, from the Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball, and Hockey teams. Highlighted on the fifth week of these spotlights are Mary Klein and Andrew McCluskey.

Mary Klein

Sophomore Mary Klein from the Girls Varsity Basketball team is the female athlete of the week. Klein, wearing #20, plays in the position of guard and has been participating in the sport since first grade. She says her favorite memory of the sport is “being part of a team, making friendships, and just playing basketball. Winning or loosing.” Klein plays basketball because she loves to compete and challenge herself. She credits her successes to her parents, as well as her brother who has given her great advice through the years. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Poirier, who is “kind to everyone, flexible with work, and very talented.” Klein says she looks up to all her current and past captains and coaches, and her favorite part of high school would be “Pre-covid. Being in classrooms with my friends and all sports events.” Watch out for Mary Klein this spring as she brings her talents to Abington High School’s Girls Lacrosse team!

Andrew McCluskey

Andrew McCluskey is our male athlete spotlight this week. He is a senior and starts as a forward for the Boys Varsity Basketball team in Abington. McCluskey, wearing #13, is a very athletic player with the incredible ability to finish at the rim. He has been improving constantly since his freshman year, working to make a difference on the court. During the end of his sophomore season, McCluskey was pulled up to play with the varsity team and take a trip to TD Garden and the State Championship. He was a member of the State Champion team and even has a ring. This year he has shown true leadership; he started off the year by coming off the bench and growing into a starter who has been an unstoppable force. McCluskey has played the sport for ten years and said, “Ever since I was younger I was drawn to basketball. I really enjoy how you need teamwork to succeed.” He plans to attend an engineering school after high school and hopes to play basketball in college. When asked who has helped him succeed in basketball, McCluskey said, “Shoutout to my parents for allowing me to play all of these years, and especially this year with Covid. Also shout out to my trainer Spencer Braithwaite for continuously helping improve my game over these years.” Andrew McCluskey’s all-time favorite high school memory has been spending the years with his friends and teammates.