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The Athletes of the Week - one boy and one girl - are chosen from teams in the WPIAL and City League by the Post-Gazette scholastic sports staff. Ashley Kramer, Thomas Jefferson -- Donny Booker, Valley
Thursday, September 07, 2000
Ashley Kramer
SCHOOL: Thomas Jefferson.
WHO IS SHE? A senior forward for the Jaguars girls' soccer team.
LAST WEEK: Kramer led the Jaguars to two wins and the Shady Side Academy Tournament championship. Thomas Jefferson beat Allderdice, 10-0, on Friday and Shady Side Academy, 6-0, in the championship. Kramer scored eight goals in the two games. In the win over Allderdice, Kramer became the school's all-time leading scorer, passing Elizabeth Campadel's record of 109.
CAREER: A four-year starter, Kramer has 114 career goals. She was named to the all-section team the past two years and has led her team in scoring the past three. She's a natural righty, but scores most of her goals with her left foot.
HONOR STUDENT: Kramer has a 4.1 GPA and is ranked No. 9 in her class. She carries two Advanced Placement Courses (biology and computer science) and completed two AP classes last year (English, history). She is also a member of the National Honor Society, the History Club and was a member of the Spanish Club.
"School is so important because that is what holds the key to my future," said Kramer. "Soccer may help me get to college or whatever, but the truth is, studying and making good grades is what's really going to determine how far I can go in life.
"And with my schedule, it is not always easy to find time to study, but it is something I absolutely must do. Sometimes, I have to put in some late nights and I usually study over the weekends."
SOCCER ALL YEAR: In November, when the high school soccer season is over, Kramer's schedule becomes even more hectic because she participates on several different club teams. Along with Century Five, one of the top girls club teams around, she plays for the Pa West team in the Olympic Development Program (ODP). The ODP is a series of tournaments across the country which pits the best players from each state or region against each other. As a result, Kramer often travels to places like Missouri, Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana.
BUSY, BUSY: With all of the activities and her studies, Kramer has very little time to relax, although she does make time every week to watch her favorite television show, "Dawson's Creek." But that's how she likes it.
"I have to be doing something all the time. I can't just sit still and do nothing," said Kramer, "I'll get bored. I think being active keeps me focused and helps me better organize my time. This is an important skill. Besides, I'm young, this is the time I'm supposed to be involved in a lot of activities."
FUTURE PLANS: Kramer has not picked her school, but she has several official visits lined up and is going to wait until she weighs all the offers before she decides. Among the schools she will visit are Yale, Francis Marion University (Florence, S.C.), Pitt and Robert Morris. She wants to pursue a career in computer science.
-- By Paul Zeise
Donny Booker
SCHOOL: Valley.
WHO IS HE? A 6-foot-1, 240-pound senior fullback-halfback who started football season in a big way.
LAST WEEK: Booker rushed for 140 yards on six carries and scored touchdowns on runs of 38, 7 and 66 yards as Valley beat Burrell, 42-14, in the season opener Friday.
CAREER: Booker was Valley's leading rusher a year ago when he gained 944 yards on 109 carries.
FUTURE SUN DEVIL: In mid-April, Booker made an oral commitment to Arizona State. The Sun Devils were the only Division I college team to offer him a scholarship at the time, although a few others showed interest.
PLAYING FOR DAD: Booker's father, Dennis, died of a heart attack June 30. Donny wears a number "33" sticker on the back of his helmet. That was his father's number when he played.
"I'm glad I made a commitment to Arizona State when I did," Booker said. "That probably meant everything to him because he played there. Everybody used to say how much we looked alike and how much we ran alike. He was a running back, too. I'm just glad he was able to see me choose Arizona State."
DEALING WITH ASTHMA: Booker has a severe asthma condition. One of the reasons he chose Arizona State was because of the low humidity in Tempe. Booker takes medication for his asthma, but this is probably the worst time of year for his condition.
"When it goes from being hot with humidity one day to cold the next, it really messes with my symptoms," Booker said.
On top of his asthma problem, Booker also suffered an injured left knee on the third play of a scrimmage against Perry. He did not play in the second scrimmage, and the coaches were hesitant about playing him much in the first game.
"Because of the asthma and injury," said Coach Ray White, "he didn't get much conditioning in during the preseason. He was out of shape."
Booker should carry the ball more in upcoming games.
"If we could have the quarterback turn around and give the ball to him 25 times a game, that would be a gem," White said. "If that happens week in and week out, just how good can this team be?"
-- By Mike White
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