James Wood High School 17-year-old junior
Sport: Baseball. Position: Center fielder
Parents: Jennifer and Michael Prusik
Hometown: Winchester
What do you love about baseball?: I love that it's a game, not only where you can build friendships with your teammates and coaches, but it also teaches me how to deal with failure. It's taught me how to become a leader and how to achieve a goal of helping others, not just yourself.
Most memorable moment in baseball: Here at James Wood, we do a veterans night. We had it May 4 this year. I get to walk out on the field with my grandfather [Edward Prusik] and kind of show him off. He's my role model, so I love walking out there with him and giving him praise for all of his sacrifices and everything.
Most embarrassing moment in baseball: During tournament play in the summer, I forgot my glove at a practice field, and I had to use my teammate's father's glove to go out there and play.
Most difficult moment in baseball: Last year, we lost to Orange County [in the Region 4D quarterfinals], and it was difficult because it was a team we knew we could have beat, and we knew we had more in us and could have gone further. That was the first time I experienced building the team and being on the varsity squad and saying goodbye to all those seniors. So that was the toughest part.
Three people you can have dinner with, dead or alive: [Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman] Freddie Freeman; I would love to talk to him about baseball. Richard Winters. He was a World War II veteran, and he led the 101st Airborne on D-Day. Leadership-wise, he's someone I've always looked up to. And then Kobe Bryant; his work ethic is huge, which is something I envy.
Biggest athletic influence: Freddie Freeman, because the nickname the coaches gave me was Freddie, and it's just because I love his work ethic and his knowledge about the game and how hard he works. He understands it doesn't come free. And that's kind of the same things I try to implement into my game.
Favorite teacher: Ms. [Rachel] Reed. She was my sophomore year teacher and the beginning of this year's teacher; she pushed me to take harder classes and kind of go out of my comfort zone. At the start of the year, I was in normal history, and she pushed me to take AP, which I love, and it's my favorite subject now.
Favorite athlete: Freddie Freeman
Favorite team: Pittsburgh Steelers
Favorite movie: "Saving Private Ryan"
Favorite TV show: "The Office"
Favorite music artist: Van Halen
Favorite food: Steak
Worst thing you’ve eaten: Cottage cheese
Plans after high school: Obviously, I'd love to play baseball somewhere at a four-year school. But if that doesn't work out, I 100% want to go to school for mechanical engineering. My grandfather, a veteran who was in the Air Force, worked on planes and everything. Ever since I've grown up, my father, my grandfather and I just fix things. We don't ever buy things that are new. We try to make things last as long as possible. So I've just grown up building, and recently I've been taking engineering classes and STEM classes, and it really interests me.
— Compiled by Joe Tuman