Rockets select Lawrence, Pochron
Jamie Lawrence is Jefferson-Morgan's female winter sports selection in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
Michael Pochron is Jefferson-Morgan's male winter sports selection in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
Jamie Lawrence and Michael Pochron chose their career paths based on their experiences at Jefferson-Morgan High School. Both choices are based at least partially on sports participation.
Because of this, Lawrence and Pochron are Jefferson-Morgan蘑菇视频 winter sports selections in the Centennial Chevrolet Scholar/Athlete Spotlight program.
Lawrence, daughter of Marsha Lawrence, of Clarksville, has an older brother, Ian (24) who is a recent California University of Pa. business graduate. She maintains a 4.2 GPA and plans to study physical therapy at Chatham University.
Pochron, son of Mark and Lori Pochran, of Rices Landing, has an older sister, Marissa Pochron (20). He maintains a 3.35 GPA and plans to study secondary education at California (Pa.).
Lawrence reaps the benefits of going to a small school by participating in sports year-round. She is the libero on the volleyball team, the point guard on the basketball team and she throws the javelin and discus on the J-M track team.
鈥淚f I had to pick a favorite, it would be basketball because I have done it the longest,鈥� Lawrence said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been playing it since I was able to.鈥�
She plans to attend Chatham University and may end up throwing for the Chatham track team.
鈥淚 was just in touch with the track and field coach the other day, so that is a possibility,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 will enter as an exercise science major, then go on to their graduate program in physical therapy. It is a full six years at Chatham, four years at their main campus and two years at their East Side campus.鈥�
So, how did she decide on a potential career in physical therapy?
鈥淚 do really well in the sciences, biology and anatomy, and our athletic trainer is just so thorough about the rehabilitation process,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 because really interested in the long term, like what stretches can you do to get more mobility in your arms? It really interested me and so he encouraged me to pursue it. He said it could be a really good field for me.鈥�
Lawrence points to last year蘑菇视频 girls basketball team as her most memorable sports moment. It is with great pride that she recalled winning the first girls basketball section title in school history.
鈥淐hills,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had the same team, the same group of girls, together since the little leagues. So, we kind of saw it all coming and we knew we wanted that section title and we knew that last year was going to be our year.鈥�
And the actual winning moment?
鈥淭ime was clicking down and we were all just looking at each other and tears are starting and then the buzzer went off and we all just ran to the middle and started hugging,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was awesome.鈥�
Pochron also was part of a section championship team last year, even though he didn鈥檛 get to wear the black and orange colors of Jefferson-Morgan. He is a member of the rifle team at Waynesburg Central High School. J-M athletes participate on the Waynesburg team through a cooperative agreement between the schools.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 been a good experience to get to meet the Waynesburg kids,鈥� Pochron said. 鈥淛ust to see how different they are compared to the Jefferson kids. It蘑菇视频 really interesting and I鈥檝e made a lot of good friends through it. They are different. All Waynesburg kids are obsessed with cars. Cars and guns.鈥�
The rifle team was section champs last year and runner-up the year before. 鈥淭his year looks really good for us to get section champs again,鈥� Pochron said.
Pochran plans to study secondary education at California (Pa.), with a long-range plan of returning to J-M as a teacher and rifle coach.
鈥淚t蘑菇视频 kind of like the best lead I鈥檝e gotten and it蘑菇视频 the option that I look forward to the most,鈥� Pochron said. 鈥淭here is a teacher here (AD Scot Moore also teaches at J-M) who will retire in four or five years. Hopefully, I鈥檒l be getting out of college at that time and, fingers crossed, I鈥檒l get that position. I鈥檇 like to major in literature and minor in history. I think they compliment each other very well.鈥�
Pochron is also in the marching, concert and county bands as a percussionist. California (Pa.) doesn鈥檛 have a rifle team, so Pochron, an avid deer hunter, doesn鈥檛 plan on shooting in college. But he does plan to coach the sport once he is a teacher.
鈥淥ne of our shooters who graduated last year, Emily Ozohonish, is an assistant coach with us now and I hope to do the same.鈥�
Pochron said the people who have had the greatest influence on him as an athlete are also his motivation for shooting rifle.
鈥淚 was mainly inspired by my father, who did silhouette shooting when he was a younger man, and my grandfather Wilson, who was one of the top shots in the Army and was on their rifle team.鈥�