Student Athlete of the Week- JJ Heft

BY HEIDI ZENEFSKI
Sports Correspondent

Elk Lake’s James “JJ” Heft is a kid you can’t help notice because he is always smiling.

This three-season athlete is the Independent’s Student Athlete of the Week.

The Elk Lake senior is in his second year on the volleyball team coached by Bo Bushnell.

“I started playing my junior year because I wasn’t a fan of the individuality that Track & Field was about,” Heft said. “I found that I enjoyed a team-based sport like Volleyball much more. I like communicating and working as one unit. I also enjoy celebrating big plays, whenever someone gets an ace or a kill.”

The Warriors are having fun on the court, but haven’t has the most successful season this year, but it’s only half over and there’s plenty more to come.

Heft said, “We’ve started the season pretty rough. We just finished the first half of our season, with only one win under our belt. However, we do plan on turning things around the second half of the season, and getting a few more wins.”

That win gave the team and particularly, Heft a spark and motivation for the second half.

“My favorite memory probably has to be getting our first win this season. We got our win while playing Susquehanna High School. We beat them in three sets, and it was really nice breaking our losing streak,” he said.

The fall and winter sports seasons found Heft working and playing hard as well. He played football on the combined Montrose/Elk Lake team where he was a natural leader and helped the team have their best season in recent history.

He also was on the Elk Lake basketball team, which made it all the way to the District Championship game where they were the runners-up and went to the first round of the State Tournament before their season ended.

When he’s not playing sports, he is helping out at his family’s business, Heft’s Buy & Sell in Rush Twp. “It’s a consignment store, where I usually get tasked with the tedious jobs of moving furniture, and picking up heavy cabinets,” Heft explained.

Off the court, Heft also competes in Skills USA in the Architectural Drafting. He was the district gold medalist in the competition and finished in fifth place at the Skills USA state competition.

He plans to use the knowledge he has gained in Skills USA after graduation in June. Heft plans to attend the Pennsylvania College of Technology where he will study architecture.

“My inspiration probably has to be my wood shop teacher, Mr. Good. He has taught me everything I know about architecture, along with many important lessons about patience and hard work that I believe have gotten me where I am today,” Heft said.

Heft lives in Rush Township with his parents, Rob and Jamie Heft.