Students of Distinction 7: Three seniors who led and inspired in sports, academics
Each year at graduation time, the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation and The Gateway present “Students of Distinction,” profiling graduating seniors who have excelled in scholarship, athletics, the arts or public service. Here is the seventh in a series that will continue weekly into July. This feature is made possible by a generous grant from the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation.
Peninsula senior inspires others, excels in math and sports
Laney Lovrovich has won varsity letters in volleyball and track and field, while maintaining a 4.0 GPA and discovering her artistic talents.
“Laney is unlike the average student,” PHS head volleyball coach Katrina Cardinal said. “She is stellar in the classroom, heavily leaning toward mathematics. As an athlete, she works tirelessly to achieve greatness. And she is a quiet leader — someone who will not tell you, but rather show you what it takes to be great.”
She is also quick to help fellow students who are struggling to understand math concepts, said local business owner Alyssa Rodriguez. Rodriguez was mentoring a local teen, classified as an “at risk” youth. “The student confided that she was struggling with math, so I asked Laney if she would help. With one day’s notice, Laney made time in her busy schedule to tutor her. It was impressive to watch Laney. She helped that student bring her grade from a D to a B,” Rodriguez said.
Lovrovich says the secret to her success, in both sports and academics, is to stay organized and maintain a determination and drive to succeed. She credits her friends with helping her stay focused through the long COVID shutdown. “We made study groups and kept in touch with each other and helped one another stay involved,” she said.
Keeping up with sports was especially challenging during COVID, she added. But because her main sport was volleyball, she and her teammates were able to continue to play beach volleyball outdoors.
Sports were Lovrovich’s favorite activity, and also the area in which she feels she made the biggest contribution to her school. “I was kind of shy and quiet when I first got into high school,” she said. “And sports helped me break out of my shell.”
Recently she has also discovered that she loves art, especially batik, painting and calligraphy. “I took a couple of art classes and now I mostly just do my own thing,” she said. “But I really like helping other people see how wonderful art is and how it can add so much to your life.”
This fall, Lovrovich is headed to Boise State University. She’s unsure what she wants to do for a career — perhaps become an architect, or teach art or math.
She’ll likely do the same thing she recommends to younger students — get involved socially and try new things, “Even if you don’t think you’ll be interested in something, try it anyway because you might find that you really love it. And always just try your best and work hard.”
Category: Athletics
Education: Senior, Peninsula High School
GPA: 4.0
Parents: Tim and Ann Lovrovich
Activities/Achievements: Volleyball — 4 varsity letters; SSC first team All League; All State honorable mention; PHS Offensive MVP; team captain; WIAA Academic State Champions; WIAA state qualifier. Track and Field — 3 varsity letters; WIAA State Contender — Pole vault, 4x400 relay; District 3 championship — 100m and 300m hurdles, pole vault; SSC League championship 100m hurdles, pole vault, triple jump. 4.0 GPA; National Honor Society; National Society of High School Scholars; President’s Award; Maritime Art Festival Commissioners’ Choice; PAA Volleyball coach; SCVA Las Vegas qualifier
Favorite teacher: Mr. Pratz, “because he values and is dedicated to his students’ success. He pushes me to reach my highest potential not only in the classroom but also how to apply what you learn in class to life after high school. He also can keep the class engaged while still having fun!”
Best thing about high school: “The welcoming and inclusive environment. The students and staff at PHS go out of their way to make sure every student feels they are safe and a valuable member of the community. There are so many opportunities at PHS to get involved and meet new people and interact with the Gig Harbor community.”
Peninsula senior shines in four sports, academics and leadership
Since her first day as a kindergartener, Linsey Lovrovich has never missed a day of school. That perfect attendance has helped her excel in sports and academics, and also has provided many opportunities for leadership.
“Linsey is an outstanding leader, but she doesn’t do so by ordering her teammates around,” varsity assistant basketball coach Hanna Lekson said. “She simply leads by example and proves day in and day out that she wants to be the best she can be and wants the same for her team. Her leadership has been one of the most rewarding pieces of my coaching.”
Lovrovich’s perseverance in sports is duplicated in her academic achievements, resulting in a 4.0 GPA. “Linsey is one of the most well-rounded individuals I know,” Lekson added. “She is motivated, dependable and kind.”
Adjusting to on-line school and other COVID-induced changes was challenging, especially when it came to sports, Lovrovich said. “We all experienced the same thing, but the pandemic really impacted sports. Our junior year track season was canceled and we had a shortened season this year,” she said. “Volleyball was also canceled, and we weren’t able to play very many basketball games, but I did cross-country instead and got a varsity letter in it.”
She and her friends were very happy when they were able to go back to in-person classes, she added.
Frank Rodriguez, a local business owner for whom Lovrovich worked part-time, noted that Linsey “demonstrated the drive and energy to achieve any goal she desires. Even the simplest tasks she approached with motivation and worked tirelessly and precisely to achieve perfection. She is dependable, hardworking and motivated.”
This fall, Lovrovich will attend Boise State University. She plans to continue to pay basketball and probably will major in engineering, she said. Eventually, she wants to do “something in the STEM field.”
Her advice to younger students — in sports as well as in academics — is to “know that there’s going to be somebody that’s better than you, but just always do your best. And try a few different sports or other activities.”
Category: Athletics
Education: Senior, Peninsula High School
GPA: 4.0
Parents: Tim and Ann Lovrovich
Activities/Achievements: Varsity basketball — Team captain, MVP four-year starter, first team all-league, future All Star game 2019, All Star game 2020, State qualifier 2018 and 2019, Sterling Shootout all-tournament team, 3A SSC Fab 5, earned four varsity letters; Track and Field — WIAA 3A State 2018: Second in 800m (school record), fourth in 400M, 800M district champion, second in 400m districts, team MVP. Earned three varsity letters; Varsity volleyball – Academic state champions, 2019, second in league 2019. Varsity cross country 2021. GPA 4.0; four-year 4.0 honor roll; National Honor Society; National Society of High School Scholars; AP Scholar 2020; Tom Names Athlete of the Year 2019; perfect attendance K-12; Gateway Athlete of the Week
Favorite teacher: AP Statistics teacher, Mr. Pratz because, “although this was not an easy class, he made it one of my favorites. He is very caring towards all his students and goes far out of his way to help everyone to understand the material. Probably the biggest reason Mr. Pratz was my favorite teacher is because of his humor. He always made us laugh and created a very fun and positive learning environment in his classroom.
Best thing about high school: “the positive and welcoming environment at Peninsula. Also, the school spirit is one thing that makes it stand out from other schools. Everyone is very accepting and supportive of each other which adds to creating the friendly atmosphere that Peninsula is.”
Peninsula senior overcomes health challenge to be role model in academics and sports
Tyson Brent has faced challenges in his 18 years that others might find debilitating. He was born with a rare congenital heart defect called Tetralogy of Fallot. He underwent open heart surgery to repair holes in his heart when he was just three months old.
As he grew up, he made good grades and enjoyed playing sports, especially soccer. But in the summer before his freshman year, his doctors noticed a drop in his athletic performance and decided he needed another open heart surgery to install a new valve in his heart.
That surgery took place in December of his freshman year and came with a six-to-eight-week recovery time — right in the middle of soccer season. “I wasn’t allowed to play any sports, lift anything more than the weight of a gallon jug of milk or use my arms to push or pull for any reason,” Brent said. “I was so used to running, scrimmaging, playing games and training every single day. I felt so empty, like my whole world was crashing down around me.”
During that break from school and sports, Brent worked hard to keep up his GPA and keep up with the other kids in his classes. It meant studying diligently on his own and working especially hard on assignments, but he stuck with it and learned an important lesson.
“I realized that nothing could stop me as long as I had a positive mindset and didn’t give up. I would focus my mind to get all my schoolwork done when I needed to,” he said. “When I was done with my work, I would find something that would distract me and make me happy — I watched a lot of The Office. My surgery made me a harder worker.”
His teachers and fellow students encouraged him and kept in touch throughout his recovery. “Tyson faced some tremendous health obstacles, but he has done so with amazing courage and a positive attitude that is inspiring,” said Brian Wickens, one of Brent’s teachers from Harbor Ridge Middle School. “I watched him face his second open heart surgery with strength, confidence and appreciation for those around him offering their support.
“I was amazed, but not surprised, with his ability to bounce back and push himself through the long months of recovery and discomfort. He chooses to stay positive and tries to do his best to be a bright light for others.”
Returning to soccer practice after his recovery was not easy, Brent said. “But I was not going to give up. I worked my absolute hardest to get back into top physical shape and I was able to persevere and get into the best shape of my entire life.”
In addition to getting back on the soccer field, Brent also was able to maintain a 3.9 GPA , even while taking AP and college level classes.
He also made it a priority to help others “and ensure that his peers have a good experience at Peninsula High School,” PHS assistant principal Danielle O’Leary said. “Leadership and ASB is a huge part of Tyson’s life and in his senior year he won the title of ASB President. Tyson gets stuff done. He not only produces ideas, but he puts ideas into action.”
Those abilities were especially important when in-person classes were shut down by COVID restrictions. “During COVID we were all faced with the idea that as long as you make the best of your situation and stay true to yourself you can succeed,” he said. “Our ASB team thought about how we could make this the best year possible. We organized virtual events and spirit rallies to keep morale up.”
The next chapter in Brent’s life will take place at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego where he plans to study marketing and business administration. He looks forward to a career in sports or entertainment marketing. “I’ve always liked movies and sports and I like marketing, so I want to find a way to combine them,” he said.
Category: Overcoming adversity
Education: Senior, Peninsula High School
GPA: 3.9
Parents: Roman and Kirstin Brent
Activities/Achievements: ASB president; junior class senator; student school board representative; scholar athlete; Student of the Quarter; National Honor Society; Gig Harbor “Living Local” Student of the Month
Favorite teacher: AP U.S. History teacher Kyle Kendall, “because he always made class so much fun. He found a way to engage you as a student and made you feel like you belonged in a class that was so rigorous and required a lot of work.”
Best thing about high school: “The friendships I made. PHS was a school that was always very inclusive. The school felt like one big family. Without the friends that I made, I would never have been able to make it through the tough times. They all mean so much to me.”