Suburban Life Athlete of the Week: Brooke Kuczynski, Montini, softball, junior

Name: Brooke Kuczynski

School: Montini, junior

Sport: Softball

Why she was selected: Kuczynski hit two three-run homers and drove in seven runs in a win over Resurrection. She was selected the Athlete of the Week in an online vote. Here is her interview with Sports Editor Joshua Welge.

Welge: Have you had a two-homer game or do you recall driving in that many runs in a game before? Either homer stand out?

Kuczynski: I’ve hit a couple of grand slams before but haven’t hit two homers in a game, so this was special. Both homers had different significance in the game. The first one gave my team a lead and boosted our energy all around. The second one gave us a bigger lead but it was my first time hitting two homers in one game and doing such on my home field was special to me.

Welge: How many homers do you have this season?

Kuczynski: I have six homers this season but I’m looking for more. I hit 10 my freshman year.

Welge: How’s the season going?

Kuczynski: The season is going good. It was a slow start with all the rainouts but it’s picking up again. I am blessed to be playing with a team that is fun to be around and the best supporters. On and off the field, it’s never a dull moment. They have all encouraged me and always pick me up.

Welge: How did you get started playing softball? Have you played any other sports?

Kuczynski: I’ve been playing softball since I could remember. My first team was T-ball and I was one of two girls on my team and the rest were boys. From there I fell in love with the sport and kept advancing up in teams. I played many years with Top Tier Fastpitch, which helped advance my skill level. Once I realized I was serious about playing softball in college, I switched to the Illinois Chill. The Chill organization has been extremely helpful in the recruiting process.

I used to be in competitive swimming but then quit for travel basketball and travel volleyball. Eventually I stopped playing basketball because three travel sports was getting hard to juggle. Once I was serious about college softball, I stopped playing volleyball to focus on softball.

Welge: What made you decide to commit to Florida Atlantic? Do you know what you want to study in college?

Kuczynski: I’ve always wanted to go to a Florida school since I was young. I have a family summer home in Florida that I’d visit often. Once I was serious about college softball I knew I wanted to play in Florida and escape the Midwest weather. Last summer I attended Coach Jordan [Clark’s] first softball camp as the newly appointed head coach at FAU. The field was beautiful and the campus just felt like home – and it’s 1.8 miles from the beach! On my visit, all the coaches were extremely nice and I loved their coaching style – competitive and encouraging. I couldn’t find one flaw about FAU. In college I want to study marine biology. I’ve always felt drawn to the ocean and FAU is a perfect place to study the ocean.