Herald-News Athlete of the Week: Lincoln-Way Central soccer’s Dylan Maksa

Dylan Maksa, a senior defender/midfielder on the Lincoln-Way Central boys soccer team, was voted the Herald-News Athlete of the Week.

Maksa received 279 votes to win the honor over the runner-up, Romeoville soccer player Ruben Mesta. Lemont cross country runner Niki Tselios and Plainfield North tennis state champion Jessica Kovalcik also were on the ballot.

Maksa scored a goal in each of the Knights’ regional wins over Joliet Central and Thornton Fractional United and helped the defense record a shutout in a 2-0 win over TF United in the Class 3A Lincoln-Way Central Regional championship game.

Here is Steve Millar’s Q&A with this week’s winner:

Millar: What are you going to remember about the regional week and scoring two goals to help your team win the regional championship?

Maksa: They were two really good wins and it was great score in both of them. The first goal in the first game I think really set the tempo for us and the second one in the second game just really finished it off.

Millar: Your season ended with a tough 2-1 loss to Stagg in a shootout in Tuesday’s Joliet West Sectional semifinal, but the team had a lot of success this year, finishing 14-4-1. What do you think made you guys successful?

Maksa: I think we were all close, we had good team chemistry. We all knew what we wanted for the season and we all had a great work ethic. It all kind of clicked.

Millar: What is going to stand out in your mind when you look back at your Lincoln-Way Central soccer career?

Maksa: I think just how close we were all four years. I feel like I can call everyone from all four years I played.

Millar: How do you feel like you improved over your four years?

Maksa: I wanted to make varsity freshman year but I started out on JV, and that was kind of like a reality check. I knew I had to get better every year if I wanted to play, so I kept working to get better.

Millar: Are you going to continue to play soccer in college?

Maksa: I am committed to Ohio Northern, so that’s where I’ll be for the next four years. It’s a nice small school; it has the major I want to study, business. Talking to the coaches, I really loved them. Talking to the team, they said the bond on the team is like no other. I wanted to keep playing soccer, so I feel like Ohio Northern was quite the fit for me.

Millar: What is your favorite movie?

Maksa: The new “Top Gun” movie, “Maverick” was pretty good. I like watching that one. Tom Cruise is pretty sick.

Millar: If you could see anybody in concert, who would you want to see?

Maksa: Probably Travis Scott. He’s just a cool dude. He’s sick.