Patch MVP Week 11: Tight Vote Goes To Maggie Grzeskoviak, Villa Duchesne Field Hockey

Maggie Grzeskoviak is the standout goalkeeper for the Villa Duchesne field hockey team.

This season, Grzeskoviak helped lead Villa to an 18-6 record, and a trip to the state tournament semifinals.

And this past week, in one of our closest votes ever, the Villa senior was the leading vote-getter in our weekly Athlete of the Week poll.

So it is our pleasure to announce Maggie Grzeskoviak as this week's Ladue-Frontenac Patch MVP of the Week.

With the great help of her coaches and administrators at Villa, we were able to catch up with Maggie, and here's some of the cool stuff we were able to find out about her:

Have you thought about where you're going to college yet? If you've already decided where are you going? And what made you decide on that school?

MG: I'm still looking at several schools. TCU-my brother goes there. I visit often and I love it. Miami of Ohio-it has good academics and a fun atmosphere. Mizzou-close to home, great journalism school, Division I sports, SEC football and a fun atmosphere.

Northeastern University in Boston-I love Boston and Northeastern incorporates internships and job opportunities into the curriculum. Denver University-great academics. I love the laid back atmosphere
and I love to ski!

How is your current season going?

MG: We were eliminated (Thursday) night by Nerinx in overtime. Our season until last night went great! I couldn't have asked for a better team. We overcame some huge obstacles and I couldn't be more proud of my teammates. I will miss them so much and I am sad it is over.

What is the favorite thing you like about being on your team?

MG: The spirit and camaraderie on the Villa Varsity Field Hockey Team is so powerful I cannot put it into words. I love being a part of it. All the players are so amazing.

I also love the game. So, I am very lucky to be a part of an incredible team playing a sport I love.

Comment on any special accomplishments this season so far. You guys had a wonderful year. Tell us about it.

MG: We've had a very successful season. We've had many obstacles to overcome and even though we didn't make it to state, I still consider our team the most successful.

We got 2nd in the Chicago Husky Invitational and we made it to the finals in the state tournament. Meredith Rull became our new coach this year and we as team came together and gelled under her leadership.

Tell us about your biggest fan. Who out there roots for you the hardest? And how does that make you feel?

MG: My biggest fans are my parents. Along with the other parents on the team, they were always there to support us. I feel lucky to have great support. Sister Nordmann, our headmistress, Mrs. Richardson, the director of student life and many other faculty members were usually at our games to support us.

Another huge supporter was Vivi Keefer. She's taught field hockey
to many of us and was always at our games cheering us on. We knew she was always behind us. Many teams expected us to fall apart after our sudden coaching change, but I think we proved everyone wrong.

This year we were the team to beat. Some of our main competitors were Viz, Cor Jesu, Nerinx and, of course, St. Joe. The intense competition of every game always got us pumped up and ready to play. It excited us more than anything. We used it as motivation.

Who are you a big fan of? Could be sports, movies, music, anything. Tell us about your most favorite person.

MG: I don't really have a specific favorite person. I admire people who have worked very hard and become successful. In field hockey, those people would be Lauren Cornthwaite (AIM Club Director) Julie Moeckel (AIM Club Coordinator and Coach) and Alex Labarge (last Villa goalie to win state). These are the people who coached me when I first started playing freshman year.

Now tell us why you are you're such a fan of this person.

MG: I am a fan of these people because they all worked so hard and became successful at their sport. There is nothing more valuable than simple hard work.

What is the favorite tune in your I-Pod?

MG: I have a lot of favorite tunes on my I-Pod and it changes almost everyday. I like all kinds of music-country, pop, etc.

Last question, what is your go-to karaoke song? Meaning if you were trying to win a contest like American Idol or X-Factor what song would you sing to make the audience vote for you as the winner?

MG: I am not much of a singer and don't know what song I would sing but our team had a playlist that we played before every game to get us pumped up. This playlist included songs such as Bottoms Up, Die Young, Springsteen, Tiptoes and many more.