SYRACUSE -- It's easy to feel the weight of decades of excellence at a lacrosse powerhouse like West Genesee high school. This season, both boys and girls squads are living up to that rich tradition of sectional and state championships. As the accolades grow, so does the pressure on each athlete coming through the program, year after year.
This week, our CNY Central Athlete of the Week is boys lacrosse senior Ryan Tinklepaugh, who's delivered all season on the field, gathering numerous ground balls to go along with his nine points. But, his influence lays beyond just the physical part of the sport, as he's spreading the mental approach of relaxing and enjoying the game, instead of crumbling under all of the pressure of the program's past success.
Tinklenbaugh is a three sport athlete, playing soccer in the fall, hockey in the winter, and obviously lacrosse in the spring. He uses something from each sport to help him become a better athlete overall.
In the fall, he plans on attending either Marquette University, Bellarmine University, or Ithaca College, and will play lacrosse at one of those schools. For now, he's focused on keeping West Genesee's undefeated record intact.
