Plum Teen is a Triple Threat

Three certainly is not a crowd for 17-year-old Jen Amorose.

The recent graduate has managed to participate in three different sports each year of her high school career.

She was recently recognized by the Northern Area Athletic Director’s Association for that distinction by being named the Plum Borough female tri-athlete nominee.

Fellow Plum High School student Bob Sekerka was the school’s male nominee.

The association, which is made up of 21 schools, hosts an annual luncheon where it recognizes a male and a female athlete who participate in three sports from each member school, Plum Borough Athletic Director Bob Alpino said via email.

Amorose participated in cross country, swimming and track. She is the winner of eight varsity letters.

“It was really awesome to get nominated for it,” she said of the award.

In her freshman and sophomore years, in addition to track and cross country, Amorose played basketball. In her junior and senior years, she switched to swimming, where she said she did mostly freestyle.

Amorose also has been involved with Student Government, the National Honor Society and Junior Achievement. She’s also taught CCD classes at her church, in Plum.

She said she intends to focus more on her academics in college, but plans to continue with sports at an intramural level when she attends the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in the fall. She will study political science.

Amorose cites older brother, 19-year-old John—a football player at Thiel College—as an inspiration. She remembers when she played on his soccer team as a youngster.

“I’d always look at him and see how he’d play and try to play like him,” she said.

Amorose said she and her siblings—John; Natalie, 15; Jeff, 13; and Nina, 11—can credit their dad, Jim, for having such a love of sports. She said he encouraged them all to participate.

Amorose said her favorite part of being involved in sports is meeting new people and getting close to her teammates. She also likes being able to see herself improve and being pushed by coaches to do her best.

She likes to push others to do their best as well—especially her younger brother and sisters. When they get tired or discouraged, she is there to encourage them.

“I always encourage them to not quit,” Amorose said. “You have to never quit and always keep trying. It will always pay off in the end.”