SuburbanOneSports.com recognizes a male and female featured athlete each week. The awards, sponsored by Univest, are given to seniors of good character who are students in good standing that have made significant contributions to their teams. Selections are based on nominations received from coaches, athletic directors and administrators.
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Female Athlete (Week of March 3, 2026)
Wherever she goes and whatever she does, North Penn senior Ella Maxwell will always be able to lay claim to being the first female wrestler in her school. Entering the state meet in Hershey, Maxwell has amassed 92 career victories, with an astounding 80 coming by fall. After finishing just below .500 as a freshman, she has over 30 wins this season. “It is crazy, when you think about how much the sport has grown and how much better I have become,” said Maxwell, who wrestles in the 148-pound weight class.
However, the senior’s legacy will not be measured by her record. “Ella’s impact on North Penn wrestling — and girls wrestling
in our community — goes far beyond wins and losses,” said her coach, Richard O’Neill. “She represents leadership, initiative, perseverance, and a genuine commitment to creating opportunities for others.” Maxwell played and soccer and was also a competitive swimmer before first trying wrestling. She was partly inspired by watching female wrestlers at the collegiate and Olympic levels when in seventh grade. “I wanted to do it, and then I saw all these other people,” she said. “It did make me want to do it more, after seeing people like that. My cousin also wrestled. When I was little, we would go to those tournaments. I thought it was interesting. In seventh grade, it was an option as a sport you could do, so I tried it.”
Maxwell admitted that it took some getting used to. “I liked it, and I wanted to keep on doing it, so I stopped doing soccer and swimming, just to focus more on wrestling,” she said. “I played soccer my whole life up until then. In the moment, I didn’t think I was as good. Looking back, though, I think I was starting it at a good time, because it was just starting to get huge and everything.”A year later, as an eighth grader, Maxwell approached the North Penn coaching staff about the idea of launching a program at the high school. “I just wanted to wrestle, and I didn’t want to wrestle against the boys anymore,” said Maxwell. “I didn’t mind it, but I definitely wanted to wrestle against other girls. A couple schools in Pennsylvania had teams, and I wanted us to have one. All you needed was one girl. I was, like, ‘I guess I’ll be that one then.’”
Fast forward to the present, and Maxwell is a four-year varsity wrestler and three-year captain of the North Penn girls’ wrestling team. “It was clear she was not just participating,” said O’Neill, who took over as coach of the fledgling girls’ team. “She was invested in growing the sport. “Because of her initiative, North Penn applied to the district and became the 66th school in Pennsylvania to sponsor girls wrestling by her freshman year. That first season, the team consisted of just three girls. By her sophomore year, the roster had grown to 11 athletes.”
Because she will not be wrestling in college at East Tennessee State, as she is not a fan of the way it is done for females at the NCAA level, Maxwell is determined to make the most of her last chance. While she is hoping for the best, just getting back to states, after missing out a year ago, equated to achieving a major milestone. “Obviously, I want to place,” she said. “But, since I didn’t get to go to states last year, my main goal of the season was just getting back to states. And, now that I’m back at states, I’ll see what happens.” (Editor’s note: Maxwell medaled at states, finishing eighth)
Maxwell brings the same intensity from the wrestling room to the classroom, where she maintains 3.89 GPA. O’Neill is not the least bit surprised that Maxwell epitomizes the definition of a student-athlete. “She consistently demonstrates discipline and accountability in everything she does,” said O’Neill. “Ella Maxwell is more than an accomplished athlete. She is a leader who saw an opportunity to make a difference and acted on it. Her character, initiative, and commitment have permanently strengthened the North Penn wrestling community.” While she will miss wrestling, she will likely stay involved with it. “I’m definitely going to come back from college next year and help with the girls, and maybe do some coaching and stuff this summer,” she said. “Just because I’m not going to be wrestling, I’m still going to be around it. I’m definitely going to miss it a little bit. It was a big part of my life for the last 4-5 years.”
To read Maxwell’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/female/ella-maxwell-00123171
Univest’s SuburbanOneSports.com Featured Male Athlete (Week of March 3, 2026)
Cadenn Amati is a self-professed “numbers guy.” As a starting forward for the Neshaminy boys’ basketball team last season, Amati proved to be very proficient in putting up numbers. When he was asked to take on a new role for the team this season, Amati knew full well that this role would have a negative impact on his scoring numbers. Having graduated eight seniors from last year’s team, including first-team All-SOL Patriot Division center Max Currie, Neshaminy found itself in need of size under the boards this season. The 6-4 Amati was asked to take on a more defensive role, guarding other teams’ biggest players and battling in the paint for rebounds. While he may be a numbers guy, Amati – a senior and a captain on this year’s team – also knew that the scorebook doesn’t tell the whole story.
So, he accepted his new role and threw himself into it. “He’s an athletic kid, so he’s able to get out on the fast break more
than a traditional center would,” Neshaminy coach Mark Tingle said. “But we needed his size there. It was an adjustment for him at first, he was being asked to do a totally different thing, but that was what the team needed. He kept his head up, asked a lot of questions, and kept at it. He stepped into that role and understood that’s what he needed to do for our success.” The results were undeniable. Despite the loss of players from the previous season, this year’s Neshaminy squad finished 6-4 (14-11 overall) and was in the mix for the Patriot Division title. They earned the 21st seed in the PIAA District One Tournament, where they upset #12 Perkiomen Valley in the first round. Amati played no small part in that success, both on the court and in the locker room. “Getting named a captain this year was a big thing,” Tingle said. “Cadenn really took it to heart, led the way the best he could. Cadenn’s a great kid, and he’s a good player to hold the team together. He’s got that intensity, but he’s also got a good, positive attitude.”
With his senior basketball campaign now in the rear view, Amati is turning his attention to the quickly approaching volleyball season. Although he had played baseball in the spring during his freshman and sophomore years, Amati decided to step off the pitching mound and onto the volleyball court as a junior. Despite never having played organized volleyball before, he quickly found his spot as a middle blocker. "Cadenn didn’t even start playing volleyball until his junior year," the Neshaminy volleyball coach said. "To come out that late and pick up the game as quickly as he did says everything about his athleticism, work ethic, and coachability. He was willing to learn, ask questions, and put in the extra time. As a senior middle, he’s going to be a major part of our offense at the net. He’s developed great timing with our setter, he’s aggressive in transition, and he’s becoming someone we can rely on to score in big moments. Defensively, his blocking presence is huge for us. He’s physical, disciplined, and communicates well, which makes everyone around him better. He understands that being a middle isn’t just about getting blocks, it’s about setting the tone at the net and leading from the front. For someone who’s only been playing a short time, his growth has been remarkable. He’s turned himself into not just a key player for us, but a leader we trust on and off the court.”
Amati is still deciding where his next steps will take him. He knows he wants to pursue a degree in accounting and is looking to stay relatively close to home. He would prefer a small, rural school, but said he’s keeping his options open. Playing basketball or volleyball remains an option, and he has been in touch with coaches from several schools he’s visited. But while he’s still unsure where he’ll spend his next four years, there’s no doubt what one fortunate school will get when Amati steps on campus. “Wherever he may go, he’s a high-character kid,” Tingle said. “We’re going to miss his positive attitude and the way he can keep a group together and be a good leader. He’s the type of kid who gives you whatever he has. Wherever he goes, he’s going to be a huge addition and make a positive impact as a student.”
To read Amati’s complete profile, please click on the following link: https://suburbanonesports.com/featured-athletes/male/cadenn-amati-00123172
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