Students from schools across the county were honored by the St. Johns County Sports Club’s Student Athletes of the Year and Ponte Vedra High’s representatives were Ryker Kemp and Penny Zarczynski.
Kemp was a two-sport athlete starring in football and lacrosse and finding a proper balance between practices and classroom work in order to maintain a 3.8 GPA.
He was named all-state first team defense in Class 5A in football and broke the school record for career sacks.
“I’d like to thank my parents first and coach (Eric) Henkel for making me do up-downs since I was four,” Kemp chuckled.
Giving back has also been a major part of his high school career as he volunteers at a lacrosse summer camp and has been a camp counselor, as well as volunteering at the Sulzbacher Center helping the homeless in Jacksonville.
He will be attending the University of Utah where he will play both lacrosse and football at the next level and major in business.
Of the seven athletes on hand receiving recognition during the ceremony at Amici’s Italian Restaurant in St. Augustine Beach, Zarczynski’s accolades took the longest to read, which is a testament to her relentless accomplishments during her time in high school.
Zarczynski is regarded as one of the top swimmers in the Southeast United States and will be going to Yale University to swim and major in economics.
The simplest way to sum up her high school career is that she is known as the most decorated athlete in Ponte Vedra High history with 19 state medals, 14 state titles, including three as an individual in the 100 freestyle, 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly.
She helped the Sharks win a team state title in all four years and holds five of the 11 school records, while also being a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American with a 4.6 GPA.
Her versatility goes far beyond swimming as she is also president of a knitting club, a member of the National Honor Society and volunteers at the Sulzbacher Center.
“I’d love to thank my parents for always being there and doing everything they can to always support me in everything,” Zarczynski said.
The St. Johns County Sports Club held a couple of ceremonies and other honored local athletes included Kendall Wampler and Brandon Stout from Nease High and Haylee Hite and Riley Hofrichter from Beachside High.
