Carey able to balance studies, sports, life

By Jonathan Starkey
Staff Reporter

	Coastal Point • JONATHAN STARKEY Andrew Cordell Carey is an Academic All-Star.

When Indian River senior Andrew Cordell Carey drove upstate to the Christiana Hilton for the 2006 Academic All-Stars Competition banquet last week, he didn’t know quite what to expect.

All he knew is that he was one of 85 students across Delaware to be awarded for their academic achievements. But, as it turned out, he wasn’t just a nominee. A group of community leaders voted Carey — along with nine other Delaware high school students, out of 30 finalists — as the winners based their grades, college entrance exams, and extracurricular, community service and work experience.

He was one of only three to win the award downstate and the first Indian River student to receive the award since 1999.

“I was real surprised,” Carey said of winning the award. “I thought it was a real big honor.”

Carey, who is second in his class with a 106.5 grade average, will be attending Susquehanna University in the fall to study chemistry or math. Nearly 1,900 students attend the Selinsgrove, Pa., school, which is located about 50 miles north of Harrisburg.

Carey, a first-team All-State soccer player who led the Indians to a Henlopen Conference title and their first undefeated regular-season finish, will also play soccer for the Division III school. (Indian River eventually finished their season 15-1-1 and lost in the quarterfinals of the state tournament.)

Carey said that the Susquehanna’s good combination of athletics and academics prompted him to pick that school out of the dozen he was considering.

“It’s a good balance of both and everyone up there was really friendly,” Carey said. “It felt like a good atmosphere.”

Jim Findlay, Susquehanna’s ninth-year head soccer coach, said that he was impressed by Carey’s talent on the soccer field and believes the Indian River grad can compete upon arrival.

“We return a large senior class but, hopefully, he will come in and compete for a spot right away,” Findlay said. “Physically, he has the tools and we will see how he adapts to the speed of play.”

Susquehanna, which competes as a part of the Commonwealth Conference, finished 9-8-1 overall and 4-2-1 in-conference last year, after having a 2004 season worthy of remembrance.

Findlay, who has a career record of 64-73-3 in his eight seasons at Susquehanna, was named conference men’s soccer coach of the year in 2004, after leading the Crusaders to an 11-6-1 finish and their first conference post-season appearance in school history.

Having only graduated eight seniors last year, 19 players will return to the 2006 team, which will undoubtedly make the freshman Carey work hard for a spot. But it does seem as though he has the ninth-year coach’s support.

“I look for great kids from great families, and Andrew and his family really fit the bill,” Findlay said. “He also seemed to be a good fit with our players and comes highly regarded from his high school coach.”

Beyond that, Findlay seemed to spot the same qualities in Carey that earned him the award last week. And that can’t be a bad thing.

“Andrew is a great kid and a great athlete,” the coach said. “He is also an excellent student. We hope that he will be a great addition to our university and the soccer program.”