The Times Athlete of the Week: Serena’s Tanner

Of 391 votes cast last week, Serena boys soccer’s Tanner Faivre brought in 228 of them to win – for the second straight school year – The Times Athlete of the Week honor, sponsored by SOCU. The Huskers leader scored a goal and recorded an assist in a win over Reed-Custer a few days after breaking the school record for career goals in a 4-2 loss at Hinckley.

Also on the ballot was runner-up Sophia Pence (Streator girls volleyball), Brady Wendt (Ottawa boys soccer) and Sunny Weber (Sandwich girls cross country).

Next week’s ballot will be online Sunday and accessible via Facebook (The Times Sports) and Twitter (@jtpedelty), with voting going through midday Wednesday.

Here is a Q&A with this week’s winner:

How long have you known you were approaching Serena’s career goals scored record, and how did you first find out?

Last year I knew I was approaching the scoring record after the season we had and knew that it would be very reachable for my senior year. I found out about the record during my freshman year when looking through the record book for soccer, and I remember thinking there was no way I would ever break it.

Can you describe the goal that broke the record, and how did you feel when you saw it hit the net?

I passed a through ball to Richie Armour against HBR, and he got taken down in the box. I set the ball up for a PK and shot it to the right corner, and it went in. When the ball hit the net, I felt relief and was excited about breaking the record, but also tying the game.

What goals do you have for yourself and for the team as we enter the home stretch of the season?

One goal I have for myself is to add to my career total and season total, hopefully getting 35 or more goals on the season. A couple of goals I have for our team are to finish over .500, win the Little Ten Tournament and win a regional championship.

What do you like about being a Serena Husker?

I think the best part about being a Serena Husker is having a whole community cheering and supporting not only the team, but every player on the team.

What are your three favorite high school soccer pitches to play on?

My favorite three soccer fields to play on are our home field, HBR’s field under the lights and Reed-Custer.

If you could go anywhere in the world on an all-expenses-paid, two-week vacation, where would you pick, and why?

I think I would pick Hawaii, because I have never been, and it looks like paradise.

What is your favorite all-time TV show?

My favorite show to watch is “Bachelor in Paradise.”

Only one can stay: ribs, pizza or tacos?

Pizza.

Is there a fact about you that might surprise people who only know you through sports?

I can solve a Rubik’s Cube.

Do you have any college plans? If so, do they involve sports?

I am still trying to figure out where I would like to go. I have been thinking about going to a community college, but I am not sure yet. I do plan to play sports in college.