Herald-News Athlete of the Week: Lockport golfer Joey Sluzas

Joey Sluzas, a senior on the Lockport boys golf team, was voted the Herald-News Athlete of the Week.

Sluzas won the vote over runner-up Claire Blotnik from the Joliet Catholic girls cross country team. Lincoln-Way West golfer Kaylee Dwyer and Lincoln-Way Central volleyball standout Alyssa Teske also were on the ballot.

Sluzas shot a 69 to win the Class 3A Lincoln-Way Central Regional and lead the Porters to the team championship.

After voting began, Sluzas also helped Lockport win the Class 3A Pekin Sectional championship, finishing in a tie for fifth, leading the Porters into this weekend’s state finals.

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

Millar: You had a great day at the regional tournament, winning the individual championship and helping your team win the regional title. What was the key for you there?

Sluzas: I just stayed patient, took it one shot at a time, just kept grinding it out and ended up putting up a pretty good number.

Millar: It’s been a strong run for the team with conference, regional and sectional titles. How are you feeling going into state?

Sluzas: Good. It’s an individual sport, so everyone just kind of has to do their own thing. It will be fun. We’ve played The Den (in Bloomington) a bunch of times so we know the course pretty well.

Millar: What do you think the key is for you personally at state?

Sluzas: Just staying patient. I don’t know what the weather is going to be like down there, if it’s going to be windy or what the conditions will be like. Everybody’s playing on the same course, so I just have to be focused on my own game and just grind it out.

Millar: When did you start golfing and how did you first get into it?

Sluzas: I started when I was 8 years old with a PGA junior league. My swing coach, Kevin Weeks, is who I started with and he’s still my swing coach now. My parents don’t play at all, but my mom’s grandpa played and kind of got her into the sport, and she wanted us to learn how to play. My brother [Ben] picked it up first, and I followed in his footsteps.

Millar: Your brother, Ben, golfed at Lockport and is now golfing at Northern Illinois University. What’s it been like sharing the sport with him?

Sluzas: It’s awesome. We know each other and our games pretty well and it’s nice to be able to talk to someone who also plays golf. It’s just different when I’m talking to my parents because they don’t really know what it’s like being out there playing competitively. So, it’s nice to have my brother to bounce ideas off and things like that.

Millar: Do you have a favorite TV show or movie?

Sluzas: I like watching documentaries. The one about Johnny Manziel [”Untold: Johnny Manziel”] has been my favorite recent one.