Click here for information about Justin's Quest
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Senior forward Jason Herrick is a tremendous soccer player. A staunch leader as the Terps' captain, he leads the top-ranked offense in the nation in points and goals. Some of Herrick's biggest impact, however, comes when he steps off the field.
After getting involved with Relay for Life while enrolled at York High School in Elmhurst, Ill., Herrick has continued his charity work at Maryland, both with Relay for Life and for a slew of other causes throughout the local community.
Most recently, he and other members of the men's soccer team worked with Justin's Quest, an organization started by Justin Friedlander, a 13-year old who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor, to help raise money for the National Brain Tumor Society. The team spent time with Justin in March, shooting baskets to help raise money for the worthy cause. Herrick said he really enjoyed the time he spent with Justin and was excited when the youngster came back for the Clemson game in mid-October.
"It was really cool to get to see him again at the Clemson game," Herrick said. "Justin and his family came out and it was great to see how well he's doing. He really enjoyed being with our team. We played basketball with him one day and that was a lot of fun for both him and us... just goofing around and shooting around with him. For him to make it out to our game and really support our team meant a lot to us."
Herrick has also served as the team's Student Athletic Advisory Committee representative and has been involved in charitable work in the local community as well.
"Obviously soccer takes up a majority of the time along with classes during the day," Herrick said. "During the season it's hard to do a lot of extra stuff, so in the spring, when we have extra time, we try to do more volunteer work like going to different elementary schools reading to kids and talking to them about college life, good eating habits, studying, and exercise."
His stellar performances, on the field, in the classroom, and in the community have helped make Herrick a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS award. The award acknowledges student-athletes who maintain excellence on the field and in the community, while exemplifying what it means to be a student-athlete in the classroom.
"Jason is the epitome of a student-athlete," head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "He cares deeply about his education and is a person very committed to all the virtues of being a student-athlete. I've never once had to talk to him about his academics. He's always been a very focused and goal-oriented person."
Herrick's accomplishments off the field only add to his feats on it. He is a dynamic forward who has started all 16 games for the Terps this season.
"He works on both sides of the ball. He's hardworking, courageous, skillful and very inspirational, not in a loud fist-pumping, rah-rah kind of way, but by example," Cirovski said. "He has a very good soccer mind and is very well endeared by the entire team."
Although Herrick will be suiting up for the last time in regular season play Friday as the Terps play host to Coastal Carolina on Senior Day at Ludwig Field, he is not ready to give up on soccer yet. In the short term, Herrick hopes to lead the team to an Atlantic Coast Conference title and another national championship. Once his days at Maryland have finally come to a close, he will give professional soccer a whirl before putting his accounting degree from the Robert H. Smith School of Business to full use.
"I plan on exploring all my options with soccer, whether that is going to the MLS or wherever I can," Herrick said. "I'm going to try and do that for as long as I can and then after that...hopefully a long time from now like 10 years down the road or so...I'm going to look to do something in the business field."
Herrick and fellow seniors Billy Cortes, Will Swaim, Greg Young and Doug Rodkey will be honored at a pregame ceremony Friday but the 2009 First Team All-ACC selection is more focused on looking to the future and the 2010 postseason rather than celebrating the past.
Just like the position that he has solidified for five seasons as a member of one of the premier soccer programs in the nation, Herrick is always moving forward.
* Story by Jen Schiller - Maryland Athletic Media Relations
