March scholar-athlete: Maryvale’s Dylan Parsons

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — It’s not every day that you have a student who plays a sport in each season and also ranks second among all other students in his class.

Dylan Parsons, a senior at Maryvale, is just that. A model student and athlete who has just as much admiration for his school work as he does for athletics.

“School always comes first, and athletics comes second,” Parsons said. “My entire life, I’ve always tried in the classroom. My parents have always pushed me, and I surround myself with good friends who motivate me to try in the classroom.”

Parsons’ motivation pays off, as he has a 4.0 GPA while taking multiple AP classes. Outside of the classroom, Dylan excels on the field, ice, and track, but there’s a specific thing about the athletics at Maryvale that’s special to him.

“The bond with teammates, I know all the kids on the team,” Parsons said. “I’m friends with all of them, I go to school with them, I’ve known them for all my life. It’s just like a big support group, everybody is supporting each other. The coaches are always encouraging you to be better, they are always pushing you.”

Parsons may not be the most vocal leader on his team, but head coach Ben Cooper tells us that he still finds a way to make an impact on the program.

“He’s a quiet leader,” Cooper said. “He shows other kids how to be great track athletes. The right things to do, and he just does that by showing them he doesn’t really use his voice a lot with it, but when we ask him to do something correctly, it’s something for other kids to watch.”

Sara Holland is a Sports Anchor/Reporter at News 4. Follow her on Twitter @SaraaHolland and see more of her work here .