Boys Lacrosse: Curtis' Zach Budnick Named Defensive Player of the Week

Curtis senior goaltender Zach Budnick has been named U.S. Lacrosse Washington Division I High School Defensive Player of the Week for Week 3 (March 18 -24) of the 2013 high school lacrosse season.

Budnick finished the week with six ground balls, one assist and 27 saves as the Vikings rolled to wins over Bainbridge and rival Bellarmine Prep.

In a narrow 8-7 defeat of state powerhouse Bainbridge, Budnick recorded 17 saves for a .708 save percentage and made several critical clears. Later, in a 14-5 defeat of Bellarmine Prep, Budnick made 10 more saves logging a .417 save percentage and added three ground balls and an assist during a critical fourth-quarter clear against the Lions.

A lacrosse player since the fourth grade, Budnick is also a star tackle for the Vikings’ football squad where he was named to SPSL All-District honors in 2012.  In football, he has signed a national letter of intent to play at Central Washington University in the fall.

In the classroom, the solid B student is focused on courses in government, civics, math and oceanography, which he hopes will prepare him for a career in marine biology.

In the community, Budnick is a volunteer coach for the local youth football program and also contributes his time to the Tacoma Greek Festival. 

This last year he was one of five students accepted into a selective firefighter ride-along program with West Pierce Fire and Rescue where he participated in a joint classroom and field program that exposes students to the demands of a firefighting career.

U.S. Lacrosse Washington High School Player of the Week recipients are nominated by their coaches for exceptional performance and sportsmanship on the field of play.  

Winners are selected by the Washington High School Boys Lacrosse Association and the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association and recognized each week by the Washington State Chapter of US Lacrosse and acknowledged on the Washington State High School Lacrosse Game of the Week on The Lacrosse Network at www.YouTube.com/TLN. 

Information courtesy of Washington State Chapter of US Lacrosse.