Chester HS grad nominated to Allstate Good Works Team

Posted February 22, 2017 10:00 pm

By Pete Spitler Editor@heraldtrib.com

In late November, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Allstate Insurance Company announced 278 nominees to the Allstate Good Works teams.

Among the honorees was Blackburn College junior, and Chester native, Jake Lochhead. Players recognized on Good Works teams are selected for their "charitable involvement and altruistic acts" which stand out amongst all other student-athletes participating in the sport.

"Coach had noted last year that I had the highest GPA on the team," Lochhead said. "My parents always strive for hard work and doing things right.

"It was one of those things that came up and will speak to my reputation as far as the things I'm accomplishing on campus."

Lochhead is majoring in Biology at Blackburn while minoring in Psychology and Chemistry. He told the Herald Tribune he wants to pursue occupational therapy.

"I (job) shadowed it in Chester and I really liked it," Lochhead said. "It's kinda been preparing me throughout college."

Athletic departments and sports information directors across the country nominated the 181 NABC and 97 WBCA student-athletes. Two special voting panels, headlined by seven-time NBA all-star Grant Hill and current WNBA player Skylar Diggins, selected the 10-member teams from both the NABC and WBCA.

The teams are comprised of five student-athletes from the NCAA Division I level and five student-athletes from Divisions II, III and the NAIA.

Selections were announced on Feb. 7, but Lochhead was not among them.

On the court for the D-III Beavers, Lochhead is averaging 3.8 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game for a 12-12 Blackburn team that played its regular season finale on Saturday.

"You've got to work your way back up, just like high school," he said. "I was voted a captain this year and next year coming back, I'll have to be a lot stronger than I was last year."

Lochhead has made four starts for Blackburn this season and scored a season-high 11 points in a win over Cornell College on Nov. 26.

He has also returned to baseball, suiting up with the Beavers last year and going 2-2 in seven appearances on the mound. He also struck out 12 in 21 ⅓ innings with a 5.91 ERA.

"I came out sophomore year and I hadn't gotten on the mound for close to two years," he said. "It's one of those feelings where you have to keep going with it. Throughout the season, I was developing different pitches - including a changeup, which I didn't have in high school."

The Beavers baseball team opens the season on March 4 with a three-game home series with Carroll University out of Waukesha, Wisc. He will then be playing close to home, as Blackburn is participating in a tournament hosted by SIU-Carbondale on March 10 and 11.

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