By Tiffany Weimer
Penn State Athletic Communications Student Assistant
In order to completely understand a person, you have to know where they come from and the past that has led them to where they stand now. For senior defender, Heather Tomko, the past is a big part of her.
??My mom was the one who got me to this level,?? said Tomko. ??She had to give up a lot for me to play like driving me to practice an hour and a half away twice a week and spending tons of money.??
When Tomko was 13 years old, she attended an Olympic Development Program camp at Penn State and from that point she knew she wanted to be a Nittany Lion.
??Her dream was to come to Penn State,?? said Marti Tomko, Heather1s mother. ??There are no words for it. She is living her dream??
For the past two years, Tomko has started at outside back for the Nittany Lions. She was part of a backline that went undefeated last season, coming close to a national championship. This year, Tomko1s unit has already recorded five Big Ten shutouts.
??When I was a little girl I would watch the final four on TV,?? said Tomko. ??But it was just another dream I had to actually ever play in one.??
Making your dreams come true does not come without a price though. Tomko has had to work for everything she has accomplished, but it just makes it that much more satisfying for everyone.
??I am so proud of her because she did it,?? said Marti Tomko. ??She wanted it and she worked for it and I think that is what Penn State is all about and that1s one of the reasons she wanted to go there.??
Tomko takes her gung-ho personality toward life and uses it as a defining style of play for her.
??She??s a fighter,?? said senior midfielder Sarah Dwyer. ??She will never give up and she1ll do anything to keep the ball out of the net.??
That type of player and person is not just created over night though. ??My mom and I are both hard-working,?? said Tomko. ??Nothing comes easy, we have had to work for everything and I know I get that from her.??
??We tried to instill certain things in her,?? said Marti Tomko. ??Like whatever you do give 100% and not to make excuses. And to try and be in happy in everything you do.??
Her mom is hard-working indeed. When Heather was growing up her mom only missed one of her daughter??s games. Now, she lives up to some of the same expectations and this season has yet to miss a game.
??I enjoy every minute of it,?? said Marti Tomko. ??I love to see her compete. When you are totally immersed into something you love, you don1t notice that time is passing - you can see that and you can feel that - I love seeing her feel like that.??
Heather has now started for the Nittany Lions the past two seasons, exemplifying exactly what Penn State is all about with its blue collar work ethic.
??All the pride that I have for Penn State was something taught to me by former players who came before me,?? said Tomko.
The true test of what someone learns, though, is how they perform on the field, when it counts the most. For the past two years, Tomko has been setting the tone for what the standards are to be a Nittany Lion.
??She is a player I would want on any team I coach,?? said assistant coach Michael Coll, who primarily works with the defenders. ??I can rely on 100% effort and teamwork from her for the whole game and the whole practice.??
As for now she is doing what her mother said - she is living her dream. The Nittany Lions are currently first in the Big Ten and Tomko doesn??t take any of it for granted.
??I love the fact that there is no last name on the back of our jerseys,?? said Tomko. ??It still gives me chills to put it on before every game.??