Athletes of the Week: Jamie Cheslik and Zach Bennett

Freshman forward, Jamie Cheslik has been nothing short of exceptional this year for the Spartans when it comes to scoring goals and showing her perseverance in matches.

Cheslik leads Michigan State with seven goals, which is tied for sixth place in the Big Ten. She also has two game-winning goals for her team this season which have come on the road against Oakland University and California State University, Fullerton.

Junior goalkeeper, Zach Bennett has started in 45 games so far for Michigan State and is the all-time leader in shutouts with 24, a record he broke on Tuesday. He is also nine wins away from tying the all-time record for wins for a goalkeeper at Michigan State, which is 36 wins.

As a freshman, Bennett started his first game against the Ohio State Buckeyes and the team won 2-1.

Cheslik and Bennett have handled the game pressure well this season. But unlike Zach, who has joined Corner Kick before, Jamie has yet to face the tough questions on a Corner Kick podcast, so I thought I would bring the tough questions to both of them on the practice field:

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Favorite Movie?

She’s the Man” (Cheslik)

“Any of the Harry Potter movies” (Bennett)

Any superstitions?

“None” (Cheslik)

“The biggest superstition I have is when we get a shutout or win, I don’t wash my towel, but if we lose I always wash it.” (Bennett)

Best Moment in your soccer career?

“Pass” (Cheslik)

“Personally shutting out Akron last year. Team wise, making it to the Elite Eight after beating Georgetown.” (Bennett

You are starring in a movie, which teammate would you choose as your co-star?

Kristelle Yewah” (Cheslik)

Jerome Cristobal” (Bennett)

Celebrity Crush?

“Jonathan Ericsson” (Cheslik)

“Blake Lively” (Bennett)

Best friend on the team?

“Kristelle Yewah” (Cheslik)

Quinn McAnaney” (Bennett)

An embarrassing story?

“Too many to share” (Cheslik)

“I think my first ever game was a spring game because I came in a semester early and we were playing Ajax, which is a younger canadian team and I completely messed up setting up the wall and I just let a roller into the goal and I literally have never heard the end of it. Every time we are in a spring game and I hear, ‘don’t pull an Ajax.” (Bennett)

If you could have a walkout song, what would it be?

“Shower” by Becky G (Cheslik)

“For my dad, he loves ACDC’s ‘Thunderstruck’ and that’s the walkout for the football team.” (Bennett)

Goalkeeper on the team you enjoy scoring on?

Courtney Clem” (Cheslik)

Field player that you don’t want to score on you?

“Definitely Fatai (Alashe) because I will hear it for seven days after if he scored or Ali (Scheib) or Brian Winterfield because we don’t like the younger guys scoring on us.” (Bennett)

Sexiest professional soccer player?

“Cristiano Ronaldo” (Cheslik)

“Alex Morgan” (Bennett)

Better hair, Ryan Keener, Courtney Clem or another teammate?

“A tie between Keener and Clem” (Cheslik)

“At this point I am not in the running for my red locks, but I’ll probably say Keener.” (Bennett)

Better soccer player out of Northville, Jamie Cheslik or Jimmy Fiscus?

“Jimmy Fiscus” (Cheslik)

“Cheslik because she scores.” (Bennett)

Favorite TV Show?

“Dexter” (Cheslik)

“Sons of Anarchy” (Bennett)

What do you want to do when you grow up?

“Not sure” (Cheslik)

“Hopefully test the waters with professional soccer, but if that doesn’t work out or after that packaging somewhere close to home near Dallas, Texas.” (Bennett)

If you had to pick a teammate to cook you dinner, which one would you pick?

Megan Rafac because she is like a mom.” (Cheslik)

Adam (Montague) because he is always cooking up something. It’s usually pretty good.” (Bennett)

Movie you have seen, but you would like to be in?

“Project X” (Cheslik)

“Pitch Perfect because I wish I could sing so badly.” (Bennett)

If you had a time machine, where would you want to go back to?

“Back to the age of the dinosaurs” (Cheslik)

“Back to the time when my parents grew up just to see what it was like.” (Bennett)

Favorite Professional soccer team?

“Real Madrid” (Cheslik)

“Chelsea” (Bennett)

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Be sure to check back next Wednesday for the next Athlete of the Week feature.


Brooks Laimbeer is a multimedia journalist for Impact Sports

Photos: Hannah McEnroe/Impact Sports