Student-Athlete of the Month: Carter Marquardt

As Carter Marquardt looks at the 4- and 5-year-old children he’s wrangling during Broadneck Area Youth Sports’ lacrosse clinics, he sees himself in their shoes.

That’s the age when the Broadneck senior developed his own love for lacrosse, despite the challenge of keeping focus and interest at such a young age.

But that’s part of why he loves what he does.

“I remember being young, not wanting to participate, going back to my parents, and all that,” Marquardt said. “I remember doing the same thing, but when they see the older kids there, and I know some of these kids that are my neighbors, that helps them be entertained and get them more excited about lacrosse.”

In his second year as a varsity lacrosse player for the Bruins, he’s finally able to put a cap on the things he’s learned over the last 12-plus years.

The senior is part of a rotational offensive attack, and he’s one of many players getting their first crack at significant minutes. But for Marquardt, it’s just as much about doing things the right way as it is excelling on the field.

“At practice, it’s making sure everyone is working as hard as they do in the game,” he said. “We all play our role, so it’s working hard and being physical, showing the underclassmen the right things to do. We work as hard as we can in practice and we know that will be good for us in the game.”

Marquardt takes working hard seriously, no matter what he does. Owner of a 3.93 unweighted (4.38 weighted) GPA, he has acceptance letters from Maryland, Penn State and Virginia Tech. He’s mulling which school is in his future but knows that, wherever he goes, he wants to study mechanical engineering.

His grandfather, also a mechanical engineer, inspired him in the field, and the enjoyment of working on his own car has him thinking about automotive engineering as a focus.

When not on the lacrosse field, Marquardt is usually doing one of two things: fulfilling all of his responsibilities as a high school student, and fishing.

At Broadneck, he’s a member of the Math Honor Society and National Honor Society, participates in the school’s academic club, and tutors other math students.

On the water, he’s an avid fisherman whose biggest catch to date is a seven-foot shark he caught in the waters off of Assateague Island, one which took him between 35 and 40 minutes to bring to shore.

“That fight is crazy, just the sheer size and weight of the shark,” Marquardt said, noting that all those years in lacrosse probably played a hand in his ability to land the shark. “It’s incredibly hard to bring it all the way in.”

It’s a testament to his mindset of both doing well in whatever he does and doing whatever he does well.

“Carter’s an awesome young man who does all the right things,” said Broadneck boys lacrosse coach Jeff McGuire. “As a freshman, he was a tiny guy, but he was one of only three that passed all of our conditioning tests this winter. Great character, high GPA kid, and he really gives back to the community. Can’t say enough good things about him.”