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Four-time All-Catholic champ. It has a nice ring to it.
With two more years in her high school career, Neumann-Goretti sophomore bowler Gina Stankiewicz, 15, is halfway there. By bowling a 533 series in Sunday’s All-Catholic tournament at Northeast Philadelphia’s Thunderbird Lanes, she can once again call herself the All-Catholic champ.
"It feels good," Stankiewicz said.
Neumann-Goretti assistant coach Terry Spino was even more excited about the feat.
"We are so proud of her," Spino said, also talking on behalf of head coach Vince Fiocca. "We had a bad season as a team, but I couldn’t be more proud of her."
Stankiewicz credits the guidance of older brothers Matt and Joe, who were both All-Catholic bowlers at St. John Neumann, as a big reason behind her success. Matt was a four-time All-Catholic selection and, in 2004, set a single-season Neumann record with a 210 average. He helped lead Neumann to three Catholic League championships, while Joe was a member of two.
"They tell me to just stay calm, try to find my mark and have a good time," she said.
Stankiewicz, who carried a 168 average this season, said sometimes her brothers would mess around and let her win. But that didn’t dim her competitive edge.
Like last season, her toughest competition came from Conwell-Egan’s Nicole Drejerwski, who carried a 200-plus average. Being the defending champ, the Neumann-Goretti bowler knew she could no longer surprise the players she faced.
"Everybody had their eyes on me to see what I could do," she said.
The next step is helping her Saints get over the Catholic League playoff hump. They missed this season’s cut by two games.
"It was pretty tough on all of us," Stankiewicz said.
But when it comes to the All-Catholic crown, she is in a league of her own.
Two down, two to go.
