Szafarowicz, Kuzmanic give Wheeling plenty of up-side

For the past eight years, Bianca Szafarowicz and Stephanie Kuzmanic have been basketball teammates.

Since the fifth grade, they have been on the floor together helping their teams gain wins with scoring, rebounding, defense and passing skills.

Four of those years were on feeder teams for the Wheeling girls basketball program.

The last four were with the varsity team directed by coach Shelly Wiegel.

This week, they've begun their final high school season and they'd love to go out with another banner season.

Here is a closer look at these longtime teammates who helped Wheeling to a third-place finish in the Class 3A state tourney last winter.

Bianca Szafarowicz: Following in the footsteps of her brother Robert, Bianca started playing the sport which has landed her the opportunity to play Division II basketball at Truman State University.

"My brother really made me better," Bianca said. "He really encouraged me and was my role model. "When I was little, I always did everything he did just because he was my older brother. He helped me so much and taught me so many lessons."

Now, Szafarowicz can teach players a few lessons.

Her basketball skills, enhanced by playing AAU basketball as well, have made her one of the premier players in the area as she helped make Wheeling one of the premier teams in the state.

Once she is finished playing college basketball, she would like to help others in the medical field.

"My parents (Waldamar and Ewat who were born in Poland) always talked about the medical field," Bianca said. "I had a job shadow at Lutheran General Hospital."

An honor roll student with a 4.5 grade point average on a 5.0 scale, Bianca would like to be a physician's assistant and plans to study in the exercise and science field.

She may also minor in coaching because she loves basketball.

"I really enjoy the fastbreaking we do," she said. "I like when we can get a steal and fastbreak. You can hear the crowd roar and it can change a whole game."

Szafarowicz has been quite good at that, too.

Last season, she averaged nearly 3 steals per game along with her 14.3 points and 2 assists. She also often guarded the opposing team's top player.

"Going downstate was our dream since we started in feeder basketball here," Szafarowicz said. "We always thought we could do something big and do something for the community."

And now she gets one more chance in her final season.

"I feel people are expecting us not to be as good without Ashley (Wilson, the school's all-time leading score who graduated and is now at Purdue)," she said. "But I think we can be good. We won't be as tall, so everyone will just have to work harder."

Szafarowicz has worn jersey No. 25 for her April 25 birthday for as long as she can remember.

She hopes to wear the number at Truman State, too, where former all-area Wildcat Laura Joya is playing her final season.

"I saw her on my official visit," Szafarowicz said. "She always asks how we are doing at Wheeling and she was so proud that we went downstate last season. She was so glad we were able to get over the hump and get down there for the first time."

The Wildcats would love to repeat their success this winter.

"Our conference will be tough," Szafarowicz said. "We won't have Ashley. Hopefully we can still win our conference. There are a lot of good teams and good players."

But Wheeling has one of those good players by the name of Bianca Szafarowicz.

She has 822 points in her three-year career.

"Bianca is ready to step up her role even more in her final season," said Wildcats coach Shelly Wiegel. "She can play four different positions and is coming off a year where she averaged 14 points, 2.6 steals, and 2 steals a game."

"Playing downstate has been the highlight of my four years," Szafarowicz said "And meeting so many great people along the way. And my great teammates. And it's always so nice to receive such nice compliments from the other coaches and teams we play. It's nice hearing how much respect they have for us as players."

Stephanie Kuzmanic: Wheeling 's girls basketball team has given quite a few teams the knockout punch over the past few years.

Helping that cause has been Kuzmanic.

But the senior guard knows a little more about a good punch, too.

She also enjoys putting on the real boxing gloves.

Last spring, Wheeling teacher Mike Burke started a "Friday Night Boxing" event for any interested students.

"I don't do a sport in the spring and I wanted to try it," Kuzmanic said. "I really enjoyed it. I always liked watching it on TV."

Burke had a boxing ring set up in the gymnasium and had judges on hand. Students were supplied with headgear and other equipment including T-shirts that said "Wildcats Boxing Blue and Gold."

He staged the event on a Friday night and called the fundraising event "Contender for Courage."

"It was just something for fun that I'll always remember," said Kuzmanic, who faced one of her best friends and classmate Ellen Eiter in a three-round bout of soft sparring.

She'll also never forget her memories from basketball, including a trip to the state finals 8 months ago.

"It was a blast," Kuzmanic said of the four days in Normal. "We hoped that would happen one day. It was so much fun."

Kuzmanic always has fun on the floor.

"I just love the game," she said. "I like when we are fast-paced, getting up and down the floor."

Wiegel calls Kuzmanic the ultimate team player.

Kuzmanic has played all 5 positions and defended both guards and posts.

Kuzmanic averaged just under 9 points per game last year.

"I like playing point guard," she said. "I like dribbling up court and setting up the offense."

Kuzmanic and the Wildcats can't wait to defend their last two MSL crowns.

"Every team is good," said Kuzmanic, also an A honor roll student who is still undecided on where she will attend college and what she will study. "It's a great chance to see a lot of good players and teams.

"We are going to be a little shorter this season than we have been in the past. We are all going to have to pick it up with rebounding."

Picking up players like Kuzmanic and Szafarowicz has certainly helped Wheeling over the past four years.