United Sports Collegiate Scholar-Athlete: LIU’s Wienckowski (M-Newtown) now sets the example

By Bridget Letukas
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 3/19/10

So far, spring break is going pretty well for Long Island senior midfielder Christie Wienckowski.

Besides trading in the cold, rainy winds of the Northeast for the warm, beautiful Florida sunshine, the Marple Newtown graduate and her teammates started off their week with their first win of the season, a decisive 19-9 victory over Liberty.

To top it off, Wienckowski – the United Sports Collegiate Scholar-Athlete of the Week – just learned that she was named Valedictorian of the Class of 2010 for her graduation this May.

While she has yet to write her speech, Wienckowski will have plenty of successes from which to draw. Her accomplishments both on and off the field speak clearly for themselves.

As a Dean’s List choice for five straight semesters, Wienckowski, a Marketing major, has earned her fair share of academic honors, including the Northeast Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll and the Michael Palen Endowed Scholarship for Academic Excellence in Business. She has interned at the New York Post, earned prizes for marketing strategies, been named in the Who’s Who Among Students Nominees, and maintained at 3.83 GPA.

In addition, Wienckowski has served as a Student Ambassador, and has volunteered, along with her teammates, to host a non-profit clinic for younger players in a program called Lax Maniax.

To whom did the versatile Wienckowski look to as role models for her well-rounded success?

“Probably my sisters,” she says. “Both are older and both played lacrosse. My whole life I looked up to them.”

Wienckowski, a four-year starter who led LIU last year with 50 points (33 goals, 17 assists), hopes to continue her success with her teammates in her final season.

“We’re a growing program,” she says of the Blackbirds squad. “But we have a lot of potential. We play with heart, and we never give up.”

Wienckowksi is looking to add at least one more achievement as she approaches the end of her career as a student-athlete at LIU.

“Our biggest goal is to get into the Northeast Conference playoffs. Hopefully, this is our year.”