Kasey Cienik
School: St. Joseph
Class: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Claim to fame: Cienik scored 15 points for St.Joseph (8-6, 5-3) in a 59-22 Section 1-1A win over Springdale on Monday night. She then scored another 15 points as the Spartans defeated Western Beaver, 71-30, on Thursday night.
Another offseason in which the team graduated a lot of players, five to be exact. That left you as the only senior on this team. What’s it been like to take on more of a leadership role?
It was a little overwhelming at first. Being the only senior, there was a lot of pressure on me that I never really asked for. The only other upperclassman is Jocelyn Spinelli, and the rest of the team is so young. But now that I’ve played half of the season, I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love guiding the team and providing that leadership in most things.
What do you like most about mentoring a young basketball team?
The bond that I have developed with them. We’re all a close-knit group and I know they look up to me, which is a cool feeling to have.
Last year you were looking to be that dominant post presence for the team. Did you feel like you accomplished that goal?
Yes, I do. Thanks to Coach Ashley, she’s guided me in the right direction. All through last season and the first half of this season, I feel like I’ve gotten better and better at my position and feel like I really know what I’m doing now and can accomplish a lot.
You’ve become a consistent scorer, putting up double digit totals nearly every game. What’s been the key to that consistency?
Confidence and not getting into my own head when I make mistakes. My teammates have been looking to the inside a lot more than in the past. They give me great passes and are able to get it to me when I’m open. Jocelyn and my sister JJ always find a way to get me the ball no matter what.
You also enjoy the occasional swat near the basket. Have you been as consistent in that part of your game?
I’ve been pretty consistent. I usually get one or two blocks a game. Another thing I’ve really stepped into is stealing the ball when we’re pressing. It’s something different than scoring on offense. I really have stepped into a defensive role.
What work did you put in the offseason to prepare for this season?
I worked out with the team. We had about one or two open gyms a week and we also had a summer and a fall league, which allowed me to become closer with the freshmen and sophomores. I worked out with my dad, practicing in our backyard.
Other than forcing turnovers, was there something else you specifically wanted to improve upon coming into the season?
I really wanted to improve on everything. Having a good first season as a varsity starter, I wanted to step up my game because it is my senior year.
A tough three-game skid at the turn of the year. How did the team try and stay positive through that tough stretch?
That was a pretty rough time. What kept us going was our bond and the positivity we got from our coaches. Just because we lost those three games, it doesn’t define us as a team and we all knew that. Knew that we would have a second chance at two of those teams (Union and Sewickley Academy). Because they were close games, we know we’re going to play our best basketball and do anything to win the next time we play.
Even though it wasn’t against the toughest competition, what did getting back-to-back wins do for you guys?
It lifted our spirits because we were upset that we took those losses. It brought us back together. Today’s practice was amazing, and we’re excited to get back on the court and play Leechburg on Monday.
As the team heads into the second half of section play, you currently sit fourth. What are some of the rough edges you need to smooth out as the season winds down and you set your sights on the playoffs?
We need to work on our court vision and our passing because we sometimes panic and throw the ball away. We also need to work on rebounding. When we play teams with taller girls, every single person needs to rebound. Our help defense also needs some fine-tuning.
What were your individual goals at the start of the year?
Get more rebounds and be better on defense and score more points.
What were the team’s goals?
Play our best basketball every single game. Not have bad practice, because if you do, you’re not going to play your best basketball in the game. We also want to beat those teams in our section and get a second- or third-place spot, which is very important to us this year.
Is there a new hobby or a new skill you would like to pick up or learn?
I’d like to pick art back up. I was in class with my friend who take art, and I really miss that class. I love to draw and paint.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Keep going no matter how many mistakes you make. You can’t look at the past and change those mistakes. Keep pushing forward and not let those mistakes hurt you.
If you were to compete in the Olympics, which sport would you most like to try?
I’d like to try basketball. I really like the sport, like going out there and winning. I’ve played so many sports in the past, and I’ve never felt a connection like I have playing basketball.
What are your future plans?
Attend a four-year university. I’m between two schools right now; West Virginia University and Ohio University. I want to study criminal justice and want to become either a homicide detective or a criminal psychologist.
Joe Rosio
School: Cheswick Christian Academy
Class: Senior
Sport: Basketball
Claim to fame: Rosio put together a triple-double (32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 steals) as Cheswick (8-5, 4-0) rolled Pittsburgh Christian, 62-39, on Jan. 10. He followed that performance with 16 points in a 63-42 win against Cornerstone Prep on Tuesday and scored all of his 20 points in the first half of another win on Thursday, a 56-25 victory over Westmoreland Christian.
The team came into this season coming off a third straight division championship and second consecutive conference championship. What were your feelings after accomplishing those feats?
Relief. After a long season, finally getting to where we wanted to be and winning it, there was definitely some relief there. There was also the feeling of, all right, now it’s time to start working on next year.
You and your fellow seniors have a chance to make that four straight division championships and a possible third straight conference title. What would it mean to accomplish that?
It would mean a lot. We’ve been playing basketball together since sixth grade. To be able to compete at a high level and win is very special to us.
How beneficial was it to start out this season with a more experienced group than you did at the start of last year?
It helps us in those high-pressure situations at the end of the game that we know we can get into our sets and run our offense, be in the right place and it gives us that extra mental edge on our opponents, who might not have that experience.
In comparing and contrasting last year’s team with this year’s what differences and improvements do you see?
Our shooting this year has been a lot better. Throughout the year we’ve also been getting better at rebounding. That was a struggle early on in the year, but we’ve started to settle in and have seen an improvement recently.
The team is well on its way to that division title after beating Pittsburgh Christian last Saturday. You scored 32 points in that game. Was that close to a career-high game total for you?
It was close. I’ve scored 35 once before.
You added 12 rebounds and 10 steals for a triple-double in that game. Was that your first ever triple-double?
I might have had one in middle school, but that was my first high school triple-double.
I know it was probably tough to keep track of your stats in the moment, but when the game was over, how surprised were you that you accomplished that feat?
I was definitely shocked. I didn’t think I had that many rebounds. I thought I had like five or six, but my dad did the stats and he said, “No you had like 12 rebounds.” I was like, “whoa, sweet!”
On Thursday, you scored all 20 of your points in the first half. Was there a reason you didn’t add on in the second half?
Just trying to get these young guys looks, develop as players and get them prepared for the rest of this season and next year.
You and your friend and teammate Brady Rochkind have been climbing up the scoring list together. Has there been a friendly competition between the two of you throughout your four years?
One hundred percent. Every time he has a couple more points than me in a game, he’ll let me know about it and when I outscore him, I let him know about it. We go back and forth each time one outscores the other.
You each have a chance to finish third and/or fourth on the school’s all-time scoring list. What would accomplishing that mean to you?
A lot. I’ve been thinking about that since I was a little kid, following around the varsity team in elementary school and looking up at the scoring list thinking I wanted to be up on that list one day. To have the opportunity to get that high is really special.
Your coach also said you lead the school all-time in made three-pointers and could wind up the leader in assists and steals as well. Any idea how close you are to those two records?
Steals, I’m about 20 away and in assists, I’m 80 or so away, not 100 percent sure on that stat.
Is there a chance you could get those records by the end of the year?
The key to that would be staying healthy. I’ve dealt with ankle injuries throughout my career.
You would be closer to being atop the all-time scoring list if it wasn’t for those injuries. How healthy did you feel coming into this season? Did you prepare your body any differently, and do you feel like you can go injury-free the rest of the way?
Coming into this year I felt good. The main thing is not to push myself a lot when I feel like my ankle is bothering me. I’ve chosen to sit for a couple minutes, instead of believing I can run if it’s bothering me. That’s helped me to stay relatively healthy throughout this year.
What were your individual goals at the start of the year?
Continue to perform the way I have throughout my basketball career and give our team the best chance to win.
What were the team goals?
Championship for sure. We have to take it one step at a time and get there before we can accomplish that goal.
What’s been the highlight of the season so far?
Senior night against Pittsburgh Christian. That was an important game for us to win and we did a great job containing them on defense and running the floor. It was a fun game overall.
Would you rather travel back in time or travel to the future?
Into the future. You get to see what has been built. You can’t learn about what happens in the future, but you can learn about what happened in the past.
If you were a superhero, what would your power be?
Flight. I think it’d be cool to be able to fly around everywhere.
What are your future plans after graduation?
I’m attending Penn State University to study data sciences.
Do you plan to play basketball in any capacity while you’re up at Penn State?
I’ll play intramural league or club for sure.