St. Francis volleyball鈥檚 Angelina Wintonick finding success on and off court
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (BVM) 鈥� Maintaining a 4.0 GPA in college is not easy work. This feat becomes even harder to accomplish when you also have to commit your time to a collegiate sports team. Despite having to find time for both, St. Francis College volleyball player Angelina Wintonick has managed to accomplish this feat at an impressive level.听
Wintonick, a libero/defensive specialist, enjoyed a sophomore season that was highlighted by a solid game against Merrimack, recording two service aces and two digs. As Wintonick took advantage of her opportunities on the court, it was her academic performance that brought her to the spotlight.
On May 24, St. Francis College women’s volleyball announced their academic stats for the spring. The team as a whole averaged 3.495 GPA and included two players with a 4.0 GPA, Wintonick and Una Stevic.听
鈥淥ur athletic department stresses how important our college studies are, providing us with many resources and opportunities to make sure that we succeed,” Wintonick said.
It鈥檚 pretty clear through the academic accomplishments of the team that St. Francis College is true to its mission of helping student athletes maintain their grades. No other athlete shows this the way Wintonick does. Wintonick holds herself to a high standard when it comes to setting goals. Doing well in the classroom has always been a priority for the Terriers sophomore who “prides herself” on going above and beyond.
Wintonick expects herself to always put forth the maximum amount of effort in her education. This mentality allowed her to reach the goals she set this season. Along with the right mentality, Wintonick has shown great work ethic.听
鈥淎t times, I worry that I may not receive the best possible grade if I do badly on an assignment, so I try to make up for it in any way that I can,鈥� Wintonick said. 鈥�Asking for extra credit, completing tutoring services, communicating with professors, and working harder on future assignments is important.鈥�
Wintonick was not only willing to put in the work needed to pass her classes, she was willing to put in the extra work to make sure that she got the highest grade possible. Putting in all this extra work while being a student-athlete can be tiring and time-consuming. Time and attention management is one of the most important steps to staying on top of everything. Wintonick has found ways to balance her time by focusing on what needs attention that day.
鈥淪ome days waking up for practice may take more effort than a class, but other days exam days may be more important,鈥� Wintonick said.听
Staying on top of everything and being able to manage your time efficiency is something that Wintonick strives to do. With as much as she has on her plate, things can be overwhelming.听 She has an easy yet effective way of managing her stress.
鈥淏eing a student or student-athlete can be challenging, so rewarding yourself with a fun meal or something that you have been wanting to purchase for a while can be fun and relieve some stress,鈥� Wintonick said.听
Along with rewarding yourself for your hard work, Wintonick also mentioned that taking time out of your day to do something that she enjoys is important for her stress management. With a student athlete schedule it can be hard to find free time, but finding ways to reset mentally has been important for her.听
Along with the short term goal of having the highest GPA possible, Wintonick also has her long term goals set as well. The rising St. Francis junior is Majoring in Childhood Education and is hoping to begin teaching following her collegiate career. She also has another year of sports eligibility due to the COVID-19 seasons and intends to play volleyball in her fifth year while she strives for her masters degree. This will likely present her with her biggest challenge yet, but if she keeps the right mentality, work ethic and time management skills, she should be able to accomplish all her goals.
