Slampak sharpened basketball skills at home
The program, sponsored by Davis & Davis Law Firm and coordinated by the Herald-Standard, will culminate with a banquet to be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Shady Side Inn. Slampak has garnered her share of athletic and academic awards.
She was named All-County and All-Section in basketball, and was chosen to the Herald-Standard Big School first team. She also earned HSTV Player-of-the-Week honors.
Slampak was a four-year letterman in track and field. She placed first in the 200 in the Fayette County Track and Field meet, and was chosen as a member of the Herald-Standard Track and Field first team in the same event.
Slampak was treasurer for the National Honor Society, and earned pre-calculus, statistics and French III student-of-the-month honors at Laurel Highlands. She also was named the Rotary Club student of the month for May.
Slampak admitted her schedule could become overwhelming at times, but believes learning to cope with that challenge will help her in the future.
“I think it taught me good time-management skills,” Slampak said. “I think later in life I’ll look back and say I’m glad I did all that, because it’s helping me now.”
Slampak found time to take part in track and field under coach Ron Morris, and excelled even though she took up the sport simply as a way to stay in shape for basketball.
“That was kind of why I started at it,” Slampak said. “Then things started going pretty good, so I kept at it. It ended up being something I’m glad I did.”
While the 200 was her top event, Slampak also competed in the 400 relay, the high jump, the triple jump and the long jump.
Track still places second to basketball, however, for Slampak.
“Basketball is my favorite sport, my love,” Slampak said. “I began playing when I was in second grade. My dad played basketball in college (California University of Pa.) and he got me started. He coached me until I hit junior high. Mr. (Chris) Cluss coached me, too, at the YMCA.
“When I started out, I was in a co-ed league and I was one of the only girls on my team. I wasn’t that good then. It wasn’t probably until junior high that I started to stand out a little bit.”
Coach Rick Hauger’s Fillies improved each year Slampak was a starter, going from fifth to third and, finally, to first in the section this past season.
“Definitely winning the section this year was a highlight for me, especially since we beat Albert Gallatin twice, because they were the team everyone picked to win it again,” Slampak said. “We developed a pretty good rivalry with them. My team, we’re a very close-knit group. We’re kind of like a family.”
Slampak’s real family was there for her as well.
“My parents were at every single one of my games,” said Slampak, who has one sister, 15-year-old Sara.
Slampak will attend Washington and Jefferson College on a partial academic scholarship this fall. Not surprisingly, she intends to play basketball for the Lady Presidents.
A versatile six-foot guard, Slampak has a well-rounded game. It was Slampak’s team-oriented attitude that helped her become the total package in basketball.
“I would be put in different positions because the team needed somebody there, so I got a lot of experience like that,” Slampak said. “Bit by bit, it all sort of came to me. I guess that’s how I got to be pretty good in different areas.
“That and working in my driveway with my dad.”