Whiz Kid: Stephanie Collins

Stephanie Collins is a three-sport athlete at , running and winter track, and holding down a pitching spot for coach Frank Kowalski’s Big Blue softball team.

The 16-year-old junior spent this past summer working for the town of Swampscott, originally as a track leader in the summer track program, and then becoming a park leader at.

“I started working nights with the track program and then I got hired to work during the day at Stanley School,” Collins said. “I had a really good time with the kids in both programs.”

Stephanie is in the middle of the Big Blue cross-country season and has competed in the Thetford Academy Woods Trail Run and McIntyre Cross Country Invitational as well as Swampscott’s league meets this fall.

“I’m probably a better softball player than a runner, but I love running, the sense of teamwork, of being together like a family, working together, it’s great,” Collins said. “When someone finishes a race they stay and cheer until the last runner comes in, we really support each other.”

Next spring Stephanie and senior pitcher Angela Vousboukis will give the Blue a good one-two pitching punch as the softball team tries to get back into the playoffs.

“I’ve been playing softball since I was six years old, I started pitching when I was nine or ten and took lessons when I was 12, and then I really got serious about pitching,” Collins said.

Stephanie played on two teams this past summer, the New England Firebirds out of North Andover and an American Softball Association travelling team that competed in area tournaments.

Stephanie enjoys math, and really enjoyed her time in class with Miss Bryanos at SHS.  Collins serves on the student council, is in the international relations club, the political action club and is a peer leader for her fellow students.

Stephanie is on the executive board of the Swampscott High School Student Council, serving as the group’s treasurer for the current school year.

“I’m really excited about taking psychology class next year, it’s something I’m really interested in,” Collins said.

Collins said her two biggest influences have been her older brother Casey and her track coach Dom Finelli.

Collins worked with the oldest group of kids at park league this past summer, the fourth and fifth graders, and she enjoyed the kickball games and the arts and crafts sessions

Collins does plenty of roadwork to stay in shape, and mixes up her softball training with spinning classes at the Paradise Gym.

“I like the trips we go on at school,” Collins said. “There’s the Vermont trip with the cross-country team, and we go to Philadelphia for the Model U. N. program.”

“The great thing about being a Swampscott High student is that fact that we’re so close, we’re small and you know everybody, it’s a nice environment.”