Mia Stankiewicz Named NJCAA Division II First Team All-American

South Mountain Community College softball freshman Mia Stankiewicz received NJCAA Division II First Team All-American honors, the NJCAA announced on June 11. Stankiewicz, the Cougars' starting shortstop, capped off an outstanding season for SMCC with the prestigious award.

In 40 games in the 2021 campaign, Stankiewicz batted .575 with 58 runs, 18 doubles, five triples, 18 home runs, 67 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and 23 walks. In addition, she ranked among the league's top 10 in batting average, runs, hits, doubles, triples, home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage (1.264) and on-base percentage (.650).

She led the nation in on-base and slugging percentage and finished second in batting average. Stankiewicz produced 18 multi-hit games, 17 multi-RBI games and scored multiple runs in 18 games.  She also earned First Team All-ACCAC and Division II All-Region honors after the season.

Stankiewicz hit a season-high three home runs in a road win at Glendale CC and had two games with two home runs. She earned NJCAA Division II National Player of the Week honors on Mar. 10 after batting .714 (10-of-14) with eight runs, 11 RBIs, two home runs, four doubles, two triples and five stolen bases in wins over Paradise Valley CC and Eastern Arizona.

She had a season-high six RBIs twice, had a season-high four hits three times and scored a season-high four runs in a win at Glendale CC. In a doubleheader sweep over Gateway CC on Mar. 23, Stankiewicz finished 7-for-8 with five runs, four home runs, 10 RBIs and two stolen bases. 

"I could not be more proud of Mia. Not only do her numbers speak for themselves, but her hard work and dedication to our team were crucial to our overall success," said SMCC head coach Britney Matta. "She played a huge part in setting and maintaining our culture this season. I cannot wait to see what program she chooses for the future because she will continue to shine no matter where she ends up. Our goal as a staff has and always will be to get our ladies to the next level. I can't wait to see the first set of kids move on to the 4-year level and help grow the sport of softball. Mia will make an immediate impact at the next level. The stats and titles are great, but I am most proud of her character and the type of person she is. There are not many like her anymore."