Wildwood Catholic Academy senior Kimmy Casiello knew the day would come when she’d be called upon to play point guard and lead the Crusaders’ high school basketball team. She only knew one way to prepare for it – through hard work and dedication.
“Since freshman year, I’ve been working on my skills,” Casiello said. “You have to be ready for that moment.”
Casiello aced the test the same way she does in the classroom, as the school’s top-ranked student academically. She is a member of the National Honor Society and partakes on the student council all while being a three-sport athlete, which includes soccer and track.
So when three talented senior leaders graduated last spring, Casiello anticipated picking up the reins and leading a young squad into a heavy basketball schedule, even if it meant switching from shooting guard to the point.
Longtime coach Steve DiPatri anticipated that change coming, too.
“She’s done a great job being the floor general for us and being a leader of this young crew,” he said.
DiPatri has more than 500 winning basketball games on his resume as a head high school basketball coach. Most programs would experience a significant hiccup after losing its all-time leading scorer, Marianna Papazoglou, who is now at the University of Pennsylvania. The school also lost former starters Alyia Gray-Rivera and Lauren McCallion. DiPatri recalibrated and shifted his faith to Casiello.
“It’s great to know that he trusts me,” Casiello said. “I trust him completely, so it’s a mutual thing that we know.”
The good times have continued to roll in Casiello’s fourth year in the starting lineup. The Crusaders are a perennial powerhouse in girls hoops and have gone a combined 60-14 over the last four years, which includes a 6-2 start to this season. Casiello’s supporting staff in the starting five is junior Carly Murphy, and a trio of sophomores in Kaci Mikulski, Ella McCabe and Ava Vogdes.
“I think we have great chemistry,” Casiello said of the new-look Crusaders. “We have a solid core group of five girls and a great bench. I think we’ve had this chemistry since summertime. It’s been great bonding with them even though they are young. It’s a great group of girls.”
Casiello’s contributions offensively haven’t really declined despite sharing the ball more in her new role. She still averages about eight points per game while dishing off the ball to Mikulski, who has shown tremendous upside as an offensive threat. Mikulski is averaging about 15 points per game and relies heavily on her senior teammate in more ways than one.
“I could not ask for a better teammate,” Mikulski said. “She’s everything you would want in a player. She’s not selfish, she brings everybody together, and she’s an amazing captain.”
Casiello’s work ethic doesn’t stop on the hardwood. She plans to study biomedical engineering and one day wants to make prosthetic limbs. “I’m a science and math brain, so it’s something I’d like to do.”
She’s already been accepted to both Drexel University and the University of Delaware, but she’ll always be grateful for her time spent at her Catholic school at the shore. “It’s really been a great four years here.”
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