Athletes of the Month – February 2026

The Catholic Star Herald highlights the Diocese’s student athletes who stood out during the month of January. 

Dillon Adomanis

Bishop Eustace Preparatory School, Pennsauken

Basketball

Dillon Adomanis went on a scoring spree this season, knocking down 709 points in 31 games.

The Bishop Eustace senior hit the 1,000-point milestone on Jan. 3 and sailed past 1,500 on March 5 during a 39-point effort against Rutgers Prep.

During the month of February, Adomanis, listed at 6-foot-6, scored 30 points or more on three separate occasions, including 34- and 32-point outings in back-to-back games against Winslow and Camden Catholic.

For his high school career, Adomanis scored 1,553 points and 411 rebounds to lead the Crusaders to a 22-9 record and a trip to the South Jersey Non-Public B championship game.

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Luke Bickett

Saint Augustine Preparatory School, Richland

Swimming

Luke Bickett helped the Saint Augustine Preparatory School swim team continue its amazing winning streak en route to its fourth straight state title.

Bickett, a sophomore, was the steadying factor by winning the 200-yard individual medley and the 500 freestyle in both the Non-Public South sectional championship and the Non-Public state championship in February, as the Hermits’ win streak reached 40 matches.

Bickett swam a 1:54.10 in the 200 IM in the 100-70 state championship win over Delbarton and followed with a blazing time of 4:38.97 in the 500 free. Bickett also won the 200 IM at the South Jersey Interscholastic Swimming Association Invitational before taking second in the 100 breaststroke at the same meet.

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Gianna Cianfrani

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Indoor Track and Field

Paul VI High School’s Gianna Cianfrani reached new heights at the right time, as she cleared 11 feet in the pole vault to capture an individual Non-Public A state championship in that event for the second straight year.

The state championships were held at the Rothman Orthopaedic Sports Complex in Toms River on Feb. 20, where Cianfrani’s jump broke her own school record and won the event by a full 12 inches.

On March 8, the junior jumped 10-6 to take seventh place at the NJSIAA State Indoor Meet of Champions at the Ocean Breeze Track and Field Facility in Staten Island, N.Y.

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Kage Jones

Camden Catholic High School, Cherry Hill

Wrestling

Kage Jones won his fourth straight district championship in relative ease, recording three pins in a combined time of 1:50 in the 157-pound weight class Feb. 28.

During his career, Kage, a Camden Catholic senior and a Rider University commit, helped the Irish win three team Non-Public B state titles in four years. In March, he won his third straight region championship with three straight pins, including a 48-second victory in the championship match over Immaculata’s Grant Thompson.

Jones reached the podium in Atlantic City two times during his career with a second-place finish during his sophomore year and a third-place finish last season.

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Brooke Stagliano

Paul VI High School, Haddonfield

Basketball

Stagliano, a junior at Paul VI High School, has amassed 182 3-pointers in just three years, including 57 this season. She surpassed the 1,000-point milestone during a 20-point effort against Bishop Eustace on Feb. 21.

Stagliano earned tournament MVP honors as Paul VI captured the South Jersey Invitational Basketball Tournament on Feb. 8. In the championship game, she scored 22 points, as the Eagles defeated Gloucester Catholic, 57-55, in double overtime. Stagliano helped lead the Eagles to a 26-2 record this winter.

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Rhiannon Stanker

Our Lady of Mercy Academy, Newfield

Swimming

Rhiannon Stanker was a force for the Our Lady of Mercy Academy swim team as it produced another strong postseason run.

Stanker won the 200-yard individual medley in a personal best 2:06.95 against Notre Dame in the semifinal round of the Non-Public South playoffs, helping the Villagers advance to the sectional final for the fourth straight year. Although OLMA (7-1 record) lost a tight championship match to Trinity Hall, Stanker won the 200 IM and the 100 breaststroke in that meet and helped the Villagers win the 200 medley relay.

At the South Jersey Interscholastic Coaches Association Invitational on Jan. 24, Stanker earned a pair of medals by placing second in the 200 IM and third in the 500 freestyle.