Turoni picks Goldey-Beacom College

Two years ago Nikki Turoni enrolled at Lackawanna College to play Basketball and Softball with the intent to move on to a four year institution after graduation. With her execution of a Letter of Intent to attend Division II Goldie Beacom College in Wilmington Delaware, she accomplished that goal.

If you asked Turoni what other contributions she made at Lackawanna, she probably would have answered as briefly as the opening two sentences of this article. However, the coaches for whom she played would have a much different response.

Her softball coach, Jerry Santorsa, in discussing the effect she had on his program, said it best when he stated, “Certain players you remember for what they did on the field, and other players you miss because they had the admirable personal attributes that made your team better as people, However! In Nikki, you have one of that handful of players who will both be remembered for what they did and missed because of what they brought to the program.” In discussing those personal traits, Santorsa added, “It’s only human nature to want lead the team player by doing the heroic, a game winning home run, a game ending strikeout, a diving catch, yet its truly rare to find players who are willing to sacrifice personal prestige for team glory. Nikki was definitely the latter. If I felt that Nikki would best help the team by keeping score, she would do it, do it well and do it without complaint.”

Although Santorsa may think of Turoni in that way, she never did have to keep score. Turoni started in every game the Lady Falcons played in her two years with the women’s softball team; and in her second year served as one of the squad’s co-captains. Although, she never hit over three hundred, or for power, her consistency at the plate, in the field and her leadership contributions to the team were noticed throughout Region 19 as she was selected in 2005, and again, 2006 as a 2 nd team Division II All Region 19 infielder.

Last Fall Turoni’s selflessness carried over to the College’s Volleyball Program. Although, she had never played competitive volleyball, she was convinced to tryout for the volleyball squad. Not only did Turoni make the team, her athleticism resulted in her being awarded a starting position. As a starter, Nikki compiled 18 kills, 12 assists, 10 aces and 58 digs on a team that went on to establish the school’s first ever winning record in that sport as the Lady Falcons went undefeated in Region 19 play.

Yet it was basketball at which Turoni left her mark at Lackawanna. There was never a question that she could “put the ball in the basket”. Against Bergen CC she scored 34 points. In a contest against Mercer County CC with the Falcons behind 31-18 at half time and 54-24 with 10:12 left in the game, Turoni scored 18 points in 9 minutes and 40 seconds. Her last score resulted in a 59-59 tie with 0:32 seconds left in the game.

Although Mercer, eventually went on to win 62-59, Turoni’s performance was described by Coach Staci Hughes as the most electrifying 10 minutes of play in the Falcon’s Women Basketball History.

For the season, she totaled 440 points with a very respectful 17.6 scoring average.

Turoni’s scoring average would probably come as a surprise to most Lackawanna Fans. To those fans their most lasting memories of her would be of a steal and a perfect pass to a teammate streaking to the basket. The statistics support that remembrance since Nikki ranked 18th in the nation with a per game average of 3.68 steals per contest; while her 5.6 assists per game ranked 21 st nationally. In raw numbers Turoni ended the season with 92 steals and 140 assists.

Coach Staci Hughes in talking about Turoni said, “It’s going to be hard to replace Nikki. She did everything I could expect of a point guard and more. She was my “on court coach”. Nikki continually demonstrated that she knew the game, our game plan and was able to lead her teammates in executing their assignments.” Chidingly Hughes added, “The only time Nikki ever drove me crazy was last year after she broke her finger and wound up next to me on the bench. She kept pestering me to get her back on the court even though she hadn’t received medical clearance to do so, she drove me nuts.” In words similar to Softball Coach Jerry Santorsa, Hughes concluded her comments regarding Turoni by simply saying “We’re going to miss her!”

Additionally Turoni was one of only forty five young ladies nominated for the Kodiak Junior College All American Team. She eventually received Honorable Mention All-American.

Fittingly, at the conclusion of her college career, Turoni received her last and most prestigious award. At the conclusion of Lackawanna College’s athletic banquet, she was awarded the Sterling B. Seeley Award. This award is given annually by the institution to that one student that best exemplified all around ability both as a student and athlete, as well as active involvement within the community. It was the perfect match of award and recipient.

So if you see Nikki Turoni tomorrow and ask her what’s happening, she’ll probably say in her unassuming way, I graduated from Lackawanna College in May, will start classes at Goldie Beacom College this coming fall and will continue playing basketball.

But Coach Hughes knows better. On learning of her desire to attend the Wilmington, Delaware School, Coach Hughes uttered “Irregardless of what happens on the court the next two years, Goldie Beacom will be a better place just because Nikki will be there.”