Carol Blazejowski

Carol Blazejowski
Information about the player
Full name	Carol Ann Blazejowski
Nickname	The Blaze
birthday	September 29, 1956 (63 years and 337 days)
place of birth	Elizabeth , New Jersey , United States
size	178 cm
position	Forward
college	Montclair State University
Jersey number	12

Carol Ann Blazejowski (born September 29, 1956 in Elizabeth , New Jersey ) is a former American basketball player and sports manager. She is considered one of the best point collectors in college basketball in the United States. As a forward for Montclair State University , she scored an average of 31.7 points per game between 1974 and 1978. In addition to this record, Blazejowski also has the highest point yield within a season with 38.6 points per game. She was appointed to various national teams, including the women's team, which should take part in the 1980 Olympic Games for the USA . As a top scorer with the US team, she won the gold medal at the 1979 World Basketball Championship. For her achievements as a player, Blazejowski was appointed to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994 .

Career

college

After Blazejowski stood out at her high school in Cranford with her offensive style of play, she convinced the coach of the women's basketball team at Montclair State University to start her college career there. In Blazejowski's freshman year, she averaged 33 points per game. The next three seasons she was each appointed to the All-American . With a total of 3,199 points, Blazejowski had at the end of her four-year career at Montclair achieved the highest yield of all female and male college players up to that point. She was also the first female athlete at the university whose jersey number was excluded from future awards as an honor.

The climax of Blazejowski's college career was a game of her team against the Queens College team , which took place in March 1978 at Madison Square Garden . Against the backdrop of 12,339 spectators, Blazejowski achieved the indoor record of 52 points in one game. At halftime, Montclair was still 11 points behind and Blazejowski had scored 14 points. In the last twenty minutes Blazejowski converted 17 of 21 throws. Montclair won by 102 to 91.

Selection teams and professional career

Following her college days, Blazejowski played for two years in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). In 1979 she was appointed to the national selection for the ultimately victorious USA team for the 1979 World Championships. This was followed by the nomination for the 1980 Olympic selection. Although the team around Blazejowski still played the qualifying tournament for the Games in Sofia , Bulgaria , they were not sent to the championships due to the boycott of the government under Jimmy Carter .

1980 Blazejowski signed a three-year contract with the New Jersey Gems in the professional league WBL . At 150,000 US dollars , this was by far the league's highest-value contract at the time. However, the WBL disbanded a year later.

An appointment to the Olympic team for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles failed because Blazejowski had forfeited the amateur status that was necessary at the time through her one-year professional career.

Further career

After her active playing career, Blazejowski worked for the sporting goods manufacturer Adidas for ten years . From 1990 she worked in various management positions for the National Basketball Association , including being responsible for license marketing.

From 1995 to 1996 Blazejowski changed responsibilities and she became head of the women's basketball department of the NBA. As a result, she was appointed to be responsible for basketball development for the newly formed professional league Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In 1997, however, she moved to the New York Liberty team as Vice President and General Manager . In 2008 she was promoted to president of the association.

After 14 years as General Manager of Liberty, Blazejowski's contract was not renewed. She left the team and the WNBA. Since February 21, 2011, Blazejowski has worked at her alma mater , Montclair University, as Vice President for University Development.

Awards

Carol Blazejowski became the first female player to receive the Wade Trophy for best college-level basketball player in the United States in 1978 .

• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame: 1994
• Women's Basketball Hall of Fame: 1999
• National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame: 1994

See also

• List of members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Web links

• Carol Blazejowski in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . On: Hoophall website; Springfield, MA, 2017. Retrieved November 8, 2017 (in English).
• Carol Blazejowski in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame . On: WBHOF website; Knoxville, TN, 2008-2018. Retrieved March 9, 2019 (in English).

Individual evidence

1. ^ NN: Carol Blazejowski. Class of 1999. On: WBHOF website; Knoxville, TN, 2008-2018. Retrieved March 9, 2019 (in English).
2. ↑ fiba.com , accessed on January 5, 2012.
3. ^ NN: Carol A. Blazejowski. ( Memento of Aug. 5, 2012 on Internet Archive ) Archived from Hoophall website; Springfield, MA, undated before February 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2019 (in English).
4. ↑ njsportsheroes.com , accessed on 6 February 2012 found.
5. ↑ montclair.edu , accessed January 6, 2012.
6. ↑ Albert Kim: Carol Blazejowski. On: Sports Illustrated website; New York City, NY, November 8, 1993. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
7. ↑ athletes-celebrities ( Memento of the original from June 28, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed February 6, 2012. 
8. ↑ nytimes.com , accessed February 6, 2012.
9. ↑ bcallstarsbasketball.net , accessed on 6 February 2012 found.
10. ↑ chicagotribune.com , accessed on 6 February 2012 found.
11. ↑ wnba.com , 2010, accessed February 6, 2012.
12. ↑ sportsillustrated.cnn.com ( July 2, 2010 memento in the Internet Archive ), 1993, accessed February 6, 2012.
13. ^ NN: Carol Blazejowski. President & General Manager. On: Women's National Basketball Association website; New York City, NY, undated before 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2019 (in English).
14. ↑ espn.go.com , accessed February 6, 2012.
15. ↑ montclair.edu , 2011, accessed February 6, 2012.
16. ^ NN: Again, Moore wins Wade Trophy. Becomes only player to win coveted award three times. ( July 14, 2014 memento on Internet Archive ) Archived from National Collegiate Athletic Association — website; Indianapolis, IN, April 2, 2011. Retrieved March 9, 2019 (in English).