By Johnny Pagano ’22, Staff Writer

In six games, she hit five home runs including a grand slam and a walk-off in extra innings. She also batted .474, earned 14 RBI and had a .893 slugging percentage. Fisher Sophomore Allie Klonowski is no ordinary softball player and the Empire 8 recognized it when she was awarded Athlete of the Week last week.

Klonowski is a sophomore legal studies major from Buffalo, New York. While Klonowski is known to some as the future Teddi 41 Chair President, her success on the Fisher softball team is evident when she was recognized for her talents. 

As a kid, Klonowski was involved in many different sports but she quickly fell in love with softball. “My cousin was a softball catcher and I always wanted to be like her in every aspect so I decided to play softball just like her.” 

While playing softball at a young age, Klonowski always had a dream to play for large powerhouse teams such as the University of Florida and the University of Alabama. Eventually, she realized that the local town team that she was playing for was not allowing her to get the exposure she needed during the critical scouting years for college coaches. For this reason, Klonowksi ultimately decided that she did not want to pursue softball in college and was more interested in having a rather normal college experience with no sports. 

In her junior year of high school, her love for softball was reignited when she joined a travel softball team which allowed her to get noticed by many college coaches, including St. John Fisher. Klonowski decided to continue her academic and athletic career at St. John Fisher because it was close to her hometown and the atmosphere was very welcoming. 

“I knew the moment I came here that I wanted to be here. The name of Fisher holds so much meaning to me. When I am back home, no matter who I talk to, someone knows of someone who graduated from Fisher which was very cool.” says Klonowski.

“Allie is very hardworking in everything that she does, and it is showing for her on the softball field.” says Sophomore Lauren Swartz.

Outside of her games and practices with the Fisher softball team, Klonowski works out on her own every single day at 7 a.m. Even if  she stays up till 1 a.m the night before, Klonowski  can always be found working on her strength, speed and agility the next morning in the Fisher fitness center. 

“Allie is always so fun to be around and she is very dedicated to her goals and dreams for the future,” Sophomore Annika Menapace said.

Klonowski believes that her softball teammates have totally changed her college experience for the better. “They are the most supportive and reliable people I have ever met. They truly have become my sisters and are my biggest supporters no matter what.”