Stasia Milas Czernicki (May 18, 1922 – January 17, 1993) was an American professional candlepin bowler. Born in

Webster, Massachusetts Webster is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,776 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Named after statesman Daniel Webster, the town was founded by indust ...

, she set the all-time candlepin record in her hometown for ten strings with 1388 pins. Stasia Czernicki had a series of personal highs, including a 194 single, a 466 triple, and 707 for five strings. In her high single, she rolled consecutive strikes in the first five boxes. She also shares the world record for women's doubles (2382), mixed doubles (2676), and women's five strings (707). She was world champion eight times, singles queen six times, a member of the women's doubles title team three times, mixed doubles team twice, and a member of the world's women's title team in 1965. The World Candlepin Bowling Council and World Candlepin Bowling Congress recognized her as Woman Bowler of the Year in 1967, 1968, 1970, 1971, and 1972. In 1987, Czernicki was inducted into the International Candlepin Bowling Association Hall of Fame. In her honor, the International Candlepin Bowling Association has established the Stasia Czernicki Memorial Award to recognize players who also exhibit fine sportsmanship. Czernicki was the first woman bowler regularly seen on the long-running TV show ''

Candlepin Bowling Candlepin bowling is a variation of bowling that is played primarily in the Canadian Maritime provinces and the New England region of the United States. It is played with a handheld-sized ball and tall, narrow pins that resemble candles, hence ...

'', broadcast on

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

's WHDH-TV (later

WCVB-TV WCVB-TV (channel 5) is a television station in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Hearst Television. The station's studios are located on TV Place (off Gould Street near the I-95/ MA 128/Highland Avenue int ...

), Channel 5. Hosts

Jim Britt Jim Britt (April 11, 1910 – December 31, 1980) was an American sportscaster who broadcast Major League Baseball games in Boston, Massachusetts, and Cleveland, Ohio, during the 1940s and 1950s. On June 15, 1948, Britt was at the microphone on ...

(1958–61) and Don Gillis (1961–96) frequently introduced her as the star of the show. Her 41–12 match record includes 18 consecutive wins, more than any other female competitor. (Tom Olszta holds the male record of 22 consecutive wins.) Her television high was 399 for three strings. She was a certified Massachusetts Bowling Association (MBA) bowling instructor and served as director of the MBA Instructors School and as a member of the World Candlepin Bowling Congress's executive board.

Death

Stasia Czernicki died on January 17, 1993, in Webster, Massachusetts, aged 70. She was survived by husband Anthony Czernicki (May 18, 1921 – June 7, 2009).''Boston Globe'' coverage of Anthony Czernicki obituary
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Czernicki, Stasia 1922 births 1993 deaths American candlepin bowling players People from Webster, Massachusetts