🇬🇷SPORTS NEWS🇺🇸

Greek girl magic! In early March, the Montini Catholic girls won the Illinois Class 4A state championship! (L-R in photo) Coach Shannon Spanos, starting guard Lily Spanos, tournament MVP Nikki Kerstein, and assistant coach Francesca Kokkines, a former Montini star who played college ball. Shannon, a philhellene, is married to former college baseball player Greg Spanos. Kerstein, Lily Spanos, Francesca and her sister, Benedictine University player Olympia Kokkines, were headed to Detroit in mid-March to play in the annual Pan Orthodox tournament as teammates for the Chicago Papaflessas team.

Hoops as a family affair! 2025 Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year candidate Nikki Kerstein lets loose her million-dollar smile after averaging 23 points in the state tournament and leading Montini Catholic to the 3A championship. The four-time All-State selection advanced to the state Final Four in three of four prep seasons! A straight A student, she's committed to play at the University of Missouri and study broadcast journalism this Fall. Nikki had a lights-out, magical prep career: 2,000+ points, 600+ assists, 500+ rebounds, 500+ steals! Nikki's parents are former All-American H.S. football player Billy Kaulentis Kerstein (also a former Agganis basketball tourney boys H.S. division MVP), and Tasia Georganas Kerstein, a former All-Stater and state champion who starred at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Nikki's sister, Vermont University player Lexi Kerstein, will be entering her junior season this Fall. Lexi was awarded 2023 AHEPA National Player of the Year honors.

Anestis Hadjistamoulou is a basketball player at Glenbrook South High School who just

finished a historic career, averaging 17 PPG, 4 APG, 2 STL and shooting 40% from 3 this season as a senior. Hadjistamoulou’ s senior year included him being named to the CSL South All-Conference team, the Jack Tosh Holiday Classic All-Tournament team and the Ed Molitor Thanksgiving All-Tournament team.

As a junior, Anestis averaged 13 PPG, 3.2 APG, and shot 40% from 3, leading his team to a 26-7 record and a regional championship. He was also named to the CSL South All-Conference team and the Ed Molitor Thanksgiving All-Tournament team as a junior.

As a sophomore, Anestis averaged 7 PPG and 3 APG, playing a major role in the team’s 25-9 record and regional championship.

The three-year varsity starter cemented himself as one of Glenbrook South’s all-time greats by scoring 1088 career points, setting the record for most 3s in a game in GBS history with 9, being 2nd in career 3s, 3rd in career steals and 6 th in career assists.

Off the court, Hadjistamoulou attended the Hellenic American Academy until 6th grade, where he became fluent in Greek, passing Elinomathia with a B2 language proficiency. This

achievement paved the way for him to acquire Greek citizenship. Anestis visits Greece every year where he spends time with his family on the island of Samos and his dream is to play basketball in Greece one day. He has also obtained the Seal of Biliteracy in Spanish, making him trilingual. 

Hadjistamoulou continues to excel in the classroom, as he is on track to graduate with a 4.5 GPA and as a part of the National Honors Society. Anestis plans to continue his athletic and academic career at Case Western Reserve University next year.

Junior Apostolos Roumoglou is a talented 6’8  forward/guard, that transferred to the

University of Richmond from the University of Connecticut. This is his first season

playing for the Richmond Spiders following two amazing seasons helping the UConn

Huskies win two national NCAA championships. Apostolos is known as “AP” to his

teammates can shoot, is a good ball handler, strong rebounder, and has a great work

ethic. Apostolos has made an impact this season starting eight games, averaging 5.9

points and 5.4 rebounds per game so far this season. He has four double figure scoring

games and a career-high 15 points against William & Mary, shooting a perfect five for

five on his three-point field goal attempts. Apostolos Roumoglou had a knee injury in

late February that ended his season. Roumoglou is from Xanthi, Greece.

Freshman Ryan Soulis is a 6’10” forward that has seen game action with the Spiders. Soulis fits into the Spiders offense which uses their skilled big men. Soulis consistently has made an impact this season when he has been given a chance to play. He played well against Mount Olive, Bucknell, and Duquesne. Soulis plays hard on the boards as a rebounder, has a nice shooting touch, and runs the court well. Soulis will be a force next year as a player.

Soulis had a good career at Asheville High School in North Carolina averaging 12 points a game and leading his team to a 19-6 record. His team would make it to the semifinals of the NCISAA 3A State Championship. Soulis was recruited by many schools including St. John’s and decided to sign with Richmond in 2023. Soulis is from Athens, Greece.

For the 2024-25 season, Carson Lambakis helped his team, Mid-America Christian

University, to a 3rd place finish in the Sooner Athletic Conference. MACU recently qualified for the NAIA National Tournament as number 10 seed as they play in their opening game in Sioux Center, Iowa on March 14th. He was recently named a NAIA Scholar Athlete for the 2024- 2025 season . Carson says that he takes a lot of pride in his Greek Heritage. He said when he is surrounded by many of his many Greek family members, he can always feel the love and energy that resonates within the Greek culture. The older he has gotten, the more he appreciates that part of his life.

The Greek Orthodox Community of Saint George of Lynn, Massachusetts led by Father Alex

Orphanos recently celebrated the life and legacy of George Mazareas. George Mazareas a beloved member of the Saint George community passed away on June 11, 2023,after an epic courageous inspirational battle with the disease ALS. Father Alex Orphanos along with George’s wife Cynthia Mazareas and daughter Eleni unveiled the new video score board which was dedicated in memory of George “Maz” Mazareas in the Agganis gymnasium.

George Mazareas was an outstanding athlete at Milton Academy. He was the first basketball player to score 1,000 points, a record that stood for 37 years. George also was a two-time New

England high school javelin champion. Maz would play four years of basketball at Tufts

University in Boston. His basketball talent would take him to Greece where he enjoyed playing for eight years for PanEllinios G.S. as a power forward. Upon coming back from Greece, he traveled around the country playing basketball in Greek tournaments and making lifelong friends. 

George was devoted to his family and his community in Lynn. His dedication to community service, family literacy, education, would lead him being elected twice to the Lynn School Committee among his many accomplishments. 

George was a lifelong member of Saint George. He attended Greek school, was an altar boy, sang in the choir, and learned how to play basketball in the church’s Agganis Gymnasium. George would also coach the GOYA basketball program and Saint George to an Agganis Tournament Championship. May His Memory Be Eternal! 

Father Orphanos thanked the Mazareas family, Parish Council President George Kaliavas, guests, and FX Catering owned by the Mikedis family for providing the wonderful food and refreshments.

Attorney Gregory Stamos, Chairman, AHEPA Hellenic Athletic Hall of Fame joined

legendary Coach Steve Lappas at Gampel Arena at the University of Connecticut. Lappas joined CBS Sports Network in 2005 as a college basketball game analyst and studio analyst extraordinaire. He coached at Manhattan, Villanova, and UMASS in his 17-year coaching career. Coach Lappas was inducted into the AHEPA Hall of Fame in Montreal in 2011. Coach Lappas was assisted by Greg Stamos on the AHEPA All-Star Basketball team to Greece’s last tour in 2008.

Every Kuriakee ON AIR WNTN Grecian Echoes WNTN1550AM from Boston “The Athens of

America” The one and only Greek-American Sports show “THE BENCHWARMERS”

Hosted by Greek radio legend Ted Demetriades, Bill Galatis, Nick Ypsilantis, and Nick

Markopoulos.

Greek Hoop Scoop- Check it out an amazing site about all things about Greek Basketball. They cover Greek and Orthodox basketball tournaments individual players, teams, and much more. Editor Terry Poulos, is a long-time sports columnist for The Greek Star and Windy City Greek.com as well as a Greek American media journalist. Big Shout Out to Terry!

The 95th NHIBT-National Hellenic Invitational Basketball Tournament will take place in

Chicago this weekend March 28-30th, for High School and Senior Divisions.NHIBT President Dr. Peter Petrovas urged community leaders to enter a team from their community. For results go to NHIBT website.  OLI MAZH STO CHICAGO! OPA!

The 16th Annual Basketball Teddy K Classic in memory of Teddy Kariotis will be the last of

the Greek Hoop Tournaments Tour. The tournament attracts over 20 teams to Hellenic College in Brookline, Massachusetts. Director Tony Kariotis can be reached at 617-590-8051. The tournament will be held on April 30-May 4 in the “Athens of America” Boston.

The 68th Annual Harry Agganis Basketball Tournament will take place April 4-6 at Saint

George Greek Orthodox Church in Lynn Massachusetts. Contact John Meklis at 

781-526-9200 or JMEKLIS@GMAIL.COM. For more information you can contact the church office at 781-593-6162.

As promised we delivered some of our Greek American Sports athletes that reached the

milestone of 1,000 points in high school and college. How about Niki Kerstein 2,000-point high school women’s scorer. A Megalo F Harry Stowe “EFXARISTO” to everyone who has

supported all of our grass roots effort on our platforms on the web on our Sports News,

especially on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, and other Greek-American, Greek and Cypriot sites that shared our Greek-American athletes stories and accomplishments. GAS TikTok video reel this week on 17 year old  Konstantinos Karetsas becoming the youngest ever goal scorer for Hellas National Team in a 3-0 win over Scotland had 10,000 views in several days.  The response has been amazing! We have been told by community leaders that the Greek American Sports Initiative work is incredibly important to our community and is really important for our young Greek American Athletes to be featured, promoted, and finally have a voice. Thanks to all the Greek American web sites that help promote our efforts and our mission.

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Greek Idiom-Θέλω το καλό κάποιου-I want something good for him.

Greek Philosophy- Be a free thinker and don’t accept everything you hear as truth. Be critical and evaluate what you believe. Aristotle