BIG 10: Opening winter rankings

WINTER BIG 10

1.ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST GIRLS BASKETBALL The Cougars have won six of the last seven CHSAA championships and return almost the entire team from last season's title team. They are loaded with talent led by Illinois-bound Alexis Smith, Kamala Thompson, Allysia Rohlehr, Anastasia Williams, and Brianna Thomas.

2.LONG ISLAND LUTHERAN BOYS BASKETBALL L.I. Lutheran -- Achraf Yacoubou is surrounded by talent, including Bay Shore transfer Jordan Allen. The Crusaders reached the semifinal round of the state Federation tournament.

3.HALF HOLLOW HILLS WEST BOYS BASKETBALL Half Hollow Hills West is the team to beat in Suffolk's Class AA, with Tavon Sledge and Emile Blackman leading the way. The Colts earned the Long Island Class AA title last year and are expected to repeat.

4.SACHEM EAST BOYS BOWLING They won the school's first Suffolk title since 2000 last year and finished fourth in the state tournament. Jeremy Milito, who had Suffolk's third highest average as a junior, returns to the lead the Flaming Arrows.

5.LONGWOOD WRESTLING The Lions are back on top and the Union-Endicott Duals on Jan. 8 and 9 will set the pace for the rest of the dual meet season. They could meet Suffolk's Glenn in the final. Longwood is on a 45 dual meet winning streak.

6.ST. ANTHONY' S GIRLS BASKETBALL The Friars won the CHSAA Class A state championship last season, buy have eyes on making noise in Class AA this year. Most of the team returns, including Micki Impellizeri, Symone Kelly, and Rebecca Musgrove. Several talented players also transferred in.

7.GLENN WRESTLING The Knights are on a 59 dual meet winning streak, including a four-win performance at the UE Duals last year. The Suffolk champions finished top ranked in the state last year.

8.EAST ISLIP GIRLS BOWLING The Redmen dominated league play for two straight years but failed to win the county title. Last year it was a surging Middle Country club that took them out in the county championship. Could this be the magic year?

9.WARD MELVILLE GIRLS FENCING The Patriots have won nine straight Long Island championships. And No. 11 is in order in 2011! They have 128 consecutive dual meet wins.

10.WARD MELVILLE BOYS FENCING The Patriots have won four straight Long Island crowns and try to keep pace with the girls in their own district.

On the outside looking in; Hauppauge wrestling, St. Mary's boys basketball, Holy Trinity girls basketball.

BOYS BASKETBALL

1. L.I. Lutheran

2. Half Hollow Hills West

3. St. Mary's

4. Baldwin

5. Holy Trinity

6. Harborfields

7. Uniondale

8. Amityville

9. St. Anthony's

10. Floyd

WRESTLING DUAL MEET

1-Longwood

2-Glenn

3-Hauppauge

4-Long Beach

5-MacArthur

6-Brentwood

7-St. Anthony's

8-Connetquot

9-Massapequa

10-Wantagh

WRESTLING TOURNAMENT

1-Longwood

2-Long Beach

3-Glenn

4-MacArthur

5-Hauppauge

6-St. Anthony's

7-Huntington

8-Connetquot

9-Wantagh

10- Brentwood

BOYS FENCING

1. Ward Melville

2. Great Neck South

3. Commack

4. Oyster Bay

5. Centereach

GIRLS FENCING

1. Ward Melville

2. Garden City

3. Huntington

4. Oyster Bay

5. Commack

GIRLS BASKETBALL

1. St. John the Baptist

2. St. Anthony's

3. Holy Trinity

4. Northport

5. Long Island Lutheran

6. Whitman

7. Sachem East

8. Sacred Heart

9. Baldwin

10. North Babylon

BOYS BOWLING

1. Sachem East

2. East Islip

3. Middle Country

4. Smithtown

5. Sewanhaka District

GIRLS BOWLING

1. East Islip

2. Middle Country

3. Division

4. Sewanhaka District

5. Longwood