Sports

High School

Gene Morris

Confidence is key for Ryan Wong. 
The Great Neck South junior fencer has gained more and more of it as the season has moved along. 
He took home first place in saber at the prestigious Brentwood Holiday tournament on Dec. 18 and stands at 18-0 overall on the season, the only undefeated saber fencer in Nassau, according to his coach Josh Baravarian. 
"Winning the Brentwood tournament is a huge honor in high school fencing," Baravarian said. "It really cements you as a top fencer on Long Island." 
Wong continued his run last week against Syosset, winning all three of his bouts in a rematch of last year’s Nassau team championship to earn Newsday’s Athlete of the Week honors. 
"A lot of the bouts are won based on confidence and how much you want to win," Wong said. "You really need to be mentally prepared and every touch you have to be focused and always have a plan." 
Even though Syosset won 14-13, Wong doesn’t see it as a setback as much as a motivator for the team to get back to the final. Last season Syosset also won the regular-season matchup between the teams before Great Neck South won the Nassau title in a thrilling 14-12 comeback, keyed in the late stages by a Wong win. 
"We definitely are hungrier to win now and we have one main goal," Wong said. "I think as a team we are still pretty confident we’ll be able to reach our goal but we just have to keep working hard." 
Wong has definitely been putting in the work, spending time practicing at Manhattan Fencing Center, where he’s been training since he was in eighth grade, and performing on the national level. He finished top-16 in the cadet division at the North American Cup event in Columbus, Ohio, in December. 
"He puts in a tremendous amount of time fencing," Baravarian said. "He’s extremely technical and he has a knack for understanding his opponent and to break things down and find openings to score points." 
As a captain this season Wong has stepped into a leadership role for Great Neck South and has taken it upon himself to help his younger teammates improve. 
"I have to help them plan and know what to do in each situation and I can’t just think about myself," Wong said. 
And when he steps out into the spotlight Wong will certainly be confident that he’ll be able to work his way through any situation. 
"Working with my club and fencing in the outside situations has given me the confidence," he said. "I know how to stay calm and think under pressure."

News

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Athlete of the Week is Great Neck South fencer Ryan Wong

Athlete of the Week is Great Neck South's Wong

Ryan Wong

Northport senior Nick Watts couldn’t miss. After one shot he felt good, after two he felt confident, after the third he knew he was hot. Finally, after making his fourth consecutive three-pointer in under two minutes he was on the verge of doing something special. 
Watts easily put forth the greatest performance of his high school career Monday night, knocking down 10 three-pointers in the first quarter, to amass 30 points after the initial period. He finished the game with 42 points, hitting 12 three-pointers, completely shattering the previous record of made threes (nine) in just one quarter. The performance came during a Suffolk League II win, 70-42, over Connetquot to remain unbeaten in the league. The Tigers are 5-0. 
"I have never seen or coached a kid in the zone like that. He was completely in the zone and it was a result of all the offseason hours in the gym," Northport coach Andrew D’Eloia said. 
Watts got so hot that his coach didn’t want to pull him from the game, so he played the entire first quarter. His teammates recognized what was happening, so they kept feeding him the ball. Watts put forward this scintillating shooting performance on the road and inspired the home Connetquot crowd — who seemed to appreciate something special right before their eyes. It even had the home crowd applauding. 
"Honestly it felt like a home game after a while because I think the crowd wanted to see me succeed a little bit," Watts said. 
Watts credits a lot of his performance to the way he was being played defensively. 
"In the beginning of the game they didn’t see me as much of a threat from the three-point line because they were guarding me a little far away, so I used my length and just shot over them," Watts said. "Then they started to guard up but then I was a little too hot I’d say." 
Hot was an understatement, as Watts would go on to give a historic performance doubling his career high of 21 points, where he only connected on three three-pointers in that contest. 
Watts contributed on all areas of the floor, also grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking seven shots to go along with his 42 points — in just 16 minutes of play. 
"The greatest thing about Nick is that he is the ultimate team player, he is a captain, a leader … and it’s special for a high school athlete to not make something like this about themselves. He’s all about the team," D’Eloia said.

Boys Basketball

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Athlete of the Week is Northport basketball player Nick Watts

Athlete of the Week is Watts of Northport basketball

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Before Kylie Kuhn was excelling on the hardwood and lacrosse field, she was executing cartwheels, handstands and rolls on a gymnastics mat. 
But once her brother began playing basketball, Kuhn wanted to do the same. 
"It’s definitely a big transition between gymnastics and basketball," Kuhn said. "There are not many things similar." 
But her athletic prowess quickly shined. Kuhn started playing basketball in sixth grade and made the varsity team as an eighth-grader. And Thursday night, she set the Deer Park girls basketball all-time scoring record with 1,231 points to be named Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
She knew entering the game she was close to the mark and after making a layup in the fourth quarter for her 29th and final point in a 56-30 victory over Comsewogue, coach Mike Gennaro called a timeout and her teammates celebrated as Kuhn walked off the court. 
"It means so much to me," Kuhn said. "It proves all my hard work is starting to pay off and it was just such an amazing feeling. That made me realize how special of a moment it was." 
Kuhn surpassed Andrea Desvignes, who graduated in 2012 with 1,229 points. 
The 5-6 senior guard said she never could have imagined setting the program’s scoring record when made the varsity team in the eighth grade. But although Gennaro knew Kuhn was relativity new to the sport, he knew she had superior athleticism. 
"She’s just an incredible athlete," Gennaro said. "I wouldn’t even say she’s an incredible basketball player, she’s just an incredible athlete playing basketball." 
Gennaro has nicknamed Kuhn "Special K" for her abilities as a three-sport athlete (she also runs cross country), along with a bevy of extra circulator activities and ranking near the top of her grade in GPA. 
"Her athletic ability is off the chart," he said. "There’s a lot she still doesn’t know about basketball and we are talking about a girl with 1,200 and possibly 1,500 points." 
Kuhn, who is committed to play lacrosse at Siena College, reached this milestone even with only playing eight games as a junior in a shortened season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She wasn’t sure if the missed time would affect her ability to set the record but it’s also made her appreciate every contest more. 
"Before every game starts, I tell myself, ‘This could be the last game I ever play’ because you never know with COVID," Kuhn said. "Anything can happen at any given moment so I have to make sure I give it everything I have." 
She is averaging 26.2 points per game through 12 contests, including scoring at least 30 points in five games. She has recorded a triple-double with points, rebounds and steals in each of Deer Park’s last two games as her defense separates her from other top players on Long Island. 
"Teams employ a lot of defenses on me to try to take her out of the game," Gennaro said. "But what they don’t realize is she doesn’t really score a lot of her points on offense. She scores a lot of them on defense."

Girls Basketball

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Athlete of the Week is Deer Park's Kylie Kuhn

Athlete of the Week is Deer Park's Kuhn

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If you talk to those around Mikayla Danon, a word you will routinely hear is "special." 
"She’s the ultimate team player and a special individual," Oceanside advisor Frank Luisi said. "Danon is a leader, going 100 miles per hour the entire game when she’s on the field." 
Danon, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, is a two-sport athlete who plays on Oceanside’s varsity soccer and lacrosse teams. When she isn’t on the field, she is laser focused on her schoolwork, compiling a 98.6 GPA. 
"One day I may not be playing sports, but my education is always going to stick with me," Danon said. "I’m very organized, I make sure to tackle my work before practice or before a game." 
Danon’s leadership led her to be named captain of the lacrosse team. She was chosen as a Nassau scholar athlete and voted as a County all-conference defender. 
"She can be elite, she has unlimited potential," Oceanside lacrosse coach Ralph Montera said. "She’s a special talent, she’s got a motor, the frame, and a desire, those are things that you can’t teach." 
The senior defender led Oceanside with 60 ground balls in the pandemic shortened season. She also plays lacrosse outside of school on the club team ICON. She attributes her prowess defensively to coaching. 
"It definitely started with my coaches, they always had a lot of faith in me," Danon said. "They always pushed me and taught me defensive drills that I could practice on my own, that has helped me get to where I am right now." 
Danon has also just completed her third year on Oceanside’s soccer team, where she is an outside midfielder. Her proficiency in lacrosse has certainly lent itself to her skills on the soccer field. 
"Lacrosse and soccer are so similar, especially in the positions she plays," Sailors soccer coach Marianna Winchester said. "I can see that the agility and quickness are always there." 
Her final season on the soccer field didn’t come without its challenges. She started her first two years and had to adjust to a bench role in year three. The "determination" she always displays once again shined bright. 
"It was difficult for me, but I was determined to make sure everyone did their best," Danon said. "No matter what stands in my way, I’m always determined to achieve the goals I set for myself."

Girls Soccer

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Oceanside's Mikayla Danon

Athlete of the Week is Oceanside's Danon

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Emily Riggins of St. Anthony’s girls soccer is a "fighter." 
That was the word she used to describe herself. 
Whether it’s off the field, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA, or on the field, where she has won three league titles, she does everything in her power to get to the top. 
"Throughout all of it I’ve just been grinding and just trying to be the best version of myself," Riggins said. "Trying to help everyone else and just stay hardworking." 
The senior midfielder was named CHSAAA Player of the Year after a 10-goal and seven-assist season, leading the Friars (18-0) to an undefeated record. 
Riggins, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, been an integral part of a 33-game winning streak for the Friars, spanning the past three seasons. St. Anthony’s has won three league titles since Riggins joined the program, including one this season. They won the state championship in her sophomore year and will have an opportunity to do so again this season after the pandemic prevented them from having that opportunity a season ago. 
"Every single game she always comes to win," St. Anthony’s coach Sue Alber said. "That competitive feistiness, that’s Riggins. She just has so much heart and passion for the game." 
Riggins has a busy schedule as her commitments extend past St. Anthony’s. She also plays for SUSA Academy, a club team. When she steps off the field she enjoys creating art in her spare time, dedicating a corner in her basement to drawing, which helps her "relax." 
"I’ve been doing this probably since seventh grade, so I kind of grew up into it," Riggins said. "I like the chaos of it, I think I do better in school and soccer when I have more stuff to do." 
She will officially move on from the black and gold of St. Anthony’s into red and white as she joins the St. John’s Red Storm soccer team in the fall of 2022. She is leaning toward majoring in business or finance. 
Riggins has enjoyed a ton of success in her soccer career to this point, but she hopes when people see her in the future, they think of more than just her ability to put the ball in the net. 
"Hard-working, a leader," she said. "I hope they see someone who led others in the right direction."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is St. Anthony's Emily Riggins

Athlete of the Week is St. Anthony's Riggins

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Whenever the Sayville girls volleyball team is in action, most eyes go right to Morgan Reese and for good reason. 
The 6-1 outside hitter demands attention with her athleticism as well as her power striking a volleyball. 
But the sophomore remembers a time when hitting a ball wasn’t so easy as a fourth grader for the St. Lawrence (Sayville) CYO team. 
"I pretty much served underhand in fourth grade," said Reese with a chuckle. "I finally could overhand serve in fifth grade and took off from there." 
Indeed. Reese, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, is one of the top players on Long Island, and she still has two more varsity seasons remaining. 
She has helped top-seeded and League IV champ Sayville advance to the Suffolk Class A final. The Golden Flashes meet No. 2 Kings Park at Hauppauge Friday at 5 p.m. 
Reese has 426 kills, 179 digs, 80 aces and 13 blocks this season according to statistics from coach Debra Urso. 
The 14-year-old had 25 kills and nine digs in a first-round win against Eastport-South Manor on Wednesday. She added 28 kills and nine digs in a victory on Friday against East Islip in a semifinal match. 
"Morgan is one of the most dynamic players in the gym," Urso said, "and she is humble enough to understand that she can’t do any of that without the rest of her team." 
Reese, who also plays for Academy Volleyball, has a great team at home, too. Both of her parents played collegiate sports at Quinnipiac University. Her mother, Suzanne, was a cross country runner, and her father, Gavin, played basketball. 
One of the favorite things that Urso experiences with Reese is when opposing fans ask where Reese is going to college next year. 
"I smile and say, 'We have her for two more years,’ " Urso said. "She plays like she’s a senior." 
Reese added: "People are usually shocked that I’m so young." 
So, where will Reese play volleyball at the next level? 
"One never knows where she will end up, but her drive and dedication to the sport of volleyball can take her very far," Urso said. "She will end up right where she belongs playing her highest level of volleyball." 
Reese, who has a 3.8 GPA, plans on studying human biology wherever she goes to college, and "wants to play professional volleyball or coach a college team." 
"I have really high goals so I don’t mind working super hard," she continued. "If I work hard, all teammates will, too, and that will make us a better team. . . . I just love being in the gym, working hard and giving it my all."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Morgan Reese of Sayville girls volleyball

Newsday Athlete of the Week is Morgan Reese of Sayville

Garden City’s Brendan Staub was bound and determined to play football. 
Even when his mom, Jennifer, and dad, Craig — a former defensive tackle at William &amp; Mary (1989-93) — shot down his requests for the gridiron, Brendan Staub knew he would find a way. But how? 
Ready for this? Soccer. 
"I was probably the most physical goalie in youth soccer," said Staub, with a laugh. "I was playing in a tournament in fourth or fifth grade, and there was a kid on a breakaway. I put my shoulder into him in what is not a soccer play. It showed why I needed to be on a football field." 
His parents finally allowed him to play football for Garden City Middle School in seventh grade. Staub, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, has never looked back. 
The two-way player and captain is one of the team's leaders on and off the field. Garden City (6-0) hosts MacArthur (6-0) in a key Nassau Conference II game at 2 p.m. Saturday. 
"He’s the top of the top," coach Dave Ettinger said. "He’s a once in a lifetime person and player." 
However, Staub recalls one of his first varsity games as a sophomore when he was the starting nose tackle. 
"The other team’s [offensive] tackle just man-handles me on the first play. He put me on the ground," he said. "That year, I went against a lot of big guys, and I learned how to play smarter and get back up." 
These days, Staub is usually the one delivering the poundings. After playing as a two-way lineman as a junior, Staub has shifted to defensive end/linebacker this season and is the left tackle on offense. 
He is also an outstanding defenseman for the lacrosse team and will be attending Cornell next year. Staub has a 101.5 weighted average and scored a 36 (99th percentile) on the ACT. 
"He’s just everything you want in a high school football player," Ettinger said. "Brendan is hard-working, competitive, tough, and smart . . . He has it all." 
Well, almost everything. 
Garden City won a Nassau II title last spring against MacArthur, but there was no Long Island championship because of COVID-19. Garden City lost to Lindenhurst by a point in the LIC when Staub was a sophomore. 
"I think it would be super special to win an LIC," he said. "It would be a great way to close the book, and finish on our final season with a title." 
Regardless of the outcome, Staub is thankful his parents finally let him trade in his goalie gloves for a pair of lineman gloves. 
"I realize how lucky I am to come through a place like Garden City," he said. "The ethos of the Garden City program is 'next man in line'. You come into a program that’s been around a long time. 
"We are each just a cog in the Garden City machine. It was here long before me and will still be here long after I’m gone. But you have to do your part to help out in the time that you have here."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Garden City's Brendan Staub

Athlete of the Week is Garden City's Staub

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Don’t be around Nicolina Giannola making excuses. She doesn’t have time for that. 
In fact, she’s a role model for fellow student-athletes -- and all people, really -- with her incredible time-management skills. She’s also a darn good tennis player. 
The St. Anthony’s junior won the CHSAA singles state qualifier on Monday with victories in three matches, and will represent the CHSAA at the state girls tennis individual championship in Schenectady on Oct. 28-30. 
"I’m really excited," said Giannola, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "I really just want to put my best foot forward on behalf of [the CHSAA], and do the best that I can." 
Giannola went 8-1 this season at first singles for St. Anthony’s, and helped the Friars advance to CHSAA team semifinals on Thursday. She won her match at first singles after dropping the first two games, 6-2, 6-0, but St. Anthony’s lost to Sacred Heart Academy. 
"I had been playing on clay a lot before this, and it was more about adjusting to the [hard] surface," she said. "I just calmed down and started adding a lot more topspin to my shots and everything was flowing after that." 
A typical day for Giannola starts with a 5:30 a.m. alarm. She takes a 6:45 train from Port Jefferson to Huntington and gets to St. Anthony’s for a school day that runs from 8:20 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. 
After either a Friars tennis practice or match, she has a two-hour practice, three nights a week at SPORTIME in either Kings Park or Syosset and usually gets home close to 10 p.m. 
She also has private lessons on Sunday, and estimates she plays and/or practices tennis 8-to-10 hours a week while maintaining a 100.53 weighted average. 
"Most of the time I do homework in the car, or on the train in the morning," said Giannola, who transferred to St. Anthony’s before her sophomore year. "It’s all about time management." 
Curtis McCalla has coached the Friars boys program since 2017, and is in his first season as the girls coach. 
"I heard about Gianna before our first practice, and after getting to meet her and watch how she approaches the game, she’s so professional," he said. "Everything about her -- the rituals and little things she does -- really separates her from other players. She’s on a whole other level." 
Giannola, who recently turned 16, is interested in studying business and one day being involved in real estate. But she also hopes to play the sport -- she started as a 6-year-old -- at the collegiate level. 
"Tennis has given me so many opportunities and really has shaped me as a person," said Giannola, who credits instructor, Ken Feuer, with her improved play the last few years. "I think it’s taught me to be more confident, a lot more independent and to just trust myself." 
No excuses there.

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Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Nicolina Giannola of St. Anthony's girls tennis

Athlete of the Week is Nicolina Giannola of St. Anthony's tennis

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It doesn’t matter if it’s field hockey, basketball, or academics — Northport’s Sophia Bica is one ambitious individual. 
"I put everything I have into everything I do," said Bica, the middle of five children who has a weighted average of 106. "I have high goals like my older siblings. I’m competitive." 
It seems the bigger the occasion, the better Bica performs. The senior has scored in every game for first-place Northport (12-0, 11-0 Suffolk Division I) so far this season. 
Bica, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, enters the weekend tied for third in Suffolk in scoring (25 points) and leads Long Island with 14 assists. 
She had four assists in a 7-2 win against second-place Sachem East on Sept. 28, and one of the Tigers’ goals in a 2-1 victory on Monday against rival Ward Melville. 
"They are two of our top opponents, and she rises to the occasion," Tigers coach Gina Walling said. "She lives for those moments as do the kids around her. They’ve been waiting for this all season." 
Northport won the school’s first Suffolk and Long Island titles in field hockey during the truncated spring season. 
But Bica and fellow captains Hailey Roethel and Angelina Longo came up with a motivational T-shirt for the team's warmups this season; on the back it reads: #notdoneyet. 
"That’s referencing the fact that we have 10 of 11 starters back and our team is basically the same," said Bica, who had 15 goals and 11 assists as a junior. "We felt like we were robbed [this spring] of seeing what we could do upstate. 
"We know if we repeat as Long Island champs we’d be going upstate [to the state semifinals] for the first time ever. It’s definitely in the back of our heads, but we are really taking things one game at a time." 
Bica — a fifth-year varsity player — is a center midfielder in field hockey and point guard for the basketball team, which won the Suffolk overall title in 2020. 
The 16-year-old (who doesn’t turn 17 until December) sees a connection between her two positions. 
"They might look completely different, but they are more similar than one would think," said Bica, who hopes to play both sports in college and one day become a physician assistant. "The CMF (center midfielder) connects every position in field hockey, and the point guard controls the offense in basketball. Playing the two positions helps me in both sports." 
Bica has come a long way from being a young eighth grader on the varsity. 
"I was a little hesitant, at first, playing varsity at [the age of] 12," she said. "I was just a small kid, but right away things clicked. 
"My teammates and coaches helped me every year. Now, this is my last year, and I’m just trying to enjoy it. I’ve put in all the work, and now it’s about having fun with the girls and making the most of this last opportunity."

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Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Sophia Bica of Northport field hockey

Athlete of the Week is Bica of Northport field hockey

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Mepham quarterback Nick Honerkamp has been waiting to show people what he can do on a varsity football field since he was a youngster. 
Honerkamp, who made his first varsity start for Mepham in a 28-7 loss against Sewanhaka on April 17, knew he would need three games of film to send to college coaches. 
Well, the 6-foot, 175-pounder certainly put an exclamation point on that film last week. 
Honerkamp rushed for five touchdowns and threw for two more as the Pirates defeated Glen Cove, 63-30, in a Week 3 game on Sept. 25. He had 135 yards rushing on 11 carries, and was 6 of 9 passing for 151 yards in the first half alone. 
"I’ve been playing football my whole life," said Honerkamp, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "It’s never been about seeing how many touchdowns I can score. 
"The offensive line played great. I don’t think I was pressured one time, and my receivers blocked for me and caught the ball well." 
Mepham coach Anthony Cracco has some great memories from the game, but one stood out in particular. 
Honerkamp, who transferred to Mepham from St. Anthony’s in March of 2020, had thrown a beautiful touchdown pass early in the game that was called back because of a Mepham penalty. 
But on the very next play Honerkamp took advantage of some key blocks and scored on a 40-yard run. 
"He hits the open field and makes a couple guys miss, then runs by a few [defenders] and he makes it look easy, but it wasn’t for sure," Cracco said. "It was a wow moment." 
Honerkamp has had a bunch of wow moments in his first three games for Mepham, which hosted MacArthur on Saturday. (Both teams were tied at 3-0 with Garden City atop the Nassau Conference II standings after Week 3. But Mepham lost Saturday, 47-21.) 
The Bellmore product entered Week 4 with 359 yards rushing on 30 carries with nine touchdowns, and is 14 of 22 passing for 381 yards and four touchdowns and two interceptions in the Pirates’ multiple spread offense that averaged 49.3 points per game in their first three contests. 
"Nick has shown a tremendous amount of growth from the spring until now," Cracco said. "He has a lot of positive attributes. 
"He’s really coachable, and he’s gotten better and better. Did I think he would score seven touchdowns in a half? Not in my wildest dreams." 
The Pirates and Honerkamp still have the second half of the regular season remaining, as well as dreams of their own. 
"I’d like to go anywhere I could to play football in college," Honerkamp said. "But, honestly, I want to go deep into the playoffs — go as far as we can — and win it all. That’s what I’m focusing on right now." 
All while putting on a show.

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Mepham QB Nick Honerkamp

Athlete of the Week is Mepham QB Honerkamp

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Gianna Amendola’s love of soccer goes back to when she was 4 years old. She played in a local soccer league at St. Anthony of Padua in Rocky Point. 
"Ever since then," she said, "I loved kicking a ball around and scoring goals." 
Amendola, a fifth-year varsity player, hasn’t stopped since. The Rocky Point senior forward leads Long Island in goals (18) and points (21) after Saturday’s games. She had three goals and an assist in a 7-0 win over Harborfields on Friday. 
"It’s crazy, it’s already my fifth year," said Amendola, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "I can’t believe how much I’ve accomplished and how much I wanted to keep doing until it’s over." 
Rocky Point (8-0 overall, 6-0 in Suffolk Division II) held the top spot in its league going into Friday’s contests. Amendola has scored at least a goal or an assist in every Eagles’ game so far this season. 
"She’s a beast and as tenacious as they come," Rocky Point coach Peter Costa said. "She’s relentless. Not everyone has the ability for scoring goals, but she just has a knack." 
Costa also has a knack for making tough decisions. The seventh-year coach decided to have Amendola, Megan Loeser, Lindsey Lucia and Victoria Curreri play on the varsity as eighth graders. 
"Early on, I would get frustrated against bigger and stronger girls on other teams," Amendola said, "but I knew I was good and I had to keep going." 
She would lead her team in points as an eighth grader (eight goals and two assists) and has been the Eagles’ points leader every season since. 
Interestingly, the one person Amendola struggled to hit the back of the net against was her own father, Greg, a former goalkeeper at Miller Place. 
"He was tough on me," said the 5-3 Amendola, who also wrestles for Rocky Point. "I couldn’t score against him. I’m very competitive and I was like, 'I have to beat him.’ " 
That moment finally came for her when she was 12 years old. 
"He said, ‘You have a special talent and you’re beating me up,’ " she recalled. 
Amendola isn’t through just yet. She has bigger aspirations including an Eagles’ postseason run and hopefully playing soccer in college. Also, she could wind up as Rocky Point’s all-time scoring leader in soccer. 
"It would just mean that I put in a lot of work," she said, "and I did something big in my community."

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Athlete of the Week is Rocky Point's Gianna Amendola

Athlete of the Week is Rocky Point's Amendola

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No one can ever say Ben Avakook took the easy path when it comes to soccer. 
Great Neck North coach Anton Berzins planned on giving his team one fitness test during its four-day tryouts before this season. Avakook requested he and his teammates do more. 
"He asked me if we could do [a different fitness test] each day," Berzins recalled. "He said when we’re physically drained we become mentally tougher." 
Avakook remembered his team’s playoff run last season that led them to a double-overtime tie at 2 in the Nassau Class A final with Garden City. Both teams were named co-champions. 
"Our theme this season is to defend our title: back-to-back," Avakook said. "I don’t care about individual awards. I just want to bring our team to a higher level and help us reach our goal." 
The senior striker registered a pair of hat tricks (6 goals total) in the Blazers’ first two non-league games. He has six goals and two assists in four games this season (2-2 overall). (He had six goals and five assists last spring.) 
"It wasn’t just one person, it was also about my team," said Avakook, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "It was a whole team effort." 
But it was Avakook’s efforts both on and off the field that made the summer such a productive offseason for North. 
"I called him Ben Uber XL," Berzins cracked. "Four days a week for almost three months the kids worked out from 6:30 to 8 a.m., and Ben would wake up at 5:45 a.m. to pick up four or five kids, and not just seniors. 
"He understood the idea of the legacy of growing the program and its next generation." 
The 6-3 Avakook has a unique perspective about North’s soccer program. He moved with his family from Israel just before the start of fifth grade. 
"I started playing soccer back in Israel," he said. "When I was 4, my grandfather showed me how to play and started my love of the game. 
"We had some family here, but it was very hard at first . . . I didn’t know much English, but I quickly grew to love the people here and especially the guys on the soccer team." 
Berzins said Avakook made 120 of North’s 125 training sessions this offseason. 
"He told me to break the team," Berzins said. "He told me to make them cry, so that they would be ready for the season, like we were in the spring during our playoff run." 
The usual powers in Nassau A are programs such as Garden City, Jericho, MacArthur and Mepham. Thanks to players like Avakook, Great Neck North is hoping to crack into Nassau’s top five. 
"We always feel like we’re the underdog every game," he said. "This is our revenge tour. We aren’t satisfied with our tie [for the Nassau A crown]. We want to try and go further." 
No easy path there.

Boys Soccer

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Athlete of the Week is Great Neck North's Ben Avakook

Athlete of the Week is GNN's Avakook

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Before heading to the next level, Newfield’s Dylan Johnson added a new pitch to his repertoire — one that is already working to perfection. Previously a fastball-breaking ball, bread-and-butter type, Johnson added a sinker this season with startlingly good results. 
The St. John’s commit is 6-0 with three saves, 61 strikeouts, 16 hits allowed, eight walks, and a Jacob deGrom-esque 0.76 ERA. 
He threw a complete game shutout on 84 pitches in Newfield’s 4-1 win over Eastport–South Manor on Wednesday in the Suffolk III semifinals, leading the Wolverines to their first county championship game in school history. They won the Suffolk Conference III title game on Friday, 2-0, over West Islip, with Kendall Kendrick pitching a one-hitter. 
Yes, Johnson was good before, but that sinker has made him much better. 
"I’m just getting more swings and misses and groundouts with that pitch and it’s helping me keep my pitch count down a lot this year," the righthander said. "In years past, one of the problems I had was [I threw] a lot of pitches in every game, but now once I got that sinker, I’ve been more efficient." 
Johnson’s excellence helped guide Newfield to a Suffolk Conference III regular-season championship, as well, clinched after a 4-1 win over West Islip on June 7, a game that Johnson started and finished. It was Newfield’s first league title since 2005, coach Eric Joyner said. 
"I started off struggling a little bit," Johnson said of the regular-season championship-clinching start. "The breaking ball wasn't there, but I trusted my teammates. We scratched a couple of runs across. Once I found the breaking ball, it was smooth sailing after that." 
Johnson said that he began throwing the new pitch with his travel team last summer. His confidence in it was almost immediate. 
"It sinks a lot very late," he said. "So when it crosses the plate, it's really just starting to break." 
Johnson, a nephew of former Comsewogue star and 1981 Yastrzemski Award winner Raf Cepeda, throws in the mid-to-high 80s and does it consistently, something that has steadily improved throughout his high school years. 
"With him getting stronger, his velocity sustains for seven innings now," Joyner said. "I think it's just the experience, he’s a four-year varsity guy. He's always had a penchant for pitching the big game. The lights have never been too bright for this kid." 
While the sinker has fooled more than its fair share of opposing hitters, the favors have not been returned by opposing pitchers. Johnson has racked up the strikeouts on the mound, while being quite stingy with them in the box. Entering Friday's game, he had struck out only three times this spring, hitting .484 with 17 RBIs, one home run and 13 runs. 
It’s not that Johnson is looking for walks, or is incredibly disciplined at the plate; he likes to swing the bat. No, it’s more that he knows what he’s watching when he looks 60 feet, 6 inches away. 
"I just think it helps being a pitcher first, and then a hitter, just recognizing the count, anticipating what pitch is coming and reading it out of the pitcher’s hand," Johnson said. "I try to think, ‘If I was on the mound, what would I throw here?’ That's really helped me at the plate, because let’s say I’m 0-2, I'm going to be expecting a breaking ball, and then I'll get it. It’s easy for me to pick up and lay off if it's in the dirt or, if it's hanging, to swing."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week: Newfield pitcher Dylan Johnson

Newsday Athlete of the Week: Newfield's Dylan Johnson

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Gregg Sarra

If Josh Knoth could pitch every game for Patchogue-Medford – he’d be more than willing. So goes the mindset of a young sophomore, who has dominated varsity competition in the spring of 2021. 
 "I’ve coached him since he’s eight years old and watched him develop through the years," Patchogue-Medford coach Tony Frascogna said. "He is a ‘give me the ball kind of kid’ – every day. We have to protect him from himself. He’s a throwback pitcher, who never complains about little injuries, and wants to pitch every day." 
 Knoth has played a role in six of the Raiders 12 victories this season. He competed in Suffolk’s most competitive League I against some of Long Island’s top pitching prospects and more than held his own. 
 In fact, he has emerged as the top prospect in the Class of 2023. 
 Knoth, a 6-foot, 175-pound righthander, has struck out 65 batters in 36 and two-thirds innings and walked only six. He has a 4-1 record with one save and an ERA of 1.71. 
 He is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week after earning a save and a win in a two-day span over Floyd and Brentwood. 
 Knoth came on in relief and recorded three outs, including two by strikeout to save a wild 13-11 win over Floyd. The next day he fired a two-hitter with 13 strikeouts in six innings in a 12-1 win over Brentwood. 
 His signature performance came against Sachem East on May 18. He went eight innings and struck out 16. He exited with the game scoreless. Patchogue-Medford (12-6) went on to win 1-0 in nine innings. 
 "His mound presence has really evolved," Frascogna said. "He rolls with everything and he’s an even keeled kid. He gets stronger as the game goes on and that can be directly attributed to his work in the weight room." 
 Knoth has verbally committed to play for the College of Charleston. He punctuated last week’s work with a 10-strikeout outing in a 17-5 win over Ward Melville. 
 "He has great composure, throws very hard and has the best off-speed stuff around," Frascogna said. "He’s a real good one."

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Patchogue-Medford's Josh Knoth named Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Pat-Med's Josh Knoth named Newsday's Athlete of the Week

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The number didn’t lie, and neither does Lacey Downey’s shot. It’s hard, it’s fast, it’s lethal. 
And, boy, is it fast. 
"We brought a radar gun the other day and she clocked at 78 miles per hour as a 10th grader," West Babylon girls lacrosse coach Colleen Kilgus said. "Her shot is unbelievable." 
Kilgus continued: "She has a shot like [Babylon native] Emma Ward [of Syracuse] and we all saw Emma Ward in the [NCAA] championship game. That’s the type of shot she has, as a 10th grader." 
Downey, a West Babylon sophomore, has taken a step forward this season that’s almost as demonstrative as her shot — elevating herself from a self-proclaimed role player as an eighth grader to one of the best players on Long Island in just two years — one of which had a season canceled by a global pandemic. 
Downey led Suffolk in both goals and assists (59 and 47, respectively), according to statistics reported to Newsday. She had 106 points, nearly 30 more than the rest of the county. 
For her efforts, and her dominance, Downey is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
Downey credits her high school and club coaches with her turnaround, specifically with refining her approach within the eight -meter arc. 
"When you're inside the eight-meter, you have to have your stick close to your body, so it's not in checking ability from the defenders, which allows you to get a goal easier," Downey said. "If you get your hands off your body, then they'll check your stick and [cause] a turnover." 
Within the eight-meter is hardly the only place where Downey is dangerous. 
"Two games ago, she shot from the 12," Kilgus said "Every single coach out there tells all their defenders, ‘don’t worry, leave them alone at the 12, they’re not going to shoot.’ Well, Lacey does." 
This season has been full of pleasant surprises for Downey. First, her own success. It was something she didn’t necessarily see coming — even though she worked tirelessly on her game while organized play was shut down by the pandemic. 
"I didn't think I would be this much of an impact player," she said. 
Second, her team’s success. Downey said everything was on the table as the new season dawned. The lineup wasn’t set in stone. The win-loss expectations? No one really knew. 
"We didn't even know if we were going to be good this year because we lost three of our best players — my sister Kayla, and Hannah Heller and Emily Heller," Downey said. "They were our whole team in [2019]. I had a role on that team, but I didn't do that much. I just thought it was just going be a fun season, but it really surprised me how good we've gotten and how far we're going to go." 
West Babylon finished the season 11-4 and won seven of their last eight games. 
With the playoffs beginning this week, those unknown expectations of early April have turned into rather lofty ones in mid-June. 
"I really think we can make it to the counties and even win that," Downey said. "We now have expectations to make it to the county final because of how good a season we’ve had and how good we are doing. We should make it to the counties."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is West Babylon's Lacey Downey

Athlete of the Week is West Babylon's Downey

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Claire Galante has a short memory, a necessity on the golf course. 
It may be cliché, but it’s true. Galante, who golfs for Kellenberg, knows that a good round isn’t cinched in a shot. A good drive doesn’t guarantee continued success and a bad chip doesn’t spell doom. So, when some nerves snuck into her bag on the first tee of her CHSAA League championship round Thursday on Eisenhower Blue, she didn’t panic. 
"If you [hit] a good shot or a bad shot, you either celebrate for 30 seconds or you dwell on it for 30 seconds, and then you forget," she said. "Golf is a shot by shot game. One shot does not define your entire round." 
Galante put enough good shots together to shoot an even-par 36 on nine holes of Eisenhower Blue, posting the low score of the day and helping Kellenberg win the team championship over St. Anthony’s, 3-2, and complete a 12-0 season. In the semifinals on Wednesday, Galante shot a two-under 34 on the same course, the first time she’s shot under par, she said. 
Galante is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
In the championship round, Galante landed her opening shot in the rough on the par-5 first hole. She hit her second shot fat, and then her third over the green. But, Galante went up-and-down for par and had saved herself from a potential early blow up. 
"It really helped," Galante said of the save. "Just knowing you could have two bad shots and still par a hole, it really gets you in the right mindset, because anything could happen in golf." 
Galante started to get into a grove when she birdied the par-4 fifth. 
"I out-drove the green and made up and down," she said. "I chipped it and then one- putted it." 
Galante has been playing this season with TaylorMade bladed P770 and P790s, which she received in March as an 18th birthday present. She said the clubs are significant upgrades from the TaylorMade M6’s that she was playing with. 
"My consistency has grown tremendously," Galante said. "When I miss it, it's not as much of a miss as my old clubs. So, my range has narrowed down." 
Galante said she spent most of the offseason and COVID shutdown on the range and at the practice green, perfecting her short game and becoming a generally more well-rounded golfer. The work has done wonders for her score. 
"Honestly, I didn't change anything, I just practiced," she said. "I never really understood short game. I would always just go on the range and smash my irons and be like ‘alright cool, why am I not good at golf?’ But I really understand the importance of practicing the short game and developing a feel for it." 
With a team championship in the bag, Galante now turns her attention to the CHSAA Individual championships on Tuesday at Eisenhower White — an 18-hole day. Until then, she’ll keep trying to make every shot count, without dwelling on them too much. 
"I'm going to be playing 18 holes at Nassau Country Club every day until [Tuesday]," she said.

High School Golf

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Newsday Athlete of the week is Kellenberg golfer Claire Galante

Athlete of the week is Kellenberg golfer Galante

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On one of the first truly warm days of 2021, Alex Hastings was extra careful not to tire herself out. Instead, she chose to deal that fate to opposing hitters. Hastings, a pitcher on the Long Beach softball team, threw a one-hitter and struck out 18 batters in a 5-0 win over New Hyde Park last Saturday. 
"It was actually very hot out that day, so I was just taking it easy," Hastings said. "I was slowing myself down because I tend to get worked up a lot and move faster than I normally should. So, I was taking deep breaths… Since it's so hot, I get exhausted faster, and when I get nervous or when any pressure is put on me, I tend to speed up and I overexert myself. So, I really was making sure that I was not doing that." 
The junior broke the program-record for strikeouts in a game. The previous mark, 17, was set by Melissa Donnelly in 2007 and matched by Kelly Jansen in 2009 and Tonianne Larson in 2017, said Long Beach coach Carmine Verde. 
Hastings is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
The accomplishment hit home for Hastings, who had previously worked with Larson on mechanics, beginning when the new record holder was in middle school. 
"Tonianne Larson is like an idol to me," Hastings said. 
While Hastings has another private pitching coach, she said Larson was able to reinforce those lessons — acting as almost a secondary mechanics coach when Hastings was finding her identity in the circle. 
"I really think those reps helped me," said Hastings, thinking back to her sessions with Larson. "Tonianne was always there to help freshen me up." 
While warming up for her record-setting performance, Hastings’ screwball reappeared. She had ditched the pitch earlier in the season when it lost its movement. But, almost as if the pitch knew what was coming, it started working again last weekend. 
"It was going inside, like a screwball should do, but it wasn't moving like my curveball," Hastings said of the pitch’s early season problems. "You could visibly see my curveball move after I threw it. But my screwball was just going straight to the spot." 
Not that the curveball was left out last week. That, like it usually does, was working to perfection. 
"She was able to overpower a few of the hitters in that lineup," Verde said. "Her curveball was really good that day. It was fast and had a nice bite to it. That was her money pitch." 
With an effective screwball, Hastings now has a sixth pitch to choose from when she’s in the circle, leading to her optimism about the rest of the spring. 
"I really hope I can keep up with the strikeouts, even if it’s not 18," she said.

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Newsday Athlete of the week is Long Beach pitcher Alex Hastings

Athlete of the week is Long Beach's Hastings

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Leah Treglia was like an obsessed inventor, trying every permutation in the pool until she finally got it right. And when she did, the spoils were perfect and came in perpetuity. The Smithtown West sophomore, who swims on the Hauppauge-Smithtown girls team, wanted to perfect her underwater — the time at the beginning of a lap spent below the surface of the pool before coming up and swimming toward the finish. 
"The more you go under water, the faster you’re going to be," Treglia said. "My goal was to see how far I could stay under water before I came up." 
Through the tried and true method of trial and error, Tregila figured out that 10 kicks off the wall was the perfect number to swim the optimal 100-yard backstroke. 
Not nine. Not 11. 10 — and only 10. 
"When she pushes off the wall, her streamline under water is unmatched. It’s amazing," said Sean Montalvo, a Hauppauge-Smithtown coach who has coached Treglia in club swimming since she was seven years old. "Others are taking four, five, or six strokes before she even takes one. She’s so fast underwater. You’re faster when you’re swimming underwater, so she has the ability to stay underwater and hold her breath, which makes her faster than everybody else." 
Treglia proved that three times over last Sunday when she won the 100-yard backstroke in an All-American consideration time of 55.45 seconds and the 100 butterfly in 56.73 seconds at the Suffolk girls swimming championships at Stony Brook University. Treglia was also on the 400 freestyle relay team that, along with MaryGrace Waring, Hailey Wilcox, and Sofia Burns, won in 3:38.17. 
For her efforts, Treglia is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
Treglia was only 0.3 seconds off the backstroke county record, set by Olympian Julia Smit when she was at Mount Sinai in 2005. Treglia hopes to break that record next season. 
Unlike most high school girls swimming seasons, this one took place in the beginning of the spring, which coincides with the crux of the club season. Girls swimming at the high school level is a fall sport but it was moved to March-April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Treglia, who also competes on the club circuit as part of the Hauppauge Swim Club, said that the heavy workload of the two simultaneous seasons actually helped her times. 
"I would [usually] be coming off of a two-week break in August," she said of the normal fall schedule. "Now, when the [high school] season started, I had already been swimming for months. Swimming right after consistently swimming helped me, since I was already in shape. I was focused and locked in and it helped."

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Smithtown West swimmer Leah Treglia

Athlete of the Week is Smithtown West's Treglia

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Far ahead. 
It’s where every cross country runner wants to be and where Ana Markovina already was when the season started last month. It was also where she’d live as the season went along. 
Why? Simple. The Jericho junior spent most of the last year running. And running. And running. 
The uncertainty surrounding the cross country season didn’t slow her one bit, not even when the race schedule was pushed back from September to March by concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. The delay discouraged some runners. But not Markovina, who just kept going. 
"I didn’t stop running," Markovina said. "I got into a routine and I didn’t stop. I pushed myself really hard and now I’ve improved greatly from last year." 
Summer training (or in Markovina’s case, fall and winter training too) doesn’t mean much if not carried into the season. That wasn’t a problem either. Markovina won the Nassau Class II championship in 17 minutes, 58.76 seconds on the 5-kilometer course at Eisenhower Park in East Meadow last Saturday. It was the fastest time of the meet, which featured three separate races grouped by class. 
Markovina further supplanted her county superiority Saturday, winning the Sectional Nassau County championship in 17:59.23 at Eisenhower Park. In a race that featured all the top runners in Nassau, regardless of class, Markovina beat the field by 35.99 seconds. She is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
 
In the Class II race, she beat the field by 1:29.53 — a postseason eternity. She beat every girl who ran in the championships, regardless of class, by 22.2 seconds — another impressive number. 
"She’s running these times essentially alone," Jericho coach Teresa McHale said. "There has not been another girl near her this whole season. She’s very disciplined and knows how to keep the pace." 
Markovina might be alone on the course, but she wasn’t alone in her offseason training. Her father Vinko, a distance star at Farmingdale High School and Fairleigh Dickinson, and her brother, Paul, who currently runs for Hofstra, were right by her side. 
"I come from a family of runners," she said. "So, I always had someone motivating and pushing me. My father pushed me. He’s been my running partner. I just kind of got into a rhythm and now I feel like I can’t even take a day off because I’m so used to running all the time, putting the work in, having consistent mileage, and all of the stuff that comes together [when] you run a good time." 
Markovina took no chances with her training. She skipped the winter track season — where she normally runs middle distance — in order to keep her legs primed for longer races in March and April. 
"She was months ahead of everybody else," McHale said. "We have other great kids, but they don’t have the [running] background. She has such a good support system at home and so many people she can bounce ideas off of. She’ll check in with me once in a while, but I completely trust the training from her dad and her brother because they have her best interests at heart."

Cross Country

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Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Jericho's Ana Markovina

Athlete of the Week is Jericho's Markovina

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Samantha Muller has had multigoal games before. Hat tricks are old hat at this point. 
She’s scored from almost every area of the field — all kind of plays that invariably end with her hand raised in joy and a soccer ball in the back of the net. But, she’s never quite scored at the sheer pace — with the stakes as high — as she did on Wednesday. 
Muller, who is the centerpiece of the North Babylon offense, scored three goals in 3 ½ minutes late in the first half of No. 12 North Babylon’s 3-2 win over No. 5 Commack in the first round of the Suffolk Class AA playoffs, erasing a two-goal deficit. 
"I’ve definitely never had three goals in three minutes before," Muller said Thursday. "It was such a rush. I’ve been in close games before, but the atmosphere of that game was ‘we knew what we needed to do.’ We worked together and we got it done." 
North Babylon’s season was saved and they had Muller’s magic foot to thank for it. She is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
Muller’s eventual winner came on a penalty kick after she was pulled down in the box. 
"Once I got up, I got the ball and I knew I had to score it for my team," Muller said. "I owed it to them and I owed to myself to get the lead." 
She had gone this far — with two quick goals to tie it — so why not complete the set with a winner? Muller was ready. 
"We’ve been practicing [penalty kicks] all week in anticipation of possibly being in that situation in the playoffs," North Babylon coach Steve Corrado said. "She took PKs during the year. She strikes the ball well every time and I think the strength of the shot was too much for any keeper. She has a great shot, she picks her spot, and she hit it." 
Even though she hit the shot well, Muller said she’s never sure about the ultimate success of a penalty kick until she sees the ball go past the keeper. 
"I definitely had a lot of pace on [it], but I never want to jump until it’s fully in the goal," she said. "I never want to celebrate too quick. In the moment, you never know." 
But, once the moment came, it was grand — and the culmination of a major momentum shift that happened in the blink of an eye. Muller knew that she had to be the one to start the ball rolling on any kind of comeback and it had to start once Commack went up a pair. A three-goal hole is often too deep. 
"It was definitely overwhelming being down 2-0, especially so early in the game," Muller said. "But, we all knew we had plenty of time to come back." 
Facing the deficit, the North Babylon coaching staff moved her further up the field on the forward line, hoping it would get her more scoring opportunities. 
"She made us look pretty smart," Corrado said. 
Including the first-round playoff game, Muller scored nine of North Babylon’s 12 goals this season and has an assist on another one, Corrado said. It was her second hat trick of the season. 
Sounds like a one-woman show, but that’s not how Muller sees it. 
"I rely on my teammates," she said. "They get me the ball where I want it, exactly where I need it. They’ve helped me in every way possible." 
This week, Muller got North Babylon to the quarterfinals.

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is North Babylon's Samantha Muller

Athlete of the Week is North Babylon's Muller

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It was already January, but Yasir Shabazz-Allah knew the call was coming. The Valley Stream South senior was about to be asked a question that would alter the course of his final high school season — would he be willing to switch from running back to quarterback for the first time in his football life? Would he be comfortable getting his sea legs playing the toughest position in sports at the varsity level? 
Of course he would. 
"If me playing quarterback would make us win more games, I was definitely ready for it," he said. 
The move was made after Cle-Andre Stewart suffered a knee injury that would prevent him from playing this season. With kickoff slated for March, Shabazz-Allah only had a few weeks to learn the demanding position. 
It’s safe to say the move has been a success. Shabazz-Allah has run the offense well, and run himself into the end zone numerous times. Through four weeks, he had scored nine times from all over the field. Entering Friday night’s game against Hewlett, he had run for seven scores, returned an interception for one and a kickoff for another. 
Through five weeks, he had scored 12 touchdowns from all over the field. He’s run for 10 touchdowns, returned an interception for one, and a kickoff for another. 
Shabazz-Allah scored every point for Valley Stream South in its 24-14 victory over Hewlett Friday night. He ran for 251 yards and three touchdowns on 52 carries and ran for three two-point conversions. 
He is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
Shabazz-Allah scored four times in a Week 2 win over Mineola — three rushing and a 30-yard interception return. 
Although his production hasn’t dropped off, Shabazz-Allah said that starting under center has changed the way he plays. He’s watching almost three times as much video and trying not to take as many hits. 
"I really can’t throw my body around like I did last year," he said. "I have to make a lot of smart plays this year." 
Against Division, Shabazz-Allah’s kickoff return gave Valley Stream South a 20-18 lead in the third quarter. 
"I knew if we got the ball, I had the wheels to take off," Shabazz-Allah said. "So as soon as I got the ball, I just ran and once I got past that kicker, I knew I was out of there." 
When he watched the play back on video, Valley Stream South coach Joe Gustafeste was still in awe. 
"My older son and I were watching the tape and he said ‘Dad, I don’t think he would have been tackled in touch football,’ " Gustafeste said. 
Although the Valley Stream South offense is a run-first scheme, Shabazz-Allah has been able to make big throws in critical moments, Gustafeste said. With his team up by two points late in the win over Mineola, Shabazz-Allah made two perfect throws for first downs, allowing the Falcons to run out the clock. 
"When we ask him to do the quarterback-type things, he does them and he does them pretty well when the game’s on the line," Gustafeste said.

High School Football

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Valley Stream South QB Yasir Shabazz-Allah

Athlete of the Week is VS South's Shabazz-Allah

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Zariel Macchia has never been a front-runner, but she had better get used to it soon. The eighth-grader, who goes to Floyd Middle School and runs for the high school cross country team, has already established herself as one of the best cross country runners on Long Island. Now, she just had to fine-tune her craft. 
And yes, she is only an eighth grader. 
Macchia, who busted onto the scene with authority as a seventh grader, has already shown that her first cross country season was no fluke. She won in 15 minutes, 7 seconds on the 2.5-mile course at Sunken Meadow State Park in a duel meet against Brentwood earlier this month — a blazing fast time. 
Macchia is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
The race against Brentwood gave Macchia a chance to do something she hasn’t had a ton of experience with — running alone. Last season, she was able to chase down other competitors, using their quick feet as a visual representation of where she needs to go. But what happens when Macchia becomes too good? What happens when she outpaces the pacemakers? She’s beginning to find out. 
"I actually did not know I was going as fast as I did, but I was just trying to push it and run as fast as I could," Macchia said of the Brentwood race. "Usually when I’ve run a good time, I’ve been chasing people. It was good practice" 
Macchia said she was trying to stay focused at the front, not letting anything distract her from the task at hand — running fast. 
"I was just making sure I don’t let my mind wander off and slow down in the middle of the race," Macchia said. "I was just trying to focus on staying at a good pace, get to Snake [hill], then get to Cardiac [hill], keep a good pace through the moat and just finish it out." 
Macchia’s running journey started two years ago when she ran a community 5k with her mom, Alexandra, a former high school All-American and college runner at Columbia. A year later, the younger Macchia was speeding up the high school leaderboard, finishing third at the Suffolk Division championship in 19:41.70, a 5k time that was bested only by two seniors, Mount Sinai’s Sarah Connelly and Commack’s Fiona McLoughlin. 
"One of the things that was obvious was that she does have a lot of natural talent, especially in terms of endurance," her father, Peter Macchia, who ran at Chaminade and Columbia, said. "Without much training, she was able to cruise at a pace much quicker than we expected. We were talking about telling her to slow down, but she was running with a smile so we thought ‘Hey, can’t be too bad. Let’s just clap and see what she does.’ " 
Last summer, Macchia got to meet and run with Connelly, a two-time public school state cross country champion who now competes at Syracuse. 
"She basically said ‘Don’t worry too much, just run fast,’ " Macchia said of Connelly’s advice. "It was cool because she is, obviously, very fast and it kind of helps you realize that you don’t have to be crazy about it. You can have fun running and be good at it too." 
Macchia said she still views running as a fun activity and was relieved that Connelly never lost the love of it, despite having a high level of high school success. 
"It was nice to hear someone else was just having fun with it too and she also did well," Macchia said. 
Might she do as well as she continues on her fast path? 
"I wouldn’t say that I’m confident I’m going to win states next year or something," Macchia said. "But, I think maybe sometime in the long future — or at least be up front in the race." 
Sounds like more front-running practice is in order.

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Floyd's Zariel Macchia

Athlete of the Week is Floyd's Macchia

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For Jaedyn Scarlatos, the road to field hockey success is paved. It is also literally a long road. 
When she’s not playing on her high school team, the Ward Melville sophomore spends much of her time in the car, being driven back and forth to Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where she plays almost year-round for one of the top club teams in the country, the WC Eagles. 
Multiple times a week, Scarlatos and her parents make the three-and-a-half to four hour drive so that she can practice and play with and against the very best competition the sport had to offer. 
It’s a whale of a commitment, no doubt. Scarlatos said that on club days she leaves right after school, practices for 2-3 hours in Pottstown, and doesn’t get home until after midnight. Not to mention tournaments on weekends 
"It’s just stronger competition there and it really helps me elevate my game," said Scarlatos, whose mother is Kim Hannigan, a long-time Long Island field hockey coach, currently an assistant at Pierson. 
The hours are long, but the dividends bleed into her high school season. If goal scoring is measured in elevation, Scarlatos is making her way towards Mount Everest right now. Entering play Thursday, Scarlatos had 10 goals, tied for the most on Long Island, based on scores reported to Newsday. 
Her scoring has come in bunches. Scarlatos netted four goals and notched an assist against Newfield on March 16 and had another three goals and two assists against Sachem East on March 22. For her efforts, she was named Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. 
Despite her hard work, long hours on the road, and endless commitment to the sport she has grown up on, Scarlatos has a very ‘right-place, right-time’ attitude about her recent scoring streak. Sometimes, it’s just been her day to reap the benefits of the offense, and when that time comes she usually doesn’t miss. 
"I feel like sometimes everyone has to capitalize on their opportunities and I think there were many times that I had opportunities and I want that ball in the goal," Scarlatos said. "We worked hard and I just finished, but it wasn’t all just me." 
So, with 10 goals, and presumably more on the way — would it be safe to say that Scarlatos is at the top of her game? Not if you believe, as she does, that the ‘top of her game’ doesn’t exist. 
"I don’t want to think I’m at the top of my game until I’m truly at the peak of my career, and I don’t think I’ll ever hit that stage," she said. 
Until then, she’ll keep striving for it. On the open road.

Field Hockey

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Newsday Athlete of the Week is Ward Melville's Jaedyn Scarlatos

Athlete of the Week is Ward Melville's Scarlatos

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East Islip football coach Sal J. Ciampi saw it this summer, long before Leo Lopez suited up for his long-awaited junior season. At that point, the unknowns were plentiful. Would there even be a football season? What would it look like? And how would Lopez, who missed all but four plays of the 2019 campaign with a high ankle sprain, bounce back from a sophomore season on the shelf. 
But then, as the coach guided his squad through virtual game planning and scheme installation, it became evident that Lopez wasn’t behind the curve at all. In fact, he was ahead of it. 
"He was rattling all this stuff off to us, which showed us mentally, despite the injury and being a young kid, he was able to stay engaged last year and learn all the things that you hope he would have learned by being able to do it physically in practice," Ciampi said. "I think that says a lot about him that he knew that that stuff was important enough to put in the effort to make sure that he learned it." 
Last Friday night, Lopez showed that he mastered it, scoring four touchdowns in East Islip’s 55-7 Week I win over Eastport–South Manor. The halfback rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries and returned an interception 46-yards for another score, earning him Newsday Athlete of the Week honors. 
Lopez said the interception return, which came on the third play of the game and gave East Islip a 6-0 lead, calmed his nerves about how his ankle would respond to the equivalent of two seasons without action. 
"I just dropped back and the quarterback threw it into my hands," Lopez said. "I knew everyone was going to protect me there to bring something good for my first game back … That’s when I showed that I was back to who I am and that’s when I flipped the switch and said ‘I’m back.’ 
The injury changed Lopez, he said. Simple things like rest and ice suddenly became priorities. Not only did he learn the playbook, but he was diligent about working out, twice a day most of the time. 
"Before, I used to go out a lot, not caring about my body," Lopez said. "But now, since I got injured, I stay home a lot, ice up, take ice baths and just lay in bed a lot and do homework." 
Lopez, who hasn’t played significant snaps since his freshman year, said he felt more explosive in Week I. 
"I felt like I was getting out of my stance quicker, running quicker, and hitting kids harder," Lopez said. "I felt more powerful than my freshman year." 
His coach thinks that could only be a sign of things to come. 
"The sky's the limit for him, in terms of his ability," Ciampi said. "…He’s going to be one of the most dynamic players on the Island going forward over the next two seasons."

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Athlete of the Week is East Islip's Leo Lopez

Athlete of the Week is East Islip's Lopez

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Give Reilley Turowski a challenge and she’ll attack it head on. 
Whether the Plainedge junior striker is being double-teamed on a soccer field, trying to solve a difficult Math problem, or even attempting to keep up with her dad during running workouts, Turowski relishes the opportunity to push herself to her limits. 
"I always want to be better," she said. "Everyone of us has so much potential, and I really want to find mine." 
Newsday’s Athlete of the Week was tied as the leading goal scorer in Nassau (with four) heading into Saturday for Plainedge (2-0). 
"First and foremost, we want to win the conference, and then, hopefully, counties," said Turowski, who had 14 goals and nine assists as a sophomore. "We’re more than capable. We have so many athletes, I really think we can do it this year." 
If the Red Devils are going to be successful, the 5-8 Turowski will most certainly lead the way. 
"She can play anywhere on field," said Plainedge coach Mike Vitale, who also taught Turowski in an SAT prep class recently. "She never gets tired, she’s always hustling, and she’s so aggressive. 
"She was good last year, but this season she’s been amazing. This year, she can go through [opposing] players without even thinking about it." 
So where does Turowski get her competitive drive? 
"It definitely comes from my parents," she said. "They have huge work ethics." 
Turowski’s mom, Melissa, drops off the kids at school, and then usually hits the gym before her job as an executive. 
Her father, Daniel, is a 17-year veteran of the FDNY, now stationed at Engine 320 in Queens. Daniel coached Reilley in the Plainedge Soccer Club program as a youngster, and more recently, trained her during summer sessions. 
"I usually run four to five miles in a game, but my dad runs six to eight miles a day," said Turowski, who competed in track and boasts a 5:20 time in the mile. "I’m pretty good, but he’s got me beat. 
"When we ran some hills over the summer, he crushed it. I still did them," said Turowski with a laugh, "but I was dying." 
The 17-year-old — who also plays with the NY Surf Soccer Club — has a 4.0 weighted GPA and hopes to one day work in the medical field, possibly as a doctor. But wherever she winds up, Turowski will take with her a competitive drive as well as a zest for new opportunities. 
"I want to be the best version of myself," she said. 
As always, attacking challenges head on.

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Athlete of the Week is Plainedge striker Reilley Turowski

Athlete of the Week is Plainedge's Turowski

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There’s unselfish, and then there’s Taydra Simpson. 
The Longwood junior guard was offered a deal by her father, Stacey, before the basketball season started. 
If Simpson could average 20 points a game, he would give her $1,000 toward her first car (which she hopes to buy for her senior year). 
But after one of Longwood’s first games, Simpson admitted defeat. 
"I told my mom, 'I don’t think I’ll win the bet,’ " she said. "I was getting my teammates involved, and if I didn’t [average 20 ppg] I was fine, as long as we were winning as a team." 
Simpson and the Lions cashed in this season in their own way. The fourth-year varsity player averaged 18.1 ppg, 11.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 6.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game for Longwood (6-1) — the Suffolk I champs (which beat Whitman, 56-30, on Feb. 28). 
"I like to give my teammates the confidence to score," said Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "It doesn’t have to be one person. It takes a whole team to win." 
Longwood coach James Castiglione believes he has one of the top girls basketball players on the Island. 
"If you went into a factory and said, ‘Let’s make the perfect basketball player — Taydra’s it,’ " he said. "She’s unselfish, coachable, the perfect teammate; has high character and to top it all off, she’s incredibly smart. Her basketball IQ is off the chart." 
It started at an extremely young age for Simpson, an honors student. Her mom coached Simpson’s older sister [Aliyah] and brother [Jaylen] with Comsewogue’s "Little Warriors" elementary-school basketball program. Taydra sat and watched many practices. 
"She popped out of the stroller when we got home one day, got into a defensive stance, and yelled, ‘Defense, defense,’ " said her mom, Pam White, who played basketball at Comsewogue, Brooklyn College and later South Alabama, and coached Taydra from kindergarten through eighth grade. 
"[My older siblings] pushed me, too," Simpson said. "When I played against them outside, I didn’t want to lose. . . . I don’t think I’d be half the player I am without them." 
Simpson’s newest challenge is learning volleyball, and specifically the right-side hitter position. (A few of her basketball teammates made a pact to try out for volleyball for the first time, and made the varsity team.) Later, it will be lacrosse (she plays defense). 
But when Simpson has a few minutes, she’ll challenge her nine-year-old brother, Jaryin [Jo Jo], to one-on-one basketball games with one caveat. 
"I won’t let him beat me," said Simpson, with a laugh. "I was taught that by my older siblings — don’t let the younger one beat you — it only made me better." 
Not to mention, unselfish.

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Athlete of the Week is Longwood guard Taydra Simpson

Athlete of the Week is Longwood's Taydra Simpson

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For Smithtown Christian’s Josh Mangum, it’s all about the journey. 
The 5-9 senior point guard ended his high school career third in Suffolk in scoring at 24.2 points per game (up from 17.4 as a junior). He also averaged 5.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.5 steals for the Knights (3-4) this year. 
But that doesn’t tell his whole story. 
"When I was younger, I gave up a lot," Newsday’s Athlete of the Week said. "Even though I was usually "the best" at many things, I was also the best at giving up — not running and not working out." 
However, the past couple of offseasons — and especially the COVID-19 pandemic — taught the 17-year-old some valuable lessons. 
"I’ve learned a lot about myself," said Mangum, who added 15 pounds of muscle since his junior season. "There’s more inside of me, and every chance I have, I want to keep pushing my body and mind further and further. I want to be the best possible version of me." 
Not only for himself, but his teammates. 
When Long Island basketball programs weren’t sure if there would be a season, and coaches couldn’t actively lead their teams, the Knights had a secret weapon — Mangum — part motivator, part instructor, part coach. 
Smithtown Christian followed COVID-19 protocols and allowed an open gym before school from 7 to 8 a.m. starting in mid-November with Mangum as the ringleader, said coach Dan Skaritka. 
"Of course he was the one who called [his teammates] to make sure everyone showed up," said Skaritka, who watched many of the sessions from the bleachers. "He led the workouts, the drills, scrimmages, everything." 
Everything would be a good word to describe the different defenses that Mangum (who had games of 47 and 32 points this season) faced — double teams (both with and without the ball), box-and-one, triangle-and-two, even the occasional triple team. 
"I’ve only had two kids go on to play college ball," said the 12th-year varsity coach. "He’s arguably the best player I’ve ever coached." 
Mangum recently competed in two scrimmages this week, which unceremoniously put an end to his high school basketball career. So, what is he thinking about now? 
"What’s next," said Mangum, who transferred to Smithtown Christian School in the middle of fifth grade. "I always felt high school basketball was a stepping stone for whatever God has in mind for me." 
The Coram resident has been contacted by a few local schools about basketball at the next level, but he's open to playing anywhere he's given an opportunity. 
"I’m willing to go wherever I’m welcomed," he said, "and wherever I’m going to get better." 
As always, enjoying the journey.

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Athlete of the Week is Josh Mangum, Smithtown Christian boys basketball

Athlete of the Week is Mangum, Smithtown Christian boys hoops

Sometimes an athlete makes a change and everything clicks. 
That’s exactly what happened to bowler Nick Walker recently. The Sachem East junior has been using a Roto Grip Hustle Au bowling ball the past few seasons. Then he remembered he had a second, brand new Hustle Au ball drilled differently two months ago. 
"I hadn’t thrown it, and I thought I should," he said. "Then I used it and got into the zone." 
Zone? Walker threw a 300 game as part of an 800-plus series at a practice on Feb. 11, and tossed three straight games of 277 for an eye-popping 831 series the next day in a Suffolk League IV win against East Hampton. The 831 series is tied for the ninth-best series (boys or girls) in state high school bowling history according to state records. 
"After my first 800 [series at practice] I became a lot more comfortable with [the new ball]," said Walker, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "It’s like I got my best friend back again." 
The righthander continued his amazing stretch by winning the Suffolk Single/Doubles boys tournament on Wednesday with a 1,316 total for six games (219.3 average). 
"As a bowler, watching him throw [three games of 277] like that, it was incredible," Sachem coach Brian Weinstein said. "If he was a golfer, it would be like hitting 30 great shots in a row . . . When he was ‘on’ the other day, I said, ‘These pins have no chance.’ " 
Weinstein, who has coached a team in Sachem since 2004, has had the good fortune of Walker participating on the varsity for five seasons. 
"You could always tell — even as a seventh grader — he was good," Weinstein said. "You always knew he was going to get better." 
Walker certainly has been better each year. He had a 174 average in just seven games during the 2016-17 season. He had a 202.83 average as an eighth grader and a 203.4 as a freshman. Walker went 36-6 last season with a 210.24 average. He is currently fifth overall in Suffolk in average (223.25) and tops in League IV. 
"When he’s locked in — not a lot of things get in his way," Weinstein said. "He’s just a pin wrecker." 
Walker and his teammates are focusing on the Suffolk championships next Sunday at Bowlero Sayville. The event is of greater importance since the state canceled all high school winter championships. 
"I just want to keep this up, and continue to move forward," said Walker, who utilizes a big hook on his throws. "I want to keep throwing this [new] ball as much as possible." 
And keep things clicking.

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Newsday's Athlete of the Week is Sachem East bowler Nick Walker

Athlete of the Week is Sachem East bowler Walker

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Nick Shopis knows all about surprising finishes. 
Last season, the Chaminade swimmer -- who had only the sixth-fastest time in the preliminary round -- won the 100-yard freestyle final in 45.45 seconds at the state boys swimming championships last March. 
"My Mom [Elena] always tells me, ‘Even you were in lane 8 and came out of nowhere to win [a state title last season]," he said. "Someone can always beat you. You can’t ever think you’re better than everyone." 
Interestingly, the Flyers senior is better than everyone else in the state in the 50-yard freestyle this season. 
Newsday’s Athlete of the Week owns New York’s top qualifying time in the 50 free (21.32) just ahead of Scarsdale’s Justin DiSanto (21.33). He’s tied with DiSanto for the second-fastest time in the 100 free (46.73). 
Not too shabby for a swimmer who came into his own as a sophomore. 
"Growing up, I didn’t get this good until 10th grade," said the Seaford resident. "In high school I kind of came out of nowhere. Even on my club team [LI Aquatic Club], I wasn’t swimming with the highest group until last year." 
So what’s made the difference for Shopis? 
"He’s one of the hardest workers I’ve ever had," said Flyers 22nd-year coach Angelo Pellicone. "There’s no shortcuts in anything, especially swimming, and he puts the work in and he does it every day. He’s consistent and he doesn’t miss practice ever." 
Shopis swims with Chaminade during the high-school season, and year-round with his swim club except for a two-week break in August. That means practicing Monday through Saturday once a day, but also two days a week with a morning practice before school (where he holds a 97 average). His only off day is Sunday. 
A "normal" day for Shopis could include 3,000-to-4,000 yards of swimming before school (which is 8 a.m.-to-3 p.m.). Then he has another practice in the afternoon until 6 p.m. (5,000-to-7,000 more yards). He gets home around 7 p.m.. He eats dinner and does homework until 10 p.m. Shopis gives himself "an hour break" before going to sleep around 11 p.m. 
"There’s no secret that usually the guys who work the hardest are the ones that have success," Pellicone said, "and he’s as good of an example as any." 
Shopis won’t have the opportunity to defend his 100-free title, since all winter championships have been canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Shopis still has the CHSAA championships (Feb. 20-21). 
"Everyone wants to beat you," said Shopis, who will swim at Bucknell and major in mechanical engineering. "That gets me hyped, because I want to beat them, too." 
No surprise there.

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Athlete of the Week is Chaminade swimmer Nick Shopis

Athlete of the Week is Chaminade's Shopis

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If you want to make some improvements in your life, follow the advice of Bellmore-Merrick bowler Kylie Persampire. 
The Mepham junior only started bowling competitively in high school as a freshman and had a 138 average. She jumped to a 160 as a sophomore, and currently owns a 184 average — among the top marks among varsity bowlers in Nassau — this season. 
"All I know is that going from a 138 [average] to almost 190 might seem like a huge mountain to climb," said Persampire, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "But if you put in the proper effort, time, and motivation, and you listen to the right people giving you advice, it’s not as hard as people might think." 
Persampire recently just missed bowling a perfect game. She struck 11 times in a row and finished with a 298 in Game 2 of a 692 series in a win against East Meadow on Jan. 21. The Bellmore-Merrick team is 6-0 this season in Conference IV. 
"I’ve been lucky enough to have some really good bowlers in my time here," Bellmore-Merrick coach Keri Cinelli said. "She’s just a little more of a fast-tracker in terms of how quickly she’s progressed. 
"She’s always been a powerhouse thrower, but she’s taken her strength and put in some skill and finesse, and it’s really worked out for her." 
Persampire showed she had the ability to perform under pressure as a freshman. After working hard all season on the JV team, Cinelli brought Persampire up to the varsity right before the Nassau championships. 
She bowled one game for Bellmore-Merrick in the event, and rewarded her coach’s confidence with a season-best 183. 
"I guess [the confidence] is something I got playing sports most of life," said Persampire, who also plays travel softball for Team Nitro Long Island 18U Gold. "I work well under pressure. I go with the flow, and I’ve learned to live in the moment." 
While Persampire, and all high school bowlers, are disappointed there will be no state championships this season ( because of COVID-19), she and her Bellmore-Merrick teammates are locked in on winning a county title. The Nassau championships take place on Feb. 20. 
Persampire — who has a 3.7 GPA — hopes to exhibit the poise she displayed as a young freshman in her first varsity event. She also has advice for young athletes attempting a new sport. 
"I think the best thing to do is when you put your mind to something — keep trying — and don’t let your failures stop you," she said. "You can do anything you want."

Bowling

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Athlete of the Week is Bellmore-Merrick bowler Kylie Persampire

Athlete of the Week is Bellmore-Merrick's Persampire

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A shot rang out and, for a moment, Mount Sinai’s Kate DelGandio didn’t know what to do. It was a sound so familiar to her in what seems like a past life, but was now so foreign. It was the starting gun and, for the first time in nearly a year, she was in a race. 
So, what to do now? Oh, yeah: run. 
"I forgot what the gun sounded like," said DelGandio, a junior. "I was like, ‘oh my gosh, we have to run. I haven’t done this in so long.' " 
The rustiness lasted milliseconds — if even that long. DelGandio took off and took home victories in the 55-meter hurdles (8.8 seconds) and 55 (7.6) in the Mustangs' season opening loss to Bayport-Blue Point last weekend. After running a 27.8 second split in the 4 x 200 relay, DelGandio had scored the most points by any athlete in the meet, according to Phantoms coach Vin Ungaro. 
Her quick feet earned DelGandio Newsday’s Athlete of the Week honor. 
"As soon as the gun went off, it was very familiar to me," DelGandio said. "It was like ‘OK, you’ve done this before, just do what you usually do. Remember your arms, remember your starts, remember what coach told you.’ That was all running through my mind the whole race." 
DelGandio is one of the top hurdlers on Long Island. She finished sixth at the indoor state championships last season and would have been the third-fastest returner in the state from that race. But, with the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the state championships, DelGandio has other goals — mainly breaking the school 55 hurdle record of 8.1 seconds. Her personal best is an 8.43, run at last February’s Suffolk state qualifier, according to <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__milesplit.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=UmvbC-R_RPGoXtaA4j_wSQ&amp;r=gasu9zw3vXZSvj-sFR0HBayvhnBPzPyAtnNXMDId0y0&amp;m=CRypfkzK9BxTzD-xitTdJ_c4ZQxMwa1MuFwYokbPra8&amp;s=Pd2DCe-5O-fizMkbu5b3tGzBLeLqN81q24YLzgm_GAU&amp;e=" target="_blank">milesplit.com</a>. 
DelGandio said she was a little surprised at how fast she ran last weekend. She was prepared for a slower time, focused on her form, and took what she learned from the race into a full week of practice. She wasn’t even sure she’d get over the hurdles cleanly. 
"I kind of got up to the line and thought ‘oh my gosh, this is really happening right now,’ " she said. "I just hope I don’t fall into the hurdles." 
Then came last week's 8.8. 
"I think it was a little bit of adrenaline," DelGandio said. "I’m a very competitive person and I always go into my races trying to win or trying to beat a time." 
And she usually does.

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Kate DelGandio of Mt. Sinai track is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Athlete of the Week is Mount Sinai hurdler DelGandio

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Connetquot bowler Angelica Polcini stepped up to the approach line on Tuesday needing one final strike for a 300 game. 
Instead of thinking about a shot for perfection, Polcini had other thoughts going through her head. 
"I was singing [songs from the musical] "Hamilton"," she said. "It kind of gets my mind off [a 300 game] for a little. I don’t want to mess up." 
She didn’t. The T-Birds senior recorded her 12th consecutive strike to finish with a 300 in Game 3 of a 694 series for Connetquot in its season-opening match against Floyd at Bowlero Sayville. (Polcini rolled her first 300 on a practice lane during a match as a freshman also at Sayville.) 
"I was very nervous walking up to the lane before the last shot," said Polcini, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. "I tried calming myself down by shaking my hands out." 
What was her reaction after a dozen straight strikes? 
"I was like, ‘Wow!,’ " she said. "I wasn’t expecting to bowl a 300 . . . I had such a mix of emotions — happy, shocked, surprised." 
Connetquot does not have a girls bowling team, so Polcini and her sister Anna (now a freshman at LIU Post), tried out for the boys team in 2016. They both made the varsity for the 2016-17 season. (There are about a half-dozen girls who bowl on boys teams in Suffolk this year.) 
"Honestly, I’m just one of the bowlers," said Polcini, who started bowling in a rec league in kindergarten. "I don’t care that I’m on the boys team. My teammates are always there to support me. They don’t treat me any differently." 
For good reason. Polcini has bowled Connetquot’s top three individual game scores (300, 216, 215) so far this season. 
"She’s super, super consistent," T-Birds coach Nick Sturtz said. "She has a traditional, straightforward approach and arm swing . . . I’m only there to help with her decision-making and regrouping. She throws a very consistent ball." 
Polcini — who hasn’t decided on a college yet — is concentrating on this season, and why she’s enjoyed bowling for so long. 
"I like that you have the potential to get better with every shot," said Polcini, who had a 180.2 average in 2020. "If you don’t do good, there’s always the next frame, where you can reset and do better." 
Unfortunately, high school bowlers won’t have a chance to bowl in the state championships, which were canceled because of COVID-19 for a second straight season. 
"When last season ended I thought, ‘This season [2021], I want to get to states. I want to make it, and try my best,’ " she said. "Now that won’t happen, but there’s still [the Suffolk championship]. I want to do well, and I want the team to do well, too."

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Athlete of the Week is Connetquot's Angelica Polcini

Athlete of the Week is Connetquot's Polcini

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Elijah Rivera remembers the long afternoons that stretched into nights. 
Then, only a seventh-grader, Rivera recalls doing double sessions when he first started wrestling as a member of both the Bay Shore Middle School and Bay Shore Kid programs under the guidance of coaches Alex Porcelli, Rob Thompson and Dan Atkins. 
Rivera and teammates Keon Ayala, Alex Cerda, and Ethan Scully would go from middle school practice to the wrestling room at the Fifth Avenue Elementary School. 
“We’d go into that basement,” Rivera said, “where the legends were.” 
Rivera mentioned past Marauder standouts such as former coach Jumper Leggio and Porcelli, the Bay Shore varsity coach. Five years later, Rivera put himself into the same sentence as those preeminent Marauders. 
The 18-year-old became the first Bay Shore wrestler to win a state championship since 1983 after his thrilling 6-4 sudden-victory win against Chenango Forks freshman Tyler Ferrara at the Times Union Center in Albany last Saturday. 
“I was in total shock. I kind of blacked out,” said Rivera, <a href="https://www.newsday.com/sports/high-school/newsday-s-athlete-of-the-week-1.36649665">Newsday’s Athlete of the Week</a>. “I was looking for my coaches, and looking at the crowd, and then I had my hand raised.” 
Rivera capped his senior season with the&nbsp;state title&nbsp;and a 37-3 record. His incredible four-year varsity career record stands at 141-16. Rivera is Bay Shore’s fourth overall champ and first since Rob Hubbard won at 167 pounds. 
Bay Shore, Suffolk’s oldest public high school wrestling program, just completed its 89th season, and Rivera graduates as its all-time leader in wins and pins (77), according to Newsday’s high school historian Andy Slawson. 
Rivera said the toughest part of the season came in January when he competed for the first time in the prestigious Eastern States Classic and finished sixth. Still, Rivera never lost a dual-meet bout during the regular season after ninth grade, according to Porcelli. 
“We always knew he was talented, even in seventh and eighth grade. He was like a sponge -- he listened and took everything in,” Porcelli said. “Elijah will have his name on our [wrestling] wall . . . . he’ll be among the greats of Bay Shore.”<a data-onecms-id="contentid/audio.1.42429147" data-onecms-type="audio" href="#/content/contentid/audio.1.42429147">skPOD57</a>
 
Rivera’s father, Jay, works for First Round Management, a sports agency that represents professional athletes. UFC welterweight Jorge&nbsp;Masvidal sent Rivera a pep-talk video before his championship bout. 
Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley posted the video of Rivera’s title match on his Instagram story. Current and two-time undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones gave Rivera a congratulatory call the day after his historic win. 
While Rivera appreciates the support, he is just as happy to hear his name mentioned with Bay Shore greats he idolized as a youngster. 
“This literally means the world to me,” Rivera said. “Since seventh grade I’ve looked up to the Bay Shore legends like Jumper Leggio and Coach Porcelli. . . . They represented Bay Shore and they are the most outstanding men. It’s an honor to be in their company."

Wrestling

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Bay Shore wrestler Elijah Rivera is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Bay Shore wrestler Rivera is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

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Bellmore JFK’s <a href="https://scores.newsday.com/sports/highschool/player/basketball-girls/13388/2020">Cameron Montalbano</a> has an appreciation for the lightning-fast nature of sports. 
One moment, she was going up for a rebound on Jan. 13 against Carey. The next moment wasn’t too good for the Cougars junior. 
“When I rolled [my right ankle] I felt a crunch,” Montalbano said. “I thought, ‘I’m done. This is the end of my season.' " 
Montalbano had to be carried to the Bellmore JFK bench. 
“I was bawling,” she said. “I wasn’t ready for my season to end like that.” 
An X-ray revealed no serious damage, but Montalbano said a doctor told her she had a Grade 3 sprain. She missed the next three games and “came back later than I wanted to come back.” 
But the Cougars guard/forward came back in a major way, especially in the playoffs. Montalbano -- Newsday’s Athlete of the Week -- had a game-high 33 points as No. 13 Bellmore JFK earned a 64-60 road win in a Nassau Class A second-round game against No. 4 Division on Feb. 20. She added 19 points and six rebounds as the Cougars defeated No. 12 Sewanhaka, 56-47, on Tuesday. Bellmore JFK had lost twice against Sewanhaka -- the defending Nassau and Long Island Class A champion -- during the regular season. 
“That win meant everything to the team, to me, and my coach [Mallory Freely] who hadn’t won against [Sewanhaka] in her four years,” Montalbano said. “We were ready to win. The third time's the charm.” 
It seems like Montalbano is a charm, especially on offense, for Bellmore JFK (16-7). 
"She basically takes the ball and makes magic happen . . . . and the girls feed off that,” Freely said. “ We haven’t seen this kind of talent in Bellmore-Merrick.” 
They also haven’t had this kind of girls basketball season at Bellmore JFK ever. Freely said the Cougars had never reached the quarterfinals round in program history until this season.&nbsp;Bellmore JFK's season ended on Saturday with a 46-25 loss&nbsp;to top-seeded&nbsp;Floral Park in the&nbsp;Nassau Class A semifinals.&nbsp;Montalbano had nine points. 
Montalbano&nbsp;averaged&nbsp;20.7&nbsp;points per game this season and,&nbsp;according to Freely, was a big reason for the Cougars’ success. Montalbano said her AAU coach, Marc Von Essen, helped her with her signature mid-range jump shot. She also credits her parents, Carla (who played volleyball and ran&nbsp;track in high school in California) and Matthew (a Bellmore JFK wrestler and Class of 1983 graduate) for her love of sports, including swimming and soccer. 
But Montalbano quickly concentrated on volleyball and basketball as she grew older. She has been an outside hitter on the Cougars' varsity volleyball team since eighth grade and played varsity hoops in ninth grade. The two-time All-County basketball standout said her time on the bench while recovering from her ankle injury gave her a unique perspective. 
“It showed me,” Montalbano said, “that everyone has an important role on court.” 
Which can sometimes change in a hurry.

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Bellmore JFK's Cameron Montalbano is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Bellmore JFK's Montalbano is Athlete of the Week

SKTop100Hoops223

Hauppauge’s Danny Mauriello never had a doubt in his mind. 
Even after the defending state champion wrestler at 152 pounds&nbsp;bulked up to almost 180 during the Eagles’ football season. 
Even when he suffered two fractures and two torn ligaments in his left thumb during the Eagles’ Suffolk Division III football win against Rocky Point on Oct. 19 (he still rushed for 188 yards and a touchdown in the game, and finished the season with 1,379 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns). 
Even after missing more than half of the wrestling season and waiting to be medically cleared, Mauriello just had a feeling he’d find his way to the Suffolk Division I wrestling championships last weekend. 
“I knew I’d be out for a little while,” he said, “but I knew I’d be back.” 
Despite wrestling just nine matches before the Suffolk championships, the Hauppauge senior recorded a pin and two major decisions&nbsp;before a&nbsp;3-2 decision over&nbsp;Ward Melville’s James Araneo in the 170-pound final. 
It was Mauriello’s third Suffolk title (he won at 145 in 2018 and 152 in 2019) to give&nbsp;him a 13-0 record this season&nbsp;and a 181-17 career record according to his father, Nick, who doubles as an assistant coach for the Eagles. 
“It was a great, great feeling,” said Mauriello, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. “Even though I had been there before . . . I knew I had to get it done and I did.” 
Some around Mauriello weren’t sure he’d be able to compete this season, including his father. 
“It was crazy,” Nick said. “We didn’t even know if he was going to be able to wrestle, but once he got cleared [in late December] he started working on his cardio and getting to that championship level of being able to wrestle six great minutes.” 
Danny is the last of three Mauriello brothers to wrestle. Oldest brother Nick&nbsp;won a Suffolk crown&nbsp;and middle brother Chris&nbsp;captured both a Suffolk and state title, and it was Chris who helped Danny the most in his recovery and training. 
“That was huge to have his brother work out with him two or three nights a week,” said father Nick, a two-time All-County wrestler at Island Trees. “Nobody in our [wrestling] room is around his weight, and Chris really pushed him. It was a godsend to have Chris be able to work with him.” 
Mauriello has a two-week window to prepare for the state championships. 
“It’ll help me get in better shape,” said Mauriello, who will attend Stony Brook and plans to walk-on to the football team. “I have to work harder. I’m a little behind everyone else, but I’m working harder and getting my cardio up.” 
Even though Mauriello is partial to football, he knows he’s close to reaching a major accomplishment in Albany. 
“Football is my real love,” Mauriello&nbsp;said, “but it would mean everything winning a second state title.” 
No doubt.

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Danny Mauriello of Hauppauge wrestling is Athlete of the Week

Hauppauge's Mauriello is Athlete of the Week

AllLIWinter20Wrestling

Sachem North’s <a href="https://scores.newsday.com/sports/highschool/player/basketball-boys/15688/2020">James Butler</a> had one last thought as he watched what proved to be the final shot of his high school basketball career. 
“As soon as it left my hand,” Butler said, “I was like, ‘This is the 1,000th point.' ” 
On a 27-foot three-pointer, no less. 
Sachem North coach Matt Candemeres immediately called a timeout to give Butler one last show of appreciation from the crowd and subbed his 6-footer out midway through the fourth quarter. 
The Flaming Arrows senior point guard scored&nbsp;42 points that game to&nbsp;land exactly on 1,000 for his varsity career in a win at Connetquot on Feb. 6. He needed 82 points in Sachem North’s final two regular-season games, and struck for 40 against Commack in a 59-50 loss on Feb. 4 to set up his final-game heroics. 
Butler ended the season <a href="https://scores.newsday.com/sports/highschool/leaders/basketball-boys/suffolk/2020">second on Long Island in scoring average</a>&nbsp;at 28.1 points per game, trailing&nbsp;Mattituck’s Xavier Allen at 30.1, based on scores reported to Newsday. Butler added 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game for Sachem North (8-12, 5-7 Suffolk II), and made 62 three-pointers, Candemeres said. 
“I knew it was my last time playing basketball with the guys I’ve been playing with nearly my whole life,” said Butler, who said he was emotional after scoring his milestone points. “My teammates have made the whole journey special.” 
Connetquot coach Andrew Clair&nbsp;made Butler’s evening even more special after the final horn when he gave Butler the game ball. 
“It was really a class-act move,” said Butler, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. “I’m going to have the coaches and my teammates sign that ball.” 
Butler started playing basketball in fourth grade and bounced between CYO programs at Good Shepherd (Holbrook) and St. Joseph’s (Ronkonkoma) through grade school. He also played baseball for a few seasons but stopped in sixth grade and started playing lacrosse. 
He soon realized he was very good at lacrosse, however, “I love basketball,” Butler said. “I feel more natural with lacrosse. In basketball, I had to do a lot of work. I definitely worked hard at lacrosse, too, but it was much harder for me with basketball. Lacrosse comes much easier.” 
Butler averaged 13.4 points per game as a junior. He scored more than 20 points in a game once last season. This season, he scored less than 20 points in a game just three times. 
“His confidence went up in the offseason and he knew he was the guy,” Candemeres said. “I don’t think there’s one guy on Long Island that can cover him one-on-one. He has such a motor, the defense gets tired. He can shoot on the inside or outside. He can shoot off the dribble, and he can go to the basket with either hand. He’s deadly.” 
Butler, who said he had a 97 weighted average last marking period, was offered a scholarship (half athletic and half academic, he said) to play lacrosse at LIU and&nbsp;signed a letter of intent in November. 
But he’ll always have flashbacks of his senior season of hoops, especially his final game, and his final&nbsp;shot. 
“I’ll definitely remember my coaches and teammates,” Butler said. “They were really the ones that made it special ... I wouldn’t have been able to [score 1,000 points] without them.”

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Athlete of the Week is Sachem North's basketball player James Butler

Athlete of the Week is Sachem North's Butler

Not too long after Division senior Emily Gillis broke her sister’s school record for career points, Emily knew exactly what she wanted to do. 
Gills texted her older sister, Maddie, with a simple question: “How does it feel to be in second place?” 
Maddie responded: “You’re welcome for all the assists!” 
Nothing like some good-natured teasing among record-setting sisters. Gillis scored 31 points on Monday in a 60-54 Nassau A-III girls basketball win at Jericho. Gillis now has 1,320 after Friday’s regular-season finale home win against Glen Cove. (Maddie Gillis held the previous Division program record of 1,261 points. Now a collegiate freshman, Maddie has averaged 22.6 minutes a game this season for 17-3 New Paltz.) 
Incidentally, the Gillis’ parents are both Division graduates. Their father, Tom, played basketball at Division and Nassau Community College. Mom, Kathy, also played at Division and St. Thomas Aquinas College. In fact, Kathy ended her varsity career with 996 points and held the Division record from 1988-96, Emily said. 
But the way Emily sees it, neither her nor her sister would have ever hit the mark without the other. 
“I set a goal in eighth grade to score 1,000 points,” said Gillis, Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. “[Last year] we pushed each other when my sister got her record.” 
After a second-round playoff loss ended last season, Gillis had one singular thought. 
“We knew we had to get back in the gym,” Gillis said. 
There was another interesting twist for the 5-11 Gillis. Long-time Blue Dragons girls coach Steve Kissane retired last season after 30 years with the program. Junior varsity coach Stephen Robins moved up to varsity, and made sure to talk to his super senior prior to this season about expanding her role on the team. 
“I teach her in physical education and we also had open gyms [for basketball],” Robins said. “I started asking her about playing more in the low post, and she was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go. Let’s do it.’ ” 
Gillis, who signed a letter of intent to Division I Gardner-Webb University, has evolved from being a long-range shooter into a more versatile, offensive threat, who can score from the inside or outside. 
The guard/forward is averaging 21.6 points, 12 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game this season. Gillis, who is second in Nassau in scoring, is shooting 45 percent from the floor, including 35 percent on three-pointers, and has made 57 triples for Division (18-1, 12-0 Nassau A-III). Gillis, who had 32 points and 20 rebounds in a win against South Side on Wednesday, and Hailey Thomas are the lone Blue Dragon seniors. 
“When your two seniors are your hardest workers,” Robins said, “it makes coaching easy.” 
Robins marvels at the progression in Gillis’ game from a year ago. 
“I used to go to the games and watch her play,” Robins said. “I’ve always been very impressed with her as a player, but she’s taken it to a whole new level. 
“She’s a great shooter, but this year we talked more about the versatility of her game. Now she’s not just a shooter, she’s has a low-post presence. She’s more active on the boards ...&nbsp;She’s been outstanding.” 
Gillis and the Blue Dragons&nbsp;will have to continue to be outstanding if they want to add to the banners that hang in their Levittown gym. Division’s last, and only titles in girls basketball, came in 2010 when the Blue Dragons won the Nassau and Long Island ‘A’ crowns. 
“It’s motivational for us,” said Gillis, who is on the honor roll and is a member of Division’s National Honor Society. “The last few years we’ve either lost in the first or second round [of the playoffs]. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen to us again.”

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Emily Gillis of Division girls basketball is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Division's Gillis is Newsday's Athlete of the Week

Canan Bademci is way too young to remember the 1950s television sitcom “Father Knows Best.” 
But when it came to the last few weeks for the Patchogue-Medford sophomore bowler, Bademci’s mother, Bobbie, knew best. Bobbie, who is also a bowler, brings her daughter’s bowling balls to every match, and made a key adjustment before a competition on Jan. 16. 
“My mom didn’t tell me, but she did tell our coach,” Bademci said. “She decided to sand down my [Idol Pearl bowling] ball before the match, and before I got there.” 
Sanding dulls the ball and helps it grip the lane better, according to Bademci. When Bobbie suggested she use the ball, she balked at first, but eventually obliged (with a gentle nudge from Raiders coach Chris Varley). She was certainly glad she did after she rolled games of 243, 226 and 279 for a season-best 748 series against the combined team of Smithtown/Kings Park in a 24-16 win for Patchogue-Medford. 
“I tried it and I found my mark,” said Bademci, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week. “At the end of the match my mom came over and said, ‘You know I sanded down your ball for you?’ And I was like, ‘No way.’ ” 
Bademci added a 731 series versus Sachem on Jan. 21 with the same ball. Her lowest series of the regular season was a 622. Bademci, who had six series of better than 650, finished the season with the top average (222.0667) among Suffolk girls bowlers. She also has the third-highest series (748), and is tied for third-highest game (279). 
“She just really turned it on our last few matches,” Varley said. “She’s picked up all her spares, and when she gets on a run with her strikes, she’s tough to beat. She just ended the season in a great way for us.” 
Patchogue-Medford had a bowl-off with Middle Country on Wednesday and teammate Gianna Guido rolled a 654 series, while Bademci added a 611 series as the Raiders earned&nbsp;a 21-19 win and automatic berth into the Suffolk girls bowling championships on Feb. 8 at Bowlero in Sayville. 
“Bowling is probably one of my favorite things to do,” said Bademci after the bowl-off match. “It helps me a lot, especially in life ... It takes me away from everything else. It makes me happy. Right now, I’m on cloud nine.” 
Bademci, who started bowling at the age of 5 — but was “never allowed to use bumpers” — made the Raiders varsity team as a seventh-grader. Last season, she was ninth (209.5172) in Suffolk during the regular season and made the Section XI All-Star team that finished second. 
Now, the 15-year-old is focused on the Suffolk championships. 
“We all love bowling, and it’s good not to have the pressure on us now,” Bademci said. “We can just go in and practice on the lanes, and focus on the lanes, and then come in on county [final] day and just blow it out of the water.”

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