You line up, just behind the center baseline. The racket feels comfortable in your hand as it twirls around. The ball is bounced several times, then tossed softly just at the right height, as your racket propels the serve to just the right spot. Advantage, Lady Dalers.

For the 14 student-athletes that work on the intricacies of their tennis game, the Varsity Girls Tennis team has been a group of dynamic young players during the fall 2003 season. Under the guidance and teaching of Coach Fran Mayerhofer and the classic court-size education from Coach Pete Cerrone, the girls have shown a great deal of character and maturity. Graduating seniors Sayaka Hanada, Kristin Kohlmier, Dana Lin and Catherine Porto have brought veteran leadership to the team. Juniors Manisha Chitkara, Alyson Gordon and Sarah Kanthania added great depth to this year's squad. Sophomores Alison Garfinkel, Megan Donohue, Yuri Hanada and Jessica Wang are underclassmen who gave terrific contributions during the season.

"I was very proud of the team captains,' Coach Mayerhofer said. Those captains would be senior Christina Yanez and Juniors Vicki Fanslow and Jill Kandora. "They worked hard on having each girl feel they were a valuable member of the team." That, along with a powerful and accelerated training program, put the team in a position to be successful. There were conditioning drills consisting of 'side stepping, suicides and team sprints' to name a few. "The girls were willing to work hard and stay late to improve their skills," continued Coach M. Once they started to realize the system paid off, they knew it was worth the effort. "Doubles teams performed drills that emphasized team work, foot work and communication," spoke Coach Fran. "And one of the major reasons for our success was the work of Coach Cerrone," he added.

Lady Daler Varsity Girls Tennis, a smashing success, has reached center court.

Kristin has been a positive influence for the Lady Daler Varsity Tennis team. She has played actively for the past six years, crediting her brother as an influential force in getting her interested in the sport. She has also been an instructor of the Farmingdale Youth Council and their summer program for three years, sharing her valuable experience. Kristin has lettered in both tennis and badminton and is a member of the Varsity Leaders Club. She has been a standing member of the Spanish Honor Club, Art Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. She participates in the Marching Band and takes time out to work with the Key Club. She has worked on a mural towards her Gold Award, the highest-ranking award they offer. She enjoys reading and getting together with her friends, as well as anything to do with art. "I love drawing and painting," she said, "and hope to pursue a career in it." Post high school graduation next June, her plans take her to college and on to "an accomplished career." Tennis has been very, very good to her. "I am positive and always smiling," she spoke. "It only matters if you played your best and had fun." As a doubles-team player, she has worked on improving communications while on the court. Kristin Kohlmier stands out as another Daler success story.

Dana takes the court with confidence. This season, she has worked on "knowing when to be aggressive and fearless" during the match. She has contributed to the overall success of the team with a unique perspective on the sport. "Optimism, determination and team spirit" are what she describes as the key to her attitude on the court. Dana will continue her education in college upon graduation with the Class of 2004. She has donated time to the American Heart Walk and the Senior Citizen's Prom. "I've been volunteering since the 7th grade," Dana noted. "It's nice to give the senior citizens a good time." She enjoys two all-time favorite things to do, one being reading and the other - talking on the phone! Dana is a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. She's in the Varsity Leaders Club and is a Drum Major for the Marching Band. She cites AP English ("Mrs. Monitto is a great teacher.") Vocational Carpentry and Creative Crafts as favorite subjects. Dana has played on the FHS team for four years. "I first learned to play through the Farmingdale Youth Council (FYC) Tennis Program," she said.

"Now, I'm a tennis instructor for the FYC." Dana Lin, a Daler that gives back to the community in every way possible.

Jill has proven to be an exceptional part of the Varsity Girls Tennis team. She has played four years on the varsity squad because "my good friend played tennis and brought me into the game." The rest is history. "I've been playing ever since." Scholastically, her subjects of choice are Humanities and Math. "They test the mind and force you to think," she said. She belongs to the National Honor Society, the Italian Honor Society and the Key Club, as well as the Varsity Leaders Club. As a ranked USTA player, her main interest is tennis, but she ranks "hanging out with her friends" as number one. Jill volunteers once a week at New Island Hospital and enjoys "helping a variety of people there." The sport is demanding, but Jill looks at it objectively. "I try to stay positive," she commented," and encourage others to play tennis and experience what a great game it actually is." As a member of the Class of 2005, Jill would like to go to college and play tennis and to become involved in the field of medicine as a doctor. She works hard on every facet of her game, citing improvements in "my overall attitude ... staying more positive along with having more determination on the court." Jill Kandora, a dedicated Daler from the first serve to match point.