Throughout the fall athletic season, reports of the progress of the various Garden City High School teams have been brought to the residents each week in detailed accounts by Matt Casey and Kevin Waters, featured weekly on the sports page of Garden City Life.

As Casey and Waters have reported, the Garden City High School Girls Field Hockey Team won the New York State Championship and achieved a national record as the only team unscored upon all season; the Girls Cross Country Team won the County Championship, and the entire team qualified for the State Championship; the Varsity Football Team, of which Casey and Waters are an integral part, won the Nassau County Championship and the Rutgers Cup, given to the most outstanding team in Nassau County. For these accomplishments, sports reporters Casey and Waters, as well as every member of these three teams, were honored at the Dec. 21 Board of Education meeting held in the high school cafeteria.

Assistant Coach Linda Norton of the Girls Field Hockey Team rose and introduced her team on behalf of Coach of the Year, Head Coach Diane Champman, who was unable to attend the meeting, and watched proudly as each member of her team received a certificate of achievement from School Board President Linda Leone. Members of the team are: Meggie O'Neill (attack; junior); Allie Wess (attack; junior); Lauren Seery (midfield; sophomore); Rosie Garschina (midfield; senior); Amanda Mathers (attack; junior); Lisa Duff (attack; senior); Catherine Elbe (defense; sophomore); Marybeth Hogan (midfield; junior); Katie Boudart (attack; senior); Alexis Ritsch (attack; junior); Gillian Groarke (midfield; senior); Lauren LiCalzi (defense; senior); Erin Sweeney (attack; junior); Brittany Barnet (attack; freshman); Co-Captain Melissa Gerard (midfield; senior); Stephanie Pinedo (attack; junior); Co-Captain Kristen Guendjoian (attack; senior); Jamie Cohen (defense; sophomore); Courtney Fee (defense; sophomore); Amanda Eckel (midfield; junior); Jamie Nesbitt (defense; senior); Claudia Rothschild (attack; junior); Jen Tryon (attack; sophomore); Kim Williams (goalkeeper; sophomore); and Jessica Kulessa (goalkeeper; junior). The team's managers are Elena Tomasino, Jen McDonald, Molly Burns, and Meredith Kelly.

Also, Mary Beth Hogan and Meggie O'Neill were named All-State Players. Allie Wess, Melissa Gerard, Mary Beth Hogan, Meggie O'Neill, and Kristin Guendjoian were named All-County Players. Lauren LiCalzi, Rosie Garschina, and Lisa Duff were named All-Conference Players. Jamie Cohen and Catherine Elbe were named All-League Players. Kristen Guendjoian and Melissa Gerard were named Exceptional Seniors.

The Garden City Football Team's Head Coach Tom Flatley then rose to introduce his winning team, who occupied almost the entire front three rows on the right side of the aisle in the cafeteria, all dressed in jackets and ties for the occasion. The team, under the direction of Flatley and Assistant Coaches Joe Baccarells, Tom Casey, and Bob DeFliese, include: Steve DeGrazia (#10); Dave Kang (#11); Mike Carney (#31); John Maloney (#34); Steve Smith (#35); Bill Hannon (#36); Rory Connolly (#42); Vincent Sena (#43); Chris McLaughlin (#44); Joe Simpson (#45); Ryan Capilupi (#53); Bill Breuer (#55); Giuseppe Imbriano (#66); Mark Oppedisano (#70); Ryan Naples (#73); Scott Owen (#74); Pat O'Brien (#77); Ryan Gillin (#80); Glenn Nick (#81); Dan Doherty (#82); Charlie Manning (#83); Dan Sampson (#84); Jack Harder (#89); Pat Murphy (#20); Sean Murphy (#25); Brian Blum (#30); Kevin Maguire (#32); Jim Wills (#40); Ken Roller (#65); Bill Garvey (#71); Kyle Walsh (#75); Bob Reeves (#76); Matt Lehmann (#78); Ted Katsavos (#86); Jordan Fay (#87); Chris Caliendo (#88); Co-Captain Matt Casey (#16); Co-Captain Kevin Waters (#23); Co-Captain Dan Smith (#51); and Co-Captain Eric Wenzel (#60).

Also, Matt Casey, Eric Wenzel, Bob Reeves, John Maloney, and Dan Doherty were named All-County. Kevin Waters, Dan Smith, Matt Casey, Bob Reeves, John Maloney, and Dan Doherty were all named All-Conference. Matt Casey was named All-Long Island. Head Coach Tom Flatley was named Coach of the Year.

The handing out of the certificates for the Girls Cross Country Team was an especially proud moment for School Board Trustee Jim Ryan, who was asked to do the honors by President Leone, as he handed awards to his own offspring. Coach Warren King was acknowledged and then Trustee Ryan handed out the certificates to the team, whose members include: Erin Keating; Kaitlyn Ryan; Kristen Ryan; Laura Rogers; Victoria Tomao; Julia Vassolitti; and Alexis Keller.

Also, Erin Keating, Katie Ryan, and Kristen Ryan were all named All-Conference, All-County, and All-Division. Head Coach Warren King was named Coach of the Year.

Superintendent Dr. Lee Wilson also noted that each of these teams were named Scholar Athlete Teams in New York State for their academic averages. Athletic Director Nancy Kalafus and Garden City High School Principal John Okulski also congratulated the teams on their acheivements and thanked them for their fine representation of Garden City High School.

Another team honored that evening was comprised of many of the athletic team members, but this was an academic team - the Stock Market Club. The team won a major competition sponsored by Newsday, which called upon the students to pretend to invest $100,000 in the market, and manage the accounts. Coach Reid Sclafani explained that the students not only achieved the highest profits on Long Island, but in the entire state. In the 10 week run, they were able to turn $100,000 into $218,000. They were one of 375 teams in their division, and there were 4 other divisions in the state to beat. One resident in attendance called out the suggestion that the district allow the team to work with the administration's business department to help invest the school's money.

The students were then dismissed from the meeting and urged to go home and study and complete their homework for the night, a suggestion which was met with sighs as their night of glory returned to another night of hitting the books.