GC Wrestlers Are Conference Champs

The Glen Cove Big Red wrestling team won its conference for the first time since 1999. After winning four consecutive dual meets over the course of two weeks, Glen Cove took the title of conference champion. The last conference dual meet was held at Glen Cove, where the team defeated Manhasset 45 to 29 to secure the conference title. Glen Cove will be wrestling in the Nassau County Dual Meet Championships on Friday, where they will be competing with the top teams in the county.

Coach Chris MacDonald told the Record Pilot that the season started off strong, with the team winning the first tournament of the season held at Mamaroneck and they placed in second at the inaugural Charles McCullough Memorial Wrestling Tournament in Glen Cove; in the dual meet against North Shore, he said they battled hard and won it outright 4-1 to take first place. He said he has seen all of the team members working hard throughout the season, and that they have been mentally prepared and tough at every meet.

GC Girls JV Basketball Season Strong

With a record of eight wins and three losses the Glen Cove Girl’s Junior Varsity Basketball team has been surprisingly competitive in every minute of every game thus far in the 2011-12 season. If their strong start is any indication, this year’s team may well be a window into the future of Glen Cove Girls Basketball.

Beginning with their first game 32-27 win over Sewanhaka up until their most recent 55-33 victory over Valley Stream South, one of the more remarkable aspects of this team’s success has been the coalescence of the past, the present and the future of Glen Cove Basketball. The team features four seventh-grade starters at the very beginning of their high school basketball experience and a young, dynamic, hometown hero, first-year coach. While their enthusiasm has been infectious, the impulsivity of the younger players has benefited from being tempered by the consistency of effort and focus of the older, more mature, freshmen and sophomores. Up to this point, the season has been a working combination of trial by fire on the part of the seventh-graders, hard work, perseverance and determination by the ninth- and tenth-graders and a very successful homecoming of sorts for the new coach.

Local Boy and Girl Win LI GoKart Championships

Owen and Kendall Grennan, of Glen Cove, raced once again this year as members of the East End Kart Racing (EEKR) Club in Riverhead. The racing season stretches from March through November with sporadic races on Sundays. After traveling the East Coast National Circuit from South Carolina, North Carolina to Buffalo, Owen and Kendall both came home to win the Long Island Championships.

Kendall, age 9 and one of two girls in her division of 13 competitors, had a substantial point lead throughout the season. Kendall won her first championship in the Sportsman Champ I division. 

Glen Cove Junior Soccer League Fall Season a Success

Glen Cove Junior Soccer League had a very successful season in 2011, with full participation from Kindergarteners up to tenth-graders. The season culminated on a beautiful Saturday in Glen Cove for the annual Soccerfest. Political dignitaries from the community were present to help cheer and support the children. Food, fun and competition were the order of the day. The Glen Cove Junior Soccer League board would like to thank all that helped make this a successful season, especially the children and the parents who participated. Anyone interested in learning more about the league’s programs can go to the website www.gcjsl.com.

Big Red Sports: January 5, 2012

Varsity Girls’ Basketball Team make comeback, fall short in thrilling double overtime

On Dec. 28, 2011, the Glen Cove Varsity Girls Basketball Team competed against Friends Academy during the Bethpage Dad’s Tournament. Throughout the game, the lead kept fluctuating between both teams. With only one minute left in the 4th quarter, Glen Cove was down by five points. Nicole Alexander (23 points, 18 rebounds and 3 block shots) hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 2 points and Victoria Durso (15 points, 6 assists, 7 steals) made a shot in the closing seconds to tie the game and send the game into overtime. Even under pressure, our team showed heart, determination, poise and character. In the first overtime, it was a defensive battle; each team scoring 2 points to send in to a second overtime.

Vikings Sports: December 28, 2011

Vikings Victorious in Wantagh Booster Club Invitational Tournament

The North Shore girls’ varsity season tipped off against Lynbrook in the opening round of the Wantagh Booster Club Invitational Tournament. This was a game that the team had been looking forward to for quite some time as Lynbrook knocked North Shore out of the playoffs last year 69-68.

This game was eerily similar to last year’s game, with North Shore’s defense, led by Alex Cantwell and Erin Sheerin, sparking an 8-0 run to end the first quarter with the Vikings up 23-19, en route to a 41-34 halftime. In the third quarter, the Vikings went ice-cold and found themselves down 52-50 to start the fourth quarter. When North Shore needed a spark it turned to its defense, led by Christine Castiglione, Micaela Dussel, Tara Feehan and Caroline Robertson (5 steals), the team did a tremendous job frustrating Lynbrook and with Amanda Johansen leading the offense with 13 of her 23 points in the fourth quarter the Vikings came back for a 69-63 victory. Johansen finished with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals.

Glen Cove Eighth-grade Girls Volleyball

The eighth-grade girls are really into the heart of the season having a record of 5 wins and 3 losses. This has been an outstanding season so far. This year the girls have their own grade level team as they were combined last season hence began with 6 returning players and 10 beginner players. They have blended together so well both on and off the court. The athleticism and coach ability of this team has been outstanding hence the good level of play. Many of our matches have gone to the fifth game where we have come out on top. The team is led by returning players: Alex Casale, Dani Dratch, Anna Kassar, Larissa Ketcham, Sabrina Magrini, and Sara Tenke. Newcomers to the team this year are: Grace Blinkoff, Tea Grasnoff, Catherine Hatala, Amanda Heavey, Natasha Hargrove, Maria Krisch, Kayla Monahan, Gabby Morales, Adriana Vertiz and  Leticia Yanes.

Ready…Set…Wrestle!

The Glen Cove wrestling team is off to a big start this year, and has been hitting the mat shooting! Christopher MacDonald, the head coach, has been making big strides in Glen Cove wrestling. On Saturday, Dec. 10, Glen Cove competed at the annual Mamaroneck wrestling tournament, and had a total of 15 place winners consisting of five finalists. The five finalists included Gorov Sodhi, Nicholas McAdams, Charlie Guastella, as well as two champions, Eduardo Montecer and Robert Krisch. Glen Cove then proceeded to win the tournament, leading by 25 points, and defeating the longtime rival Clarkstown North.

However, that’s not all, the following Tuesday, December 13th, Glen Cove also had a double dual match, facing North Shore and MacArthur “B”. A change of events this year put Glen Cove and North Shore head to head. Glen Cove Knights defeated the Vikings 47 to 20. Wrestling tough for GC were Jakub Micko with a pin in 2:37, Mario Serrano with a major decision, 14-4, and Dane Caufield with a pin in 1:39. Glen Cove finished even stronger with the second match up against MacArthur “B.” With a final score of 74-9 Glen Cove racked up a total of eight pins. Glen Cove Wrestling continues to evolve, seeking more challenges.

NS Wrestlers Open at Bethpage

North Shore Viking wrestlers started the 2011-12 season with a trip to Bethpage for the Bethpage Dad’s club wrestling tournament. With 15 teams in the competition including, Suffolk powerhouse John Glenn and Westchester’s Yorktown cornhuskers, the Vikings had plenty of top level opponents. The team was led by junior Dan Grabher who placed 2nd at 160 lbs. losing a close match to county place winner Chris Koo from Great Neck South. Taking 4th place was senior Mike Mendolsohn at 152 lbs. and sophomore Hunter Sharf at 120 lbs. Other wrestlers advancing but eliminated going into the medal round were senior Jake Alverson (152 lbs.), Juniors Wil Blackburn (170 lbs.) and Wil Grogan (220 lbs).

Fall Athletes Honored In Glen Cove

The Glen Cove School District Athletics Department, Booster Club, varsity coaches and student-athletes from Glen Cove High School came together to recognize distinguished members of the varsity squads during this year’s Fall Athletics Awards Ceremony. The evening was highlighted by the presentation of the coveted Superintendent’s Award, which recognizes one student-athlete every athletic season who demonstrates the highest level of scholarship, leadership, and sportsmanship. This fall’s winner is senior Varsity Football player Nicholas Manzione.

Additional nominees for the Superintendent’s Award were Alison Abrams (Cross-Country), Alison Baade (Volleyball), Ariana Cavallone (Girls Soccer), Alexandra Gerin (Girls Tennis), and Erick Pajuelo (Boys Soccer).