The Long Island Junior Soccer League was recently honored for its role in helping create Rising Star's summer soccer program. The league was recently honored during an awards luncheon at Oheka Castle. Rising Star is a multi-faceted program developed by District Attorney Denis Dillon that utilizes sports, after school remedial intervention, mentoring and outreach to community leaders to teach virtues to young people living in areas beset by high crime.

Nine boys and girls, ages 10 to 14, were named local champions of the 2001 Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship, earning the right to compete at the district level. Joseph Barry Council No. 2520 in Hicksville sponsored the local competition at St. Ignatius Loyola School. All youngsters ages 10 to 14 were eligible to participate.

Kathleen Pollet was the 10-year-old girls' champion and Michael Petsche was the winner of the 10-year-old boys' division. In the 11-year-olds' bracket, Michelle Kurowski was the girls' champion and Kyle Bauer was the boys' champion.

Twelve-year-old winners in the girls' and boys' divisions were Teresa Pollet and Patrick Scotti. Aziz Almakay won the 13-year-old boys' division. There were no participants in the 13-year-old girls' division. Fourteen-year-old champions were Donna Kurowski in the girls' bracket and Anthony Descalzo in the boys' division. Each contestant was allowed 15 free throw attempts in the contests. Successive rounds of five free throws per contestant settled ties until a winner emerged.

Each of these winners will compete in the district competition to be held on March 3 at St. Ignatius Loyola School with an eye toward moving on to the state and international levels.

The Hicksville Tomcatz defeated the East Meadow Titans 29-0 during the Nassau County Touch Football League's Super Bowl. Quarterback Joe Zirkel threw four touchdown passes and was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP). His brother, middle linebacker Tim Zirkel, was the team's MVP for the season.

At one time, five Zirkel brothers played for the team. When Tom Zirkel died, the team was renamed The Tomcatz in his memory. Joe, Tom, Tim, John and Paul are all graduates of Holy Trinity High School.

Their sisters, Jeanne O'Connell, Mary Pacifico and Anne Hagopian-Zirkel, are also Holy Trinity graduates. With another sister, Barbara Dempsey, all nine are also alumni of St. Ignatius School in Hicksville. They are the children of Marie and Deacon Don Zirkel, whose grandson, Gabe O'Connell, was the team's leading scorer.