Gymnastics Team Heads To State Qualifiers
Written by Ronald Scaglia, Rscaglia@antonnews.com Friday, 01 February 2013 00:00
Seniors show leadership as Massapequa
careers come towards a finish
It was a simple question but the answer, or lack thereof, spoke volumes to the admiration that the coach has for his team.
Massapequa Varsity Girls Gymnastics Coach Mike Capone was sitting in the bleachers prior to the events of Senior Night, the final home meet for the team this year. He was asked to speak about the group of young women on his team, and in particular, the seniors who will soon be leaving. The coach was left at a loss for words, in particular about the seniors, some of whom he has coached for six years.
“This is probably the best group of young ladies that I’ve had the pleasure to be associated with,” he finally responded. “I cannot say enough about the seniors and the team.”
Capone says that the team’s talent, dedication, and resiliency have been well demonstrated this year. Despite injuries and the flu, both of which have affected team members, the team has remained consistent, scoring around 155 to 160 points at their meets.
Next week, members of the team will be competing in State Qualifiers. Katie Wall, a senior and team captain, will be hoping to add to an already exceptional list of accomplishments. She had qualified for the state team for the past two years as an all-county gymnast and has the highest average in vaulting.
“She’s been excellent for six years,” Capone remarked about her.
Brianna Saba is another team leader. She has made it to the state qualifiers in four of the past five years.
“A pleasure to coach,” Capone says of her.
All-county gymnast Brianna Wick is another senior who will soon be departing the Massapequa team. Her specialties are the balance beam and floor exercise and she has qualified for the state qualifiers for the past five years.
“Great kid,” Capone said about her. Also excelling on the balance team is Tiffany Philippou. The coach says she is a team leader who helps to mentor the younger members of the team who will be the stars of Massapequa in the years to come.
“We’ve all been on same team for six years,” said Wall. “It’s going to be sad to be done. We’ve all worked really hard together. We’ve gotten really close.”
“We all practiced hard,” added Wick. “We’ve shown a lot of improvement.”
The team still has business to attend to at the state qualifiers. However, even with the seniors leaving, the future for the team remains bright. Tenth-grader Emily Caulfield suffered an ankle injury this year, but worked hard to recover and appears poised for great accomplishments.
“She has great potential,” says Capone. “She’s a pleasure to be around. We expect great things from her.”
Juliann Smith, Sarah Woods and Ally Wick are a trio of ninth-graders who also have tremendous potential. Even though talented seniors are graduating, it appears that the Massapequa Girls Varsity Gymnastics Team will remain at the top of the county. In some ways, that is the legacy of the seniors who are leaving as their guidance has influenced their younger teammates.
“We had to show them the way,” said Philippou about her younger teammates. “JV is a lot different. We had to help the adjust and now we are all really close.”
“We feel comfortable leaving the team and having them take over,” added Saba.
News
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
Navy SEAL killed in crash was top student athlete
Jonathan Kaloust, a 23-year-old Navy SEAL who hailed from Massapequa, lost his life last Wednesday in a freak Humvee crash during a training exercise in Fort Knox, Ky.
A 2007 graduate of Massapequa High School and standout wrestler, Kaloust was recruited to Binghamton University, where he continued to wrestle while pursuing a political science degree.
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
Increased service will save local
commuters up to 40 minutes a day
A $40-million construction project, designed to modernize the Massapequa Station at Sunrise Highway (Route 27), just east of Broadway and Route 107, was announced by the Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Long Island Railroad. The station renovations are part of a multi-phase initiative to improve infrastructure and train service at the station that serves approximately 6,000 customers every weekday.
The first phase is scheduled to begin on May 29, and the improvements are scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2015. Over the next two years, the rehabilitation project will include the sorely needed replacement of the station platform and canopy, heated platform waiting room, escalator, elevator and staircases, pedestrian walkway over Broadway, public address system, plus the addition of signage, energy-efficient platform lighting, and a decorative granite wall adjacent to ticket office. The railroad is also starting work on the installation of a pocket track just east of the station that will significantly improve train service and frequency, as well as on-board seat availability.
Sports
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
The U.S. Tennis Association Long Island Region has recognized Michelle Carnovale of Massapequa for her tennis playing in 2012. Michelle was honored for her ranking in the Girls’ 14s on Long Island.
With more than 9,000 members, the Region promotes the growth and development of Long Island tennis and supports USTA programs including Jr. Team Tennis, National Junior Tennis and Learning, High School Tennis, College Tennis, USTA 10 and Under Tennis, USTA League Tennis, and community tennis.
The volunteer-based Board of Directors works with USTA members to create programs and activities for all the tennis players on Long Island, from small children to seniors. For more information, visit www.longisland.usta.com or email ustaonlongisland@gmail.com.
Thursday, 23 May 2013 00:00
Last Wednesday the Massapequa Observer A’s had a come-from-behind victory 5-2 over the Trial Lawyer Mets, powered by key hits from Ray Anzelone, Michael Grisanti, and Jason Kopp. Evan “Mariano” Barrow came in again with no outs and the bases loaded to pick up the save.
On Saturday, the Observer A’s beat the Kleer Fax Yankees 4-2. The A’s were down 1-0 into the 4th inning due to an RBI single by Ross Mitton of the Yankees. Anthony Patullo drove in two runs with an RBI triple to give the A’s a 2-1 lead. This was followed by Brendan Castonguay driving in two runs with a double to make the score 4-1. Patullo pitched three solid innings in the start with Castonguay pitching the final three innings for the win.
Calendar
Marine Corps Barbecue
Monday, May 27
Wantagh Preservation Society Meeting
Tuesday, May 28
America’s Boating Course
Tuesday, May 28
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Building Better Legislators
Written by Michael A. Miller, Millercolumn@optimum.net
