With the holidays behind us, the winter sports teams have been hard at work and are now in the thick of their respective seasons. The boys varsity and JV bowling teams have had an exceptional season so far. It is not unusual to see games above 200 from these bowlers on a regular basis. Some have rolled three-game series as high as 695. There is some real talent on these two squads.

The girls varsity and JV basketball teams are both in a rebuilding mode, but still show their opponents what Mineola pride is all about. This week, Coach Wiedman introduces her JV basketball squad. At the beginning of the season, Coach Wiedman had this to say about her team: "The girls are playing very hard, putting together some really nice offense, but we are not able to make enough baskets to win. Our defensive play is great also, but we have been unable to keep the other teams from scoring more than us." Coach feels that all the players have been playing and practicing extremely hard.

Coach: Christine Wiedman (attended Mineola High School, Adelphi University).

Returning players:

Lauren Anderson has strong leadership qualities. She takes control on and off the court. Cassandra Burke is great under the boards. She grabs the rebounds and goes up strong. Vanessa Gonzales handles the ball very well. Vicky Russo handles the ball very well. Patty Munson uses her height to grab rebounds and plays excellent defense. Janine Posillico uses her speed to carry the ball up the court. The entire team has strengths similar to the above, however some score more than others.

Expectations for the season:

The team had a slow start but since then has been working hard. The team's unity and dedication will hopefully pay off in a few wins. They are always eager to learn and they have all improved since the first day. Most of all I think this season will be a learning experience for the girls and we hope to have some fun doing so.

Hot newcomers:

Caitlin Callahan, Rachel Cohen, Diana Crowe, Theresa Dolan, Denise Fitzpatrick, Melissa Hock, Christina Lagomarsine, Angelina Martinez, Allison Rodriguez and Vicky Russo.

Players to watch:

Lauren Anderson, Cassandra Burke, Caitlin Callahan, Angelina Martinez, Melissa Hock, Janine Posillico, Denise Fitzpatrick. Coach Weeds believes that everyone is a key player on the team.

Who will be your toughest opponent and why?:

Actually, probably everyone. We're struggling for a victory at all times.

Boys Bowling Team Highlights:

Dec. 9:

Varsity: Mineola 0, Great Neck South 11. Adam Tuthill bowled 194, 183. Anthony Scapicchio bowled 188, 189. Bryan Gallucci bowled 183.

JV: Mineola 8, Great Neck South 3. High games by Mineola were Billy D'Eleia 171 and John Tavares 200.

Dec 14:

Varsity: Mineola 6, Carle Place 5. Mineola defeated defending League 1 champs. Leading was the play of Anthony Scapicchio, who bowled 201, 212; Adam Tuthill 222, 189; Bryan Gallucci, 204; John Randazzo, 222, 218, 256 (696 series).

JV: Mineola 0, Carle Place 11. Carle Place has the best JV in Nassau County. Bill D'Elia bowled 173, 170. John Tavares bowled 182.

Dec. 16:

Varsity: Mineola 8, Port Washington 3. High bowlers for Mineola were John Randazzo, 224; Eric Kruse, back from a broken foot, with 225, 211; and John Tavares, 214.

JV: Mineola 11, Port Washington 0. Billy D'Elia bowled a 173. John Tavares 181, 201. Bryan Gallucci 180, 194.

Dec. 21:

Varsity: Mineola 11, Manhasset 0. Anthony Scapicchio bowled 185, 185. Adam Tuthill 194, 196. John Randazzo 214, 227. Newcomer Jeff Tavares 184, 191.

JV: Mineola 5, Manhasset 6. Matt Brown 206, 180. Billy D'Elia 234, 178.

Jan. 6:

Varsity: Mineola 11, Roslyn 0. John Randazzo bowled 269 with a high series 659. Eric Kruse 215. Adam Tuthill 215, 210. Anthony Scapicchio 187, 205.

JV: Mineola 11, Roslyn 0. Bryan Gallucci bowled 205. Billy D'Elia 183, 196. Riccardo Cunha 183.

Jan. 14:

Varsity: Mineola 11, Great Neck North 0. Eric Kruse dialed 202, 188, 206. Anthony Scapicchio 241, 206. Adam Tuthill 236, 192, 187. John Randazzo 203, 257, 235 for a 695 series. Mineola opened the second half of the season with this victory over Great Neck North.

JV: Mineola 8, Great Neck North 0. Billy D'Elia 177. Jeff Tavares 182, 171. Bryan Gallucci 190, 225. Brian Sacs 170.