The Mineola High School boys varsity basketball team opened its season by splitting the first two games of the season. The season opened with the Mustangs dropping a 75-70 decision to Carey High School. Senior David Terezo led four players in double figures with 23 points in the loss. Junior Eric Wooten added 17 points, while senior Dan Bailey and sophomore Rich Medlock scored 14 points apiece. The Mustangs notched their first win five days later with a 72-66 victory at Division. Eric Wooten and Dave Terez topped the scoring with 18 points apiece. Wooten also pulled down 13 rebounds while Terezo grabbed 10 boards. Point guard Dan Bailey was good for 11 points while dishing out nine assists. Junior guard Aaron Kelley sealed the win by hitting 3 of 4 free throws and making a key steal in the last minute of the game.

The Mineola High School girls varsity basketball team tipped-off its new season by splitting its first two games with Oceanside and West Hempstead. Then, the Lady Mustangs won the Great Neck South Tournament. In the tourney opener, Mineola dropped East Meadow 47-30. Senior point guard Katherine Hock led a balanced attack with eight points. Senior forward Erin Sanderleaf added seven points while junior center Patty Ober and junior forward Maureen Cloghessy played exceptionally defensively. The next night, the Lady Mustangs won the championship game 42 to 40 over Great Neck North. Katherine Hock was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament while Maureen Cloghessy was chosen to the All-Tournament team. Hock led all scorers with 12 points. Cloghessy scored eight points and pulled down 14 rebounds. Ober was again strong defensively and on the boards. In fact, eight players scored for Mineola in the title game

The Mineola junior varsity girls basketball team has opened its season by winning its first three games. After going winless last season, the JV team has already improved 300 percent in one year. First came wins over Oceanside and West Hempstead. The latest victory was a 37-24 decision over Herricks. Freshman Liz Terezo led all scorers with 10 points while freshman Shaleira Smith added eight points. Ali Rodriguez, Denise Fitzpatrick, Olivia Bonom, Stephanie Whitten and Elly Goncalves also scored for Mineola while Theresa Dolan, Terezo and Rodriguez played strong on defense.

Coach Brenda Eversley White is hoping her girls gymnastics team has an improved season this winter. White, a graduate of New Hyde Park Memorial High School and SUNY Cortland, said Kerrin Hughes, Kelly Fay, Christine Dougherty, Jill Tognelli and Michelle Bucalo are her returning gymnasts. The coach also named Candy Sterling as her "hot newcomer." Sterling will hopefully compete as an all-around gymnast. Hughes, Bucalo and Tognelli were tabbed as those to watch. Hughes and Tognelli will compete in floor exercises while Bucalo will be an all-around gymnast. Coach White says about her team, "We expect to improve this year. The overall average should soar at least 10 points or more."

Some of the strongest winter sports teams at Mineola High School over the years have been the bowling team. Let's take a look at the boys team through the eyes of veteran coach Bob Young. Because he has such a young and inexperienced team, Young says, "The season will be a learning process. We hope to improve week to week." There are no returning bowlers from last year's varsity. The team is made up of two juniors, one sophomore, four freshmen, one eighth grader and one seventh grader. Nevertheless, Coach Young says junior Joe Tesio, freshmen Luis Tramatano, Vito Errico and Peter Marson plus seventh grader Anthony Tretolo are his bowlers to watch. Tiseo and Tretolo are listed by Young as his hottest newcomers. To point out his team's lack of experience, when asked for his toughest opponent for this season, he listed everyone. As predicted, the Mustang Kegglers opened the season by losing their first two matches, but then got that first win by an 8-3 score over Roslyn. Vito Errico and Joe Tiseo led the way. Errico had games of 212 and 210. Tiseo's scores were 181 and 180. The junior varsity also got its first win, also defeating Roslyn 8-3. In their first two outings, Mineola lost to North Shore and Great Neck South.

Meanwhle, optimism is running rampant for the girls varsity bowling team. Coach Bill Smith says, "This year's team is shaping up to make another run at the county championships." The Lady Mustangs return a full varsity roster, including junior Christina Schulze, the defending champion in the Nassau County Individual Tournament. The top finishers in that tournament were selected as members of the All-Star team that competed in the state championships last March. Also returning, and participants in last year's individual tournament are sophomore Jennifer Pirrone and seniors Joanna Errico and Alison Conti. Errico is in her fourth year on varsity and her third season as co-captain, while Conti returns after an illness that forced her out of action for most of last season. Returning to the junior varsity squad are senior Melissa Purdy and juniors Becca Madson, Hilary Singer and Lauren Landy. Newcomers to the team include senior Maryl Fitzpatrick, juniors Lauren Anderson and Christine Manlulu along with eighth grader Jennifer Boyle.

Coach Smith says, "With six players returning from last year's playoffs, experience is not a factor, but, finding a consistent team will be a key to winning it all at this year's championships in Garden City in February."

Both teams opened their seasons against North Shore. While the JV team lost the 11-point match 6 to 5, the varsity started strong with an 8 to 3 victory. Schulze's 234 and Errico's 171 led the way in the first game. The second game came down to the final frame, and despite a 214 game from Schulze and Pirrone's 167, it was not enough as the Mustangs lost 642-640. The third game was highlighted by Madson's 166 and a team score of 660 to seal the win for Mineola. The JV squad was able to win the overall pin count, but lost the match 2 games to 1. The bright spot in the match came from Lauren Anderson, who bowled a 166 in her first ever competitive game. The JV team lost the second game by only 14 pins and that game decided the match. North Shore finished with a 410 to 392 victory in the final game to seal the match.

The varsity and JV both posted impressive wins over Great Neck South by 11 to nothing scores. Not one varsity bowler had a 200 game. But, the team still managed to break the 700 pin mark twice in the match. Christina Schulze's 193, Jennifer Pirrone's 181, Joanna Errico's 176 and Alison Conti's 174 represented the individual high games. All four bowlers averaged 160 or higher to finish off the rebels. The junior varsity got help from all eight members on the way to the victory. Lauren Landy led the way with games of 142 and 150, while Melissa Purdy's 138 and Lauren Anderson's 130 helped to secure the win.

Mineola followed that with a double win over Roslyn. The JV, though, needed the third game to secure the win. Becca Madson's 142 in game 1 went for naught, as Roslyn rallied to win by 20 pins. Needing the next two games to win the match, Anderson, Madson, Landy and Hilary Singer combined to score an 85 pin victory. The deciding game in the match was sparked by Anderson's team-high 157, as the Mustangs won going away. Three varsity bowlers, Conti, Pirrone and Schulze, all topped the 190 mark as Mineola cruised through the first two games. The third game saw Roslyn come out strong and build up a 50-pin lead at the halfway point. But, the Mineola varsity staged a huge comeback and turned that 50-pin deficit into a 50-pin victory and another sweep by the score of 11-0.

We also need to make a couple of corrections on the list of Mineola fall athletes who earned post season honors Senior midfielder Justin Clingo was voted All-County honorable mention by the Nassau County Boys Soccer Coaches Association, while Andre Mendes was voted All-Conference. We regret the mistakes in a previous article.