The spring sports season has proven to be a very productive one for the Mineola High School varsity teams. The softball team was the Conference II, League II champion. The girls lacrosse team had another strong season in Conference II and earned a playoff berth. The baseball team also fought its way into the postseason. The girls track team continues to make its own news in Nassau County.

The Mineola High School varsity baseball team heads into the playoffs after completing its regular season. "The last two weeks of league play was very interesting. We played some good baseball, but didn't have much to show for it," said coach Helms Bohringer, referring to the Mustangs dropping five straight. "[But] in the final game, we played our hearts out and battled back to clinch a playoff berth."

Mineola opened a crucial three-game set at Seaford in game 12 of the Conference A-VI season. Mineola gave its ace, junior Tiago Rodrigues, an early 2-0 lead on a windblown day. Senior Chris Lyons scored on an error and then Mike DeStefano drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly. But, Seaford came back and took the lead for good in the fifth inning. The inning also proved to be crucial in that Rodrigues was hit by a line drive in his pitching elbow and was forced from the game. Seaford went on to win 8-2.

The second game of the series at Mineola was a slugfest. Seaford emerged with an 18-15 victory. The Mustangs scored four runs in the first inning. But the Vikings scored five of their own in the second inning. Mineola tied the game on a Derek Webber single, which was played into a three-base error. The crucial inning was the fourth. The Mustangs could do nothing right. The pitchers had trouble throwing strikes and the fielders offered little help. Seaford ended up scoring 10 runs for a 16-5 lead. Mineola came back though, scoring six runs in its half of the fourth inning. Chris Lyons and Tommy Owens each drove in two runs in the inning. Mineola scored two in the sixth on back-to-back triples from Kevin Tiseo and Pat Gaffney. But, Seaford scored twice in the seventh, which the Mustangs couldn't overcome.

In the series finale, sophomore Mick Oswald made his first start on the varsity mound. In a performance, coach Bohringer described as awesome, Oswald scattered eight hits and allowed only one earned run with no walks.

The Mustangs got on the board first. After Derek Webber tripled, he was driven in by Mike DeStefano. Kevin Tiseo gave Mineola the lead again when he homered to centerfield. Seaford tied the score, but a potential lead run was cut down at the plate on Chris Lyons' throw for leftfield. Lyons later drove in DeStefano in the sixth inning. Seaford tied the game in the sixth and won it in the seventh to sweep the three-game series.

Mineola stepped out of conference to grab a 7-4 win over Roslyn. Derek Webber doubled and homered in the game. Mike Bencivenga, who played for the first time in weeks after suffering a knee injury, delivered a clutch, bases-loaded single to drive in two runs.

It was back to conference play then for the final series of the regular season. In the opener at North Shore, Mineola's ace, Tiago Rodrigues, made his first start since taking that line drive shot off his pitching elbow. But, he lasted only one inning when he elbow started to ache. Another junior, Nelson Lopes, stepped in and pitched well the rest of the way. Trailing 2-0, Mineola scored three times behind Tommy Owens' RBI double and Chris Lyons' RBI single. Lyons then stole second and third and scored on a Pat Gaffney clutch single. North Shore scored twice in the sixth and beat Mineola 6-4. In the second game of the season at Mineola, North Shore escaped with a 4-0 decision and clinched the conference title. After trailing, Mineola tied it up when Mike DeStefano drove in Derek Webber with a triple. Tommy Owens then drove in DeStefano with the tying run. Lyons was later on third and scored on a fielder's choice to give the Mustangs a 3-2 lead. But, North Shore scored twice and won the game.

In the series and regular season finale, Mineola found itself on the short end of a 7-2 score on the road. But, the Mustangs scored one in the third inning when Mike DeStefano stole home. Senior Billy Campagna held North Shore scoreless the rest of the game. In the sixth inning, Tiago Rodrigues singled, stole second and scored on Nelson Lopes' hit. Lopes took second on the throw to the plate. John Cloghessy then got his biggest hit of the year. He drove in Lopes to draw Mineola to within 7-5. In the seventh inning, Lyons doubled in a run. Kevin Tiseo followed with a single. Pat Gaffney's deep fly ball then scored Lyons to tie the score. On an attempted steal of third by pinch runner Nick Tonini, North Shore's catcher threw the ball into leftfield and Tonini scored the winning run. Camagna finished the game by striking out the final hitter with the tying and winning runs on base.

With the victory, the Mustangs moved into the playoffs and were scheduled to play at Bethpage this past Saturday.

The Mineola High School girls track and field team just keeps getting better. In its fourth year of existence, the team is enjoying its finest season under coach Kristin Degnan. Mineola completed its conference regular season with a record of 10-3, good for third place.

In the division championships on May 9 at North Shore High School, the girls finished second behind the undefeated conference champ, Valley Stream North.

"It was truly a team effort. We scored 91 points. We scored points is track and field," said coach Degnan.

Mineola's field athletes led the way, scoring 52 points in the shotput, discus, pole vault and long jump.

"Samantha Hegmann has led the team all season in the discus and Jess Donahue has led the team all season in the shotput. But, in the vision championships, they swapped their strong event," said coach Degnan.

Donahue hurled the discus a career best 100-feet, one inch to win the competition. Hegmann finished third in that event and earned All-Division honors. In the shotput, Mienola took first, second and fourth. Hegmann notched her career best throw of 30-feet, 7.75 inches to win the title. Donahue finished third in the shotput and earned All-Division honors. The surprise, though, came when freshman Meredith Minsky had her best effort of the season, 27-feet, 6.5 inches, and took fourth. Nicole Lapin vaulted eight feet to win the division title in the pole vault and she placed third in the long jump to earn All-Division in that event.

On the track side, Mineola garnered several honors. The runners accounted for 39 team points. Freshman Nicole Wissler, sophomore Jenn Pawlowski and juniors Lauren Massa and Chelsea Rosner combined to take third in the 4X800 relay. They earned All-Division honors and set a school record in the event, besting the old mark by 16 seconds. Julia Yan broke her own school record in the 400-meter hurdles, placing third and earning All-Division. Lauren Napolitano took third in the 400-meter run to grab an All-Division honor. She came back 45 minutes later to win an exciting 200-meter dash and take the division title. Sophomore Alia Fater broke her own school record in the 1,500-meter run. In the last event of the meet, Yan, Napolitano and Fater teamed up with Christine Medlock to set a school record in the 4X400-meter relay and won the division championship in the process.

The next stop for the track team is the Nassau County Championships on May 17 and 18 at Mitchell Field.