The Mineola High School boys track and field team competed in its final quad meeting of the season at Manhasset High School. Once again, the Mustangs scored well in the weight events. Seniors Dave Gouveia (40'7'') , Rob Kiss (40'6'') and Rob Olszewski (40'.5'') swept the shot put competition. Kiss (125'5''), Gouveia (120'3'') and Olszewski (108'5'') also placed first, second and fifth respectively in the discus. For the first time all season, coach Mike Santa Maria had all three of his relay teams score points. The 4X800-meter relay team of Danny Sanches, Alec Schoenoltz, Chris Vera and Claudio DeMatos took first place. The 4X400-meter relay team of Tiago Barbosa, Brandon Havercome, Alec Schoenoltz and Matt Siwinski placed second thanks to Siwinski's blazing 11.5-second anchor split. Other athletes who scored in the meet included:

Danny Sanches-third in the 1600 meter

Alec Schoenoltz-fifth in the 1600 meter

Matt Siwinski-third in the 100 meter

Chris Vera-fourth in the dash

Claudio DeMatos-first in the 800 meter

Edgar Galindo-fifth in the 3200 meter

Tobin George-second in the high jump

Brandon Havercome-fifth in the long jump

The Mustangs completed the dual meet season with a record of 5-8. At the time of this writing, the division championships and the Bulldog Invitational at Hewlett were upcoming.

The Mineola varsity baseball team went into the final week of the regular season needing a sweep to win the Conference A-VI title. The key to the season was the three-game series against Manhasset. Since the Indians took two of three from the Mustangs, the Mustangs were in a must-win situation against Valley Stream North to end the regular season.

Mineola had opened the A-VI regular seasonwith a 7-5 win over North Shore. Senior lefthander Tiago Rodrigues pitched six strong innings but threw a lot of pitches (11 Ks, 5 walks) and tired in the seventh. He gave up five hits but finished by striking out the final batter. Mineola opened the game by scoring four runs in the first inning. Big hits came from Rob Maloney (Jr.) and Mike Santopetro (Sr.) in the fifth inning. Chris Lang (Sr.), Santopetro and Chris Orlando (Jr.) scored runs. Joe Melito (Jr.) delivered a bases-loaded single to score 2.

North Shore bounced back in game two of the series with a 13-3 win over Mineola. It started badly when a ball that looked foul was ruled a three-run homer by the home plate umpire and right away the Mustangs were in a hole. Base-running mistakes in consecutive innings resulted in line drive double plays to further complicate the situation. Starting pitcher Chris Orlando gave up six earned runs in three innings. Reliever Mark Levy (Sr.) got little help defensively and allowed six runs (one earned). Mineola scored three runs in the final inning to avoid being shut out. Mineola bounced back to take the series finale 13-8.

After spotting North Shore a 1-0 lead on some defensive miscues, Mineola responded with back-to-back doubles from Tiago Rodrigues and Nelson Lopes (Sr.) to tie the score. Lopes then scored on a steal-and-stop. Starting pitcher Mick Oswald (Jr.) settled down. Mineola scored four more in the second inning. Mike Vasconcellos (Jr.) had a two-run double and Lopes hit a two-run single. Mienola took two of three from the Vikings.

Mineola then swept its three-game series against Roosevelt. The Mustangs banged out 21 hits in a 21-0 win over the Rough Riders. Tiago Rodrigues earned another win on the mound. He gave up just two hits and two walks while striking out 16 in a complete game victory. Rodrigues also starred at the plate, going 4-6 with 4 RBI and three runs scores, including his first homer of the season. Nick Tonini (Sr.) was 3-3. Nelson Lopes, Mike Santopetro, Kevin Tiseo (Sr.), John Rovegno (Sr.) and Chris Orlando each had two hits. Orlando and Tiseo drove in three runs apiece.

Game two of the series was much closer but the Mustangs still earned a 9-3 win. Mick Oswald earned a complete game victory, allowing just three unearned runs. Oswald struck out 12 and walked two. Mineola stole 18 bases in the game, playing small ball but scoring in every inning. Mineola managed only six hits but with 11 walks, made them all count. Rob Maloney, Mike Vasconcellos, Mike Santopetro, Kevin Tiseo, Mark Levy and Nick Tonini all had hits while Tiseo, Levy and John Cloghessy (Sr.) had multiple walks.

Mineola completed the sweep of Roosevelt with an 11-1 victory. Starting pitchers Chris Orlando went six innings of three-hit ball; Mike Santopetro pitched the seventh inning. The Mustangs followed 18 steals in game two of the series with 20 steals in the final. Vasconcellos stole four bases while Santopetro and Nelson Lopes stole three each. Cloghessy, Lopes and Tiseo recorded multiple-hit games.

The crucial series with Manhasset opened poorly for the Mustangs. Dan Barnes shackled Mineola on one hit in a 3-0 Indians victory. Barnes struck out 13. Manhasset then won the second game of the series 4-2 while Mineola got a win in game three 10-7. Kevin Tiseo stroked a two-run homer and drove in five runs. Tiago Rodrigues was 3-3 and pitched the final two innings in relief of winning pitcher Mike Santopetro. Rodriques earned a save.

That's how Mineola ended up in a must-win situation in the final week of the regular season. Stay tuned.