January 11 marked the seventh anniversary of a somber moment that has morphed into a memorable annual event at Mineola High School. Reggie Carter was a legendary St. John's University basketball player who toiled under the tutelage of hall of famer Lou Carnesecca and later graced the floor of the world's most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, as a New York Knickerbocker.

More importantly, Reggie was an assistant principal at Mineola High School who tragically died on Christmas Eve 1999 leaving behind a wonderful wife and family. Most students who passed through the halls of the high school were hardly aware of Reggie's athletic exploits, yet he preferred to have it remain that way.

To memorialize his achievements as an academic as well as his exploits as a competitor, the administration and student body initiated a night in his honor beginning in 2000.

One senior boys varsity basketball player has been selected to don the No. 35 jersey for that evening's hoops contest as the Reggie Carter Award recipient who represents the qualities of character, leadership and sportsman that honors this unforgettable man. This season, for the first time, this privilege was also granted to a member of the girls Varsity squad. A plaque honoring all past recipients resides in the trophy case outside the entrance to the school gymnasium.

The night raises funds for a scholarship in Carter's name as the boys junior varsity, girls varsity and boys varsity teams play a tripleheader beginning in the afternoon and culminating in the evening on a Friday every mid-January. Presentations are made by both varsity head coaches before the start of the final game of the evening. This year, St. John's director of Basketball Operations Billy Singleton represented the university by relating Reggie's legacy to the Redmen. The 2008 event raised over $1,100 toward a scholarship designated by a select committee to be announced in June.

This year's boy's recipient was none other than three-year letter-winner and second-year captain T.J. Gessner. T.J. has been the starting point guard for the Mustangs varsity basketball team since his sophomore season and was a well-deserved selection by second-year head coach Jim Hegmann.

T.J. has underscored a dramatic turnaround in the fortunes of Mineola basketball as he and his teammates seek to win a conference championship for the first time since 1986. He is passionate about both the sport and his school and is admired by his mates for accomplishments on and off the hardwood. As fate would have it, T.J. went out and dropped 17 points on division rival Lynbrook as leading scorer in the feature game of the evening. Gessner was an All-Conference performer last year and was also named to the Nassau County Top 40 All-Star team during the fall pre-season. T.J. hopes to continue his playing career at the collegiate level.

Girls varsity coach Denise Zunno, in front of a packed house, selected a quiet leader and outstanding athlete, Nicole Reardon, to be the first female to receive the honor. Nicole leads by example through her work ethic and determination, particularly in practice, helping the Lady Mustangs to one of their most successful seasons in recent history. Nicole is a fierce competitor who accepts her role as a spark plug off the bench and contributes in multiple ways to the team's success. With a number of underclassmen on this year's roster, Nicole has been instrumental in guiding these student-athletes through the rigors of a varsity schedule. Enigmatic of her performance, the girls defeated conference leader Oyster Bay in the early contest putting one of the few blemishes on the Lady Baymen's conference record.

Reardon and Gessner were saluted in speeches by their coaches during the pre-game ceremony between the varsity games. In addition, Mineola athletic director Ralph Amitrano had strong praise for the two individuals. "I see T.J. and Nicole very much in the same light. They are both fine student-athletes who display strong character and demonstrate the type of effort, responsibility and behavior that has defined them as distinguished athletes at Mineola," he said.

The night is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the winter season and without question draws the biggest crowd of the year. For one night, no spectator left disappointed despite the outcome of the evening's court battles.