Thanks to her outstanding talents in track and field, Schreiber High School senior Nicole Dumpson makes the sport look effortless; it isn't. Her natural abilities coupled with hours of practice have made this teenager with a winning smile the heptathlon champion of the Empire State Games. Competing in a grueling eight events over two days with athletes from all regions of New York State, Nicole said she knew she was in first place before the final event, the 800 meter race, but only by a slim margin. "So I knew I had to win (the event)" Nicole said. And win she did, saying she first "cried" when she found she had won. Moments later she congratulated the other athletes, and then ran in the 4 x 400 Long Island relay team, helping them clinch a medal. Her mother, Ruth Tibie, said that she was excited and happy for her daughter. "You have to be very committed to this," she said, adding, "One day I want to see her at the Olympics." FULL STORY

For the last seven years she has been able to garden, to go to the theater, to see her grandchildren Andrew, Eric and Michael, and to enjoy life-- as a breast cancer survivor. Her fourth grandchild, Alexa was born recently. FULL STORY

MBYC hosted the Optimist Invitational Regatta (7/23). Competitors from eight clubs assigned to fleet according to age: White Fleet for 10 and under, Blue Fleet for 11 and 12 and Red Fleet for 13, 14, and 15. Race coordinator was John Barry and Area A US Sailing Judge Peter Lorson. Usual postponement until wind filled in from southeast. FULL STORY

The Whitecaps, Port's 11-and-under independent Little League team, put a bow on an up-and-down tournament season with a strong final week of play. In a convincing victory over a playoff-bound St. Paul's team on Sunday, the Whitecaps leapfrogged into post season contention in the Glen Cove Mayor's Trophy Tournament, giving the locals three consecutive wins in just six days. A victory in their final game against Roslyn, to be played Wednesday after this newspaper goes to press, would put the Caps in contention for the final playoff spot in the 11-team field. FULL STORY