The 2001 badminton season saw no interruption in the Roslyn High School girls squad dominance of the sport in Nassau County. The Lady Bulldogs rolled to their ninth consecutive county team championship by defeating Lynbrook, 6 to 1. As amazing, this year's badminton team carried its undefeated mark to an incredible 163-0.

Individual county winners from this stellar squad included Kate Dolinska, third singles; Norit Aeina and Ali Wainstock, third doubles; and Danna Finestone and Dana Greebel, fourth doubles.

The coach for the Lady Bulldogs is Lynn Jacobson. Ms. Jacobson has been the constant during the badminton team's long and successful run. She started the program in 1974. Since then, the Lady Bulldogs have won 16 Nassau County titles, including seven straight in the 1970s.

Ms. Jacobson said the remarkable success of the program has to do with the "love of the game" displayed by the players. "Kids play better when they have a passion for the sport," she said. Ms. Jacobson also coaches the tennis squad at Roslyn High School, and a number of her tennis players often end up on the badminton team. "If they can handle tennis with its emphasis on hand-eye coordination, then they do well at badminton, too," Ms. Jacobson noted. Members of the volleyball squad also play for the championship badminton team.

Ms. Jacobson also said this past year's squad represented a "rebuilding team." The 2000 team graduated the first doubles team, the first singles players and part of the second doubles team. Still, the coach was able to find the right combinations in putting together winning doubles teams.

Other stars for this year's championship team were the doubles team of Arielle Kurzweil and Lauren Schorr, Lauren Sheeler and Sloan Klonsky, and seniors Jen Sussman and Sara Rappaport. Ms. Jacobson was especially pleased with the play this year of Lauren Schorr, who moved up to third to first in doubles and helped the Lady Bulldogs win another title.