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Sports

Spring Sports Preview: Track, Tennis & Golf

East and West track and field, boys tennis and girls golf teams gear up for the new season.

Boys Track – West

West coach Peter Schieck is looking forward to a strong season with “competitive athletes in almost every event.”

Senior Fred Walter made the state indoor championships in the shot put and will head the throwers with help from Matt Morganelli. Three pole vaulters — Kyle Budney, Karl Nilsen and Matt Rapp — will all take shots at the school record, while Devin Mirenda and Mike McCann expect to be among the league’s best high jumper. Mirenda and Adam Hymowitz will compete in the high hurdles.

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The sprinters are deep and talented with Chris Ingram, Anthony Aprile, Pat Harty and Tom Mistretta. Mark Valentino and Mike Catalano will man the 3,200 meters and the steeplechase, while Mike Emerson, Pat McGuire and Kevin Harty handle the 800 and 1,600 meters.

Boys track - East

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East boys track coaches Brian Willman and Kathleen Borbet are looking for a successful 2011 season. The pair is “very impressed with the work ethic, maturity and sense of team that these student-athletes bring with them every day,” Willman said.

Sophomore Patrick Ginty, with juniors Rob Calamia and Gavin Shulock, will man the distance events while senior Jack Peterson joins sophomores Don Bradshaw and Andrew Ward in the sprints and long/triple jumps. Junior Dan Thixton and first-year senior Sean Horney will compete in the throws, with senior Eric Wong competing in the hurdles. Junior Tom LaMano and sophomore Tom Bubb will soar in the high jump.

East features mostly underclassmen, and the young talent includes freshman sprinter Dominique Bethune and freshman distance runners Eric Melcer and Mike Camera.

East lost its opening meet to Whitman, 78-53.

Girls Track - East

East girls track coach Greg Schepanski said the outlook for 2011 “is pretty bright. We have five seniors who are my captains and true leaders.”

The core of the team consists of Deanna Caracciolo (pole vault, high jump, 4 x 100), Michele Conrad (400 meters, long and triple jumps, 4 x 400 and 4 x 800), Emily Kappelmier (hurdles, triple jump, 4 x 400), Sara Kappelmier (100, 200, long jump, 4 x 100) and Tori Savino (shot put, discus).

The coach noted that the bright future comes from the 18 freshmen on the squad. Schepanski added that the Bulls should “do well in the Division II meet.”

East opened the season with a 93-46 win over Whitman.

Girls Track – West

Coach Jennifer Flynn said the West girls track team is deep, with around 50 athletes, but young, with only three seniors. “They have been very dedicated,” Flynn said of her crew, which is led by senior distance runner Alyssa Knott, who competed in the 3,000 meters at the indoor state qualifier. “She had a strong winter season,” Flynn said.

Two freshmen showed promise during the winter season and, according to the coach, should be big contributors in the spring. Aliya Lewis and Dora Penavic will run the springs and compete in several field events.

Boys Tennis - East

The East boys tennis team moves down to League II this season after playing in League I in 2010, and hopes to reclaim the League II title, which it won in 2009. “This team may be a deeper team than our 2009 team,” said coach Lou Gambeski. “The experience of playing in League I last year, I believe has helped us mature as a team.”

Junior Lucas Viccellio returns at No. 1 singles, while Kevin Keenan and Adam Kiridly are back as the top doubles team. Seniors Alex Arniotes (co-captain with Viccellio), Chris Morano, Scott Timmell and Brian Madden are also back. Morano will play singles, Timmell and Madden are a doubles pairing and Arniotes will play both. Sophomore Dan Nelson and eighth-grader Joe D’Orazio will also play singles. Juniors Nick Werker, Aaron Liguori-Tucci and James Heinegg are playing varsity for the first time.

East dropped its two opening matches, 6-1 to Harborfields, before losing a 5-2 decision to rival Smithtown West. 

Boys Tennis – West

West tennis coach Dan Ketcham said 70 percent of the team is returning after a season that saw the Bulls finish in the middle of the pack in League II.

The senior doubles pairing of Matt Basile and Sam Gudeon, which made the semifinals of the division tournament and was one of the top eight doubles teams in Suffolk, leads the way. Freshmen Mike Gajda and Ken Fox make the jump from the middle school team, and French exchange student Erwan Le Rumeur could also contribute. Ketcham added that the rest of the team is solid and working hard to improve.

Girls Golf - East

The East girls golf team had a fantastic 2010 season, making the Suffolk County finals and winning the league championship for the second straight year.

Two seniors and six juniors return to try and win a third consecutive league title, along with a freshman and three seventh-graders, according to coach Bob Woods. Three of the returning players have earned All-League honors: seniors Katie Fitzharris and Lauren Brennan, and junior Carly Peters.

Girls Golf – West

West placed second in the league and fourth in the county last season and should be competitive again, thanks to sophomore Victoria Snak, who was third in the county championships and third in the states a year ago.

Senior co-captains Kelly Davanzo and Taylor Figgiani are back, along with freshman Kaitlin Clancy, who was All-League last season, with a 10th-place finish at the county tournament. Marissa Pillitteri and Alexa Marino should also see plenty of playing time according to coach Tom Kane.

West began the season with a 9-0 shutout of Commack.

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