Salute to H.S. sports champions in 2022-23

It was a banner season for many high school athletic programs in the Herald’s coverage area. Listed are the Top 20 team and individual accomplishments, in chronological order.

1. North Shore cross-country
   The North Shore boys’ cross-country team has finally caught up with the girls. On Oct. 29 at Bethpage State Park, both Vikings’ running squads captured the Class III Nassau County championships. For the girls it was old hat. The Neal Levy-coached girls have won 16 of the last 17 county titles – an achievement only surpassed by its stunning unbeaten league-meet record of 195-0. The Vikings girls haven’t lost a meet since 2006. The boys’ recent brilliance is new, having won two of the last three county titles.

2. South Side girls’ cross-country
   
   South Side’s strength in numbers proved too much for the competition at the Nassau girls’ cross-country championships Oct. 29 at Bethpage State Park. The result was a third straight county title for the Cyclones. Senior Cameron Coletti, junior Claire Bohan and sophomore Lana Jewett finished 3-4-5, respectively, in the 13-school Class II 5K race and all five South Side scorers earned All-County honors as part of a dominant performance.

3. Seaford girls soccer
   Already a county champion in her first season of varsity girls’ soccer, Ryleigh Nocera was not ready for Seaford’s postseason run to end when it took the field Nov. 5 against Babylon in the Long Island Class B title game. The freshman striker made sure that Seaford’s historic playoff journey would continue when just 54 seconds into overtime she was able to control a long throw-in from Kayla Hoehn and fire a shot into the upper left corner for a dramatic 1-0 victory. Nine days earlier, Nocera set up Kaylie Conklin’s OT winner against Wheatley that delivered the Vikings’ first-ever county crown. Goalkeeper Joanna Bello was perfect in both games behind a defense led by Arianna Garcia, Amanda Williamson, Mia Leggio and Amanda Ettinger.

4. MacArthur girls soccer
   The legend of MacArthur goalkeeper Lexie Thompson was further elevated in the Long Island Class A finals against Shoreham-Wading River Nov. 5. Thompson, who surrendered just one goal all season to that point, recorded her 15th shutout with 11 saves in a 1-0 victory over the Suffolk County Class A champions to propel MacArthur to its first L.I. title since 2011. Junior Sara Kealey gave the Generals the only offense they would need thanks to Thompson’s heroics when she scored 11:32 into the first half from about 20 yards out.

5. Calhoun boys’ volleyball
   A year after Roslyn spoiled Calhoun’s hopes of back-to-back Nassau Division II boys’ volleyball championships, the Colts returned the favor. Top-seeded Calhoun used a balanced attack and took advantage of a second-set lineup gaffe by the Bulldogs to reclaim the county title Nov. 8, 25-22, 25-19, 25-20. Senior Tommy Bello had 20 kills and five blocks, senior libero Brian Sanchez had 23 digs, and senior setter Ryan Pucella had 26 assists to propel the Colts, who also got big efforts from Sean DiPaola and Matt Kalfas.

6. Seaford girls’ volleyball
   The Seaford girls’ volleyball team achieved its goal of a repeat county title and established a dynasty in the process. The Vikings once again hoisted the championship plaque after a four-set win against third-seeded North Shore in the Nassau Class B finals Nov. 9. Kailly Nocera, Danielle McHugh and Natalie Masters starred in Seaford’s third county title in four seasons. The Vikings made more history two days later earning the program’s first Long Island championship since 2019 behind Carey-Jean Block’s monster effort in five dramatic sets against Bayport-Blue Point.

7. North Shore football
   A special play on special teams and a late dose of its workhorse running back was all North Shore needed to repeat as Nassau Conference IV football champions. Senior Pat Godfrey recovered senior Michael Granelli’s punt block for a touchdown late in the first quarter and the Vikings never trailed in the 20-6 victory over West Hempstead in the county title game Nov. 18. Senior Nicholas La Rosa added touchdown runs in each of the last two quarters, including a game-sealing 10-yard score with 4:05 remaining, as North Shore won its 19th consecutive game.

8. Calhoun girls’ volleyball
   Calhoun left little doubt as to which high school Class A girls’ volleyball team was the best in New York State. After dominating pool play, the Colts completed an incredible run to their first-ever state title by dethroning two-time defending Class A-champion Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake 25-11, 25-19, 25-19 in the Nov. 20 final at Glens Falls. Backed by the inspiring play of senior co-captains Julia Lawrence, Ella Maldonado and Victoria Zovich and key contributions from other players in the rotation, the Colts made good on their preseason mantra of “Road to States,” which coach Christina Strezenec said was put on the team’s white board in response to the previous season’s Nassau County final loss to Wantagh.

9. Calhoun girls’ track
   With only 13 members, the Calhoun girls’ track and field team knew it had hardly any margin for missteps Feb. 7 at the Nassau Class B championships; every Colt would have to harvest points – some in multiple events – for the club to avenge a stinging spring loss and claim a second straight county indoor title. In a flurry of personal bests, which included two school records, Calhoun – led by senior Sara Manson and aided by calculation as cold as the air outside the Student Center – fended off rival Valley Stream North to win back-to-back winter championships.

10. Hewlett boys’ swimming
    Hewlett dominated relays and produced top three finishers in eight other events on the way to capturing its first Nassau County boys’ swimming championship since the 1991-92 season on Feb. 11. Leading the effort for the well-rounded Bulldogs was junior Jonah Kirschbaum, who captured the 50-yard freestyle title, anchored two winning relays (200 medley and 400 freestyle), and finished runner-up in the 100 freestyle. Sophomores David Kushnirsky (100 breaststroke champion), Ethan Nus and Ethan Silver were also among the key figures.

11. Seaford wrestling
    Seaford wrestling made history in more ways than one during the individual county championships Feb. 11. The Vikings tied a program record in qualifying six wrestlers for the New York State Championships during the Nassau’s Division 2 tournament and for the first time since 2004 finished as the top team on the county finals stage. Seaford produced one county champ, Karl Leudesdorff at 215 pounds, along with five runner-up finishes, which included Ashley Diaz becoming the first female wrestler on Long Island to advance to a county finals match.

12. Wantagh wrestling
    Wantagh’s Thomas Bonasera, Anthony Clem and Jesse Vanorden all reached the All-County wrestling podium the previous winter by placing in the top six of their respective weight classes. On Feb. 12 they were back on the big stage at Hofstra and made the most of it. They secured three of the Warriors’ four Nassau Division 1 championships, leading them to a repeat team title along with repeat county champ Joseph Clem. The Warriors racked up 253 points to finish well atop the team standings. Long Beach was runner-up with 208.5.

13. Malverne boys’ basketball
    Farvens Ulysse and the Malverne Mules took it to Carle Place early and often en route to another county championship. Ulysse had 10 of his 21 points during Malverne’s explosive run to start the game and Chad Wesley added 13 as the Mules captured their second Nassau County B boys’ basketball title in three seasons with a dominant 60-36 win over the Frogs March 1. Kevin Estime added 12 points for Malverne, which blew out to a 15-0 lead.

14. Baldwin boys’ basketball
    For the second Saturday in a row, Jaylen Brown from downtown provided the difference for Baldwin. Brown’s three-pointer from the corner with 56.5 seconds remaining broke the last of six deadlocks and put the Bruins ahead for good in a hard-fought 45-39 victory over Port Washington in the Nassau Class AA boys’ basketball championship game March 11 before an electric crowd of more than 3,500 at Hofstra. It was the third straight county title for Baldwin (21-3), which a week earlier topped Hempstead in the semis on Brown’s three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining.

15. Baldwin girls’ basketball
    It was quite fitting Payton Dulin put the finishing touch on Baldwin’s second straight Long Island Class AA girls’ basketball title with a pair of late free throws. After all, it was the sophomore guard’s sensational 17-point performance in the first half March 11 that allowed the Lady Bruins to lead from wire-to-wire in their 39-32 victory over Walt Whitman. Dulin poured in a game-high 19 points and senior Katelyn Simpson added 13 for Baldwin, which shot 7-for-8 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to seal its 22nd win in 24 games.

16. South Side boys’ basketball
    South Side seniors Josh Garelle and Rob Pericolosi will be college basketball teammates at SUNY Geneseo, but on March 11 the duo made sure their high school career would get extended in historic fashion. Garelle and Pericolosi each scored 14 points to propel South Side to its first Long Island title since the 1977-78 season with a 45-31 win over Kings Park in the Class A championship game. The two book-ended their scoring outputs with Pericolosi registering 12 of his points in the first quarter alone while Garelle closed strong with 10 in the second half. The Cyclones, who knocked off Manhasset for the county title, finished 25-2.

17. Valley Stream North track
    The county championships were again twice as nice for the Valley Stream North track and field teams. The boys’ and girls' teams swept the Nassau AA spring title for the second straight year at their home track May 23 thanks to a combined five first-place finishes in the field events and six runner-up showings in the running finals. The girls took their fourth straight county crown, with Brooke Fessler (high jump), Nattaly Lindo (shot put) and Moanna Thelusca (discus) winning events and Melissa Innocent placing second in three events. The boys’ captured their 14th championship in 17 years led by winners Joshua Lopez (shot put) and Ethan Smalls (discus.)

18. Seaford baseball
    Billy Kind created history for Seaford baseball when he struck out the final batter in a 1-0 Nassau Class B finals Game 2 win against Wheatley May 26. The senior pitcher tossed a one-hitter with seven strikeouts to clinch Seaford’s sweep of the best-of-three championship series and garner the program’s its first-ever county title. In Game 1, senior Sean Costello threw a complete-game shutout, striking out eight in a 6-0 victory. Costello scored the lone run in Game 2 on Nick Apollo’s single. The Vikings finished 22-2.
19. MacArthur softball
    MacArthur entered the Nassau Class A softball championship series undefeated and riding a 23-game winning streak including a pair against Clarke, but the Rams took the opener and put a notch in the Generals’ loss column for the first time since 2022. However, MacArthur rebounded in a big way behind senior pitcher Taylor Brunn, and after it stayed alive with her Memorial Day shutout secured the county title the following afternoon with a 12-5 win. MacArthur, in capturing its first Nassau crown since 2017, scored four runs in the bottom of the first, exploded for five runs in the fourth and added three more in the sixth. Sofia Anderson and Hailey Feiler had three RBIs apiece.

20. Seaford softball
    In the bottom of the ninth inning of a scoreless Long Island Class B softball championship game June 1, Seaford was threatening after a walk to Gabby Bellamore and some nifty bunts by Jamie Young and Katie Young that gave Center Moriches trouble. The bases were loaded for Kaitlyn Young. Some may have cracked under the pressure, but she was all smiles at the plate. On a 2-1 count Young drilled a fastball to left field and a would-be sacrifice fly dropped in for a single, walking off the game 1-0 for the Vikings and giving them the L.I. title. It marked the program's first since 2005. Pitcher Skyler Secondino allowed only three hits and struck out 15.