Long Island Winter 2017 by Reflection Magazine

LONG ISLAND EDITION

Winter II 2017

• featuring • Smithtown Boy’s Basketball

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Hello Readers Welcome to our Long Island Winter edition. As we wrap up the winter season and jump into the spring, we are providing you with a chance to relive some of the best high school teams from the winter season. In this edition, you will relive the historic run of the Half Hollow Hills East boy’s basketball team, as they win their first ever Suffolk County Championship. We also take you through the Commack girl’s basketball journey to their third straight appearance in the Suffolk County Championship game. Then we visit the Harborfields girl’s basketball and Smithtown West boy’s basketball as they journey to the playoffs. There is a lot of reading to catch up on so... Sit back, relax and enjoy reading about the success of your local high school sports teams!

ULTIMATE ATHLETE MAGAZINE publisher / CEO

PAUL CORACE

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

N.J. Comanzo

SPORTS EDITOR :

Jaclynkelli Kronemberg

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR :

NAZIR ABBAS

SENIOR MEDIA MANAGER :

Punnuthurai Jeyathas

GRAPHIC Designers :

Nazir Abbas

Anthony Anastasiou

Melissa Erickson

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER : Richard Brooks CONTRIBUTING WRITERS : Jaclynkelli Kronemberg

Rahul Kumar Josh Lashley Nicholas Esposito

Harvey Sandig

Nick Portantiere

Until our next edition... Eat-Sleep-Play Basketball Jaclynkelli Kronemberg Sports Editor

In-House Photography : Kevin Sperandeo Contributing Photography : Michael Digiovaani, Anthony Hughes, Morgan Harrison, Paul Corace, Adil Borluca, Bill Kelly, Kevin Sperandeo

Cover Artwork : Nazir Abbas N

LONG ISLAND EDITIO

Winter II 2017

• FEATURING

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Ultimate Athlete Magazine (ISSN 1931-5295) is published 12 times a year by Ultimate Athlete Magazine, Inc., 24 Woodbine Ave, Northport, New York 11768. All contents copyright 2012 by Ultimate Athlete Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or part of the content without prior written consent of Ultimate Athlete, Inc. is strictly prohibited. All logos and trademarks are prroperties of their respective owners. Although the writers and publishers have exhaustively researched all sources to ensure the accuracy and the completeness of the information contained in this publication we assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein. The opinions expressed in all materials are those of authors and do not necessarily represent those of Ultimate Athlete, Inc. or Long Island’s Ultimate Athlete Magazine.

FE A T U R E S 08 Commack Girl’s Basketball

68 Robby Meehan Snowboard

COMMACK BASKETBALL

HILLS EAST BASKETBALL

88 Harborfields Girl’s Basketball HARBORFIELDS

28 Hills East Boy’s Basketball

ROBBY MEEHAN

HARBORFIELDS TOPS SUFFOLK V IN 3-TEAM DOGFIGHT Story By: Harvey Sandig | Photos By: Morgan Harrison

Remember back in the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s when the Knicks used to have a championship-calibre team? The rallying cry from the always-capacity crowd was “DEFENSE, DEFENSE.” The team fed off this fervor and it became the rallying cry that led to two championships. Such is the mantra for Harborfields girls’ basketball team. In a 3-team dogfight in Suffolk’s League V, the Tornadoes edged ahead of Sayville in the standings when they defeated them in a thrilling contest at home, 35-31. In doing so, Harborfields, 10-1 in league play and 13-1 overall, jumped ahead of the Golden Flashes who dropped to 9-2. Comsewogue, who’d given the green-and-white their only defeat, was tied for 2nd, also 9-2. “We play full court man-to-man, pressuring the ball all the time,” said second year head coach, Glenn Lavey. “We have the ideal personnel to play that way -- we don’t want to give them any space. I have a lot of lacrosse girls who are great athletes. Our strength is our athleticism. We play an up-tempo style committed to defense for 32 minutes. We’re good at getting stops and boxing out, make the other team work and pressure them every inch of the court. I feel that guarding the opposition tightly gives them trouble and makes them feel uncomfortable. We can’t beat anybody 70-68, but can be a great team if we hold them under 40. It’s worked because we haven’t given up more than 37.” Lavey has coached for 20 years and comes from a family of coaches as his brother, father and uncles also coach. He graduated from Harborfields, then went to Cortland State College, where he starred in lacrosse.

50 Smithtown Boy’s Basketball

Cover Photo by Morgan Harrison

Smithtown Basketball

Photo by Nazir Abbas

COMMACK

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K BASKETBALL

Commack Makes third straight county final Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos by: Nazir Abbas

fter winning the Long Island Championship game the past two years, the Commack girls basketball team came into the 2016-2017 season with the highest of expectations. The combination of knowing that they were capable of a run and wanting to win it all, made this a dangerous team coming into this season.

The last two years Commack earned 22 wins in each season. This season, they were hoping to do more of the same. The Cougars have a tradition of winning and looking forward to keeping that going for as long as they can. Commack started off the season against Glen Cove in a non-league game. In this game, they wanted to set the tone for the season. Non-League games are a good place to see where your team is at and what they need to improve upon. The Cougars got off to a slow start, falling behind 16-6 by the end of the first quarter. But they climbed back slowly in the second quarter and dominated the third quarter. In the third quarter, the defense held Glen Cove to only two points Commack gained the lead and never let it go claiming their first win of the season 49-42. The Cougars were slated to have four non-league games to start the season. Their next game was against crosstown rival Kings Park. This time, Commack dominated the game walking away with an easy 61-49 victory. The next two games came up against Half Hollow Hills East and Smithtown West. In both games, the Cougars easily cruised to a victory. They defeated HHHE 46-32 and Smithtown West 52-25. This sent the team into their first game against a league opponent. First up was Sachem North. The first half was close, but the Cougars came out of halftime and dominated the third quarter, sending them to a 54-44 victory. Their first league victory of the season. Their next game would be another league game, this time against Sachem East. This was the Cougars first real test of the season. They found themselves trailing at halftime. In the third quarter, they were unable to find the basket scoring only six points while giving up 19. Going into the fourth quarter, they were trailing 40-25. They were going to need a huge come back to pull this one out. In the fourth quarter, the Cougars were trailing by 21 at one point. The team never gave up and climbed back in the game. They scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and gave up 12, claiming an exciting 53-52 victory.

The game against Sachem East showed the Cougars had grit and a never give up mentality. It would have been easy to just take the loss after being down by 21, but they fought their way back in to win their second league game of the season. This set something off in the girls because they totally dominated their next four opponents, defeating Deer Park (53-30), Bayport-Blue Point (60-20), William Floyd (62-22) and Brentwood (47-39). This set up a battle between the top two teams in the Suffolk Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s League I. The Cougars welcomed Ward Melville into their gym for a game that would decide which team would be number one in League I. This game was everything it was made out to be. By the end of the third quarter, Ward Melville was holding on to a 38-36 lead. In the fourth quarter, things changed quickly; Commack WWW.ULTIMATEATHLETEMAGAZINE.COM

dominated the fourth quarter winning 61-55, taking hold of League I. The Cougars were on a mission to keep their record unblemished. So far they had done a great job. Commack was sitting at the top with an 11-0 record and they wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop there. Being half way through their season, the rest of the game would come against their league opponents, which they already faced once this year, excluding Patchogue-Medford and Longwood. They still had to play those teams twice. Their winning streak continued as they rolled over Patchogue-Medford, Longwood, Sachem North, Sachem East, William Floyd and Brentwood. This sent the Cougars into a rematch with Ward Melville. This time around, Commack was held to single digit points in the first three quarters, while Ward Melville dominated the Cougar defense. Ward Melville handed Commack their first loss of the season, stopping their winning streak at 17 games. The Cougars rebounded quickly against Patchogue Medford. They breezed to a 47-21 victory sending them into their last game of the season against Longwood. Commack was looking to enter the playoffs on a high note by winning their last game, but Longwood had other plans. Longwood handed the Cougars their second loss of the year. In a close game, the Lions pulled out a 52-49 victory. Commack ended the regular season with 18 wins and two losses. This was enough for them to be awarded the number one seed in the Suffolk County League I playoffs. Commack started their journey back to the County finals against Walt Whitman. This game was no match for the Cougars as they handedly defeated Whitman 45-33. This sent them into the quarterfinals against Kings Park. Again Commack won easily, defeating Kings Park 79-65. In the semifinals, the Cougars faced the number five seeded Hauppauge team. This game was closer but Commack still came out victorious, winning 54-47 sending them into their third straight Suffolk County Championship game. This time they came up against the hot Central Islip team. Central Islip proved to be too much for the Cougars, ending their season. The Cougars will be back next year, ready to chase after a fourth Suffolk County Championship appearance. They have proven to be good year in and year out. Next year wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be any different.

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COMMACK BASKETBALL

Commack Makes third straight county final Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos by: Nazir Abbas

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dominated the fourth quarter winning 61-55, taking hold of League I. The Cougars were on a mission to keep their record unblemished. So far they had done a great job. Commack was sitting at the top with an 11-0 record and they wouldn’t stop there. Being half way through their season, the rest of the game would come against their league opponents, which they already faced once this year, excluding Patchogue-Medford and Longwood. They still had to play those teams twice. Their winning streak continued as they rolled over Patchogue-Medford, Longwood, Sachem North, Sachem East, William Floyd and Brentwood. This sent the Cougars into a rematch with Ward Melville. This time around, Commack was held to single digit points in the first three quarters, while Ward Melville dominated the Cougar defense. Ward Melville handed Commack their first loss of the season, stopping their winning streak at 17 games. The Cougars rebounded quickly against Patchogue Medford. They breezed to a 47-21 victory sending them into their last game of the season against Longwood. Commack was looking to enter the playoffs on a high note by winning their last game, but Longwood had other plans. Longwood handed the Cougars their second loss of the year. In a close game, the Lions pulled out a 52-49 victory. Commack ended the regular season with 18 wins and two losses. This was enough for them to be awarded the number one seed in the Suffolk County League I playoffs. Commack started their journey back to the County finals against Walt Whitman. This game was no match for the Cougars as they handedly defeated Whitman 45-33. This sent them into the quarterfinals against Kings Park. Again Commack won easily, defeating Kings Park 79-65. In the semifinals, the Cougars faced the number five seeded Hauppauge team. This game was closer but Commack still came out victorious, winning 54-47 sending them into their third straight Suffolk County Championship game. This time they came up against the hot Central Islip team. Central Islip proved to be too much for the Cougars, ending their season. The Cougars will be back next year, ready to chase after a fourth Suffolk County Championship appearance. They have proven to be good year in and year out. Next year won’t be any different.

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HILLS EAST B

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BASKETBALL

HALF HOLLOW HILLS EAST MAKES HISTORY

Story by Jaclynkelli Kronemberg | Photos by Nazir Abbas The Half Hollow Hills East boys basketball team made history this season, by winning their first ever Suffolk County Championship game. It has been a long time coming, but well worth the wait. This program has been waiting a long time for this and to finally get over that hump was a huge relief. Now they have their eyes set on the next hurdle, and that is to get even further. The Thunderbirds began their historic journey on December 1st, in a league matchup against North Babylon. Hills East dominated the first half, jumping out to a 45-33 lead. In the second half, North Babylon fought back but the Thunderbirds escaped with a 72-63 victory, their first win of the season. The next three games would come against non-league opponents. Their second game of the season was against Garden City and Hills East couldn’t be stopped as they cruised to a 84-67 victory. Their next two games however, weren’t going to be as easy. Their next game came against the nationally ranked power house, Long Island Lutheran team. Hills East held their own showing Long Island they would be a force this season. Unfortunately, the Thunderbirds came up just short falling 64-60, in their first loss on the year. The next game wasn’t any better. They played Commack in another non-league game. Commack bested Hills East 68-61, giving the Thurderbirds their second straight loss. Hills East now had a record of 2-2 going into their next game. After two straight losses, Hills East needed to do something to get back on the winning side of things. The boys regrouped and responded against their league foe Riverhead. Hills East dominated the whole game, walking away with a 79-65 victory. This win sent the Thunderbirds on a nine game winning streak. The Thunderbirds took their momentum from their Riverhead victory into one of the most anticipated games in Suffolk County’s League II. Hills East faced off against Bay Shore for a claim of number one in League II. This game lived up to the hype. Both teams wanted to win, and four quarters wasn’t enough to decide a winner. After four quarters, the game was knotted up at 73. In overtime, Hills East didn’t give up and ended up the victors, defeating Bay Shore 82-79. They rode their momentum through the next seven games, defeating Northport (68-61), Lindenhurst (62-47), Half Hollow Hills West (67-59), Walt Whitman (75-55), Central Islip (67-53), Connetquot (8748) and Riverhead (79-62). This winning streak led the Thunderbirds into a rematch

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with Bay Shore. After being tied at halftime, the Thunderbirds couldn’t get it together, while Bayshore dominated the second half. Hills East was handed their third loss of the year as Bay Shore evened the field, walking away with a 76-55 victory. Hills East rebounded by winning their next four games against Northport, Elmont, Lindenhurst and Whitman. On February 7th, the Thunderbirds had a rematch with Central Islip. Earlier in the season, Hills East defeated Central Islip 67-53, but this time around it would be a different story. Central Islip shut down Hills East in the second half, pulling out a 69-56 victory, and handing the Thunderbirds their fourth loss on the season. Hills East rebounded in their final game of the regular season against Connetquot. The Thunderbirds cruised to a 87-56 victory, giving them the third seed in the Suffolk League II playoffs. Hills East was seeded number three behind number one Bay Shore and number two Brentwood. The Thunderbirds had their work cut out for them in order to achieve their goal of becoming county champions. First on deck was a match between the number 14 seeded Longwood. This game wasn’t a challenge for the Thunderbirds as they walked away with a 58-30 victory sending them into the quarterfinals against the sixth seeded Ward Melville team. Again, the Thunderbirds cruised through to the next round by defeating Ward Melville 75-59. The semifinal round pitted the number two seeded Brentwood against the number three seeded Hills East. Unfortunately, Brentwood came up against a hungry Hills East team that wanted it more. The Thunderbirds slid into the championship game by defeating Brentwood 75-59. This set up a third meeting between Hills East and Bayshore, except this time it was for the Suffolk County AA Championship. This would be a great championship game. Hills East held on to a 30-27 lead going into the third quarter. In the third, it was close with Hills East hanging on to a 45-40 lead. In the fourth, Hills East was out scored by Bay Shore but were able to pull out a 64-62 victory. For the first time in school history, Hills East became Suffolk County AA champions. This would send them into the Long Island Championship game but, first they would play for the title of being Section XI Champions. In their next game, Hills East played against Southampton, the small school champion, for the Suffolk County title. Hills East cruised to a 87-71 victory, making them first time ever Section XI Champions. For the Long Island Championship game, the Thunderbirds came up against Westbury, the Nassau County Champions. This game would come down to the final seconds but unfortunately, it wouldn’t be in favor of Hills East. The Thunderbirds season ended by one point. Westbury became the Long Island Champions with a 61-60 victory. Hills East has nothing to hang their heads about because they did what no one else that has come through Hills East could do. Now that they know what it is like to finally be champions, it wouldn’t be far fetched to guarantee they will be back for more. This team now knows what it is like to be victorious, and will set goals to get even further next year. The Thunderbirds are far from over, watch out for them next year.

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HILLS EAST BASKETBALL

HALF HOLLOW HILLS EAST MAKES HISTORY

This winning streak led the Thunderbirds into a rematch

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Smithtown B

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Basketball

SMITHTOWN WEST SHOOTS THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COMPETITION Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos By: Morgan Harrison

Smithtown West posted their best season of the last three years, during the 2016-2017 season. The Bulls dominated their league sitting alone at the top of Suffolk County’s League III Conference. Their season came up short in the Suffolk County AA playoff bracket, but they have nothing to hang their heads about. The Bulls finished their season with 21 wins and two losses overall with 15 wins and one loss in League III. They were a force in Suffolk County this season dominating every team that came in their way. League III boasts some heavy competition and Smithtown West handled that competition with ease. They began their journey on December 1, 2016, against Rocky Point. Rocky Point was a nonleague game. This was a way to see where the Bulls were at to start the season. Smithtown West won their first game with ease scoring 63 points while only giving up 42 points to Rocky Point. They followed up their win with three more non-league games. These non-league games were no easy feat. The Bulls were pitted against Longwood, St. Anthony’s and St. Mary’s, all perennial powerhouse teams. This would be a test to see how the team would respond to heavy competition. The Bulls were able to handle the competition easily. Against Longwood, they dominated in the second half winning the game 62-35, to gain their second win of the season. St. Anthony’s was more of a test for the Bulls. It was a close game until the end. Smithtown West was able to pull out a 61-54 victory. Against St. Mary’s, the Bulls dominated the whole game. They won with ease defeating St. Mary’s 74-27. The Bulls were rolling, starting the season 4-0.

This sent them into another non-league game with Half Hollow Hills West. The Bulls would get tested in this game. At halftime, they found themselves tied at 24 with HHHW. They would need to come out strong in the second half to pull out the win. Unfortunately, HHHW came out stronger handing the Bulls a 53-45 loss. They would have to rebound fast because their next game was the start of their league play. First up in the league was West Islip. This game would let the team know how well they were going to matchup with their league this season. West Islip was no competition for the Bulls as they won 59-38. This victory sent Smithtown West on a 15 game winning streak. During that span they defeated their league which featured Copiague, North Babylon, Centereach, West Islip, Smithtown East, Newfield and Huntington twice. The Bulls won the Suffolk County League III regular season title. This gave them a number four seed in the Suffolk County AA playoff bracket. In the first round, the Bulls played 13th seeded Lindenhurst. They dominated in the first quarter jumping out to a 22-3 lead. Lindenhurst never recovered. Smithtown West cruised to a 68-48 victory in the first round. In the next round, they faced off with the 5th seeded Deer Park team. This was a thrilling game from start to finish. Deer Park jumped out to a quick lead, going up 11-7 by the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Deer Park held onto a slight lead, going up 23-17 by the end of the first half. During the third quarter, Smithtown West pulled within two points to send them into the fourth quarter down 32-30. This set up for an interesting finish to the game. Smithtown West scored 20 points in the fourth

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quarter, and only allowed Deer Park 15 points. The Bulls were able to pull out a 50-47 victory, sending them into the semifinals. The semifinals pitted Smithtown West against top seeded Bay Shore. Despite being the 4th seed, the Bulls held their own against Bay Shore. After one quarter of play, the Bulls were down 20-15. In the second quarter, Bay Shore pulled away slightly gaining a 36-24 lead on the Bulls. The Bulls cut into the lead in the third quarter, pulling within seven going into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored 16 points proving to be just enough to end the Bulls season. Smithtown West fell 66-59 to Bay Shore. But they have nothing to hang their heads about after the season they had. They just came up against a tough opponent in the semifinals. Smithtown Westâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boys basketball program has been on the upside in recent years and will only continue to get better. The Bulls went on a 17 game winning streak, showing everyone that they were a team to beat. Even though the season didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end the way they hoped, they will be motivated to get even further next season.

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Smithtown Basketball

SMITHTOWN WEST SHOOTS THEIR WAY THROUGH THE COMPETITION Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos By: Morgan Harrison

quarter, and only allowed Deer Park 15 points. The Bulls were able to pull out a 50-47 victory, sending them into the semifinals. The semifinals pitted Smithtown West against top seeded Bay Shore. Despite being the 4th seed, the Bulls held their own against Bay Shore. After one quarter of play, the Bulls were down 20-15. In the second quarter, Bay Shore pulled away slightly gaining a 36-24 lead on the Bulls. The Bulls cut into the lead in the third quarter, pulling within seven going into the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter, both teams scored 16 points proving to be just enough to end the Bulls season. Smithtown West fell 66-59 to Bay Shore. But they have nothing to hang their heads about after the season they had. They just came up against a tough opponent in the semifinals. Smithtown West’s boys basketball program has been on the upside in recent years and will only continue to get better. The Bulls went on a 17 game winning streak, showing everyone that they were a team to beat. Even though the season didn’t end the way they hoped, they will be motivated to get even further next season.

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ROBBY M

MEEHAN

ROBBY MEEHAN A PROFESSIONAL NEW YORK SNOWBOARDER

Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos by: Other

obby Meehan is not your typical 17 year old, New Yorker. Meehan’s lifestyle is something one wouldn’t expect to come from Rockville Centre, New York. Despite growing up along the beaches of Long Island, Meehan has taking a liking to snowboarding. Since the age of two, Meehan has been hitting the slopes. It started out as being a hobby, but over the years it has become his career path. “I’m thankful that I’m from New York,” said Meehan. “It gives me a different outlook on snowboarding. I love New York and I would not have it any other way. I love where I’m from and no matter where I go or what I do I always come back to New York.” Meehan first got a taste of the slopes by learning to ski but after watching his two older brothers snowboarding he switched and fell in love. “I’ve been snowboarding my whole life and never thought about stoping,” said Meehan. This hobby caused Meehan and his family to make tough decisions about schooling and how Meehan would grow up and participate in the sport he loved. With his growing dedication to the sport, Meehan was pulled out of school and started home schooling in the mid fifth grade. They continued with home schooling through seventh grade. This eased the transition of having to limit his ability to snowboard. With home schooling, Meehan was able to make his own schedule for schooling allowing him to snowboard in the winter without having to miss school. “I wake up everyday and put in the work to become better,” said Meehan. “I have always loved snowboarding.” In the summer of Meehan’s seventh grade year, he enrolled into Fusion Academy Woodbury. Fusion Woodbury Academy is an accredited private school for grades 6-12. The school was “modeled around the needs of students who weren’t finding their place in more traditional school environments.” This was perfect for Meehan’s situation. Meehan was the first student to enroll at Fusion Woodbury Academy and right from the start it was a perfect fit. The school allowed Meehan to make his own schedule. He goes to school for four to five months a year from mid May through mid October with the exception of August. In August, he travels for snowboarding. “I was the first student, so I’m now the student ambassador,” said Meehan. “I’ve learned a lot at Fusion. You get one on one with the teachers. You build amazing bonds with the teachers and the energy level is always high. Summer time is slow for me, so Fusion allows me to go to school

during that time. This is the only way I can pursue my dream.” Fusion has flexible scheduling catering to the needs of the students. This allowed Meehan to double up on classes when he has off time from snowboarding. By doing this Meehan will graduating a year early. Meehan is currently a senior. “We were looking for a more creative education for Robby,” said Meehan’s mother, JoAnn Meehan. “Fusion fit that bill. Fusion allows Robby to be himself, speak his mind and discuss further into detail on his curriculum with his teachers. It has also allowed Robby to be completely independent with regard to his academic and snowboarding career. I can’t thank the administration and teachers at Fusion enough for their professionalism and extensive knowledge.” Meehan started out doing the contest style of snowboarding and had dreams of competing in the Olympics. But that changed as he got older and learned more about snowboarding. “Robby dropped out of contest riding in order to fulfill more creative ways to become a more rounded snowboarder,” said JoAnn Meehan. Now he is more focused on filming. Meehan moved from the gymnastics style to more tricks and steering the sport. “I used to do slope-style and contest snowboarding,” said Meehan. “But I decided filming was the route to go for me and what I want to do. I want to bring snowboarding back to what it used to be.” The past three years, he has been really working hard. This year is a big year for Meehan. He will be going to Austria, Australia, Switzerland and for the first time this January he went to Japan. He travels with four coaches, two filmmakers, a photographer and a team of snowboarders. Meehan always travels with guardians. “I’ve made a bunch of friends along the way,” said Meehan. “I’m with my mom a lot, I get to see her everyday but I miss my Dad. They have done a lot for me to be able to do this. I feel spoiled. But I work hard every day.” Since the summer, Meehan has spent a month in Australia at Pericher Resort, Austria for a month at Stubai Glacier in October and took his Level 1 Certification in Avalanche Training. Meehan just came back from Kiroro, Hokkaido Japan, where he rode back country with SASS Global Travel and his team Kirks Camp. For the Japan trip Meehan had to buy a specific board for what he was going to do. “We went to Japan for eleven days,” said Meehan. “We were on powder and in the back terrain. My coach selected a group of us to go on this trip.” Meehan is now based in Summit County, Colorado. “Robby is riding the local mountains of Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Copper Mountains in Colorado,” said JoAnn Meehan. “His plans this year are to film a full video partly encompassing natural features, rails and more urban sites throughout the US, Canada, Austria and Japan. We are very very proud of Robby.” Meehan just recently got picked up Gnu Snowboards and Electric. Sponsors are how Robby is able to make money and support his passion. Meehan is working hard and enjoys the career path he chose for his life. He wants everyone to know how much fun snowboarding is and hopes his films inspire more people from New York to give snowboarding a chance. “I want the people that don’t snowboard to know that it is awesome,” said Meehan. “Everyone should try it because it is really cool. I’m grateful that coming from New York, I have the opportunity to make this my career. I’m thankful to Fusion Academy for all they have done for me. I love my family for giving me this opportunity.” Follow Meehan’s team, Kirks Camp on Facebook and Instagram for pictures, videos and updates on Robby

ROBBY MEEHAN ROBBY MEEHAN

ROBBY MEEHAN A PROFESSIONAL NEW YORK SNOWBOARDER

Story By: Jaclynkelli Kronemberg I Photos by: Other

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“Robby dropped out of contest riding in order to fulfill more creative ways to become a more rounded snowboarder,” said JoAnn Meehan. Now he is more focused on filming. Meehan moved from the gymnastics style to more tricks and steering the sport. “I used to do slope-style and contest snowboarding,” said Meehan. “But I decided filming was the route to go for me and what I want to do. I want to bring snowboarding back to what it used to be.” The past three years, he has been really working hard. This year is a big year for Meehan. He will be going to Austria, Australia, Switzerland and for the first time this January he went to Japan. He travels with four coaches, two filmmakers, a photographer and a team of snowboarders. Meehan always travels with guardians. “I’ve made a bunch of friends along the way,” said Meehan. “I’m with my mom a lot, I get to see her everyday but I miss my Dad. They have done a lot for me to be able to do this. I feel spoiled. But I work hard every day.” Since the summer, Meehan has spent a month in Australia at Pericher Resort, Austria for a month at Stubai Glacier in October and took his Level 1 Certification in Avalanche Training. Meehan just came back from Kiroro, Hokkaido Japan, where he rode back country with SASS Global Travel and his team Kirks Camp. For the Japan trip Meehan had to buy a specific board for what he was going to do. “We went to Japan for eleven days,” said Meehan. “We were on powder and in the back terrain. My coach selected a group of us to go on this trip.” Meehan is now based in Summit County, Colorado. “Robby is riding the local mountains of Breckenridge, Keystone, A-Basin and Copper Mountains in Colorado,” said JoAnn Meehan. “His plans this year are to film a full video partly encompassing natural features, rails and more urban sites throughout the US, Canada, Austria and Japan. We are very very proud of Robby.” Meehan just recently got picked up Gnu Snowboards and Electric. Sponsors are how Robby is able to make money and support his passion. Meehan is working hard and enjoys the career path he chose for his life. He wants everyone to know how much fun snowboarding is and hopes his films inspire more people from New York to give snowboarding a chance. “I want the people that don’t snowboard to know that it is awesome,” said Meehan. “Everyone should try it because it is really cool. I’m grateful that coming from New York, I have the opportunity to make this my career. I’m thankful to Fusion Academy for all they have done for me. I love my family for giving me this opportunity.” Follow Meehan’s team, Kirks Camp on Facebook and Instagram for pictures, videos and updates on Robby

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HARBORFIELDS TOPS SUFFOLK V IN 3-TEAM DOGFIGHT Story By: Harvey Sandig | Photos By: Morgan Harrison

The Tornadoes have a core of seven seniors returning from a year ago when they finished 2nd with a 9-3 league record and 16-5 overall. They defeated Mt. Sinai in the playoffs, then upset the #1 seed, John Glenn after trailing by as many as 15 points. Unfortunately, they lost in the Suffolk County finals to Islip, 52-43. Harborfields returns their starting five and no player is taller than 5’8”. The Tornadoes endured a bit of adversity early, as junior Erin Tucker tore her ACL playing soccer and sophomore Celia Argiriou tore her ACL the first week of the season. “After the injuries, I was really freaked out about team chemistry, but I believed we could hold the opposition down,” Lavey said. “I had high expectations coming in.” Against Sayville, the Tornadoes stormed out to a 31-18 lead when their point guard Christiana de Borja went down with a knee injury with five minutes left in the 3rd quarter. With her on the bench, Sayville turned up the pressure, went on a 12-0 run cutting Harborfields’ lead to two. But de Borja got medical clearance to re-enter with two minutes to go and hit a couple of free throws to ice the 3-point victory. “Christiana’s our leader, no doubt about it,” Lavey praised. “She makes everything go. She tore her ACL playing soccer during the summer and was back in six months. I was pleasantly surprised. When she came back in against Sayville, she kept everybody calm. She plays a gritty style and is really good at setting up her teammates.” de Borja was ‘All-County’ last year and averages 10 points-pergame. “My dad introduced me to the sport – he taught me the fundamentals,” de Borja reflected. “I started playing CYO when I was seven and AAU with the Long Island Lightning in the 6th grade. My teammates became my best friends, both on-and-off the court. Those days are the best memories I’ve ever had.”

de Borja made varsity as a freshman, but wasn’t a starter until halfway through. “I was pretty overwhelmed at the start, but got used to it as the season went on. I like to drive, dish to the wing and look for the open man,” de Borja said. “Starting is the culmination of all the hard work I put in.” She’s been accepted to the University of Virginia. Kate Tardo is a senior, a 4-year player and 2-year starter. Last year, she was All-Conference. She also plays soccer for Harborfields. “Kate defends the best kid on the opposition,” Lavey said. “She takes a 20-point scorer and holds her to 8. She made herself into a true-blue workman-like player.” “I started on a neighborhood team when I was eight and in AAU when I was 12,” Tardo said. “I like being in the gym and thought it was fun to run around. I played in the Nationals when I was 14 and remember beating a team from Atlanta at the buzzer. I like to play defense and take each assignment personally. I usually guard their point guard. I think the key to winning is being focused and levelheaded.” Senior Grace Zagaja is a 4-year player and the squad’s 5’8” center. She has been accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where she intends to play lacrosse. “She’s tough, physical, a really good rebounder and does a lot of our dirty work, Lavey advised. “She’s big and strong, boxes out and positions herself well.” “I started CYO in the 6th grade and have been with the other seniors since that time,” Zagaja beamed. “We have great chemistry, get along very well and there never is any drama. At 9th grade tryouts, I was nervous and didn’t feel I was deserving, but I picked things up

as I went along. I believe my strong suit is defense, boxing out and seeing the court. I give 100% all the time, get in their face and they feel frustrated.” Zagaja has been involved in sports her whole life, as she also plays field hockey, volleyball and lacrosse since kindergarten. Senior Falyn Dwyer is a 5-year player. She was selected for the News 12 Scholar Athlete Award, as she has a 100 average. Dwyer also plays lacrosse and soccer. Junior Kristin Paladine stepped into the starting line-up when injuries struck. “She is one of our best defenders,” Lavey said. “We put her on of other team’s better shooters.” Hallie Simkins is a sophomore and in her 2nd year on varsity. Her coach touts her as one of the school’s top lacrosse players. “She plays with ‘crazy energy’ and sparks the team when she comes in off the bench. She gets a lot of rebounds,” Lavey said. Madison Brady is only in the 8th grade, but fits in extremely well with her older teammates. Her coach praised her as a special talent with a high skill level. “Madison has all the tools -- she can shoot, dribble and is very smooth. She’s also very humble,” Lavey said. “How would you feel if you’re a senior and an 8th grader is playing ahead of you? The girls really like her – they root for her. She absolutely loves basketball, as she plays a lot in the off-season. Even bad coaching can’t mess her up!” The squad has three games left in regular season – Miller Place, Amityville and Islip. In their first meeting with each, they won by over 20 points. They think they will be playing Mt. Sinai in the opening round of the playoffs. “We need to improve executing our half-court offense,” Lavey concluded. “We need to keep preparing every day, getting stops and boxing out. I expect a maximum effort the last three games. If we play hard and with energy, we’ll be fine.”

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