Nassau County Team Of The Week: Which Athletes Are Making A Difference

NASSAU COUNTY, NY. — As the week draws to a close, athletes across Nassau County are reflecting on the ups and downs of another part of their season. In Rockville Centre, Bellmore-Merrick and Massapequa, it was mostly highs.

Read on to find out about the week that was in the Nassau County Team of the Week:

Rockville Center Girls’ Volleyball Gets Board Of Education Shoutout

The Rockville Centre Board of Education’s Jan. 15 meeting kicked off on a celebratory note, as director of physical education Patrick Macguire introduced the players and coaches from the 17-1 State Champion girls’ volleyball team.

“We are here to honor our state champions,” Macguire said. “I’ve got to say, this was the most incredible experience of my life, as an athlete, a coach, an athletic director, and just being someone who was an observer. You guys are absolutely incredible.”

That season included the 17-1 regular season, a 3-0 victory over Plainedge to repeat as Class-A Nassau County champions, a 3-2 win over Half Hollow Hills West in the Long Island Championship and a 3-1 victory over Westchester County champions Rye to win the regional title. The whole season culminated in a five-set win over Williamsville South, which saw the Lady Cyclones crowned state champions.

In addition to team honors, several individual players were honored for their performances throughout the season, starting with Keira Mullaney, who was named Section VIII Player of the Year, NYS Tournament MVP, Nassau County All-Tournament MVP, First-Team All-Long Island, First-Team All-State and All-County.

Maeve Britt was also named to the State All-Tournament Team, First-Team All-Long Island, First-Team All-State, Nassau All-Tournament team, All-County and Scholar Athlete.

For Amy Berenbroick, the awards included Second-Team All-State, State All-Tournament Team, Second-Team All-Long Island and All-County.

Allie Fingleton was named Third-Team All-State, Nassau County All-Tournament Team and All-County honorable mention.

Lena Miller Second-Team All-Long Island and All-County honorable mention, while Caitlin Ferrari was also an All-County honorable mention recipient.

Finally, Tess Rakeman received a NYSSPHA sportsmanship award, while coach Steve Mariano was named Nassau County Conference I coach of the year and Section VIII Coach of the Year.

“We just wanted to congratulate you, you guys were so fun to watch, we were all supporting you,” BOE President Kelly Barry said.

“Five-Strike Riley” Rolls In Conference Play

In the Bellmore-Merrick school district, bowler Riley Kolinsky made his second all-county team this year, an impressive honor for a high school senior, let alone a freshman like Kolinsky. The ninth-grader has been on the varsity bowling team since he was in seventh grade, something coach Joe Bianca said was almost unheard of until Kolinsky came along.

“I’ve had some really good bowlers, I’ve never had a seventh-grader make varsity,” Bianca told Patch.

After joining the varsity team as a seventh-grader, Bianca said Kolinsky came back for his eighth-grade season a completely different player. Not only was he a little taller, he had also switched his delivery, changing from a right-handed bowler who stood on the right side of the lane to a two-handed, left-side bowler.

The change, Bianca said, allowed him to put more speed and spin on the ball. In his third varsity season this year, Kolinsky has the highest single game score in the conference, with a 279. His average is 212, over 34 outings, clearing the bar to qualify for the individual County Championships by a dozen points.

“It’s amazing, not only physically, but mentally, how he picked the game up in the offseason. He came back a completely different bowler,” Bianca said. “We call him ‘Five Strike Riley,’ because, if he has a couple of tough frames in the beginning of the game, somehow he strikes out the final five frames. He’s just such a great adjuster.”

Merrick-Bellmore bowlers won the Conference III championship Jan. 14; their next competition is the Nassau County team championship on Feb. 7. Also upcoming for Kolinsky is the individual championship, which will take place on Feb. 10.

Massapequa Wins On The Mat And The Court

A relatively quiet week for Massapequa athletics still saw the girls’ basketball and wrestling teams take home W’s over Uniondale and Port Washington, respectively.

On the court, Molly Hoffman scored 22 points and Savanna Appleton scored 17 points in a 56-39 victory against Uniondale.

Meanwhile, the wrestling team beat Port Washington in Dual Meet Playoffs Thursday evening, clearing the way for a Saturday showdown at Clarke High School with the county championship on the line.

Don't see your team highlighted here? Contact your local Patch editor to tell them who was on top of their game this week. Whether it's a huge win or a big line in the box score, we want to know who's making plays.