The Winter Varsity Sports Season is into post-season play in Oyster Bay. Many fine young athletes have excelled this season and were chosen by the Oyster Bay High School coaches as Athletes of the Month for February.
Cassidy Exum has been a member of the varsity wrestling team since his freshman year. Since that time, he has achieved All-County honors, which includes a Nassau County Small School County Championship. This year, Exum started his competitive season with success. He was a place winner in the annual Locust Valley Tournament, a Hank Paris Tournament Champion and a Bethpage Tournament Champion, where he was presented with the Champion of Champions Award. Exum’s success is due to his work ethic, dedication and discipline.; he is a fierce competitor which will help him as he competes for his second Nassau County Championship. Exum is coached by 2012 Coaches of the Year Jay Davis and Doug Axman.
Bowling Coach Tim Brady picked Cooper Lublin as his February Athlete of the Month. Lublin, a five-year varsity bowler and captain, just completed his senior season with a 213.3 average, his career high. Lublin also finished second in the conference in average, high game, and high three game series. In addition to reaching a personal best in “Average Game Score,” he also achieved personal bests in “High Game” at 279 and “High Series” with a 749. During a match this season, Lublin at one point had rolled 17 consecutive strikes; unfortunately for him they were sandwiched in the middle of two games, so he did not bowl the traditional 12 consecutive strikes for the “Perfect 300 Game.” He competed in the Nassau County Finals in early February as an individual.
Jack Sherbal has had a remarkable winter track season. A veteran of two winter track campaigns, Sherbal decided to concentrate on two new events this season: the long jump and the triple jump. Sherbal’s hard work and dedication resulted in him winning both events at the Conference Championship Meet, with jumps of 19 feet 7.75 inches in the long jump and 39 feet 3.25 inches in the triple jump. In addition, Sherbal qualified for the County Championship Meet in both events, finishing in sixth place in the long jump. Sherbal is coached by Christopher Weber.
Girls Varsity Basketball Coach Sandy Rossen had this to say about her pick for Athlete of the Month: “Faith Smith helped lead the Lady Baymen to a 5-1 record in January. Her contributions to the team can be found in virtually every offensive statistical category, as she scores, gets assists, and directs the highest scoring offense in the conference. Yet her largest contribution to the team comes in the form of her defense.
“Faith is always tasked with guarding the opponent’s point guard, usually for every second of the game. And she does that, effectively forcing her opponent to work hard just to get the ball,” Rossen continued. “Running an offense, driving to the basket for layups, making three point shots, and setting her teammates up for baskets with her smooth, crisp passing, is an onerous task unto itself; but also defending, and shutting down, an opponent’s best player is an almost impossible job, yet Faith has done that consistently, allowing The Lady Baymen to stay at the top of the conference-and, solidifying her position as one of the best point guards in Nassau County.”
Coach Brady also coaches the Girls Varsity Bowling Team and recognized his senior co-captains for this distinction. Brady commented, “Four-year varsity bowlers and co-captains Victoria Houman and Debora Santibanez completed their varsity careers for the Lady Baymen with high games this season of 173 and 165 respectively. These two amazing young women will be missed in Conference 2, as well as by their teammates for their outstanding leadership, sportsmanship, persistence, desire, and determination to improve.”
