This season, the Mineola boys' track and field team faces one of its greatest conference obstacles. Competing against the likes of Valley Stream North, North Shore and Manhasset will test an improving squad. With strength in the middle distances and the high jump, the team is bound to advance on last year's placement during the seventh season of coach Mike SantaMaria's Mustang tenure. If the team produces a modest conference finish, an All-County relay team and sends at least one member to the state meet, all expectations will be met.

All classes are represented amongst the team's talent this season. Senior Chris D'Meza, fresh off an All-Division nomination and first in the Division IVA High Jump Championship, is also counted on to lead the way in the 4X400 meter relay. Joined by juniors Greg Lapin and Joe Wellbrock, D'Meza's relay quartet finished third in a season best time in the championships at Valley Stream North High School. Wellbrock is also the distance king for 800 and 1600-meter events where his first place time set a Mineola program record. Lapin is a hurdling specialist who will also compliment a number of relays.

Underclassmen are counted upon to contribute in the sprints as sophomores Juan Lopez and Jobin Abraham combine with freshman Tommy Satalino to compete in both solo and relays. Lopez will double in the high hurdles as well. These young men will face top runners such as Steven Carey from Valley Stream North, Jake Tobol of North Shore and Kadeem Howell out of Manhasset.

Training on the newly minted surface at Mineola High School should better prepare these student-athletes for their assignments. It is anticipated that the Mustangs will host their first meet in years this fall when the resurfacing and line painting of the new track is completed later this summer.

The boys were slated for travel to Westbury High School on the May 27 and 28 for the County Championships. All-Division senior Brandon Havercome will look to better his second place divisional finish in the triple jump. Other members of the team with aspirations are junior Brian Langone in the shot put and 4X800 participants, sophomore Sal Massa and juniors Ricardo Gonzales and Lennon Marques. Langone will anchor a thin contingent in the throwing events.

The schedule included regular four team meets along with three invitationals at Lynbrook, North Shore and Hewlett. The team competes twice this season at the Mitchel Field Complex for the Section VIII relays and the state qualifying meet.

Two unique events took place at Cold Spring Harbor High School this season for the evening Nighthawk Invitational and the weekend Seahawk Invitational. The boys also fulfilled community service responsibilities by manning a water stop at the LI Marathon during the island's premier road race.

Continuing the trend of recent years, the boys program continues to grow under SantaMaria's leadership as this year's squad numbers in excess of 30 competitors. With the hopes of running before home fans not too far off, the Mustang track program continues to exhibit a lot of promise behind a tremendous amount of dedication.