Congratulations to the Mineola High School Female Athlete of the Year Nicole Wissler and Male Athlete of the Year T.J. Gessner on outstanding seasons and careers as Mineola Mustangs. Both Nicole and T.J. were excellent choices to represent the best Mineola has to offer because of their talents, dedication, commitment and sportsmanship.

In addition to congratulating Nicole and T.J., we would also like to congratulate their parents, Grace and Joe Wissler and Nancy and Keith Gessner for all their sacrifice that went into making their children so successful. They truly have all displayed Mustang pride.

We would also like to recognize and congratulate all the student-athletes who took part in the Mineola School District's valuable athletic program and their parents as well.

The Mineola Athletic Booster Club, led by president Matt Sanderleaf and the athletic department, led by athletic director Ralph Amitrano, honored the student-athletes on June 3 with the annual sports awards dinner at the Jericho Terrace.

With an audience of over 300 people, the members of all the varsity teams were recognized and honored for their accomplishments throughout the 2008-2009 school year.

The banquet, which is sponsored by the Mineola Athletic Booster Club, featured coaches remembering great performances by both teams and individuals and in some instances honoring their commitment and determination in working through challenging seasons and obstacles.

The following list is a highlight of the evening's major awards winners and other departmental awards that were presented at Mineola High School's Senior Award Breakfast, which took place on June 11. We congratulate all of the award winners and wish the graduating seniors great success in all of their future endeavors.

Athletes of the Year

Nicole Wissler

T.J. Gessner

Old Reliable

Nicole Reardon

Louis Corrao

Sportsmanship

Nicole Reardon

Louis Corrao

Mineola Athletics Boosters Senior Scholarship

Jamie Medlock

John Englis

Brandon Havercome

Laura Darmstadt

Mineola Athletics Booster Club Memorial Award

Carlos Barros

Liz Furuya

Helder Cancelinha

Raoney Mello

Student-Athlete Leadership Award

Lauren O'Neill

Carlos Barros

U.S. Army National Scholar Athlete Award

Walter Sherman

Laura Darmstadt

U.S. Marines Distinguished Athlete Award

T.J. Gessner

Nicole Wissler

U.S. Navy Athletic Achievement Award

Anthony Morais

Jamie Medlock