Indoor Track Team Members Qualify For State Championships -
Team Gets More than Competition On Away Trips - 2008

(left front) Jordan Gibson, Chris Carter, Adam Helman, Evan Tsembelis and (kneeling) Ryan Hagen qualified For State Championships
Click photo for larger view


(left) Patrick Gallagher, Jared Northrup, Matt Klock, and Adam Helman at Yale University; (right photo) Boston trip - Click photo for larger view
   The Grand Island Cross Country Team traveled to Southeast Massachusetts to compete at the New Bedford Invitational this past fall. The team did very well with the boys' team taking 2nd place and the girls team placing 7th while they also had the boys' winner, Evan Tsembelis setting a new course record. Beyond the athletic accolades, the team also gained a bit of history during their most recent trip. They visited the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts; and then the Historic Trail in Boston, the Boston Aquarium and Fenway Park. "I think is very important to include educational experiences any time we can on our trips," noted Don Sauer, veteran Track and Cross Country Coach. "I try to tie in points of interest, historical, colleges and other note worthy experiences into our trips." It is more than the competition, though the team is always looking for better competition.
   Last year the Outdoor Track team competed in the prestigious Penn Relays in Philadelphia. "We saw the obvious in Philly with the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Taking a tour at Independence Hall gave us a real sense of our early American heritage," noted Sauer. "Running in a race with 45,000 Track fans at the University of Pennsylvania is quite humbling."
   Two years ago, the Track team competed at a meet in Chandler, Arizona. They came away with 3 winners and had some very good performances for an early season meet. The team visited 3 universities: ASU, U of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. They also visited Kartchner Caverns and the Desert Museum in the Tucson area. Later, they visited the Red Rock area of Sedona, the Grand Canyon, the Meteor Crater and the Indian ruins at Casa Grande. One time they competed in Show Low with an altitude of over 6,000 feet and it did affect them.
   The Indoor Track Team this season has traveled to Cornell, RIT and some athletes competed at Yale University. "Yale is right in the city of New Haven and is so different than the beautiful campus setting of Cornell yet is still one of the oldest universities in the country." These trips are paid for by the individual athletes and their parents. The school pays the entry fee charged to participate while the kids have done donut sales, cookie dough sales and car washes to pay remaining costs.
   The team benefits from other aspects from these educational field trips. "Arizona is dealing with a six-year drought so conservation and 'short' showers became the norm. Food is much different, a lot of Spanish is spoken and the environment is very fragile especially in Kartchner Caves. They learn to get along, learn a lot about themselves and how to cope and deal with adversity. We had high altitude one year in Arizona then 90+ temperatures at another meet all in one week and they adapted very well," noted Coach Sauer. "They come back with a "bigger" perspective and appreciation to other parts of the country."
   The following athletes from the Grand Island High School Indoor Track Team qualified for the State Indoor Track Championships: Evan Tsembelis, Chris Carter, Ryan Hagen and Adam Helman. They will compete this Saturday (March 8) at Cornell University!!!

NYS Swim Championship Results - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Boys Swim Team competed in the NYS championship meet Friday, February 29 and Saturday, March 1 with the following results:

GIHS School Finish:   NYS Federation  54th     NYS Public HS    51st
 
NYS Public HS
Evan Carey  Sophomore    200 Free     37th                   100 Free 41st
 
Josh Kaplan   Senior        100 Backstroke    10th
 
James Sica   Senior     100 Breastroke       16th

   For complete winter championships results, see "2007-08 NYSPHSAA Winter Championships."

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Swimmer James Sica Featured In Niagara Gazette - 2008
   Grand Island High School swimmer, James Sica, was featured in the February 27, 2008 edition of the Niagara Gazette in a story by Nate Beutel. Click "Niagara Gazette 2/27/08" for the feature.
   The NYS championships take place Friday, February 29 and Saturday, March 1. For complete winter championships results, see "Swim Results." See also http://www.nysphsaa.org/championships/winter/b_swimming/psych_sheet.pdf.

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High School News - Feb. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Feb. 28, 2008 . . .Our Grand Island Varsity hockey team had the great opportunity to play at the HSBC Arena in the WNY Club Hockey Championship Game on February 24th. Even though they had lost to Niagara Wheatfield 5-1, they definitely tried their hardest and had many fans cheering them on. Congratulations for all your work guys! Also this week is the start of a new season for many spring sports such as Boys' Tennis and G.I. Rugby. If any guys are interested in Boys' Tennis this spring there will be a brief meeting after school on Thursday in Mr. Pray's room. As for G.I. Rugby, this is a sport for both boys and girls and those interested should pick up the information sheet from Mrs. Kennedy or Mr. Ball. I hope the seasons for both sports are great. The Class of 2010 is trying to raise money for their special events in the future. To help their class, go to Anderson’s on Sheridan Drive Monday, March 3rd between 4-8 p.m. Hope to see you there!

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Boys Junior Varsity Hockey Team Beats NW Twice In Row - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Boys Junior Varsity Hockey Team beat Niagara Wheatfield twice in a row in a best of 3 series to advance to Super Saturday March 1st (noon) at Buffalo State to play North Tonawanda for the JV large school championship.
   The score in the first game was Grand Island 3 - Niagara Wheatfield 1. Courtney Cox, Anthony Russell and Chris wilczek scored for GI and Jon Anderson had 24 saves for the win in goal.
   In the second game the final score was Grand Island 5 - NW 2. Scoring for GI were Shaugh Irving (2), Luke Hazelet, Chris Wilczek and Anthony Russell. GI's Luke Hazelet and Nick Bruno had 2 assists each and Jon Anderson stole the game in goal making 34 saves.

GI Varsity Hockey Team Defeated In Championship Game - 2008

Click photo for larger view
   The Grand Island Varsity Hockey Team lost to Niagara Wheatfield 5-1 in the WNY Club Hockey Championship Game played on Sunday, February 24 in the HSBC Arena. The Vikings couldn't match up to the Falcons' powerful scoring duo of Melligan (3 goals) and Ogiba (1 goal). GI held its own, playing valiantly during even-man situations. NW's power play and goaltending were very strong. The Vikings got on the the board in the third period, when Ryan Vertino stole the puck at center ice and scored on a break-away. Grand Island finished the game with all their seniors playing on the ice: Jake Leffler in goal, Kurt Makowski, Anthony Daubney, DJ Perri, Ryan Killian and Neal DeMartin. Ryan Vertino was named MPV for Grand Island. Even though they were disappointed in the loss, the Vikings enjoyed the whole experience of Super Sunday. There were several media events, a practice at HSBC Arena and a breakfast at the Hearthstone Manor with many guest speakers.
   Isledegrande.com staff congratulates our Island team on qualifying for this championship game.




GI Girls Beat #1 Seed KenEast Basketball Team - 2008
Click "Girls Basketball Victory 2/23/08" for the Buffalo News story.
Click "Island Girls Basketball Team Wins 2/24/08" for the Niagara Gazette story by Nate Beutel.




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Feb. 21, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 2/21/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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High School News - Feb. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008 . . .This week at GIHS was finally another week to relax! With only one week left in February, March will be definitely busier. March 1 and 2nd is the Sr. All County Jazz Festival, March 4th and 11th is the annual Corporate Bowl where 38 teams will be competing for a scholarship for $7000! March 7 and 8th is the Jr. All County Jazz Festival and finally March 18th is the annual Student Olympics where there are teams that consist of two girls and two boys and they all compete like the Olympics. As you can tell, we are in for a pretty busy month. Hope everyone will participate!
   For the majority of the students, they are having a nice relaxing break, while some are grounded for appearing at a party last weekend after the Winter Ball. All 43 students who were ticketed that night had to appear in court this Wednesday, February 20th. Here they were called up and had to plead either guilty or not. As the majority pleaded innocent, those who pleaded guilty have to pay a fine and received 20 hours of community service. The students who were innocent have to reappear back in court in March. I guess that just goes to show you that if you play with fire you will end up being burned.

Grand Island Varsity Hockey Team All-Star Players - 2008

Joe Oliverio (left) and Neal DeMartin - Click photo for larger view
    Two Grand Island Viking Varsity Hockey players have been named to the WNY Club Large School All-Star Team. Neal DeMartin has been named to the 1st team all-stars and Joe Oliverio has been named to the 2nd team all-stars. Throughtout the season, Neal and Joe were consistently in the top 5 for scoring leaders. This is quite an accomplishment, as there are only six forwards chosen from a field of almost 200 players.

Grand Island Varsity Hockey Team To Play Championship Game - 2008

Click photo for larger view
   The Grand Island Varsity Hockey Team will play Niagara Wheatfield for the WNY Club Large School Championship this Sunday, February 24th at 4 p.m. at HSBC Arena. The Vikings are coached by John Koller, John McKenna and Marvin Pawlowski. The players are Anthony Daubney, Neal DeMartin, Matt Hazelet, Ryan Killian, Bill Koller, Taylor LeFevre, Jake Leffler, Kurt Makowski, Dan McKenna, Joe Oliverio, John Osberg, Marvin Pawlowski III, DJ Perri, Chris Podlucky, Robert Schiffhauer, Zack Schueing, Zac Seiling, Rob Tates, Ryan Vertino, and Eddie Weiser. Although the team finished league play in 5th place, they battled back to beat North Tonawanda and Lancaster in the playoffs to advance to the championship game. The community is cordially invited to come out and support the Vikings on Sunday. Tickets are $7.00 at the door.

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Boys Varsity Swim Team - Section 6 Results - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Boys Varsity Swim Team participated in the Section 6 Preliminaries on Wednesday, February 13 and finals on February 14. See "Section 6 Results."

Congratulations to NYS Meet Qualifiers:
 
Josh Kaplan   gr.12     100 Backstroke
James Sica    gr.12     100 Breastroke
Evan Carey   gr.10      200 IM, 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle

Mallory Griffiths, Outstanding Ladies High School Basketball Player, WNY - 2008
   Mallory Griffiths, daughter of Kevin and Kimberly Griffiths, was chosen by the selection committee as one of the outstanding ladies high school basketball players in Western New York. The "Exceptional Senior" event will be held Saturday, March 15, 2008 at Cheektowaga Central High School, 3600 Union Road, Cheektowaga, NY. The format of the event will include two games. One game will be played at 6:30 p.m. and the other at 8:30 p.m. Mallory, a senior at Grand Island High School, will also be the guest of the "Exceptional Senior" committee at a banquet earlier in the week.

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Job Search Seminar - 2008


Left: Doug Dohn of Astellas Pharma and Junior Danielle Bush
Jodi Robinson Photos - Click photos for larger view.
   Grand Island High School Job Search Seminar was held on Thursday, February 14, 2008 at the Holiday Inn. This event is hosted by Mrs. Cheryl Chamberlain, the Grand Island High School Business Department and the Grand Island School & Business Alliance (GISBA).The day began with a presentation in the high school auditorium by Grand Island Chamber of Commerce President John Bonora. After being bussed to the Holiday Inn, students completed their registration and filled out job applications. The students then broke up into three groups that either interviewed with GISBA volunteers, or attended break-out sessions that were led by Bryant and Stratton College representatives. The three break-outs were Interview Presentation Skills, The Interview, and Goal Setting/Time Management. After a luncheon, the students returned to the high school. Special thanks go to the following GISBA sponsors:

 
Platinum
Fuccillo Chevrolet
 
Gold
Abraxis
Astellas Pharma Manufacturing
Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
Invitrogen
River Oaks Clubhouse, L.L.C.
 
Silver
A.J.'s Heating and Cooling
Cannon Design
Niagara Frontier Publications
The Keller Group
The Legend Group
 
Bronze
Anchor Marine, Inc.
Christine Learman, CPA
First Niagara Bank
Grand Island Auto Tech Inc.
Grand Island District Office Administrators
Grand Island Holiday Inn
Grand Island Republican Committee
Grand Island Teachers Assoc.
Grand Island Town Board
Island Physical Therapy
M&T Bank
Rotary Club of Grand Island
Scheid Architectural
Tim Horton's

GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Feb. 14, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 2/14/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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High School News - Feb. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 . . . This week at GIHS was definitely a busy one. The annual Winter Ball was held Saturday, February 9th where the theme this year was “Saturday Night Fever.” All grades were able to attend and a select few were voted to represent their class. For the Seniors were the King and Queen Allie Weiser and Nick Tomkins, the Juniors were Amber Duda and Alex Neutz, the Sophomores were Kaitlyn Chapin and Chris Gibney, and the Freshmen were Stephen Vitello and Kelly Lorence. Congratulations to all. Also this week on Thursday is Valentine’s Day and to help spread the spirit, the Spotlighters present “Hugs and Kisses.” These were where students had the opportunity to buy each other “Hugs” or Little Huggie drinks and “Kisses” or Hershey kisses for only a dollar. These will be distributed on Thursday to their homerooms. Also on Thursday is the annual Job-Search day where some students get the opportunity to have a real life interview and present their resumes to real business owners. The students will get to learn what they did wrong and how they can fix it when they really do go for a job interview in the future.




Caitlyn Driscoll Signs National Letter of Intent - Feb. 2008

Caitlyn Driscoll is shown surrounded by her mother, Debbie Driscoll and father, Michael Driscoll.
Standing left: Coach Don Sauer and Athletic Director Jon Roth.
   Jodi Robinson Photo - Click photo for larger view
   Grand Island High School senior, Caitlyn Driscoll, signed a National Letter of Intent on Friday, February 8, to attend Division II, Coker College, in Hartsville, SC. Caitlyn has received an academic scholarship as well as an athletic scholarship to run cross country for the Cobras. She has achieved many honors during her career at GIHS, including a 3.8 GPA and membership in the National Honor Society. Caitlyn's accomplishments in track and cross country are listed as follows:

Cross Country     
2x Captain
2x MVP
Rookie of the Year
Coaches Award
1st Team NFL
2nd Team NFL
 
Indoor / Outdoor Track
2x Captain
2x MVP
Rookie of the Year
Most Improved
1st Team NFL
2nd Team NFL
School Record Holder (Indoor) – 300,  600,  1000

   Caitlyn chose Coker College for its academic rating and small class size. She mentioned that the warmer client also was a consideration. "What’s really exciting is that they wanted me as much as I wanted them, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”

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Grand Island High School Honor Roll - February 2008
   The following Grand Island High School students have attained honor roll status for the second marking period of the 2007-2008 school year:
    High Honor Roll
Grade 9: Sara Diletti, Thomas Dzielski, Christopher Ernst, Anna Ferrante, Emma Henderson, Ava Jackson, Justin Lee, Ryan McCarthy, Ariana Mendel, Shannon Moody, Jessica Osvath, Kathleen Rustowicz, Evan Shaw, Sara Victor, Stephen Vitello, Danielle Wegrzyn
Grade 10: Alyssa Accardo, Jonathon Anderson, Steven Boyle, Luke Burkhart, Alexandra Buscaglia, Danielle Canazzi, Evan Carey, James Cooke, Sarah Dolan, Kara Dudley, Marwa Eltagouri, Hillary Figler, Joseph Fischer, Lauren Fonte, Alexander Fry, Jill Greinert, Maria Guidotti, Susan Head, Tara Hook, Krystin Hoppel, Brian Kulak, Jeffrey Lariviere, Megan McInerney, Andrea Nicolia, Jared Northrup, Erika Osberg, Sarah Palazza, Mary Scherrer, Spencer Seese, Zaeem Shah, Vincent Spada, Christopher Stessing, Scott Suszczynski, Jameela Syed, Maritina Tsembelis, Eric Weigold
Grade 11: Chelsea Bernardi, Amber Duda, Samantha Forysinski, Taylor Jackson, Kelsey Mash, Charlene Meyer, Joseph Oliverio, Joshua Stoddard, Nicholas Vitello
Grade 12: Erica Barrett, Kelsey Borgeson, Kahla Cerrillo, Bailey DeGlopper, Caitlyn Driscoll, Jacob Ferrante, Amanda Jaeger, Joshua Kaplan, Samuel Kilb, Ashley Koerntgen, Jacob Leffler, Morgan Majewski, Brenna McCabe, Amber Meyers, Danielle Nash, James Sica, Theodore Slipko, Kimberly Snell, Robert Stewart, Shana Wierchowski
    Honor Roll
Grade 9: Danya Abdellatif, Karl Albrecht, Samira Amin, Alexandria Bleich, Christopher Boulden, Kathryn Boutet, Justine Call, Michael Campanella, Jenna Cardone, Brennan Carey, Jason Chadwick, Brooke Chamberlain, Amandip Cheema, Nicholas Colao, Kevin Colman, Aliena Cook, Samuel Cummings, Austin Dee, Brooke DeMarco, Alexandra DeMita, Sara Dzielski, Chelsea Fairbairn, Korin Frantz, Patrick Gallagher, Christina Gibson, Vincent Golda, Rebecca Hammett, Julie Hasselbeck, Kyle Held, Alex Howard, Emily Jones, Allison Kaminski, Alex Killian, Mathew Killian, Taylor Kozlowski, Kelly Lorence, Nicholas Masiello, Jennie McCoy, Christopher Meyer, Shelbi Milkas, Kevin Neary, Emily Pease, Jenna Raepple, Paige Rockwood, Chelsea Rupert, Miranda Santa Lucia, Rachel Schauger, Amy Schooping, Michael Seaman, Christopher Shemik, Rachel Spiker, Allison Stewart, Sarah Stewart, Rebecca Sturniolo, Amanda Sutter, Megan Tates, Eugenia Taylor, Ambria Tim, Benjamin Tomkins, Courtney Weiser, Shantel Williams-Rivers, Tyler Wunsch, Alyssa Yaeger, Jessica Yarnes, Andrew Yockey
Grade 10: Kaitlyn Affuso, Richard Amantia, Adam Asbach, Elisabeth Asbach, Kimberly Asbach, Catherine Aughey, Stephanie Aughey, Alissa Bailey, Christina Borden, Patrick Brady, Eric Breier, Anthony Bruno, Sean Burke, Nathan Busch, Amanda Camizzi, Kenneth Cerrillo, Kaitlyn Chapin, Krystal Chapin, Michael Chauby, Stacy Cich, Brittany Cieri, Kathryn Cobello, Courtney Cox, Samantha Darby, Anthony Darpino, Renee’ Doermer, Jordan Dudish, Maria Edel, Kearney Erhard, Nicholas Ernst, Alexander Fabiilli, Kayla Fermoile, Jeremy Figler, Victoria Fleming, Rahsanica Ford, Kate Garten, Mary George, Sara Grana, Anthony Grande, Maria Grant, Amy Grenke, Eric Harnden, Kelly Hooven, Sara Huttenmaier, Courtney Justus, Raman Kaur, Zachary Kelly, Seth Kline, Joel Klock, Kristy Knickerbocker, Lauren Kucharski, Savanna Kustra, Bethany Leiner, Steven Lillian, Joshua Little, Jonathan LeTempio, Michael Lydle, Daniel Major, Amana Deep Mattu, Keran Deep Mattu, Nicole McGuire, Sara McNulty, Jennifer Mellett, Michael Montaldi, Christopher Moody, Christopher Mornelli, Michael Mucci, Ryan Osvath, Deanna Paternostro, Breanne Rafferty, Dhriti Ramesh, Jessica Randhawa, Michael Rayhill, Alexander Re, Ian Rogers, Robert Ross, Anthony Russell, Kaitie Samland, Kyle Schutrum, Margaret Shonitsky, Courtney Silsby, Keith Skelly, Jamie Sobieski, Benjamin Soos, Jonas Stalyga, Blake Stanwick, Rachel Starr, Alexander Strauss, Kasey Sumner, William Sundeen, Rachel Surdi, Caitlin Taylor, Samantha Tilkins, Patricia VeRost, Kristin Wegrzyn, Zakiyyah Wilbert, Sara Wilczek, Molly Wynne, Aria Yanicki
Grade 11: Alexa Amato, Robert Amsdill, Kaitlin Arida, Alexandria Avery, Daniel Basile, Sarah Bastian, Courtnnie Booker, Tyler Booth, Allison Boron, Brianna Busch, Maria Buyer, Simarjot Cheema, Olivia Chopra, Kyle Clayton, Hannah Cliff, Dustin Coryn, Aaron D’Angelo, Jason Davis, Shawn Davis, Darren DelSignore, Kira Dennis, Mary Grace Egloff, Nicholette Fadel, Jenna Fanara, Melissa Fargino, Gregory Feathers, Brianna Fetzer, Julia Figliotti, Ashley Fike, Kelsey Foote, Victoria Fortman, Angela Fusco, Rachel Gaydosh, Jordan Gibson, Samantha Gieselman, Andrew Ginsburg, Kaitlin Hager, Kaitlyn Hardison, Matthew Hazelet, Adama Helman, Scott Holler, Jenna Hutzler, Molly Hyland, Alexandra Imperi, Joshua Kahn, Michael Karpie, Joseph Khreis, Alexandra King, Benjamin Kose, Charles Lavallee, Taylor LeFevre, Timothy Lewis, Matthew Ludwig, Mia Magliazzo, Jacqueline Maitner, Matthew Major, Danielle McGuire, Kristin Millar, Andrew Mrzygut, Davis Nelson, Alexander Neutz, Genna Nuchereno, Shawn O’Rourke, Marvin Pawlowski, Destiny Perez, Susan Pioli, Christopher Podlucky, Jamie Raepple, Kathryn Raiser, Alexander Richter, Lance Robinson, Robert Rutland, Richard Ryder, Kayla Salonek, Jennifer Schaber, Victoria Schaber, Lee Schuster, Sierra Seese, Nicole Serra, Timothy Shantler, Kayleigh Shepard, Kaileen Shoemaker, Kuljit Singh, Griffin Smith, Sara Stenzel, Jeffrey Szczepaniak, Robert Tates, Emily Thompson, Jordan Tripi, Evan Tsembelis, Matthew Violanti, Allison Walker, Lauren Whitney, Kelly Williams, Shaun Winter, Brianna Wojnar, Arlene Wunsch, Amanda Zernickel, Tyler Zikuski
Grade 12: Giovanna Andolina, Alma Aponte, Danielle Asbach, Kimberley Banas, Chelsea Baran, David Benko, Chelsea Bergmann, Ellen Betterson, Thoms Breier, Lauren Brindisi, Courtney Catalano, Kelly Cich, Jennifer Cierchoski, Cassandra Coffey, Theresa Covatto, Denise Curcio, Monica Dalfonso, Colleen Danahy, Alexandra Davis, Neal DeMartin, Casey Deuser, Tiffani Dickinson, Michael Dinsmore, Sean Duff, Christinia Eldridge, Victoria Eldridge, Kelsey Fortman, Chelsea Fulle, John Gannon, Marc Gerfin, Ashley Green, Kelcie Hanaka, Meaghan Hayes, Molly Hayes, Michael Heftka, Cathryn Hillard, Lee Hinaman, Sean Hook, Jennifer Huber, Matthew Huber, Amber Hultgren, Lisa Huttenmaier, Autumn Kaiser, Richard Karpie, Nathan Keefe, Courtney Kelchlin, Amanda Kennedy, Jordan Kessler, Ryan Killian, Matthew Klock, Natalie Krieger, Todd Kunze, Michael Magaris, Lisa Mager, Adam Masse’, Ashley Mazurkiewicz, Samantha McCollum, Courtney McCoy, Lauren McGowan, Ciara Morreale, Nichole Nash, Rachel Olszewski, Jordan Paolucci, Brittany Papaj, Michelle Paternostro, Anthony Perna, Alexandra Peters, Lauren Quattrini, Caitlin Radecki, Jordan Ricigliano, Matthew Riley, Joycelyn Rockwood, Laura Saini, Brandi Skill, Rebecca Sobol, Michael Soos, Brittany Stallard, Lauren Stanwick, Jessica Sturniolo, Nicholas Taylor, Scott Thompson, Kristin Toellner, Jordan Toth, Marc Velocci, Alexander Webb, Alexandra Weiser, Kacey White, Noah Yanicki

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Grand Island High School Merit Roll - February 2008
   The following Grand Island High School students have attained merit roll status for the second marking period of the 2007-2008 school year:
Grade 9: Matthew Arida, Robert Arsenault, Leonard Averhart, Dale Baran, Christa Baron, Shannon Becker, Geoffrey Bolton, Brian Brink, Nicholas Bruno, Brianna Catanzaro, Amanda Cinelli, Bethany Cinelli, Talon Colbert, James Corrao, Andrew Dale, Dominique DeGregorio, Kaleigh Deuser, Robert Dickinson, Liam Dodd, Samantha Ducette, Carson Filips, Craig Fusco, Edward Gauthier, Larissa Gelyon, Carmela Gentile, Lucas Hazelet, Amanda Heftka, Steven Henderson, Molly Higgins, Ryan Jackson, Mark Jurga, Nicholas Kellner, Samantha Kuszczak, Domenic Luciani, Bradley Ludwig, Jaime Magaris, Elizabeth McLean, Michael Paasch, Jack Pilie, Jeremy Rockwood, Nicholas Rossi, Kayla Schmidt, Samuel Serra, Benjamin Sherman, Matthew Sundeen, Victoria Sutton, Philip Valore, Sarah Webb, Mitchell Wendling, Richard Yager, Megan Young, Nikki Zimmerman
Grade 10: Rachel Abarca, Nicholas Alizadel, Courtney Amacher, Antonio Amin, Patrick Antonelli, Stephanie Aronica, Conrad Baker, Benjamin Bakula, Kolby Banker, Jovana Bichler, Lisa Braun, Nicholas Brzezinski, Tygue Busch, Victoria Cacciatore, Julianna Capizzi, Seana Chirico, Ian Conner, Joseph Connors, Christie DeMaria, Kayla Deuble, Christopher Franklin, Anthony Genova, Christopher Gibney, Chelsea Hall, Kelsey Hayden, Timothy Howley, Emily Incorvia, Shaughn Irving, Maryjean Jacobs, Matthew Kasprzycki, Nicholas Kelly, Jacob Killian, Ernest Little, Elizabeth Lorence, Scott Ludwig, Zackery Manquen, Daniel Mathes, Thomas McDonnell, Kelsey Mulvey, Kevin O’Brien, Courtney Papaj, Danielle Perri, Elizabeth Restey, Ashley Rutland, Robert Schiffhauer, Jonathon Seaman, Allison Snell, Paige Speidel, Michael Sperrazza, Amber Spiesz, Kelly Stark, Timothy Symington, James Toney, Nicole Winter, Sarah Young, Rebecca Zimmerman, Travis Zukic
Grade 11: Kevin Acquisto, Zachary Adams, Joseph Aladeen, Peter Aronica, Lee Becker, Viktoria Belous, Sean Benninger, Amy Bidell, Conor Bryan, Danielle Bush, Philip Cavuoto, Mariah Christie, Allison Cislarski, Christopher Colan, Amanda Colman, Caitlin Cook, Kaitlyn Czerwonka, Korey DiMatteo, Shane Eddy, Joseph Edel, Shannon Farmer, Lauren Fermoile, Christopher Fiels, Andrew Fix, Leah Gangloff, Zachary Gilbert, Anthony Gugino, Meghan Haley, Michael Hillock, Cody Hogrewe, Craig Hooper, Kaitlin Incorvia, Caroline Kaminski, Taylor Kaufman, Jatinder Kaur, Brittany Keel, Adam Kelly, Tristan Kessler, Haroon Khawar, Victoria Kowzan, Tristen LaBarre, Drew Lazelle, Damon Lewis, James McDonnell, Mikki McMahon, David McMichael, Kimberley Mellet, Samantha Morrison, Jessica Mysliwiec, Katie Nordvik, Brian O’Keefe, John Osberg, Carmen Pariso, Craig Perno, James Pezzino, Lindsay Pieri, Scott Quider, Joseph Romano, Michele Rossi, Anthony Schojan, Alexander Seyler, Jessica Sharrow, Carly Snyder, Alyssa Spada, Kyle Spratford, Tess Stewart, Nicole Styliades, Charanjot Tiwana, Justine Vanthoff, Ryan Vertino, Megan Wagner, Edward Weiser, Alexandra Whitford, Christopher Wilczek, Andrea Wilson, Meghan Yahner
Grade 12: Steven Accardo, Joseph Amsdill, Ashley Bass, Teighlor Bennett, Jourdain Benoit, Jared Billica, Richard Boss, Lindsey Boyle, Jasmeet Brar, Danielle Bruno, Brandon Caldwell, Casey Carminati, Christopher Carter, Jeremy Chopra, Molly Clingersmith, Jaclyn Coe, Taylor Cool, Vincent Coty, Daniel DeMarco, Bryan Deuble, Andrew Donahue, Jessica Doyle, Rafael Duenas, Christopher Eley, Lauren Emmi, Jarkko Etula, Abigail Evans, Timothy Franklin, Nicholas Geib, Nicole Goelz, Mallory Griffiths, Ryan Hagen, Ryan Hoople, Alexander Hultgren, Sara Johnson, Joseph Kobza, Sara Kurpiewski, Jeremy LaBarre, Marissa Lange, Matthew Little, Kirk Manquen, Stephen Mathes, Craig Meaney, Jeremy Meyer, Courtney Mulvey, Christian Nestark, Salvatore Niro, Sara Orsolits, Jessica Oyer, Sarah Palazzolo, David Perri, Anthony Poupalos, Justin Raiser, Jose Rivera, Roxanne Rizek, Blake Rockwood, Scott Ross, Stefane Samland, Carrie Schooping, Audrey Senf, Patrick Sexton, Joseph Shanor, Damanpreet Singh, Alicia Sommer, Nicole Stickl, Natalie Suppa, Joseph Tanbakuchi, Jacquava Thompson, Eduardo Toledo, Nicholas Tomkins, Nicholas Vallina, Elizabeth Wilson

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GISBA Presents 10th Annual High School Corporate Bowl - 2008
   The Grand Island School District, in cooperation with the Grand Island School & Business Alliance (GISBA) will present the 10th annual Corporate Bowl with a record 38 teams of four (152 students). Teams will face off in a trivia format challenging them in core areas including math, science, history, English Language Arts, foreign language, and current events.
   The highly anticipated event is scheduled for Tuesday, March 4 and Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. in the Grand Island High School Auditorium. The annual Corporate Bowl provides $7000 in scholarship money to Grand Island High School students.
   Many thanks to the committee who organized this venture along with the numerous community volunteers and Grand Island Central School District staff members who will serve as moderators, judges and scorekeepers.
   A special thank you to the local businesses whose donations have helped make this event possible.
Gold Sponsorship
Abarxis
"Astellas Pharma Manufacturing, Inc."
Grand Island Chamber of Commerce
Invitrogen
"River Oaks Clubhouse, L.L.C."

Silver Sponsorship
A.J.'s Heating and Cooling
Cannon Design
Niagara Frontier Publications
The Keller Group
The Legend Group

Bronze Sponsorship
Anchor Marine Inc.
"Christine Learman, CPA"
First Niagara Bank
Grand Island Auto Tech Inc.
Grand Island District Office Administrator
Grand Island Holiday Inn

Presenting the 38 Grand Island High School Corporate Bowl Teams
 
Team Jarmo                                                                            Purple Turkeys

 
Team Weer Smartte                                                            Passion For Fashion

 
Politically Correct                                       A-W-E-S-O-M-E Awesome, Awesome, Totally

 
Not Now Chief, We're in The Zone                                                    Nerd Herd

 
Team Arnone                                                                           Big Scary Monsters

 
Set it or Forget                                                    The Unlikely Winners

 
Three Amigos and Soos                                                      The Jackson 4


H2OH-NO                                                                           The Killer Rabbits

 
Flux Capacitors                                                                           Team Xtreme

 
Off Constantly                                                   Team I Can't Pronounce This Name

 
Bowl Busters                                                                           Geak Skaud

 
Corporate Intelligence                                                   The Paxton Boys

 
Remson’s Rad Quartet                                                                           Minoriteam

 
The Cameron Crazies                                                  Supreme Naughtiness

 
Ouch                                                                           The Nerdy Bunch

 
T.A.M.A.                                                                           Team Snipe

 
The Italian Stallions                                                  You Know You Want Us To Win

 
The Dancing Shillelaghs                                                                           Piece of II

 
Not Team Ramrod                                                    Team Travel Bunny

Corporate Bowl 2008 teams and members follow:
1. Team Jarmo - Marwa Eltagouri, Jameela Syed, Tara Hook, Susan Head
2. Purple Turkeys - Bailey DeGlopper, Amber Hultgren, Giovanna Andolina, Catie Hilliard (missing)
3. Team Weer Smartte - Mike Rayhill, Caity Taylor, Steve Boyle, Megan McInerney
4. Passion For Fashion - Scott Thompson, Marc Gerfin, Craiag Meaney, Nick Vallina
5. Politically Correct - Nick Taylor, Alex Hultgren, Nick Argy, Jeremy Meyer
6. A-W-E-S-O-M-E Awesome, Awesome, Totally - Autumn Kaiser, Alex Avery, Stefane Samland, Ashley Bass (missing)
7. Not Now Chief, We're in The Zone - Chris Fiels, Nick Muoio, Chris Podlucky, Matt Ludwig (missing)
8. Nerd Herd - Julie Figliotti, Luke Burkhart, Amanda Jaeger, Alex Richter
9. Team Arnone - Darren DelSignore, Haroon Khawar, Joe Aladeen, David McMichael
10. Big Scary Monsters - Kearney Erhard, Josh Little, Griffin Smith, Jon LoTempio
11. Set it or Forget it - Ciara Morreale, T.J.Slipko, David Benko, Shana Wierchowski
12. The Unlikely Winners - Sam Tilkins, Angela Fusco, Alicia Sommer, Aaron D'Angelo
13. Three Amigos and Soos - Joe Connors, Ben Bakula, Ben Soos, Mike Montaldi (missing)
14. The Jackson 4 - Jeff Szczepaniak, Evan Tsembelis, Taylor Jackson, Greg Feathers
15. H2OH-NO- Jordon Toth, Josh Kaplan, James Sica, Zack Adams
16. The Killer Rabbits - Ashley Swiantek, Sarah Stewart, Sarah Webb, Ali Cook
17. Flux Capacitors - Josh Kahn, James "Jimmy" McDonnell, Charles "Salty Chuck" Lavalee, Conor Bryan (missing)
18. Team Xtreme - Anthony Genova, Jake Bass, Justin Ciechoski, Jon Saman
19. Off Constantly - Lindsey Boyle, Matt Riley, Chris Eley, Roman Velletta
20. Team I Can't Pronounce This Name - Alex Buscaglia, Catherine Aughey, Maria Guidotti, Lauren Kucharski
21. Bowl Busters - Dhriti Ramesh, Aman Mattu, Kelly Hooven, Keran Mattu
22. Geak Skaud - Justine Vanthoff, Aaron Wood, Kayla Salonek, Chris Avery
23. Corporate Intelligence - Mike Chauby, Chris Stessing, Alex Fry, Seth Kline
24. The Paxton Boys - Todd Kunze, Adam Masse, Sam Kilb, Ryan Killian
25. Remson’s Rad Quartet - Jacob Ferrante, Alex Davis, Shannon Farmer, Noah Yaniki
26. Minoriteam - Rahsanica Ford, Rachel Abarca, Destiny Perez, Courtnnie Booker
27. The Cameron Crazies - Brooke Chamberlain, Jenna Cardone, Ava Jackson, Amanda Heftka
28. Supreme Naughtiness - Joe Tanbakuchi, Matt Klock,Anthony Perna, Tim Boorady
29. Ouch - Mike Karpie, Chris Gibney, Victoria Fleming, Kaitlyn Chapin
30. The Nerdy Bunch - Anna Ferrante, Emma Henderson, Sara Diletti, Jessica Osvath
31. T.A.M.A. - Maria Lorence, Ashley Koerntgen, Amber Meyers, Taylor Cool (missing)
32. Team Snipe - Joe Amsdill, Steve Mathes, Kirk Manquen, Mike Mucci
33. The Italian Stallions - Andrew Stange, Ashley Green, Meghan Dollard (missing, Mike Soos (missing)
34. You Know You Want Us To Win - Julia Fleming, Tiffani Dickinson, Jordan Kessler, Jackie Coe
35. The Dancing Shillelaghs - Matthew Little, Brenna McCabe, Matt Huber, Beth Szpala (missing)
36. Piece of II - Tim Lewis, Spencer Seese, Taylor Kozlowski, Noah Rothberg
37. Not Team Ramrod - Dan McKenna, Anthony Daubney, Jordan Tripi, Matt Hazelet
38. Team Travel Bunny - Rachel Gaydosh, Sarah Pici, Emily Thompson, Mary Egloff

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Boys Varsity Hockey Team Advances To Championship Game - 2008
   The Grand Island Vikings varsity hockey team has advanced to the WNY Club Hockey Large School Championship game to be played at HSBC Arena on Sunday, February 24th at 4 p.m.
   After finishing 5th during regular season play, they upset North Tonawanda 3-1 in the first round to advance to the second round.
   In the first of best of 3 games in the second round, the Vikings defeated #2 Lancaster 3-2 in triple overtime on Friday night (Feb. 8). Down 2-0, Zac Seiling scored in the 2nd period. With 4 minutes left in the game, Ryan Vertino put in the tying goal. Joe Oliverio had the game winner in the 3rd overtime. Eddie Weiser, Seiling and Neal DeMartin had key assists. Rob Tates was outstanding in goal.
   In the second game late Saturday night at the Pepsi Center, the Vikings defeated Lancaster 2-0 sending them to the Super Sunday Championship. Taylor LeFevre scored 1st taking a pass from Zac Seiling, then Robert Shiffhauer put in the 2nd goal assisted by Ryan Vertino. Rob Tates recorded the shutout in goal. The whole team is very excited and is playing outstanding hockey.
   The team is also in the sectional tournament at the Pepsi Center. They play this Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Come out and support the Grand Island Viking Varsity Hockey Team!
   Super Sunday is the icing on the cake for high school club hockey, and includes media day, a team practice at HSBC Arena and a team breakfast for players and parents at the Hearthstone Manor the day before the game. Go GIHS Varsity Vikings Hockey Team!

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Grand Island High School Winter Ball - Submit Your Photos! - 2008


The fourth photo show Queen and King Allie Weiser and Nick Tomkins.
Click photos for larger view.
   Grand Island High School Winter Ball 2008 . . . over 500 students came out to dance the night away...the theme was "Saturday Night Fever." The student body voted in Nick Tomkins and Allie Weiser and King and Queen of the night. The song of the evening was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart." It was a great time and everyone enjoyed themselves!!!

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Boys Varsity Swim Finals - 2008
   Grand Island High School Boys Varsity Swim Team participated in the NFL Diving on Friday, February 8 at Niagara Falls High School.
   For complete results, see "Finals Results.".
   The Grand Island High School team finished first in the 200 Medley Relay event. Grand Island's Josh Kaplan won the 100 backstroke and broke Rob Rumsey's 100 backstroke pool record from 2005. Sophomore Evan Carey finished first in the 200 IM.
   Results of sectional swimming preliminariess held Wednesday, February 13 at ECC Flickenger Aquatic Center will be forthcoming. Swimming Finals will be held today (Thursday, Feb. 14) at ECC. Diving prelims and finals begin at noon, Thursday at ECC. Sectional prelims begin at 5 p.m.
   See "Psych Sheet."

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Rotary/PTSA Students of the Month
Feb. 2008
 
Samantha McCollum                               Jessica Sturniolo                        Alexandra Weiser
   Samantha McCollum has been a resident of Grand Island for fifteen of her seventeen years. She has been enrolled in the Grand Island school system since kindergarten. During her school career, Samantha has attained academic success as well as taking part in various extracurricular activities and community services.
   Samantha's academic achievements began in fifth grade when she was the recipient of the Golden 'K' award at Kaegebein Elementary School. She has also been honored with the Pride of Grand Island award. Samantha has consistently achieved honor roll status and has been awarded an academic excellence certificate for general studies in addition to an award for her performance in ocean and marine biology. She is currently enrolled in AP psychology and AP literature and composition.
   Beyond her school work, Samantha is involved in numerous extracurricular activities. She has been a member of the varsity cheerleading squad since her sophomore year, attending several sporting events and competitions. She is a member of DECA and has been involved in choir and concert choir for three years. Furthermore, Samantha has been a valued addition to the Venture Yearbook staff since her freshman year. Through hard work and dedication she has been named one of the editors-in-chief for her senior year.
   Not only has Samantha participated in high school organizations, she has also committed time to the well being of the community. She has provided volunteer services several times to the Buffalo City Mission and their soup kitchen. Additionally, Samantha has taken part in the project "Operation Christmas Child" in conjunction with Samaritan's Purse at her church. She has participated in Relay For Life for five years, and raised money to benefit the well being of cancer patients and advancements in cancer research.
   Samantha has set solid goals for her future, which include attending college to obtain a masters degree in business and communications.
   Jessica Sturniolo has been a resident of Grand Island her entire life. She has made it a priority to be involved in the community and be a well rounded student. Throughout Jessica's high school education she has had perfect attendance and has been on the honor roll every semester. She has a varsity letter in academics and choir. She has also been in many advanced placement courses throughout her high school education.
   During high school Jessica has been involved in four choirs at school: choir, concert choir, vocal jazz and Madrigals. She is historian of Madrigals and also of Humanities Club. This year will be Jessica's fourth year as part of the high school musical. Also, she is a member of the National Honor Society for her academic achievement and active role in the community. While in ninth grade Jessica took part in cheerleading and has been helping with the middle school cheerleaders and younger children for four years.
   She demonstrates the Grand Island Rotary's motto, "Service before self." As an active member in her church Jessica takes on many responsibilities. This is her second year as a Sunday school teacher of pre-schoolers and kindergarteners. Along with teaching, Jessica volunteers at the breakfasts and lunches held at her church to help the church and her Lutheran Youth Organization. She has volunteered at the Lion's Club Special Kids Picnic for two summers where she painted the faces of many children. Jessica is also a member of the PTSA, where she sells memberships at open house and helps with the fundraisers held throughout the year. For three years she has been a part of The American Cancer Society's Relay For Life. During her first year Jessica was involved through her chorus where they sang in the opening ceremonies. Then in her sophomore year, she was on her mother's team and during her junior year Jessica was on two teams. On both occasions, she raised money for the American Cancer Society. She plans to be a part of the middle school mentorship program at Grand Island High School this year, and work at International Night.
   In the future Jessica intends to pursue her interest in early childhood education. She became interested in this career because she has always enjoyed working with children. Jessica's mother had always told her that children of all ages are naturally drawn to her. She is interning her senior year at St. Timothy Lutheran Child Care Center. She also has a job as a substitute assistant at the daycare and baby-sits every day after school. Jessica's Sunday school class will greatly help her prepare for this job because she teaches Pre-Schoolers and kindergartners. She has babysat for children between the ages of newborn to eight. Jessica's work with the community education program in which she helps teach young girls cheerleading will also help her with this. Jessica plans to attend Buffalo State College while continuing her part time job with the Child Care Center.
   Alexandra Weiser has been a Grand Island resident for most of her life. She has been enrolled in the Grand Island School District since kindergarten at Charlotte Sidway Elementary School. Throughout high school, Alexandra has accomplished several academic goals along with balancing her achievements in athletics and extracurricular activities.
   Alexandra has maintained an Honor Roll average every school year since ninth grade and is continuing in that direction her senior year. She has won numerous awards for academic achievement including an Academic Excellence certificate, pin, and varsity letter. She has also received an award for mastering the college French course offered at the school through Niagara University, with an A+ average. She was also inducted into Who's Who Among American High School Students. Alexandra believes that she owes her remarkable teachers for the majority of her academic success.
   Not only has Alexandra been recognized for her academics, but she has been commended for her athletic abilities as well. She was a four-year starter for the Grand Island Girls Varsity Soccer Team, where she earned all league honors all four years and all Western New York honors her junior and senior year. At the end of her junior year she was named the captain for the 2007 fall season. Alexandra has also started for the Varsity Softball Team since the ninth grade. She started her freshman and sophomore years but sacrificed her season her junior year to focus on her year-round soccer, the sport she plans to pursue at the collegiate level. Alexandra has high hopes for the softball program this spring and hopes to work her way back on the team.
   Alexandra has valued and taken advantage of the extra curricular activities at the high school. She was a member of student council, DECA, and yearbook. She also participated in charity events such as Relay For Life and the Student Olympics.
   In the community, Alexandra has been very involved in the youth soccer programs. She helped coach numerous house and travel teams the passed three years and hopes to someday become an assistant or head coach for the town.
   Alexandra has very high expectations for the future. After graduation, she plans on attending a university with a superior education program where she can major in Elementary Education with Special Education certification. After she has earned her Bachelors and Masters degree, she plans on returning to Grand Island to exercise her occupation in the school district.




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Feb. 7, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 2/7/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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Boys Varsity Hockey Team advances In Playoffs - 2008
   The Grand Island Varsity Hockey team advanced to the second round of playoffs after beating North Tonawanda 3-1 before a standing room only crowd of mostly NT fans on Monday night, February 4th at Hockey Outlet. The win shocked the NT players after their 5-0 and 4-1 wins over the Vikings in their previous outings. GI played solid the whole game with Eddie Weiser scoring 2 goals and Joe Oliverio's goal and an assist. Ryan Vertino, Neal DeMartin, Zac Seiling and Ryan Killian each assisted on the goals and Rob Tates was outstanding in goal. The Vikings play Lancaster Friday night at Hyde Park at 8:00 PM and also plays Lancaster on Saturday night, 9 p.m. at the Pepsi Center. The team would love to have a big GI crowd there to cheer them on.

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Photos From "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" - Submit Yours! - 2008

(1st photo) Andrew Stange, center stage and Sean Hook (Joseph); (2nd photo) Lizzie Davis, Alissa Bailey, Kasey Sumner, Andrew Stange, Sarah Bastian; (3rd photo) Alex Kelly, Liz Restey, Sarah Stewart, Andrew Stange
Click photos for larger view.
   These photos of the Grand Island High School play, "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," were submitted by Jeff Stange. Scroll down for more photos and story.

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Boys Varsity Swim Finals - 2008
   Grand Island High School Boys Varsity Swim Team Coach, Rob Collard, described the team as giving "excellen effort tonight" in regard to the first section of the NFL Meet swimming times finals. NFL Diving takes place Friday, February 8 at 5 p.m. at Niagara Falls High School when the meet concludes.
   Standouts for the Grand Island Varsity Vikings Swim Team follow:
• Men 200 Yard Medley Relay - Pool Record - Grand Island, J. Stickl, A. Salemi, R. Rumsey, M.Seay
• Men 200 Yard IM - First, Evan Carey, 2:04.00
• Men 100 Yard Backstroke - Pool Record and First Place - Josh Kaplan
   For complete results, see "Feb. 6th Finals Results.".

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Microsoft Office Specialist Exam Offered at Grand Island High School - 2008

Students pictured with the certificates, from left are Christian Gibson, Shelbi Milkas, Amy Grenke, Rachel Schauger, and Evan Carey - Click photo for larger view.
    Grand Island High School Keyboarding students have a unique opportunity at the end of each semester. They may choose to take The MOS Exam (Microsoft Office Specialist). This exam is administered on the computer and a certification comes directly from Microsoft. Cheryl Chamberlain, Keyboarding teacher, began this program last year and is pleased with the results. Students who receive this certification may use it to secure future jobs and career opportunities. For more information on the MOS Exam contact the GIHS Business Department at 773-8879.

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High School News - Feb. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 . . .Saturday evening will find many Grand Island students dressed in their finest as they attend Winter Ball. Tickets are still available if anyone is interested. Congratulations on a job well done to the cast and crew of Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat. All of your hard work was evident and appreciated by all.
   The parents of high school students received their student’s progress reports earlier this week. Hopefully, the majority of us made it through another marking period without any threat of punishment. Remember we are halfway there!
   Have you ever given any thought to how you “see” things?" Are you a person who sees things as being either black or white? Or do you “see” things as gray? When you think in terms of black and white, you have definite boundaries. Everything is either right or wrong - no excuses. A “gray” thinker makes allowances and lets emotions affect their judgment. They understand that life does throw a curve ball now and again, and are empathic toward others.
   So you ask… is it better to be a person who sees things as being black or white or is a person who sees things as gray? That is a matter of opinion. Personally, I fall under the category of black and white. I appreciate knowing and setting boundaries. I can relate to people who say what they mean, and mean what they say. It’s not that I do not have any emotions or that I don’t have empathy for others, I do, but I like knowing exactly where I stand. I understand that people may have legitimate excuses for not fulfilling obligations but I also feel that the majority of times excuses are not entirely true, but they are given because they know that a gray thinker will accept it. Maybe it’s not as simple as that, and perhaps as I get older my opinion will change, but for now the world in black and white looks pretty good to me!

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Swimmer Josh Kaplan Qualifies For State Championships - 2008
   Senior Josh Kaplan qualified for his second consecutive New York State Swimming Championship meet in the 100 yd backstroke during the February 4 meet. During the final NFL dual meet at Niagara Wheatfield, Josh broke the pool record in the 100 yd backstroke with a time of 54.50. The previous pool record was set in 1983 by North Tonawanda's Mike McCluhan. The Boys Varsity Swim Team lost to Niagara Wheatfield 119-64. The Boys Jr. Varsity also lost to Niagara Wheatfield 137-8. See "Feb. 4th Results.".

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Basket Raffle Prior To All-Island Band Concert - 2008
   Students in Mr. Kevin Murray's AP Government class will sponsor a Basket Raffle on Wednesday, February 13th in the Grand Island High School prior to the All-Island Band Concert. The Basket Raffle will be on going from 4 p.m. to concert time (7 p.m.). Tickets are $5.00 for a sheet of 25. All proceeds will go directly to help the students pay for their upcoming trip to Washington, DC. "Please come out to support this effort."

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"Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" Outstanding - 2008

Amy Bidell (Potiphar's Wife) and Jacob Ferrante (Potiphar) mingle with the well-wishers after their first performance of "Joseph" - Click photo for larger view.
By Teddy Linenfelser
   "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," awesome, outstanding, amazing! Leaving the high school auditorium and joining the crowd in the Viking Mall after last night's (Thursday) performance was a mixture of joy, emotion, and the feeling of "I wish it would never end." The entire audience seemed to be out there singing its praises.
   The large cast of enthusiastic GIHS students kept the music and dancing going and the play got better and better just when we thought it had reached its peak. Too many talented kids to mention, however, my favorite, outside of granddaughter, Amy Bidell, would be Andrew Stange who took the Elvis Presley type part a notch high than Elvis, himself. Don't miss this production - tonight (Fri.) at 7:30 p.m., tomorrow (Sat.) 1 p.m. and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Hats off to director Mrs. Carolyn Lokken and to Marty Allen who directed the pit orchestra.
   Send me your play photos to teddy@giecom.net for consideration in next week's Isledegrande.com




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Jan. 31, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 1/31/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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Boys Varsity Swim Team Beats Kenmore East - 2008

GIHS Swimming & Diving Seniors 2008 posed for this photo at theNFL dual meet January 29th. From left to right are Josh Kaplan, Jordan Toth, Dave Benko, Mike Soos, James Sica, Anthony Poupalos, Nick Tomkins
Click photo for larger view.
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Boys Swim Team posted a 112-70 win over Kenmore East on Tuesday, January 29, 2008. See "Jan. 29th Results.".

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GIHS Bowler, Buddy Boss Featured In Niagara Gazette - 2008
   Grand Island High School bowler, Buddy Boss, was featured in the January 30, 2008 edition of the Niagara Gazette in a story by Nate Beutel. Click "Niagara Gazette 1/30/08" for the feature.

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High School News - Jan. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008 . . . Grand Island Scholar athletes were given an ice cream reception along with both team and individual recognition for maintaining high averages in academics as well as high scores in athletics. Each honoree received an athlete scholar tee shirt and a pin. Way to go GI!
   As many of you know grades closed on January 25, which means we’ve now entered our third semester. Things are definitely on the down hill!
   Maybe somebody can help me with my thought process on this…In a world where most everyone is trying to take two steps forward, we hear of someone or an incident that sets our culture backward. What I’m referring to are two separate incidents in two different states that made the news earlier in January. The first occurred in Florida. A man poured hot cooking oil on a 17-month-old and then used a blow dryer to burn the toddler’s skin off. The next occurred closer to home where a man is accused of breaking both arms and one leg of a newborn less then a month old. Unfortunately while searching for this story, I discovered a third story; a man in Pennsylvania was convicted of murdering his 17-month-old daughter because she pulled down his Xbox, a game he supposedly played six to seven hours a day. I guess my first question is “Why?” and my second question is “How?” Three different incidents and three different states, so it’s not specific to certain demographics and the men were not of the same race, yet in each of these cases the victims were defenseless babies. So there is no rhyme or reason. Perhaps people need to think about what kind of a person you’d leave your child with. Anybody can make a baby, but not everyone should be a parent!

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GIHS Musical Opens Thursday Night - 2008

Dress rehearsal photos by Christine Stange - Click photos for larger view.
   See "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for performance information - Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 31-Feb. 2.

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Boys Varsity Swim Team Beats Lockport - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Boys Swim Team beat Lockport 98-85 January 25, 2008. The GIHS Jr. Varsity team lost to Lockport with a final score of 105-44. See "Jan. 25th Results.".




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Jan. 24, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 1/24/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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Rotary/PTSA Students of the Month
Jan. 2008
 
Catie Hilliard                               Alexandra Peters                        Shana Wierchowski
   Catie Hilliard has been a resident of Grand Island her entire life and has been enrolled in Grand Island schools since kindergarten. During her high school career, she has excelled not only at academics, but also through community service and athletics.
   Academically, Catie has consistently maintained a high GPS, while challenging herself with a variety of honors and Advanced Placement courses. She won several awards recognizing her academic success, including the Academic Excellence certificate and pin, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Pride of the Island, and has achieved Scholar Athlete for her three sports. She was also accepted into the National Honors Society her junior year.
   Throughout high school, Catie has been very involved in extracurricular activities. She has played soccer, basketball, and lacrosse all four years. She received three Varsity letters for soccer and All-WNY First Team recognition, and was also voted the #1 Forward among the WNY large schools. During her first two years of high school, Catie was a member of the JV basketball team, and lettered her junior and senior season. Catie has also been a 5-year member of the Varsity lacrosse team, and is looking to play in college. She has been named Scholar Athlete five times.
   She has also been an active member in the Interact Club since her freshman year, and is currently treasurer for the club. Catie is also very active in the community, volunteering for the Rotary, and the Lions Club, and also helps out the Grand Island Soccer Club.
   After graduation, Catie plans to attend college and major in psychology while playing either lacrosse or soccer.
   Alexandra Peters has been a resident of Grand Island her entire life and has attended Grand Island schools since kindergarten. During her high school career, Alex has excelled in academics, but she has also balanced a life full of extracurricular activities and community service.
   Academically, Alex has achieved Honor and High Honor Roll status since the sixth grade. She has earned her Academic Excellence Certificate, Pin, and Letter and hopes to achieve her Academic Bar her senior year. Alex has challenged herself with honors classes and Advanced Placement courses. She has been recognized by Who's Who Among American High School Students and National Honor Roll, as well as received the Pride of the Island three times. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
   Athletics has made an influential impact on Alex's life. She began participating in organized sports in kindergarten by playing soccer for the Grand Island Soccer Club. Over the years she has become involved in Community Education Basketball and Little League Softball. Alex has been a member of three sports teams throughout her high school career. She has earned her Varsity Letter for volleyball and basketball. Alex has a great passion for softball, has played on All-Star teams for Little League and plays travel softball in the summer. She has been on Varsity Softball since her sophomore year and has earned her Varsity Letter and Pin. In 2007, Alex was named to the Girls Softball Third Team All NFL squad. She also has been a Scholar Athlete for Softball twice and Volleyball once.
   Alex has contributed to the Grand Island community by being involved in the Lion's Club and participating in their annual Kids' Day picnic. She also is involved in a Girl Scout special interest group through her travel softball team. She mentors the younger softball players in her organization throughout the winter.
   After graduation, Alex plans to attend either SUNY Brockport or Canisius College to major in Physical Education. Alex also hopes to play softball at the collegiate level.
   Shana Wierchowski became a resident of Grand Island ten years ago and has been extremely committed to academics and the community ever since. As she has progressed through her academic career, she has become increasingly involved with her school's extracurricular activities as well as many forms of community service.
   Shana began her academic journey at Huth Road Elementary School where she was awarded the Attorney General's prestigious Triple "C" Award in fifth grade and was also twice presented with the Pride of the Island Award. In middle school and high school, she has consistently maintained high honor roll status in every marking period from sixth to eleventh grade. Shana has received two Presidential Awards for academics, as well as her High School Academic Certificate, Pin and Varsity Letter. She has always embraced a challenging course schedule, and has been awarded the title of AP Scholar for her outstanding scores on the Advanced Placement classes she has taken. Recently, Shana was presented with the William's College Book Award which recognizes scholastic achievement and commitment.
   As an active member of Grand Island's music program for the last nine years, Shana not only plays French horn, but also participates in numerous extracurricular music activities. She has auditioned for several music festivals and performed twice with the All-County band and once with the orchestra. In high school, she has been a member of the pep band, community band, pit orchestra, and has received her Varsity Music Letter. She is the current treasurer of the Wind Ensemble. Shana has also been an active member of Student Council for the last three years and is presently serving as the secretary. Student council has afforded her the opportunity to participate in the planning of dances, Spirit Week, and the school's yearly Christmas charity drive. During her junior year, Shana was inducted into the National Honor Society.
   The Grand Island community is also extremely important to Shana. As a member of the high school Interact Club, she has been able to participate in volunteer and Rotary Club activities such as a charity gift-wrap, Rotary fundraiser, and has even slept in a box to raise money for a homeless shelter. Her service as a Girl Scout helped her to become invested in the cultural and historical aspect of Grand Island, and for the last five years she has volunteered as a docent at the national historic site of River Lea. Last year she also became a mentor at Kaegebein where she works with elementary students.
   Outside of school, Shana's life has been enriched by her participation as a host sister for two exchange students from France and Germany. After graduation, Shana plans to attend college to pursue a career in either law or a medical field.

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ATTENTION: Boys Swim/Dive Championships Moved To NFHS - 2008
    The NFL Boys Swimming & Diving Championships have been moved to Niagara Falls High School.
NFL Swimming Timed-Finals:
Wed, Feb 6th
Meet starts at 5 PM.

NFL Diving Prelims/Finals:
Fri, Feb 8th
Meet starts at 5 PM

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High School News - Jan. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Jan. 24, 2008 . . .Some students were disappointed this week, not just because of regents exams but some of us were given mid term exams as well. Mid term exams have not generally been standard practice at Grand Island High School. Rumors have spread that our new administrators gave faculty a choice to either give exams or students would be in attendance as usual. Personally, I had two midterm exams and one regent exam, and I appreciate the additional ‘down’ time in order to study.
   In the most recent copy of The Bridge, Superintendent Mr. Christmann wrote an interesting commentary suggesting that our schools should be run like a business and that like any successful business, you must treat your customers with respect. He further says that our first level of customers must be our students and the next level of customers are the parents of our students. While I applaud Mr. Christmann for wanting feedback from the community in regards to how we feel this “business” is being run, I can’t help but feel that I’m getting a mixed message. If you’ve seen the news lately then you’ll have better understanding of where I’m coming from. The newscast that I’m referring to was in regards to a different communities and how people were concerned with their school district, when it came to the Board of Education. It appears that the board of education had a few stipulations before the public could speak. In order to participate in Voice of the People, one had to sign up in advance and then you are only given a few minutes to speak. I discovered that unfortunately the Grand Island School District has similar rules. So that makes me wonder whether or not our voices will truly be heard!

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Indoor Records Fall At Yale
Boorady Takes 5th, Tsembelis 8th
Mile & 400, 4X200 & Distance Medley Records Fall - 2008
   The Grand Island Indoor Track Team continues to break records. Members of the team competed at Yale University, January 18-19, and had impressive performances breaking three school records. Senior Tim Boorady placed 5th in the shot put with a 46-'1.75" toss for his best performance this season. The 4x200 Relay of Adam Helman, Matt Klock, Jared Northrup and Patrick Gallagher set a new school record with a 1:40.20 effort. The Distance Medley placed 8th overall and second in their race, setting a new school record of 11:05.80. Evan Tsembelis, Patrick Gallagher, Jordan Gibson and Chris Carter made up the foursome. In the Invitational Mile, Evan Tsembelis placed third re-setting his own school record with a 4:29.70 in his race while teammate, Chris Carter, ran his best time placing second in his race with a personal best of 4:34.77. Jordan Gibson set a new school record in the 400 with a 55.88 effort, placing 7th in his race. The Indoor Track Team is coached by Donald Sauer.

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Boys Varsity Swim Team Beats Niagara Falls - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Swim Team beat Niagara Falls 105-80 on Friday, January 18, 2008. The GIHS Jr. Varsity team lost to Niagara Falls with a final score of 110-14. See "Jan. 18 Results."
   Grand Island's Varsity Swim Team has an 8 - 3 record as of this week.




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Jan. 17, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 1/17/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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GIHS Swimmer, Josh Kaplan Featured In Niagara Gazette - 2008
   Grand Island High School swimmer, Josh Kaplan, was featured in the January 17, 2008 edition of the Niagara Gazette in a story by Nate Beutel. Click "Niagara Gazette 1/17/08" for the feature.

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High School News - Jan. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Jan. 17, 2008 . . .This week on Sunday, January 13th was the annual DECA regionals which were held at Grand Island High School. At this event more than 500 students from various schools in Western New York participated, including Grand Island. All members who won their individual event now have the opportunity to compete in Rochester! I would like to congratulate Mrs. Cheryl Chamberlain and all members who had participated. I would also like to congratulate the band, Cryptic Haze, that performed on Friday January 11th. This band consists of four extremely talented Grand Island high school students: Cody Hogrewe, Zach Winter, DJ Perri, and Kyle Kraft. Congrats again guys!
   Next week is regents week for GIHS. That used to mean that the majority of people had off and time to relax but this year is different. Now many more students will be coming in to take mid terms created by their teachers. Also, next week is already the end of the second marking period. Only a little time left to change your grades, so I would start opening a book or two.




GIHS Hosts DECA Competition - Jan. 2008

DECA winners included the following GIHS students:
(left) Ciara Morreale (fashion merchandising)
(right) Courtney and Brittany Papaj (job interview) and Tiffani Dickinson (Visual advertising)


Click photos for larger view

   DECA students from all over Western New York converged on Grand Island High School on Sunday, January 13th for the annual DECA Regional Conference. DECA, a national business and marketing club, is an authentic experience for high school students and this conference is the first stop on the way to state and national ceremonies. Students, numbering 550, competed in 29 different business events such as job interview, accounting, and decision making role-plays. The entire high school and part of Connor Middle School were utilized for these contests. Business and community leaders act as judges for these events and their continued support of DECA enables students to prepare for their future careers. DECA Advisor Cheryl Chamberlain coordinated this year's conference and was aided by numerous faculty and staff members, school district board members, local business leaders, parents and student volunteers. Special thanks goes to Tops Markets and Grand Island High School's Audio Visual Department for their support and assistance. Grand Island had 53 students competing, with at least 11 qualifying for state competition. For more information on how to join DECA, contact the GIHS Business Department at 773-8879.

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Boys Swim Teams Beat Kenmore West, Lew-Port - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Swim Team was victorious over Kenmore West 53-40 on Friday, January 11, 2008. The GIHS Jr. Varsity team also outscored Ken-West 48-40. See "Jan. 11 Results."
   Grand Island Varsity swimmers beat Lewiston Porter 101-82 on Monday, January 15, 2008 and the GIHS Jr. Varsity boys also beat Lew-Port 75-46. See "Jan. 15 Results."

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Star Athlete Jonas Stalyga Featured In Niagara Gazette - 2008
   Grand Island High School athlete, Jonas Stalyga, was featured in the January 11, 2008 edition of the Niagara Gazette in a story by Nate Beutel. Click "Niagara Gazette 1/11/08" for the feature.

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Rehearsals In High Gear! - 2008
   Rehearsals for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are in high gear at the High School in anticipation of opening night Thursday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. Friday’s performance is being billed as Senior Night. Senior Citizens will be admitted free at the door with a Senior Citizen ID for the 7:30 p.m. curtain time. A Saturday matinee will be held on Saturday, February 2 at 1:00 p.m. with a general admission ticket price of $5.00. The final curtain call will be Saturday, Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. General admission for the evening performances is $7.00.
   Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, son of Jacob. The musical incorporates different musical styles giving a modern twist to an ancient story. "One More Angel in Heaven" is set in a country western style complete with a line dance; "Benjamin’s Calypso" has a Caribbean flavor; "Go, Go, Go Joseph" is a disco dance and "Those Canaan Days" is reminiscent of old France.
   "No musical would be complete without the essential players of the chorus," Carolyn Lokken, musical director said this week. "Our Gospel chorus, Ishmaelites and townsfolk, better known as Teeny-Boppers include: Elizabeth Asbach, Kimberly Asbach, Alyssa Bailey, Shannon Becker, Chelsea Bergmann, Jenna Cardone, Renee Doermer, Jaclyn Coe, Amanda Conrad, Aaron D’Angelo, Lizzie Davis, Jordan Dixon, Sarah Dolan, Hillary Figler, Tom Gilewicz, Jill Greinert, Amanda Heftka, Emma Henderson, Ava Jackson, Nathan Keefe, Alex Kelly, Taylor Kozlowski, Beth Leiner, Andrea Nicolia, Dan Olszewski, Alex Re, Sierra Seese, Spencer Seese, Sarah Stewart, Jaymeela Syed, Aria Yanicki and Molly Wynne. The part of the Lively Lass will be played by Sarah Bastian; Kasey Sumner will appear as the Sphinx and Kaitlyn Affuso will play the role of Queen Victoria," Mrs. Lokken reports.
   Tickets for all performances may be purchased in advance from all cast members or by placing your ticket order by phone with the Grand Island Senior High School Music Department at 773-8868. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a lively musical experience. "Join us January 31, Feb.1, and Feb. 2 for an entertaining evening at the High School Auditorium."
   Showtime information is as follows:
• Thursday, January 31 - Curtain Time 7:30 p.m. - General Admission $7.00
• Friday, February 1 - - Curtain Time 7:30 p.m. - General Admission $7.00
• Saturday, February 2 - Matinee 1 p.m. ($5 admission) - Curtain Time 7:30 p.m. - $7.00 Admission

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GIHS Indoor Track Records Fall
Helman Breaks Pole Vault With 13'
Mash Breaks Hurdle Record - Jan. 2008

(left) Adam Helman, Adam Helman, Chris Carter (#4)
   Grand Island's Indoor Track season is off to a good start as athletes broke two school records. Junior newcomer Adam Helman broke the Pole Vault record with a winning effort of 13'-0". He is the # 2 rated vaulter in WNY. The other school record was set by Junior Kelsey Mash in the 50 Hurdles with a 9.8 effort. "Kelsey has been working very hard with her technique over the hurdles and has improved steadily," noted Coach Don Sauer. "She will continue to improve as the season progresses." Mash also ran a 49.1 personal record in the 300. GI also had 2 first-place finishes with Chris Carter out-kicking his opponent in the 3200 with a good effort of 10:39 and Evan Tsembelis winning the 600 in 1:32. The Boys 4x400 relay (Carter, Hagen, Gibson, Tsembelis) took 2nd place with a season best of 3:56. Ellen Betterson ran well in the 600 and 300 while Amber Spiez improved her time in the 1000 with a 3:44 effort.
   Next meet will be at Fredonia over Christmas break.

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GIHS Track Records Continue to Fall - Jan. 2008
Driscoll breaks 1500, 1000 records
Tsembelis Breaks 1600 takes 4th at Cornell Inv.
4x800 Relay takes 2nd at Cornell with Record
Girls 4x400 Record Falls
   The Grand Island Indoor Track Team is having a record breaking season and the season is only approaching mid-season. The Team traveled to the Southern Tier Invite at Cornell and had a great showing. The top finish was a 2nd place by the Boys 4x800 Relay running a season best and school record effort of 8:34. The old record was 9:15. The tandem of Chris Carter, Jordan Gibson, Ryan Hagen and Evan Tsembelis came from 5th to place an impressive 2nd. Tsembelis placed 4th in the 1600 with a school record of 4:31.34 with teammate Chris Carter ever improving to his personal best of 4:39 taking 9th. Senior Tim Boorady and Junior Bobby Rutland had their best shot throws with 44-3.75 and 36-9.5 efforts.
   Caitlyn Driscoll also had a record day with her 3:24.5 effort to break the 1000 record and add to her school records. Last week she broke the 1500 record with a 5:28.1 effort. The Girls 4x400 Relay set a new school record with a 4:32.8 effort in placing 5th in their section. Caitlyn Driscoll, Maritina Tsembelis, Ellen Betterson and Kelsey Mash shattered the old record of 4:38 set last season. Rahsanica Ford broke her own shot put record with a 27.1 effort. Kelsey Mash won her heat of the 300 in 47.2 while Freshman Pat Gallagher ran a 40.7 a mere 2.7 seconds from the record set last year by Tim Fargino. Jordan Gibson and Chris Stessing had their best times of the season in the 600 with 1:33.52 and 1:36.29 respectively. Maritina Tsembelis and Amber Spiesz both ran their best times in the 1500 with a 5:32.93 and 5:40.85 efforts. Joe Connors ran is best time of 42.29 in the 300 while Matt Klock had his best in the Triple Jump with a 35-1 jump. Freshman Derek Stacey had his best time of 11:22.49 in the 3200.




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Jan. 10, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 1/10/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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High School News - Jan. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Jan. 10, 2008 . . .This week for Grand Island is the start of competition for many. Grand Island’s 10th annual Corporate Bowl will be held on March 4th and 11th. All students are allowed to join with a group of no more or less than four people. If you do win the Corporate Bowl this year, you may possibly receive scholarship money so don’t forget to sign up! Also this week on Sunday is the DECA regionals which will be held at the High School. All members chose to work solo or with a partner and which category they would like to compete in. I would like to wish the best luck to all members competing.
   As the school year goes on, our principals keep coming up with new, great ideas. This time it involves this year’s boys basketball team. This event is called “Can You Shoot a Basket” and will be held on Friday. During half time, some random fan will be chosen to try to make a basket. There will be prizes created by Powerade and if you can get all four shots, you win an MP3 player! Good luck to the fans and the players!

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Coming To GIHS - 2008
   The sounds of Disco, Rock and Roll, Country Western, French Ballads, and the Charleston emanate each day from the doors of the high school auditorium. It is not a musical revue but final preparations for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, set to play Thursday, January 31, Friday, February 1, and Saturday, February 2. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. The story is explained to the audience via the narrators (Alex Davis, Shannon Farmer, Julia Figliotti, Rachel Gaydosh, Ciara Morreale, Rachel Olszewski, and Sarah Stenzel). Joseph (Sean Hook) is the favorite son of Jacob (P.J. Lemme). Joseph, who is able to interpret dreams, is the envy of his eleven brothers (John Gannon, TJ Slipko, Andrew Fix, Matthew Little, Tim Lewis, Lee Becker, Patrick Sexton, Nick Kelly, Griffin Smith, Kearney Erhard, and Noah Rothberg). In a fit of jealousy they sell Joseph into slavery.
   The brothers and their wives (Kim Snell, Jessica Sturniolo, Kahla Cerrillo, Alicia Sommer, Liz Restey, Giovanna Andolina, Kaitlin Hager, Kara Dudley, Lauren Fonte, and Alyssa Accardo ) tell Jacob that Joseph has been killed. Meanwhile in Egypt, Joseph has gained the trust of his owner, Potiphar (Jacob Ferrante). He has also caught the wandering eye of Mrs. Potiphar (Amy Bidell). Potipahr, misunderstanding Joseph, jails him. It is there he interprets the dreams of the Maid (Tara Hook) and the Baker (Allie Boron). News of Joseph’s ability to read dreams travels to Pharaoh (Andrew Stange), who summons Joseph to his court.
   In Act II Joseph interprets the dreams of Pharaoh the King. He predicts seven years of plenty followed by seven years of starvation. Joseph again rises to a position of importance. His brothers, by this time, have hit hard times. They arrive at court and petition Joseph, whom they do not recognize, for assistance. Joseph does not reveal his identity but sets one of his brothers up to appear as a thief. The brothers beg for his mercy, and, seeing their unselfishness, Joseph reveals his identity. The family reunites for Joseph’s triumphant arrival home.
   Directors Michael DeDario and Carolyn Lokken are working with an ensemble of over 70 students who complete the cast of Ishmaelites, Do Wop chorus, court servants, and townsfolk. A student orchestra led by Mr. Martin Allen will accompany the ensemble, and students taking an advertising class, under the guidance of Mrs. Cindy Wynne have designed a poster and program logo.
   Showtime information is as follows:
• Thursday, January 31, Friday, February 1, and Saturday, February 2
• Curtain Time 7:30 p.m.
• General Admission $7.00
• Friday Night Only Senior Citizens admitted free with Senior ID
• Saturday Matinee
• Showtime 1:00 p.m.
• General Admission $5
   Advance tickets can be purchased from cast members or by phone order at 773-8868.

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Boys Swim Teams Suffers Losses To Niagara Wheatfield, North Tonawanda - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Swim Team lost to Niagara Wheatfield 113-69 on Friday, January 4, 2008 in the GIHS pool. The GIHS JV Swim Team also lost the NW-GI meet 109-49. See "Jan. 4 Results."
   The Varsity Vikings suffered a loss to North Tonawanda, 95-88 at Grand Island on Tuesday, January 8, 2008. Grand Island's Junior Varsity swimmers were also beaten by North Tonawanda, 106-43. See "Jan. 8 Results."




GIHS Sports Briefs - Week Ending Jan. 3, 2008
Click "Sports Briefs 1/3/08" for this week's Grand Island High School sports scores.
GIHS sports results may be emailed to "teddy@giecom.net"

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GIHS Swim Team Beats Ken East 61-39 - 2008
   The Grand Island High School Varsity Swim Team beat Ken East 61-39 on Wednesday, January 2, 2008. The meet was held at Kenmore East. The JV Swim Team lost to Ken East 53-42. See "Jan. 2 Results."

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High School News - Jan. 2008
By Kaitie Samland (Sophomore) - Student Writer
   Thursday, Jan. 3, 2008 . . .Goodbye 2007 and welcome 2008! It was definitely a roller coaster ride for the Grand Island School District, particularly the high school. Some positive reflection into the past will spotlight our school musicals, band, orchestra and choral concerts. Our scholar athletes were honored for their hard work both in school and on the field. We welcomed many new faces at the start of this school year, particularly Mr. Arroyo who is assigned to watch over 9th and 10th grade. Relay for life hit an all time high despite the horrible weather. Girls Tennis had a 14-0 season, breaking an all time record. Unfortunately along with the positive comes some negative and that seems to be what people remember. Small things like the flip flop issue, bigger things like underage drinking at a birthday party to drug issues and bomb threats. It’s sad that many of the good things we do get overshadowed by the bad. Perhaps 2008 will prove to be a better year for all!
   Don’t forget Regents exams are being held the week of January 22 through the 25th. The Viking was sent out in December but for those of you who threw it out, the exams and their times are located on the Grand Island web page. For all of our musical lovers the high school production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat will be presented on January 31, and February 1 and 2, 2008.