Three-peat for Seaford bowlers

Seaford put an exclamation point on its third straight Nassau County Division II boys’ bowling championship Feb. 1 with a total pinfall of 985, its best of six games at Garden City Lanes.

Junior Peter Weber erased an otherwise tough day with a team-leading 211 as the Vikings, in only their fourth season of existence, easily distanced themselves from runner-up Clarke, winning by a margin of 388 sticks. Juniors Joe Ledesky and Joe Gallagher both closed the tournament with a 204, while senior Andrew Leahy and sophomore Jason Donovan chipped in with games of 192 and 174, respectively.

Leahy missed the morning session for personal reasons but arrived in time for the afternoon portion and made the most of it, rolling 222, 232 and 192 for a 646 series. He averaged 203 during the regular season, ranking third on the team behind Ledesky (208) and Gallagher (204.)

“Andrew’s our emotional leader and when he showed up after lunch, you can see everyone had more pep in their step,” Seaford coach Berto Cerasi said of Leahy.

Ledesky topped 200 in three of his five games in the tournament, including a 245 to close the morning series in which he totaled 607. He often leads off and sets the tone for the rest of the lineup, Cerasi noted. “Other kids feed off his energy and Andrew’s,” the coach said.

Gallagher was the only Viking to compete in all six games and averaged 190.3, with a high of 223 out of the gate. He’s served as the anchor bowler all season.

Junior Casey Fjellstad added a 555 series in the morning, and junior Joe Abbate averaged 183 over his first three games of the day.

Seaford’s girls’ program, also in just its fourth season, also captured a third consecutive county championship. Junior Marissa Mele and senior Paige Donovan led the way as they have all winter, averaging 192 and 189, respectively, over the six games. They held the top two averages in Nassau during the regular season.

“Marissa and Paige are both smooth and consistent,” Cerasi said. “They’re rocks under pressure.”

Seaford’s pin total of 4,970 was in another zip code compared to runner-up Clarke’s 4,127. Hailey Galison, Sofia Sanchez, Allie Maclean and Nicole Karaman also contributed to the title. Galison, a senior, rolled a 203 in the fifth game. Karaman, a sophomore who spent most of the season leading the JV team, closed with a 193. “We don’t win it all without our depth,” said Cerasi, who noted the girls haven’t lost a regular-season match since becoming a program.

Donovan’s 259 in the second game of the tournament was the Lady Vikings’ best on the day, while Mele closed with a 640 three-game series in the afternoon.  

Next up for both Seaford teams is the state tournament in Syracuse beginning on March 13. Both placed fifth last season and Cerasi said the goal is to be among the top three.