Beloved Long Island basketball ref bouncing back after cardiac arrest incident

Joe Gaskin is already bouncing back.The Long Island high school basketball referee, who went into cardiac arrest while calling a Nassau County Class A final between Floral Park and West Hempstead, is proud to say he will be back on the court for his 38th season next year.“When my doctor said, ‘Do you have any questions?’ one of the first things I said was, ‘Will I be able to ref again next year?’ ” Gaskin told The Post from his hospital room.“He said, ‘I don’t see any reason why not.’ ”Gaskin, a longtime beloved member of the basketball community who followed in the footsteps of his father, isn’t unaware of the full-court press that kept him alive Saturday.Nurses Tiffany Vargas, Monica Lally and Darlene Sica, along with a doctor, all rushed from the stands to administer CPR while his close friend, Wantagh athletic director Jennifer Keane, quickly prepped an automated external defibrillator (AED) that was used to resuscitate the Franklin Square man.The ref, who will be coming home in the next few days, has emotionally thanked those who saved him and is planning to advocate for keeping AED devices at sporting events.“I had angels in the stands that day.”She can finally catch her breath.Zariel Macchia, the Long Island track standout and Olympic hopeful, is elated to put a dramatic, courtroom-filled end to her winter season in the rearview after becoming a state champion.Days before the Staten Island meet last weekend, she had to speak in court after her family sued NYSPHSAA to let her compete after being banned for the technicality of racing with college athletes representing their schools.She dashed a 3,000-meter event with a winning time of 9:21.73 and ran the anchor leg of Suffolk’s intersectional relay, leading her William Floyd squad to a win in 10:02.06.

“I’m proud to say I stayed true to my values and didn’t get too caught up in trying to destroy everybody just because I had to go to court,” Macchia told The Post of her ord...