The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

All-Pasco County winter awards announced

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High school coaches from the Pasco County School District recently announced the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2018-2019 winter sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West division.

The following high schools from our coverage area were represented in the East: Cypress Creek, Land O’ Lakes, Pasco, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.

This is a listing of the recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

The Land O’ Lakes varsity boys basketball team enjoyed a banner season that included a district title and a 27-3 record. (File)

Winter Sports (Boys)
SAC East All-Conference Boys’ Basketball

Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes

Coach of the Year: Dave Puhalski, Land O’ Lakes

Player of the Year: Chase Farmer, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Chase Farmer, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Isaiah Ramsey, Wesley Chapel, junior

Elijah Howell, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Mekhi Perry, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Jordan Golden, Sunlake, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Jamaal Wright, Sunlake, senior

Dontae Marchman, Zephyrhills, junior

Ethan Jones, Wesley Chapel, junior

Logan Ghoumari, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Jerry Peace, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Honorable Mention
Matthew Webster, Pasco, freshman

Cedric McBride, Cypress Creek, senior

The Wiregrass Ranch High and Pasco High varsity boys soccer teams were named co-team champions of the Sunshine Athletic Conference’s East division. The Bulls went 17-3-4 and the Pirates went 20-1-3. For Wiregrass, it marks their sixth-straight conference crown. They also haven’t lost a game (not including ties) to a Pasco County squad since the 2013-2014 season. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys’ Soccer
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch & Pasco

Coach of the Year: Dave Wilson, Wiregrass Ranch

Offensive Player of the Year: Jason Nicolette, Pasco

Defensive Player of the Year: Malcolm Lewis, Wiregrass Ranch

First Team All-Conference
Jason Nicolette, Pasco, senior

Malcolm Lewis, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Jaxon Landry, Sunlake, junior

Justin Amis, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Javier Todd, Sunlake, senior

Adrian Maldonado, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

(Courtesy of Pasco High School Athletics)

Jake Bierhorst, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Jake Rodriguez, Sunlake, junior

Landon Surratt, Pasco, sophomore

Ben McQuay, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Alan Castro, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Logan Grace, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman

Omar Rios, Pasco, senior

Lincoln Morgan, Sunlake, senior

Sebastian Victoria, Sunlake, sophomore

Alex Montes, Pasco, senior

Collin Corrao, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Adam Mihalek, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Camilo Torres, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Nathan Oparka, Sunlake, senior

Carlos Morales, Zephyrhills, junior

Jared Jimenez, Pasco, junior

Honorable Mention
Marco Svolinsky, Cypress Creek, junior

The Sunlake boys wrestling team was named team champion of the Sunshine Athletic Conference’s East division, for the second year in a row. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Boys’ Wrestling
Team Champion: Sunlake

Coach of the Year: Sergio Matos

Wrestler of the year: Timothy Johnson, Pasco

106-pound: Nate Ames, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

113-pound: Orion Magoon, Sunlake, freshman

120-pound: Niko Caropreso, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

126-pound: Darion Skelly, Pasco, junior

132-pound: Travis Knowlton, Pasco, junior

138-pound: Tyson Gillott, Wesley Chapel, junior

145-pound: Jack Evans, Pasco, sophomore

152-pound: Scott Kren, Land O’ Lakes, senior

160-pound: Mathew Paduani, Sunlake, senior

170-pound: Mark Kieper, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

182-pound: Zach Spicer, Sunlake, junior

195-pound: Timothy Johnson, Pasco, senior

220-pound: Cayman Wiseman, Sunlake, junior

285-pound: Trent Gilbert, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

Second Team All-Conference
106-pound: Zac Demello, Zephyrhills, sophomore

113-pound: Kyle Eldridge, Land O’ Lakes, junior

120-pound: Krystian Maldonado, Sunlake, senior

126-pound: Jaiden Martinez, Zephyrhills, freshman

132-pound: Tristan Cowley, Zephyrhills, senior

138-pound: Cade Menozi, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

145-pound: Samuel Gilley, Sunlake, junior

152-pound: Kevin Johnston, Pasco, junior

160-pound: Issam Hamad, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

170-pound: Alexander Perusek, Sunlake, junior

182-pound: Benjamin Tomas, Wesley Chapel, senior

195-pound: Angel Vasquez, Land O’ Lakes, senior

220-pound: Andrew Martin, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

285-pound: Bradley Jasper, Sunlake, senior

Honorable Mention
Sam Payne, Cypress Creek, freshman

Connor O’ Malley, Cypress Creek, senior

The Wesley Chapel varsity girls basketball team captured its first conference title in 11 years and first district title in 10 years, on its way to a 22-3 mark. (Courtesy of Wesley Chapel High School Athletics)

Winter Sports (Girls)
East All-Conference Girls’ Basketball
Team Champion: Wesley Chapel

Coach of the Year: Peter Livingston, Wesley Chapel

Player of the Year: Kayla Grant, Wesley Chapel

First Team All-Conference
Kayla Grant, Wesley Chapel, junior

Zoi Evans, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore

Genesis Gonzalez, Sunlake, senior

Trinity Blanc, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Ariana Heppenstall, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second Team All-Conference
Mia Nicholson, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Emilia Cameron, Pasco, senior

Madison Gant, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Taija McCullough, Zephyrhills, sophomore

Emari Lewis, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Honorable Mention
Erin Whitely, Cypress Creek

After going 3-13 in its inaugural campaign in 2018, the Cypress Creek Middle High varsity girls soccer team enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this season, winning a conference championship and finishing with an 11-4 record. (File)

East All-Conference Girls’ Soccer
Team Champion: Cypress Creek

Offensive Player of the Year: Heather Sefton, Wesley Chapel

Defensive Player of the Year: Katelyn Leavines, Cypress Creek

First Team All-Conference
Heather Sefton, Wesley Chapel, senior

Avery Damjanovic, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

Gaby Cardenas, Wesley Chapel, junior

Taylor Denney, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Teresa Rodriguez, Land O’ Lakes, freshman

Ysa Novak, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Katelyn Leavines, Cypress Creek, senior

Courtney Eckel, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Kaci Landry, Sunlake, senior

Ashley Doers, Land O’ Lakes, junior

Mackenzie Spurling, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Jeanine Sullivan, Sunlake, senior

Raegan Bourne, Cypress Creek, junior

Sophia Mitchell, Cypress Creek, junior

Kaylei Koschman, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Kat Llanos, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Bryanna Joseph, Sunlake, junior

Emily Esquinaldo, Wesley Chapel, senior

Sydney Bauer, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Abigail Murphy, Cypress Creek, junior

Maddy Golka, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Madison Holcombe, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Hope Johnson, Zephyrhills, senior

Kamryn Cummings, Pasco, senior

The Wiregrass Ranch High varsity girls competitive cheerleading team were tops among eastside Pasco County schools at the annual ‘Best of Pasco’ tournament. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch High School Athletics)

East All-Conference Girls’ Competitive Cheerleading
Team Champion: Wiregrass Ranch

Coach of the Year: Dawn Wetherby, Pasco

Cheerleader of the Year: Reagan Steele, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
Rachel Trapeni, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Molly Doyle, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Alexandra Cristafaro, Sunlake, senior

Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior

Emelina Brown, Sunlake, freshman

Reagan Steele, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Abigail Runkel, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Kimberly Benson, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Gabrielle Flannery, Pasco, senior

Megan Partain, Pasco, senior

Second Team All-Conference
Tara Powers, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Cara Alvarez, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Kaytie Odom, Pasco, senior

Mallory McCann, Pasco, senior

Kristal Prado Zapata, Wesley Chapel, junior

Sydney Moye, Wesley Chapel, senior

Lyla Lewczyk, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Haley Cogan, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Camryn Steele, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Emma Runkel, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

The Sunlake High varsity girls weightlifting team captured its first state championship, in the FHSAA Class 2A girls weightlifting state finals. The feat marks the second state title by a team sport in the school’s history. (File)

East All-Conference Girls’ Weightlifting
Coach of the Year: Denise Garcia

Athlete of the Year: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes

First Team All-Conference
101-pound: Gabriella Schwarz, Sunlake, freshman

110-pound: Prestine Carter, Pasco, senior

119-pound: Madison Guincho, Sunlake, sophomore

129-pound: Loah Castro, Sunlake, senior

139-pound: Gianna Levy, Sunlake, junior

154-pound: Juliette Pacheco, Sunlake, junior

169-pound: Veronica Salazar, Land O’ Lakes, senior

183-pound: Alyssa Kremer, Land O’ Lakes, junior

199-pound: Sydney Murski, Wiregrass Ranch, senior

Unlimited: Abby Shaffer, Zephyrhills, senior

Second Team All-Conference
101-pound: Savannah Soriano, Land O’ Lakes, junior

110-pound: Christina Graziano, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

119-pound: Alexandro Cristofaro, Sunlake, senior

129-pound: Gianina Rios, Wiregrass Ranch, junior

139-pound: Sarah Davis, Zephyrhills, junior

154-pound: Kayla Robbins, Zephyrhills, junior

169-pound: Brianna Caban, Sunlake, junior

183-pound: Abigail Schmook, Sunlake, junior

199-pound: Cynthia Wilkes, Zephyrhills, senior

Unlimited: Sabrina Diaz, Sunlake, junior

Honorable Mention
Dinah Hardin, Wesley Chapel, senior

Amanda Reyes, Cypress Creek, senior

Published March 20, 2019

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