The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Kevin Weiss

Land O’ Lakes High product to begin pro soccer career

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Sydny Nasello (Courtesy of University of South Florida athletics department)

Land O’ Lakes High School/University of South Florida product Sydny Nasello will soon live out her dream of playing professional soccer.

Nasello last month was selected 13th overall to the Portland Thorns in the 2022 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft.

With South Florida, the junior forward was named American Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year for the second straight season after leading the conference in goals (11) and finishing second in assists (5).

At Land O’ Lakes, Nasello racked up 120 goals across a four-year varsity soccer career. Her senior year, she was named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year, after posting 45 goals and 13 assists, guiding the Gators to the regional finals, a 23-3 record and undefeated district mark.

All-Pasco County fall awards announced (Part Two)

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High school coaches from Pasco County Schools recently announced Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) All-Conference Teams, Athletes of the Year and Coaches of the Year, for the 2021-2022 fall sports season.

Selections were made for both the East and West divisions.

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

Here is a listing of girls team and individual recipients within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area for cross-country, football, golf, swimming & diving, and volleyball.

NOTE: The Laker/Lutz News published the Boys All-Conference listings in its Jan. 12 edition.

Fall Sports (Girls)

SAC East All-Conference Cross-Country
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Randal Reeves, Sunlake
Runner of the Year: Carlie Ortiz, Cypress Creek

First-Team
Carlie Ortiz, Cypress Creek, sophomore
Abigail Williams, Sunlake, sophomore
Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Sara Ashley, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Ava Schmitt, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
Sara Ellingson, Sunlake, senior
Shelby Viseur, Sunlake, senior

Second-Team
Elyse Alagal, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Avery Pham, Sunlake, sophomore
Virginia Webb, Cypress Creek, senior
Jaiden Wickert, Sunlake, junior
Emma Burleson, Sunlake, senior
Aileen Castillo, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
Ava Adriani, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

Honorable Mention
Madison Poe, Zephyrhills, senior
Trystan Hanly, Pasco, senior
Alexi Benitez, Wesley Chapel, senior

The Land O’ Lakes varsity volleyball team went 25-5 this season en route to its second straight Sunshine Athletic Conference championship title. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School athletics department)

SAC East All-Conference Volleyball
Team Champion: Land O’ Lakes
Coach of the Year: Brittany Collison, Wesley Chapel
Player of the Year: Chloe Danielson, Wesley Chapel

First-Team
Kylie Ciani, Sunlake, senior
Jasmine Christian, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Catie Grimes, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Izabella Horruitiner, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Zoe Van Putten, Sunlake, sophomore
Kayla Baer, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
Brooke Ashkenase, Wesley Chapel, sophomore

Second-Team
Jenna Ly, Wesley Chapel, junior
Laney Brinson, Cypress Creek, junior
Alice Stryker, Sunlake, junior
Kendyl Okin, Sunlake, sophomore
Emma Letourneau, Pasco, sophomore
Kaitlyn Klemm, Land O’ Lakes, senior
Emma Hatcher, Land O’ Lakes, senior

Honorable Mention
Aamahri Lewis, Zephyrhills, senior

The Sunlake varsity girls golf team finished in 10th place in the 3A state finals. (File)

SAC East All-Conference Golf
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Rob Patterson, Cypress Creek
Golfer of the Year: Alyssa Mixon, Sunlake

First-Team
Alyssa Mixon, Sunlake, sophomore
Taylor Zachary, Sunlake, senior
Tiffany Colin, Cypress Creek, junior
Carmen Phousirith, Cypress Creek, junior
Nikki Watson, Wesley Chapel, freshman

Second-Team
Hailey Stricker, Sunlake, sophomore
Annamarie Ratican, Cypress Creek, junior
Katelyn O’Neil, Wiregrass Ranch, freshman
Brooklyn Beckstead, Wiregrass Ranch, sophomore
Hanna Mathis, Sunlake, senior

Honorable Mention
Brooke Baldus, Zephyrhills, senior
Evelyn Randall, Pasco, senior
Eve Garrett, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore

SAC East All-Conference Swimming and Diving
Team Champion: Sunlake
Coach of the Year: Karen Westerman, Sunlike
Swimmer of the Year: Lili Hilt, Sunlake
Diver of the Year: Jessica Roehrig

First-Team
200 medley relay: Sunlake — Amber Ewald, senior; Lilli Hilt, senior; Ava Edwards, sophomore; Madi Houck, junior
200 freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, senior
200 individual medley: Lilli Hilt, senior
50 freestyle: Madi Houck, Sunlake, junior
100 butterfly: Lilli Hilt, Sunlake, senior
100 freestyle: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
500 freestyle: Leah Fonnotto, Sunlake, senior
200 freestyle relay: Land O’ Lakes — Catherine Pinkos, senior; Katherine Purcell, freshman; Abigail Hahm, sophomore; Jahzara Ramsey, sophomore
100 backstroke: Madi Houck, Sunlake, junior
100 breaststroke: Maryam Khalil, Wiregrass Ranch, senior
400 freestyle relay: Sunlake — Lilli Hilt, senior; Ava Edwards, sophomore; Amber Ewald, senior; Madi Houck, junior
Diver: Jessica Roehrig, Wesley Chapel, junior

Second-Team
200 medley relay: Land O’ Lakes — Abigail Hahm, sophomore; Catherine Pinkos, senior; Sandali Idippili-Pathiran, sophomore; Jahzara Ramsey, sophomore
200 freestyle: Ava Edwards, Sunlake, sophomore
200 individual medley: Abigail Hahm, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
50 freestyle: Jahzara Ramsey, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore
100 butterfly: Ava Edwards, Sunlake, sophomore
100 freestyle: Amber Ewald, Sunlake, senior
500 freestyle: Katherine Purcell, Land O’ Lakes, freshman
200 freestyle relay: Sunlake — RaeAnna Pontliana, sophomore; Ella Dobrzanski, junior; Katie Madley, sophomore; Leah Fonnotto, senior
100 backstroke: Amber Ewald, Sunlake, senior
100 breaststroke: Catherine Pinoks, Land O’ Lakes, senior
400 freestyle relay: Land O’ Lakes — Katherine Purcell, freshman; Ava Adriana, sophomore; Emily Coss, freshman; Sandali Idippili-Pathiran, sophomore
Diver: Isabelle Le-Nguyen, Cypress Creek, junior

Honorable Mention
Victoria Vaile, Wesley Chapel, senior
Kiley Naramore, Cypress Creek, freshman
Kasey Lang, Pasco, sophomore
Alex Bowe-Wootton, Zephyrhills, junior

Published January 19, 2022

Lacrosse standout named preseason All-American

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Ashlee Wilsynski (Courtesy of Saint Leo University athletics department)

Saint Leo University women’s lacrosse standout Ashlee Wilsynski has been named a USA Lacrosse Magazine 2022 Division II Women’s Lacrosse Preseason All-American, as a third-team recipient.

A native of Baltimore, Maryland, the junior attacker is one of 39 student-athletes awarded the distinction.

She is joined by four Sunshine State Conference (SSC) members: Hailey Daleo (Florida Southern College), CeCe Colombo (University of Tampa), Bridget Calwy (Rollins College) and Liz Fahey (Rollins College).

Wilsynski will begin her junior campaign in the spring.

She’s coming off a 2021 season where she started all 10 games, and led the Lions with 47 points (33 goals and 14 assists) and compiled a .735 shot on goal percentage.

As a freshman, she tallied 27 points as the team’s leading scorer with 21 goals and six assists before the COVID-19 pandemic cut short the season.

Saint Leo head coach Caitlin Hansen commented on Wilsynski’s preseason recognition, in a release: “Ashlee has been a strong player for us from the start and deserves this preseason nod. I hope it will inspire our younger players to dream big and for our returners to keep in motion what we have been building these last few seasons.”

Dade City Police Department unveils strategic plan

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The Dade City Police Department has finalized its four-year strategic plan — running through 2025 — designed to guide the agency through a wave of growth and development within the East Pasco municipality.

The 21-page report — condensed into a PowerPoint — was presented in detail by Dr. James Sewell, a former assistant commissioner for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), during a Dec. 14 Dade City Commission meeting.

The Dade City Police Department has updated its four-year strategic vision plan, which runs through 2025. (File)

Sewell, of St. Petersburg, is known for helping law enforcement agencies in charting a road map for their future through the creation and implementation of their strategic plans.

He contracted with the Dade City Police Department to articulate the department’s vision, mission and values.

The strategic plan process, led by Sewell, included collaborative working groups, involving Dade City Police staff as well as residents, educators, business professionals, nonprofits, retirees and other stakeholders.

Sewell explained the broad strokes of the department’s vision to commissioners.

He said it seeks to foster “a community and a police department that work together.”

The department also wants to ensure that Dade City is “a safe place to live, work and visit,” Sewell said.

“The vision of the police department is to protect you — real simple,” the law enforcement expert said.

His experience includes serving as chief of the Gulfport Police Department from 1986-1990 and then later leading the Florida Criminal Justice Executive Institute.

He said the Dade City department must base its actions on these fundamental values:

  • Respect for the community and the people it serves
  • Integrity of the organization and the individuals within it
  • Professionalism among employees and their conduct
  • Service to the community

The department’s plan over the next four years encompasses four primary goals, tied together by 17 “action-focused” strategies and 91 objectives.

These four general goals are:

  • To maintain a safe community through effective enforcement, education, and citizen involvement
  • To provide a professional work environment that attracts and retains diverse, qualified personnel, recognizes employee excellence, and promotes leadership through education and training
  • To ensure agency and individual accountability by effective and efficient use of equipment, facilities and technology
  • To ensure the department keeps pace with the needs of the city brought on by increases in residential population, households served and commercial growth

A key finding that emerged during the planning exercise involves the need to maintain and enhance positive relationships and outreach programs for local youth, Sewell said.

He explained, “Where we see problems oftentimes in communities is with young people, who don’t perhaps respect the values and activities of the police, as adults do, so we want to make sure we’re doing some stuff with those youth.”

Accreditation through the Commission for Florida Law Enforcement Accreditation (CFA) is another notable priority for the department and concerned citizenry: “That becomes your standard by which agencies are measured, and we believe that it’s time. If you look at an effective hospital or school system, they are accredited by some professional body,” Sewell said.

He commended Dade City decisionmakers for investing in the department, including equipment, facilities and technology upgrades, as well as a take-home car program.

“You’ve got a great department and great leadership, and as I’ve found, from the work during the summer — a great group of citizens who want to be involved,” Sewell said.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez expressed appreciation to Sewell for his work and for the involvement of concerned citizens who took part in the process.

She lauded the law enforcement agency’s “excellent leadership and wonderful men and women.

“We are very, very proud of them, and are forever grateful, especially during these kinds of unprecedented times all over,” the mayor said.

She also underscored the importance of the department completing the forward-looking plan, given “so many things happening” within the city limits concerning growth and development.

She said she hopes that moving forward the city will continue to provide support and resources needed to help the Dade City Police Department to do a good job — and to keep both law enforcement and the citizens they serve, safe.

Much discussion in recent months has surrounded how the law enforcement agency will manage the municipality’s impending residential and commercial growth and development.

At full strength, the city has budgeted for 27 full-time sworn officers for fiscal year 2021-2022. That number of officers — as well as accompanying police budgetary resources — will have to grow in coming years, to keep pace with the increased population, officials have said.

About 6,500 new rooftop and several commercial properties have been approved to be built over the next two decades within the city limits.

Published January 12, 2022

2021 offered special moments in local sports (Part Two)

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This past year levied countless memories in the local sports scene — from shattered records and career achievements for individuals and teams, to several major events and showcases in the area.

Here is a look back at some of the moments in sports in 2021, from across Pasco and Hillsborough counties, in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

(This is Part Two of a two-part series.)

Bishop McLaughlin baseball coach brings major league pedigree
Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School tabbed a decorated big-leaguer to lead its pedigreed baseball program, back in August.

His name is Rob Ducey, and he spent parts of 13 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1987 to 2001 — playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, California Angels, Texas Rangers, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and Montreal Expos.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School has tabbed former major-leaguer Rob Ducey, pictured, to lead its baseball program. (File)

A left-handed hitting outfielder, Ducey played over 700 games in the majors, posting a .242 batting average, .331 on-base percentage, .396 slugging percentage, with 309 hits, 190 runs, 146 RBIs, 31 home runs and 22 stolen bases.

Ducey later served as a hitting coach in the minor leagues for the New York Yankees, Expos and Phillies; and was a talent scout for the Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.

This baseball lifer status — and one of the very few Canadian big-leaguers — has Ducey enshrined into both the Cambridge Sports Hall of Fame (2006) and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (2013).

All told, Ducey has been involved with professional baseball in some shape or form for over 37 years.

And now, the 56-year-old Tarpon Springs resident is taking his varied experiences to the Hurricanes varsity baseball program, which has won five district championships and two regional championships, and has made a pair of state final four appearances

Ducey has clear expectations for the area team he takes over.

“Obviously, I want the pitchers to throw strikes, I want the defenders to handle the baseball, and the hitters to be able to situational hit,” he said, in an exclusive interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

“We may not have the most ability on the field, but you’re going to know that you’ve got to fight, and if we do that every single day we come out and work improves in those areas, then it’ll be a successful year.”

Future NHL stars showcase skills in Wesley Chapel
For a few days, the National Hockey League’s (NHL) next generation of talent skated into Pasco County —  showing puck fans and pro scouts their skills in shot-making, blocking, toughness and teamwork.

AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel was the site of the 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase, held from Sept. 18 through Sept. 21.

Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, goalie Hugo Alnefelt, No. 60, blocks a shot by Carolina Hurricane prospect Blaker Murray, No. 85, during action at the 2021 Lightning Prospect Showcase at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. (File)

Hosted by the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, the event also welcomed prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers.

With it being the Lightning’s turn to coordinate the event, the Wesley Chapel-based facility provided an ideal locale.

The 150,000-square-foot complex — the largest ice sports facility in the southeastern United States — is known for having four full-sized ice rinks and a mini-rink housed under one roof.

Aside from sheets of ice, the facility was designed to meet various NHL specifications, all the way down to specific railings and glass around the boards.

The facility also features an on-site sports medicine clinic with an evaluation and treatment room; a fully equipped fitness center with over 2,000 square feet of space; and a 90-yard indoor track turf.

Those features, plus the accessibility to on-site hotels and restaurants, as well as nearby Saddlebrook Resort, were other selling factors for the Lightning and other franchises, officials said.

Each prospect team featured a couple players who’ll likely see time in the NHL this year, which only added to the event’s allure.

Twenty-year-old Panthers goalie Spencer Knight fit that description.

Last year, Knight became the first goaltender to ever have played both in the Stanley Cup playoffs and NCAA (at Boston College) in the same season.

Meantime, Lightning fans received a glimpse of the franchise’s wave of younger talent over the course of the four-day competition.

The Lightning’s 24-man prospect squad finished the tournament as the only team with a perfect 3-0 record. They never trailed in any of their three tournament wins against the Hurricanes, Panthers and Predators.

Zephyrhills football volunteers receive permanent honor
Greg First and Kerry Ryman have witnessed their fair share of Zephyrhills High School football games over the last 40 years or so.

They’ve played a notable role over that time, too, with First providing play-by-play as stadium announcer, and Ryman operating the clock and scoreboard.

In many ways, the friendly pair were synonymous with Zephyrhills High athletics.

Friends and family watch as Kerry Ryman and Greg First receive plaques and recognition for their 40 years of voluntary service providing play-by-play and scoreboard duties for the Zephyrhills High School Bulldogs football team. Here, principal Dr. Christina Stanley makes the honor official, during a pregame ceremony. (File)

Because of those varied efforts, the Zephyrhills High press box at Tom Fisher Field in Bulldog Stadium officially was named the First-Ryman Press Box — during a pregame ceremony in October.

The press box dons the volunteers’ names in large black font with an orange backdrop — the school’s signature colors; Zephyrhills students designed and painted the press box’s new look, as a show of gratitude.

Year in and year out, First and Ryman built their respective Friday nights in football season around Bulldog football.

First had to be locked in on all aspects of the game — taking cues from spotters and properly pronouncing players’ names on a particular offensive or defensive play, all while peppering in various school announcements and sponsorships throughout the game, as his voice was heard by everyone from the stadium’s booming sound speakers.

Ryman, meanwhile, had to pay rapt attention to the game’s head official, monitoring various starts and stoppages in action and other game situations, while simultaneously following specific clock and scoring procedures.

As a part of the action for so long, First and Ryman were in on many highs, some lows and countless unforgettable occurrences. “There’s so many memories over the years that you really could write a book,” First told The Laker/Lutz News.

The two men relinquished their press box volunteering duties this season, after serving for some four decades.

Their press box presence may be gone, but it won’t soon be forgotten.

Freedom High swimmer wins state title
Local athletes and teams performed well at the 2021 FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Swimming and Diving Championships.

But it was Freedom High senior Michelle Morgan who registered the best individual showing among all area swimmers.

The Division I University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill verbal commit took gold in the 3A 200-yard individual medley, clocking 2:01.06 to finish ahead of Gainesville High senior Katherine Sammy (2:01.90).

Morgan also won the event last year, posting a 2:00.92.

The Freedom High swimmer collected additional individual hardware in 2021, taking silver in the 3A 500-yard freestyle.

Her time of 4:53.78 trailed only Chiles High senior Stella Watts, who swam in 4:46.86 in the event.

Morgan also was a leg on the Patriots’ medal-earning 200-yard medley and 200-yard freestyle relay teams, which finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Other Freedom relay members were seniors Carly Joerin and Alexa Valdez Velez, and freshman Alex LaBohn.

Altogether, Morgan helped pace Freedom to arguably its best showing in program history. The girls squad finished fifth at states, won its first-ever regional title, and also claimed district and conference crowns.

“We had a phenomenal season,” Freedom head swim coach John Olewski wrote in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. “Assistant Coach Catherine Wright and I are so proud of the Freedom swimmers and divers. The administration, faculty, staff and students of Freedom High School applaud the Freedom Swim & Dive team members and join them in celebrating their many successes this season.”

Lutz native Kevin Cash claims second-straight manager award
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash — a Lutz native and Gaither High product —  became the first American League (AL) manager to win Manager of the Year twice in a row, announced by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) in November.

The Freedom High School girls swimming and diving team finished in fifth place at the 3A state championships last month in Stuart. The squad collected seven medals, including the 200-yard medley relay and 200-yard freestyle relay. From left: freshman Alex LaBohn, senior Carly Joerin, senior Michelle Morgan and senior Alexa Valdez Velez. (File)

Also, Cash is only the second manager to win such a BBWAA Manager of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons — joining Bobby Cox, who did so with the National League’s Atlanta Braves in 2004 and 2005.

Cash was recognized for steering the Rays to a franchise-best 100-62 regular season mark in 2021. (However, the Rays playoff dreams ended sooner than expected, losing to the Red Sox in four games in the AL Division Series in October).

He did so under weighty circumstances, with one of the sport’s lowest payrolls, a bevy of injuries (33 different players being placed on the injured list) and a competitive division that featured three other teams that won 90-plus games (Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays).

Besides wins and losses, Cash receives high marks for his ever-changing batting orders, unconventional pitching usage, and ability to maintain a positive culture in the team clubhouse.

Locally, Cash grew up in the Valley Ranch Drive neighborhood across from Lake Park in Lutz, along North Dale Mabry Highway.

His baseball notoriety began as a young boy.

Some three-plus decades ago, he was a 12-year-old second baseman on the 1989 Northside Little League team that reached the 43rd Little League World Series.

He later would star at Gaither High and Florida State University through the mid- and late- 1990s before enjoying an eight-year MLB career as a journeyman catcher.

Published January 05, 2022

2021 offered special moments in local sports (Part One)

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This past year levied countless memories in the local sports scene — from shattered records and career achievements for individuals and teams, to several major events and showcases in the area.

Here is a look back at some of the moments in sports in 2021, from across Pasco and Hillsborough counties, in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

(This is Part One of a two-part series.)

Land O’ Lakes Little League celebrates 50th anniversary
The start of each Little League season often elicits a heightened level of nostalgia.

Alissa Canter, vice president Land O’ Lakes Little League, holds the 50th Anniversary charter with director, Gary Gwinn. (File)

With spring in the air, youth of all ages and skills partake in America’s favorite pastime, testing their mettle on the mound, at the plate and in the field.

For Land O’ Lakes Little League, this year’s Opening Day festivities took on added significance: The organization celebrated its 50th anniversary on Feb. 27, at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, off Collier Parkway.

The organization actually formed back in 1967 at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center (now Heritage Park) off U.S. 41, but it didn’t receive its first Little League charter until 1971.

The local league has come a long way since its initial startup — boasting upwards of 800 boys and girls, ages 4 to 16, playing baseball and softball across 10 fields.

The large ballfield took center stage in the league’s season-opening event.

Teams from all age divisions were spread across the infield and outfield, signaling the league’s staying power and sustained growth.

First pitches were accurately thrown from veteran baseball players, as well softball Little League players.

Local players sang the national anthem and read the league pledge.

There was the unveiling, too, of a framed 50th anniversary “golden ticket” issued and signed by the Little League International Headquarters, which is based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

The beauty of the organization is it’s a recreational format.

It welcomes the novice player that may never make an all-star team or play high school ball, to others who have the potential to earn college scholarships and maybe play professionally someday.

“I think every kid should play Little League,” Land O’ Lakes Little League President Gary Gwinn told The Laker/Lutz News.

NBA hopefuls showcase hoops skills in Wesley Chapel
Pasco County and the greater Tampa Bay region isn’t really known for its basketball prowess, but that reputation, or lack thereof, may soon change.

Pursuing dreams of playing professional basketball, a large group of athletes dropped by Wesley Chapel, of all places.

Six-foot-11-inch Nate Reuvers, from the University of Wisconsin, takes a few practice shots prior to the start of the 3-point and slam dunk competitions held during the Tampa Bay Pro Combine. Some 50 players from throughout the country converged in Wesley Chapel for the basketball event. (File)

In early June, some 50 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft-eligible hopefuls descended upon the area to showcase their athleticism and hoops skills in the inaugural Tampa Bay Pro Combine (TBPC), at the AdventHealth Sports Arena at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County.

The elite-level hoopers — many from recognizable high and mid-major NCAA Division I programs — dribbled, dunked, jumped, shot and passed their way into the eyes and impressions of various NBA and international coaches and scouts.

Several names may be familiar from deep runs in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball March Madness tournament, such as University of Southern California guard Tahj Eaddy, University of Houston forward Justin Gorham, and University of Loyola-Chicago center Cameron Krutwig, among others.

The three-day event featured drills, games (5-on-5, 2-on-2 and 3-on-3), athletic testing and measurements, as well as a 3-point shootout, dunk contest and more.

The player selection committee was led by ESPN television analyst Fran Fraschilla and BasketballNews.com NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock, who were there to evaluate players during the weekend.

The competition came together in a matter of about six weeks, seeking to replicate the Virginia-based Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a long-running hoops combine event canceled a second-straight year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Quade Green was the leading scorer at the University of Washington this past season, at 15.4 points per game.

Like others, it was his first time stepping into the Wiregrass Sports Campus.

He came away impressed with the state-of-the-art digs.

“This is a beautiful gym,” Green said, in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News. “Lot of great players here, great people around you, too. They’ve got connections. Life connections, too, for the long run.”

Zephyrhills runner competes in U.S. Olympic trials
Evan Miller’s sprint for a spot on Team USA for the Tokyo Summer Olympics may have come up short — but it was still an experience most athletes can only ever dream about.

The Zephyrhills athlete on June 25 competed in the U.S. Olympic track and field trials at the legendary Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon.

Miller — then a rising senior at University of South Carolina — clocked 21.04 seconds in the first-round heat of the men’s 200-meter dash, finishing 23rd overall.

Evan Miller (File)

He competed in the same heat against other widely known professional sprinters, including Terrance Laird and Jaron Flourney, among others.

The competition was televised live nationally on NBC Sports Network.

Miller’s trials mark was a shade off his personal best of 20.50 seconds — which he recorded at the Weems Baskin Relays hosted on-campus at South Carolina in late March; he wound up earning second-team NCAA All-American honors during the season, too.

Miller was one of about 30 sprinters nationwide who either qualified or accepted an invitation, and declared for the men’s 200-meter trials event.

From there, the top three men’s 200-meter finishers at trials earned spots on the U.S. Olympic team — Noah Lyles (first, 19.74 seconds), Kenny Bednarek (second, 19.78) and Erriyon Knighton (third, 19.84).

While disappointed with his own trials output overall, Miller relished the opportunity so very few earn — let alone coming off a 2020 track season hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“All around, it was a really good experience,” Miller told The Laker/Lutz Newspaper. “It was kind of surreal that I was there with the top athletes in the country. It was just a really good feeling. I was kind of trying to take it all in, but I also couldn’t like believe it at the same time.”

Before college, Miller had made a name for himself as a sprinter at Zephyrhills Christian Academy.

His senior year, he won the Class 1A individual crown 100-meter dash (10.75) at the 2018 FHSAA State Track & Field Championships. He also was a leg of the school’s 4×100 relay team that won back-to-back state crowns in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

Locals athletes taken in 2021 MLB Draft
It’s not uncommon for at least a few ballplayers from area high schools and colleges to be taken in the Major League Baseball (MLB) first-year player draft.

The year 2012 was no different, as five local athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area were taken in the nationally televised draft, which spanned 20 rounds (and 612) picks from July 11 through July 13:

  • Sunlake High/University of Florida pitcher Tommy Mace (Cleveland Indians/Guardians, Comp B, 69th overall)
  • Wharton High shortstop Zach Ehrhard (Boston Red Sox, 13th round, 376th overall)
  • Gaither High shortstop A.J. Graham (Pittsburgh Pirates, 18th round, 523rd overall)
  • Saint Leo University left-handed pitcher Jimmy Burnette (Toronto Blue Jays, 18th round, 543rd overall)
  • Gaither High/University of Texas third baseman Cam Williams (Kansas City Royals, 19th round, 559th overall)
Sunlake High/University of Florida product Tommy Mace was selected 69th overall by the Cleveland Indians (now named Guardians) in the 2021 MLB first-year player draft. (File)

Every player, except for Ehrhard opted to sign with their drafted team, for various dollar figures.

Mace — the highest selection from the local community — inked with the Indians (now Guardians) for a $1.1 million signing bonus; Graham signed with the Pirates for $125,000; Burnette signed with Blue Jays for $50,000; and, Williams signed with the Royals for $25,000.

Ehrhard, meanwhile, will play collegiate baseball at NCAA Division I Oklahoma State University, majoring in applied exercise science with a focus on strength and conditioning. He was this year’s recipient of the 2021 Wade Boggs Athletic Achievement Award, which honors a high school baseball player in Hillsborough County on the basis of outstanding athletic, scholastic and community achievements.

(While slightly outside our coverage area in west Pasco County, Fivay High/University of Mississippi product Gunnar Hoglund went in the first round (19th overall) to the Blue Jays. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander from Hudson ultimately signed with the team for just under $3.25 million.)

National champion returns home to teach aspiring players
Land O’ Lakes native Shannon Saile was a part of history — guiding the University of Oklahoma women’s softball team to the 2021 NCAA Division I national title, serving as one of its top senior pitchers.

With her decorated athletic career in tow, Saile’s next major task was organizing a series of fastpitch softball clinics to train the next generation of youth standouts.

Shannon Saile, left, a national champion softball pitcher for the Oklahoma Sooners, explains the fundamentals of the fast pitch to 11-year-old Laila McClelland, center, of Odessa. (File)

To do that, the 23-year-old returned to her central Pasco hometown and set foot on the same park ballfields that forged a pathway for myriad athletic accomplishments.

The upstart Shannon Saile Pitching Clinic was held on July 25 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, home to Land O’ Lakes Little League.

About 30 girls — ages 8 to 15 — took part on a steamy Sunday, eager to take in guidance from Saile and other widely known pitching instructors and volunteers.

With Saile’s tutelage, young campers sharpened their fastballs and secondary offerings like changeups, through arm path mechanics and leg drive techniques, as well as various speed, agility and balance drills.

“I just hope that I can teach them the foundation of pitching, because it’s much more important than just getting out there and throwing pitches,” Saile explained to The Laker/Lutz News. “The drills are super important, because they help me grow my strength and my confidence in my pitches.”

Besides learning newfound softball techniques, campers also had an opportunity to get signed autographs and take pictures with Saile, who’s become a household name in the sports world. She was invited to ESPN’s nationally televised 2021 ESPY Awards, for being part of one of the best moments from the year in sports.

Saile goes down as one of the most accomplished — if not most accomplished — fastpitch softball players to ever come out of Land O’ Lakes High School and the greater Tampa Bay area.

As a Gator, she amassed 517 strikeouts and a career 1.76 ERA in four varsity seasons from 2013 to 2016, also compiling a combined 41 wins, 31 complete games, 11 shutouts and five no-hitters.

The advancement to the college ranks likewise went swimmingly for the 5-foot-7 right-hander.

Saile began her Division I softball career at Florida International University, finding immediate success with a pair of sub-2.00 ERA seasons in the circle, before transferring to Oklahoma.

As a redshirt senior this past season, Saile posted an impressive 1.70 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while being second on the team in wins (17), innings pitched (100.1), complete games (six), and strikeouts (132).

Published December 29, 2021

Bicyclists have a new spot to relax, in Dade City

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A Dec. 15 ribbon-cutting ceremony officially christened the new bike hub/visitor’s information center in downtown Dade City. From left: Dade City Commissioners Normita Woodard, Knute Nathe and Scott Black; Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore; Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez; Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley; and, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast president/tourism director Adam Thomas. )Courtesy of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast)

East Pasco’s rolling hills and curving countryside attract avid bicyclists from far and wide.

And now, these cyclists will have a spot where they can rest, relax and refuel.

The Spoke —  designed to offer respite for cyclists and other exercise enthusiasts — also features a visitor’s center.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 15 celebrated the new amenity, at 37800 Church Ave., across from the Roy T. Hardy trailhead.

The Spoke features covered porches, restrooms, and places to refill water bottles and tune up bicycles.

Inside the 1,100-square-foot welcome center, guests can check out information about the county’s other tourism amenities through mobile exhibit space, which includes printed information and videos.

The space also is eventually expected to host a local retail shop and satellite food vendor on weekends and during the evening.

“We have some very special things that we’re working on,” Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez said, during the ribbon-cutting.

From the initial idea to its final build out, the project has been some six years in the making.

The Spoke is Dade City’s new bike hub/visitor’s information center in downtown Dade City, at 37800 Church Ave., across from the Roy T. Hardy trailhead. The Spoke is an 1,100-square-foot public space for cyclists, families and outdoor enthusiasts to stop, refill water bottles, grab a snack, tune up their bicycles, and learn more about what the city and county have to offer in terms of events, activities and entertainment.

Hernandez quipped: “I didn’t think that it was going to take that long to birth a baby, because I feel that this is like a baby to me.”

She went on: “This has been a project that I have cradled and that I have hugged, and that I have worked so closely with the TDC (Pasco County Tourist Development Council) and the BOCC (Pasco County Board of County Commissioners).”

The facility’s moniker represents a combination of the city’s rich railway history and its modern trail movement.

Melanie Romagnoli, Dade City’s community and economic development director, is credited with dreaming up the facility’s name.

The Spoke was funded with a $250,000 grant from the Pasco TDC and its official destination marketing organization, Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, which promotes the county’s varied outdoor and recreational offerings.

The amber-colored visitor center reflects the architectural style of the surrounding Church Avenue neighborhood, which commonly features homes with wood siding, columns and brick embellishments.

“The Spoke is going to be something that brings tourism to Pasco County,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who also chairs the county’s TDC. “You know, (Dade City) is a bike hub, it really is. There’s people from all over the world that come to Dade City to ride here, and we want to continue to do what we can do to promote it. …We look forward to more great things to come from this beautiful city.”

Commissioner Ron Oakley, whose district represents East Pasco, underscored the importance of having designated outdoor exercise-friendly recreational features — amid the booming population growth, and increasing traffic.

“More people will need this kind of (amenity) where they can walk and ride their bikes, and make it safe,” Oakley said.

The Spoke represents the first phase of a larger 2.23-acre city park site that’s anticipated to include a splash pad, all-inclusive playground, nature trail, and possibly an amphitheater.

Its completion will otherwise complement the city’s nearby downtown restaurants and shops, while offering another recreational outlet for youth, residents and visitors alike.

“This whole vision, this beautiful piece of land, it’s just a huge asset to Dade City,” Hernandez said.

The city originally purchased the property for the park site in December 2019 from the family of local businessman Otto Weitzenkorn.

Officials have said the park fits with the city’s vision of fostering a healthy and age-friendly community.

The Spoke also represents Pasco County’s first official tourism welcome center.

Published December 22, 2021

Dade City awards general engineering services

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The City of Dade City has chosen a host of firms to serve as general planning and engineering consultants, for the next five years.

Elected officials selected firms that include Lakeland-based Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions Inc.; Lutz-based Johnson Engineering Inc.; Tampa-based Halff Associates Inc.; and Tampa-based CPH Inc.

(File)

Tampa-based Tierra Inc., also was selected to provide geotechnical services to the city.

The Dade City Commission made the selections on a 5-0 vote on Dec. 14, giving city staff the authorization to prepare a general consulting agreement for each firm to be considered at the next available city commission meeting.

Dade City Public Works Director Bryan Holmes detailed the city’s selection process.

A request for qualifications (RFQ) was solicited in September, for interested firms to submit their qualifications for providing planning and engineering services and geotechnical services to the city on a continuing consulting agreement.

Fourteen firms responded to the city’s solicitation.

The submitted RFQs included:

  • Firm qualifications: That includes the number of years the firm has been in business; references and past performances; willingness to meet time and budget requirements; recent, current and projected workloads; volume of work previously awarded to each firm by agency
  • Experience and qualification of assigned staff: That includes the staff’s experiences, qualifications and technical abilities
  • Approach and delivery of services: That includes an understanding of the scope of work, ability to comply with the full scope of work, technical soundness of the proposal

A panel of city staffers reviewed the RFQs. The panel was made up staff that is knowledgeable about the planning and engineering projects the city will be doing in the next few years.

To further narrow down the list of would-be consultants, staff focused on evaluating the specialty services and focus areas offered by the firms that submitted.

Some of these specialties and focus areas tracked upcoming planning and engineering projects anticipated and programmed in the city’s five-year capital improvement plan. These specialties include the development and implementation of traffic calming programs, neighborhood planning, round-about design and engineering, stormwater management engineering and design, local government planning services, and GIS and mapping training services.

Wood generated the best score in the engineering evaluation criteria matrix with a 93 average, followed by Johnson Engineering (92.3), Halff Associates (91), and CPH (87.3). Tierra generated a score of 98 in the geotech evaluation.

Published December 22, 2021

Imagine School boys soccer celebrates banner campaign

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Peter Arroyo dreamed of being able to hoist a Tampa Charter Athletic League (TCAL) soccer championship before he graduated from Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes.

The eighth-grader’s wish was actualized when the school’s boys middle school program won its first-ever title earlier this fall.

“I’ve been waiting to get this since the fifth grade,” said Arroyo, a captain and one of the Dragons leading scorers and distributers.

Imagine School finished the year with an impressive 10-1-1 mark, plus the showy gold hardware.

The Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes boys soccer program won its first-ever Tampa Charter Athletic League Championship earlier this fall. (Courtesy of Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes)

They entered the TCAL playoffs as the No. 2 seed, behind Terrace Community Middle School — the lone team they lost to 2-1 in a regular season contest.

After defeating Lutz Learning Gate Community School in the TCAL semifinals 2-1, the Dragons had the chance to exact revenge on Terrace Community in the championship.

The Dragons initially fell behind 1-0, but soon rattled off four consecutive goals — two scores apiece from Arroyo and fellow eighth-grade striker Preston Russo.

Motivational words from Dragons head coach Henry Cheung helped spark the offensive attack, after the team trailed early on.

Cheung recalled the watershed moment, “I told the team, ‘Hey, we can beat them,’ and I told them, ‘Hey, we’ve got to focus. This is it, this is the last game for some of these (eighth-grade) players, we have to go all out…’”

Fifth-grade left-wing striker Julian Cash also recollected the title game’s swing in momentum.

“(Terrace Community) thought they would beat us because they beat us in the regular season and we were like, ‘That’s not going to happen,’ so they were like, ‘This is going to be easy game,’ and when they were up 1-0, they thought they were going to win, and then we come back, because they were (playing) lazy, right, thinking they were going to win.

“We come back, put the pressure on them, and win 4-1,” he said.

Altogether, securing the first title in team history “was kind of like really shocking and overwhelming,” Arroyo said, noting the weighty competition season long. “I’m still like shocked that we won,” he said.

Russo — who led the Dragons with 17 goals scored— likewise characterized the achievement as “hard to process.”

The banner campaign yielded more significance, given the program didn’t have a traditional season in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, they scheduled an informal tournament with a couple other local schools.

Aside from successes, simply returning to an organized soccer season offered a breath of fresh air. “It just feels good, with the pandemic and all that, we just need something back to normalcy,” said Cheung.

Progression, from start to finish
Despite the overall record and final outcome, the Dragons banner season was consistently a work in progress, from start to finish.

Cheung acknowledged the 16-member team’s talented group of fifth-, sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders.

But getting them to work together as a cohesive, selfless group was an early task.

“They have their experience, and individually, they’re really good, but it’s that working together that I have to build them up throughout the season,” explained Cheung.

“I’m glad it worked out, because in the beginning, we struggled a little bit, because everybody, they have their own, ‘I want to take the ball, I want to take the chance,’ but we have to learn how to pass the ball, work as a team to move forward.

“I think that’s the most important part as a team, that we have learned this season — we work united, as a team,” he said.

Cash observed the team’s evolution in a similar lens, “In the beginning, we all just wanted to score goals and we wouldn’t pass the ball, but when we started passing the ball we played much better.”

The team’s talent and soccer instincts were other guiding factors, added Arroyo.

“We have a lot of athletes, a lot of speed,” said Arroyo. “Everyone that contributed to most of the goals has an attacking mindset. Like, they all know how to create plays, they all know what to do, and especially on defense, too. They know what to do on defense, they know when to do it, so,  it’s like very well-rounded team overall.”

Robust game planning was another component.

Cheung reviews film of all the team’s matches. He studies other opponents’ tendencies and varies formations from there, be it a defensive set or counter-attack. “We play two formations throughout the season,” the coach said.

Bittersweet memories
While Arroyo relishes helping make program history, it’s a somewhat bittersweet ending as he’ll soon embark on a new journey as a freshman at nearby Sunlake High School.

The team leader is going to most miss providing mentorship to the squad’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders.

“Playing with the younger kids, teaching them the ropes and how to do it, I’m going to miss that a lot,” he said. “Like getting all of the eighth-graders together that play soccer, and teaching the fifth-graders how to play, it was just like a guiding lesson.”

He added, “As soon as we get to high school, everyone’s going to be older than us…and it’s not going to be as fun.”

Russo acknowledged that advancing to the prep ranks will offer a different dynamic for him, Arroyo and the team’s three other eighth-graders.

“It’ll be kind of like a restarting from the bottom, from the ones being taught what to do and how to play,” he said.

Cash takes a more upbeat, yet philosophical view on the exodus of eighth-graders. “One day, they’re going to be seniors and I’ll be a freshman, and it’s going to be an all-over repeating cycle — they’re going to tell me what to do in high school,” he said.

Though the Dragons will be without its leading scorer and team captain, they do return several other impact players, including its primary goaltender.

Cheung also is looking forward to seeing the advancement of each grade level, as well as some fresh faces that’ll enter the program.

The aim, of course, is to win another title.

“We’re going to go for No. 2, for sure,” the coach said. “I know we’re going to lose some of our good players, but I’m excited for the fourth-graders coming into fifth-graders.
“We’re a strong team, still. I think we should be good.”

Meanwhile, Cheung otherwise gets a kick out of seeing his players’ passion and enthusiasm for the game, harking back memories of his childhood growing up in Hong Kong, China.

“When I played at their age, seeing them play on the field, reminds me of myself when I played as a kid,” he said. “I enjoyed the moment, and so I want them to enjoy the moment, as well, so that’s why I became a coach.”

Imagine School Land O’ Lakes boys middle school soccer
10 wins, one loss, one draw
63 goals scored
12 goals allowed
Three shutouts

Game-by-game results
Regular season

  1. Lutz Prep (3-1 win)
  2. Sunlake Academy (10-0 win)
  3. Henderson Hammock (7-1 win)
  4. Innovation Prep (8-0 win)
  5. Hillsborough Academy (2-2 tie)
  6. Trinity School (5-2 win)
  7. Terrace Community (2-1 loss)
  8. Union Park (6-1 win)
  9. Learning Gate (3-2 win)

Playoffs

  1. Learning Gate (2-1 win)
  2. Terrace Community (4-1 win)

Roster
Peter Arroyo
Mathew Broderick
Jay Capelo
Julian Cash
Alessio Cullinan
Luca Greco
Trent Hamuay
Tyler Hamuay
Reece Lawrence
Nathan Merriman
Adrian Morales
Ethan Palazzi
Preston Russo
Elijah Tigue
Aidan Soto
Sebastian Suppa
Head coach: Henry Cheung

Published December 22, 2021

Lutz flag football league

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(Courtesy of Cason Byrd)

Registration is ongoing for the Tampa-Lutz Under Armour Under the Lights coed winter flag football league, which begins Jan. 7 and runs through February. The league is open to boys and girls from kindergarten to eighth grade. Games will be played at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, 766 W. Lutz Lake Fern Road, in Lutz. The league is operated by former Steinbrenner High School standout quarterback Cason Byrd. For information, email.