Kevin Weiss

SAC East baseball team announced

June 15, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Land O’ Lakes McCabe Sargent was named the SAC East’s Player of the Year. The junior right-handed pitcher compiled a 0.47 ERA in 44.1 innings. (File Photo) — Land O’ Lakes McCabe Sargent was named the SAC East’s Player of the Year. The junior right-handed pitcher compiled a 0.47 ERA in 44.1 innings.
(File Photo)

The SAC (Sunshine Athletic Conference) East All-County baseball teams were recently announced. The first and second teams were voted on by Pasco County public school coaches:

East Team
Coach of the Year: Jeff May, Land O’ Lakes
Player of the Year: McCabe Sargent, Land O’ Lakes

First team
P Kirby Osborn, senior, Land O’ Lakes

C Dillon Sink, senior, Wesley Chapel

INF Michael Wu, junior, Sunlake

INF Max Law, junior, Land O’ Lakes

INF Zach Ghelfi, senior, Wesley Chapel

INF Marcus Gonzalez, sophomore, Wesley Chapel

OF Colton Bierly, sophomore, Wesley Chapel

OF Jake Starling, senior, Pasco

OF Austin Forest, senior, Land O’ Lakes

DH/Utility McCabe Sargent, junior, Land O’ Lakes

Second team
P Tommy Mace, junior, Sunlake

C Jacob Ortiz, junior, Sunlake

INF Marcus Gonzalez, junior, Zephyrhills

INF Ethan Nuebling, senior, Sunlake

INF Dustin Harris, junior, Land O’ Lakes

INF Corey Mills, junior, Pasco

OF Dylan Gobel, senior, Pasco

OF Jeremy Moser, senior, Wiregrass Ranch

DH/Utility Hunter Moye, junior, Wesley Chapel

No progress yet on reopening Lake Park

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

A park in Lutz that draws an estimated 300,000 users each year will not be reopening anytime soon.

Lake Park, at 17302 N. Dale Mabry Highway, has been closed since Dec. 2 due to a sinkhole that spans 6 feet across and is about 90 feet deep.

Lake Park typically draws 300,000 visitors annually. The 589-acre site features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track. (File Photo) — Lake Park typically draws 300,000 visitors annually. The 589-acre site features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track.
(File Photo)

No progress has been made in repairing the sinkhole because Hillsborough County has not yet negotiated a new lease with the City of St. Petersburg, which owns the park, said Forest Turbiville, Hillsborough County’s director of conservation and environmental lands management.

A meeting regarding the lease has been set for June 23.

“During those discussions, we will talk about sinkholes, who’s responsible for paying to remedy that situation, and other issues, too — like the term of the agreement,” Turbiville said.

The county prefers a lease that lasts around 30 years, Turbiville said.

“If we’re going to be spending several hundred thousands of dollars over the next few years to make various improvements, whether it’s filling in the sinkhole or paving the main road, upgrading facilities — we want to make sure we have a long-term agreement,” Turbiville explained.

The existing lease agreement for Lake Park expires on June 3, 2019. Under that deal, Hillsborough County pays just $1 per year to the City of St. Petersburg to operate the park.

However, Turbiville said the City of St. Petersburg has proposed a new lease agreement requesting $3,000 per month, or $36,000 per year. It also is requesting $2,000 per month from the county to lease Lake Rogers Park. That lease agreement expires on Sept. 30.

“One of the things we’re going to discuss in our meeting (with St. Petersburg) is what the basis is for those numbers,” Turbiville said.

The low-end estimate to repair the sinkhole is $103,000, but Turbiville said the cost could be nearly double that amount, based on the county’s previous experience in repairing sinkholes in other locations.

He also noted the sinkhole repair would likely take six weeks to eight weeks, after a new lease agreement is executed.

“We’re hopeful that (the park) will be open sometime this year; that’s the best I can say,” Turbiville said.

Flooding on Lake Park’s central road also must be addressed, Turbiville said.

Two lakes situated near the flooded road have begun to merge — caused by a significant drop-off in water pumping by the aquifer, he said.

“Those lakes are…filling up almost like a bathtub, and they’re going over the road, so about nine (months) to 10 months out of the year, we have a couple of feet of water over the road,” Turbiville explained.

“Ever since 2013, the pumping has dropped from 10 (million gallons) or 12 million gallons down to 1 million gallons per day. As a result, the lakes and the wetlands within the park have come back up, so what you have now is a much wetter park than you did even five years ago,” Turbiville said.

Turbiville believes the nearly three-quarter-mile stretch of road will have to be repaved and elevated.

The estimated cost for the project, which is about $850,000, would likely fall on the shoulders of Hillsborough County, he said.

The project would require culverts or some other type of system that would allow water to flow underneath the road, he noted.

Other long-term Lake Park improvements include renovations to the park’s main offices and restrooms, and upgrades to the concession area.

Lake Park, a 589-acre site, features an archery range, a BMX bicycle track, two equestrian arenas and a radio-controlled car track.

Based on revenue figures from 2014-2015, the park typically nets about $10,000 per month in revenue from park-goers.

Due to Lake Park’s closure, Turbiville said most of the park’s employees have been temporarily reassigned to other locations within the regional park system. A skeleton crew remains at Lake Park for upkeep and maintenance.

Published June 8, 2016

City awards ZEDC $50,000 grant

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Zephyrhills City Council recently awarded a sizable grant to The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce to foster business growth and economic development in the area.

The council unanimously voted last month to renew a $50,000 grant to the chamber to continue to maintain the Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition.

Melonie Monson, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, will help manage the ZEDC. (File Photo) — Melonie Monson, executive director of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, will help manage the ZEDC.
(File Photo)

The ZEDC is a unified effort between the city, the chamber, Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., and local businesses to support economic growth and business retention in Zephyrhills. It has more than 30 members.

Under the grant agreement, the chamber is obligated to do each of the following:

Manage the ZEDC
Develop marketing strategies that benefit the economic development of the Zephyrhills area
Cultivate business partnerships through outreach and advocacy
Collect relevant information that may be used for improved programs and services for local businesses

Melonie Monson, the chamber’s executive director, is responsible for managing the development coalition from the chamber office.

Monson said the coalition’s three main focuses for 2016 are job creation and business growth, city infrastructure such as roads, and the development of an educated and trained workforce.

Also, for the first time, the development coalition will handle marketing strategies and campaigns, in collaboration with the city.

Previously, the municipal marketing strategies for the development coalition were developed and implemented by the Pasco Economic Development Council. But, now the strategies will be completely turned over to the local development coalition, including the “Clearly Zephyrhills” marketing campaign.

Monson said the Pasco EDC would only get involved in future marketing strategies if they benefit the entire county.

Skip Skairus chairs the ZEDC Advisory Council. (Courtesy of CenterState Bank) — Skip Skairus chairs the ZEDC Advisory Council.
(Courtesy of CenterState Bank)

“At this point, we have our feet on the ground, we know the direction to go, we know how to run this program, so we’re OK that they’re backing away a little with us, and they have turned the campaign over to us to manage through the chamber and through the ZEDC,” Monson said. “They were instrumental to us in helping to start the ZEDC, and gave us ideas on what directions to go.”

Monson said one of the long-term priorities for the Zephyrhills development coalition is to attract a major industry to the city’s airport industrial park property, also referred to as the “Sysco Property.”

The 440-acre site is adjacent to the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport and next to the CSX rail line.

The chamber director said the location is an ideal spot for a “big industry” to house its operations.

“The glory of this area is that it is the only site in Pasco County that’s large enough for an industry to come in,” Monson said. “This property is on the train line…that goes to Orlando, Miami and to the Tampa port. There’s not a lot of areas that have that ability, so this is ideal for some type of big industry.”

“Eventually, we would like this to be a mega site which is 2,000 acres or more, but we’re starting with this 440-acre site and trying to get it site-ready,” she added.

The development coalition also is exploring the feasibility of establishing a vocational-technical education center in the city.

Monson said a vocational aviation school has been under discussion for several months, even though Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a $1.5 million aeronautical program at the municipal airport in 2015.

“We just find that our airport is an ideal location to bring an academy to. We have the availability property-wise, and we just feel like it’s a market for our youth to be trained and not to have to go elsewhere to get this training,” Monson said, adding, “I think we need to be a little more prepared on how to bring that before the Governor this time around.”

The ZEDC was formed in April 2012. It is made up of two components: the ZEDC Stakeholder’s Advisory Council — a voluntary committee of business and community leaders in the Zephyrhills area striving to create a sustainable business and economic climate; and the ZEDC Steering Committee — a group of economic development practitioners, including key staff from partner organizations, such as the city, the chamber and the Pasco EDC.

ZEDC Advisory Council chair Skip Skairus said the development coalition benefits Zephyrhills because it helps facilitate ideas and programs that ultimately advance the city’s economic development.

“Prior to the formation of this organization, there were a lot of good ideas from a lot of folks in the city in regards to economic development. However, it would seem that for whatever reason, (ideas) would stall because there really wasn’t a formal organization to enact the different things in regards to marketing, research, site development and government advocacy,” Skairus said. “That’s where I really think the biggest benefit to this group is: to take the great ideas that have always been in place, but to make sure they all fall into action.”

$50,000 grant renewed for ZEDC
Funding allocations:

$15,000 toward managing the coalition through the chamber office
$15,000 toward marketing and promotional support
$10,000 toward business outreach and advocacy
$10,000 toward research and program delivery

Published June 8, 2016

Land O’ Lakes’ Hall of Fame adds members

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation inducted five new members to the school’s athletics Hall of Fame during a dinner ceremony on May 24.

The inductees for the 2016 class were: the 2002-2003 girls soccer team, which won a state title; Jerry English, a longtime varsity softball coach; Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier, a standout dual-sport athlete; Dianne McClendon, a key member of the Land O’ Lakes softball team during the late ‘70s; and Phil Teston, the school’s first player drafted in to the Major League Baseball.

About 180 people attended the induction ceremony. Approximately $12,000 to $15,000 was raised — most of which will go toward the construction of an athletic field house. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo) — About 180 people attended the induction ceremony. Approximately $12,000 to $15,000 was raised — most of which will go toward the construction of an athletic field house.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

The ceremony marked the school’s fourth Hall of Fame induction class, which began in 2013 after the Gators Athletics Foundation was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

The foundation’s purpose is to “raise funds through donations and fundraising events for the direct benefit of the athletic programs at Land O’ Lakes High School.”

Antonio Tarver, a former World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony, which drew about 180 people.

Jerry Brewster, vice president of the Gators Athletics Foundation, estimates that $12,000 to $15,000 was raised, several thousand dollars less than in previous years.

“The first three years we raised about $20,000 per year and so now the foundation has over $60,000 in there, but this past year, we just didn’t get as many sponsors as we had in prior years so…it was a little light from what we would’ve liked to have,” Brewster said.

Funds raised through the foundation are currently being allocated to build an athletic field house at the school, perhaps within the next five years.

From left: Dianne McClendon, Jerry English, Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier and Phil Teston. (Courtesy of Land O' Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation) — From left: Dianne McClendon, Jerry English, Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier and Phil Teston.
(Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation)

Likely a $1 million to $1.5 million project, a field house would be the first step in upgrading the school’s athletic facilities in an effort to put it on par with other large schools throughout Tampa area. Ideally, features inside the field house could include boys and girls locker rooms, coaches’ rooms and a training area, Brewster said.

“We’ve got a vision of what we’d want it to look like,” the foundation’s vice president said. “We want to put an actual Hall of Fame (in) the field house, so when kids walk to the gym everyday, they have to go through the Hall of Fame; we want it to be something where kids can be inspired.”

In addition to nearly $70,000 in the foundation’s coffers, there’s an additional $150,000 commitment from a few of the foundation’s board members to help facilitate a field house project.

The organization also is in discussions with the Pasco County School Board to possibly create a joint partnership to spearhead a new athletic facility.

Meanwhile, in the next few months, the athletics foundation will deliberate candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class. Typically, each class features a coach or administrator, a lifetime achievement award, one female athlete and two male athletes.

Both athletic prowess and the individual’s character are taken into account in evaluating Hall of Fame candidates, Brewster said.

Hall of Fame bios
2002-2003 Girls Soccer team
The Lady Gators capped off a 26-3 record in 2003 by winning the Class 2A state championship after they defeated Riviera Beach Suncoast High School 1-0. The Gators’ Stacy Bishop became the county’s all-time leading scorer during that season, while goalkeeper Shannon Aitken set the county’s career shutout mark. After the season, longtime girls soccer coach Vicki King was awarded the National Soccer Coaches Association coach of the year award.

Jerry English
Jerry English was the Land O’ Lakes varsity softball coach for 26 years, and also spent many years as the school’s assistant and head JV football coach before his retirement in 2003. During his tenure, English amassed 462 wins, 11 district championships, five regional championships, three sectional championships, three state final four appearances and two state runner-ups. He was also a two-time Florida Coach of the Year.
English taught PE, Social Studies and Diversified Career Technology (DCT) throughout his coaching career.

Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier
Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier (Class of ’95) lettered in both football and baseball at Land O’ Lakes High. In 1994, he captained the football team, where he was an all-conference quarterback and defensive back.
Hierlmeier earned a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and completed his private pilot’s license before attending the University of Florida. Upon being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, Hierlmeier attended Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training, where he was a distinguished graduate earning the Air Education and Training Command commander’s trophy. He also earned two master’s degrees and served as an Air Officer Commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Diane McClendon
Diane McClendon (Class of ’79) was an integral part of the Land O’ Lakes softball team in the late ‘70s; her stellar play helped the Lady Gators finish state runner-up in both 1977 and in 1979. After graduation from high school, McClendon enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Phil Teston
Phil Teston (Class of ’78) was a dual-sport athlete at Land O’ Lakes, excelling at both baseball and football. He was nominated to the all-area baseball team three consecutive years, and was a member of the Gators’ first district champion baseball team. In his senior season, the right-handed pitcher compiled a 0.86 ERA with 170 strikeouts in 87 innings. His performance on the baseball diamond caught the eyes of pro baseball scouts, as he was drafted in the 25th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978—making him the school’s first Major League Baseball draft pick. Following a brief minor league stint, Teston became a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist, where he’s performed over 3,000 abdominal and thoracic endografts.

2016 Land O’ Lakes Athletic Hall of Fame class

2002-2003 girls soccer team
Jerry English—coach/administrator
Col. Rhett Hierlmeier—Lifetime Achievement Award
Dianne McClendon-female athlete
Phil Teston-male athlete

Published June 8, 2016

Local players among Hillsborough’s all-stars

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Gaither’s Gavin Gillespie was one of the top pitchers in Hillsborough County, sporting a 0.79 ERA. (Courtesy of Gaither High baseball) — Gaither’s Gavin Gillespie was one of the top pitchers in Hillsborough County, sporting a 0.79 ERA.
(Courtesy of Gaither High baseball)

Several senior baseball players in The Laker/Lutz News’ coverage area were named to the Hillsborough senior All-Star team, made up of the county’s top 25 players. The Hillsborough County senior all-stars defeated the Pinellas County senior all-stars 6-3 on May 29 at Tropicana Field.

Pitchers
Gavin Gillespie, Gaither (11 wins, 0.79 ERA, 89 strikeouts in 88.2 innings)
David Masuck, Gaither (7 wins, 2.47 ERA, 32 strikeouts in 51 innings)

Infielders
Bradley Hession, Steinbrenner (.340 avg., four home runs, 11 doubles, 22 RBIs)

Outfielders
Drew Burkhart, Steinbrenner (.354 avg., 10 doubles, 16 RBIs)
Gabriel Montenegro, Carrollwood Day (.375 avg., three HRs, 25 RBIs, 15 steals)
Dalton Smith, Freedom (.382 avg., 11 RBIs)

Saint Leo athlete claims fifth at nationals

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Saint Leo University sophomore Colett Rampf finished fifth in the 3000-meter steeplechase finals at the 2016 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships on May 27 at IMG Academy.

Rampf posted a career-best time of 10:23.86, earning All-America honors with her fifth-place showing. Her finals time was slightly under two seconds faster than the time she posted in the meet’s preliminaries.

Rampf, who became Saint Leo’s first cross-country All-American earlier this season, now becomes the Lions’ first track All-American as well.

“I could not be prouder of myself and all the hard work it took to get here,” Rampf said in a release. “I did not expect to do this well because it was my first time running the steeplechase back-to-back within 24 hours. The steeplechase is a very tough, competitive race, so it very hard on my legs, and hard to stay mentally strong and push with whatever is left.”

Rampf is a native of Premintz, Germany.

FHSAA executive director retires

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Florida High School Athletic Association executive director Dr. James “Roger” Dearing announced his retirement last week. Dearing, who held the role for eight years, will step down once a new hire is made. The FHSAA’s Board of Directors will begin a nationwide search after the next board meeting June 13 and June 14. In a press release, Dearing said it was “simply time” to retire.

“After consulting with my family and my closest of friends, I feel it is in the best interest of all if I step aside, and give someone else the absolute privilege and honor of taking on this role,” he said.

Under Dearing’s leadership, the FHSAA reduced membership fees to $25 per school. He also helped steer media partnerships with Bright House Sports Network and the NFHS Network, making championship games available for viewing online. Moreover, student-athlete participation in the FHSAA’s 32 sports increased by about 33 percent since he was named FHSAA’s executive director.

Prior to working for the FHSAA, Dearing served as Manatee County Superintendent from 2003 to 2009.

Family Fishing!

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Father and son Jim and Joe Felice teamed up to win their second consecutive South Pasco Bassmasters tournament at Lake Tarpon on May 16. Team Felice caught five bass totaling 12.45 pounds. They also caught the largest bass (5.09 pounds) during the tournament.

Former Steinbrenner athlete honored

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Kevin Merrell, a former standout on Steinbrenner High School’s baseball team and current shortstop on the University of South Florida’s baseball team, has been named a first team All-American Athletic Conference selection by the conference’s coaches. Merrell, a sophomore, leads USF in batting average (.309) and on-base percentage (.405), and is third on the team in stolen bases (16). Merrell was a four-year letter winner at Steinbrenner, and batted .462 during his senior year. He was also a standout track athlete and currently holds the school’s 100-meter dash record at 10.6 seconds, which he set in 2014.

Fishing club grants available

June 8, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

The Fishing League Worldwide (FLW) Foundation has announced the availability of grants of up to $500 per school to Student Angler Federation (SAF)-affiliated high school fishing clubs in Florida. The grants are aimed at establishing new clubs or expanding clubs.

The grants can be used by school teams or clubs to pay SAF dues for participating students, cover the cost of running team-sponsored tournaments, purchase student jerseys or other club costs. The initiative seeks to help recruit new anglers, retain existing anglers and reactivate former anglers.

The Florida High School Fishing Grant application is available at FLWFishing.com/Foundation.

For information, contact Dave Washburn by emailing , or call (270) 252-1607.