Mike Camunas

Voters choose new leaders in Zephyrhills

April 18, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Zephyrhills voters chose new leaders in the municipal elections, but they are both familiar faces around town.

Steve Spina, former city manager of Zephyrhills has defeated incumbent Alan Knight, to win a seat on the Zephyrhills City Council (Mike Camunas)

Voters in the April 11 election selected Steve Spina, the former city manager, for Seat 2 on the Zephyrhills City Council. They also chose Melanie Bahr Monson, the former president and CEO of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, to serve as the city’s 21st mayor.

Spina secured 60.72% of the vote to defeat incumbent Alan Knight in the city council race.

Monson received 59.27% of the vote in a three-way race to become mayor.

Spina retired from his post as city manager in 2019.

Knight is a longtime Zephyrhills resident and educator working mainly in Pasco county schools as a teacher, coach and administrator for 35 years.

Monson defeated candidates Nick Deford and Martin Harm.

Monson, a Zephyrhills native, was the chamber’s CEO for eight years before stepping away in September.

Melanie Bahr Monson, former CEO of the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce, has been elected to become the city’s 21st mayor. (Mike Camunas)

She now works for her family business, Bahr’s Propane Gas and AC.

Monson replaces Gene Whitfield, who announced in December that he would not seek another term. The role of mayor in Zephyrhills is primarily ceremonial.

Zephyrhills voters also voted on eight amendments to the city charter.

Here are the referendums and the outcomes:

Referendum 1: Adopting the date of the city’s incorporation (Nov. 17, 1914): Approved with 83% of the vote.
Referendum 2: Changing the office terms for city council from a three-year term to a four-year term: Approved with 62% of the vote.
Referendum 3: Designated the city manager to make daily deposits on behalf of the city and report deposits at regular city council meetings: Approved by 84% of the vote.
Referendum 4: Changing the term for mayor from a three-year term to a four-year term: Approved by 68% of the vote.
Referendum 5: Changing when elected officials shall start their new terms from three days after the election results to the start being the next regularly scheduled city council meeting: Approved with 83% of the vote.
Referendum 6: Changing when election candidates can obtain petition signatures from no more than 60 days prior to the date of the election: Rejected with 54% of the vote.
Referendum 7: Changing the time frame to when city council receives the canvas of votes to the next regularly scheduled meeting: Approved with 84% of the vote.
Referendum 8: Changing the time period of reviewing the city charter from every five years to every 10 years: Approved with 75% of the vote.

In other municipal election results:

St. Leo Town Commissioner Vincent D’Ambrosio was unopposed and retained Seat 2 on the commission. He also is St. Leo’s mayor.
St. Leo Town Commissioner Curtis Dwyer was unopposed and retained Seat 4 on the commission.
San Antonio Commissioner Mark Anderson ran unopposed and kept his seat. He also is the town’s mayor.
Kevin Damis was elected to the San Antonio Commission. He was unopposed and is replacing Maximilian D’Water, who chose not to seek another term.

For additional election results, visit www.enr.electionsfl.org/PAS/3384/Summary.

Published April 19, 2023

In a club all his own

April 18, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Counting all of the wins in John Crumbley’s coaching career would take some time.

While it wouldn’t take the four decades he’s been a high school baseball coach — one would have to count up to 800.

The longtime coach, who is the father of Steinbrenner High’s baseball program, has accumulated many accolades.

And, he just added another.

Steinbrenner High baseball coach John Crumbley became the first Hillsborough County coach to reach 800 career wins on April 12 when the Warriors defeated Land O’ Lakes High 10-5. Crumbley spent 22 seasons coaching at Jesuit High in Tampa and winning three state championships (1994, 1997, 2000) before briefly retiring in 2006. However, the love of the game brought him back and he started the Steinbrenner baseball program in 2010. Just six years later, he guided the Warriors to a state championship, the fourth title of his Hall of Fame career that spans four decades. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

His team defeated Land O’ Lakes 10-5 in an April 12 game, making Crumbley the first Hillsborough County coach to reach 800 wins.

“That’s pretty remarkable for a little kid from Tampa,” Crumbley said. “I think about how blessed I’ve been. It’s not just me — it’s having a passion for the game, and it can be humbling, but there also haven’t been too many bad days (coaching) either.

“I’ve been blessed — I truly have been.”

Being this blessed may be an understatement.

His list of honors, achievements and milestones makes the 62-year-old’s resume sound like a compilation several coaches.

He is a four-time state champion coach.

He has been inducted into three separate hall of fames in the state.

He is the winningest Hillsborough County baseball coach by a mile (801-267).

He’s won the highly-respected Saladino Tournament played by Hillsborough teams every Spring Break.

He’s even had a team named national champions, as well brought home two state runner up titles.

“I never did anything with numbers,” Crumbley said. “I never thought about those things — the wins or getting into a hall of fame. I just wanted to work hard, have a nice facility for the players.”

Crumbley, a Miami native who grew up in Tampa and is a 1978 Leto grad, became the Jesuit High baseball coach in 1985 after a short stint as an assistant coach at the University of Tampa, where he also played shortstop.

He coached Jesuit’s Tigers for 22 years and brought home state titles in 1994, 1997 and 2000. His 1997 team also earned a national title from Baseball America.

Crumbley retired from coaching in 2006, to watch his son, J.J., play for Florida Gulf Coast. But he remained Jesuit’s athletic director until returning to the dugout to launch Steinbrenner’s program in 2010.

“I would clip out all the articles and lay them on the dining room table,” Crumbley recalled. “That way my wife (Lisa) would see them, as a way for me to get consent to take the job (at Steinbrenner, which was about to open). Finally she said, ‘Go for it!’ but I also think she didn’t think I’d stay this long.”

In 2016, the Warriors won a state championship with Crumbley at the helm.

Two years later, the Florida High School Athletic Association inducted Crumbley into its Hall of Fame. He had already been inducted into Jesuit’s Hall of Fame in 1997 and Florida Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame in 2007.

Crumbley has come a long way since his first teaching job at Pine View Middle in Land O’ Lakes, where he would carpool with another legendary coach, Calvin Baisley.

It was Baisley, Land O’ Lakes High’s winningest coach, who embraced Crumbley when the Warriors defeated the Gators on their home field for win No. 800.

Steinbrenner baseball coach John Crumbley is embraced by friend and fellow longtime baseball coach, Calvin Baisley, after the Warriors defeated the Gators 10-5 on April 12 for Crumbley’s 800th win. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

“I never imagined we’d be coaching this long or successfully,” said Baisley, who is Pasco County’s winningest baseball coach (633). “You don’t do it this long unless you love doing it, (but) I think it’s awesome (to get 800 wins) and it shows his commitment to the game.”

“I always thought of coaching as a fraternity,” Crumbly said. “Bais(ley), (former Ridgewood coach Larry) Beets, (longtime and late Gaither coach) Frank (Permuy), (former Jefferson coach) Pop (Cuesta), (longtime King coach Jim) Mac(aluso). I always looked up to those guys, so to be with them is incredible.”

Even more so than being in a fraternity of coaches, Crumbley has enjoyed the hundreds of players he’s coached, some of which have become successful coaches themselves.

That list includes Berkeley Prep’s coach Richie Warren, who played on Jesuit’s 2000 state championship team and already has 362 wins as a coach already. Warren also was Crumbley’s hand-picked replacement at Jesuit in 2007.

“I can’t say enough about what he’s done for me — I get goosebumps talking about him and what he means to me and my family,” Warren said. “I think, early on, that I wanted to be (No.) 9 (Crumbley’s number at Jesuit). I wanted to be just like him. But through conversations with him, he got me to look at the bigger picture, not just wins.

“He’s always been great at getting the most out of players and it shows with all these wins.”

Crumbley isn’t sure if 900 wins is in the lineup card, but says he plans to coach until he is 65 years old.

In the meantime, he’ll reflect on his career, mainly focusing on the people that have made it one heck of a ride so far.

“I think back to 1981, that year with Bais(ley) and I think, where did it go?! This is year 41!” Crumbley said.

“God has put a special blessing on me, my career and my family. The results, the titles, the lifelong friendships with players and coaches — it’s been really something.

“It’s been neat, and I’ve been blessed for every year and every win.”

Steinbrenner coach John Crumbley has several milestones in his coaching career that spans four decades. (MIKE CAMUNAS)

John Crumbley Coaching Milestones

No. 500 – Jesuit 13, Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 3, March 16, 2004

No. 600 – Steinbrenner 11, Cambridge Christian 0, March 18, 2011

No. 700 – Steinbrenner 6, Alonso 4, March 18, 2016

No. 800 – Steinbrenner 10, Land O’ Lakes 5, April 12, 2023

1994 Class 4A State Title – Jesuit 10 Clearwater 2

1997 Class 4A State Title – Jesuit 7, Pasco 1

2000 Class 4A State Title – Jesuit 4, Jacksonville Bishop Kenny 1

2016 Class 8A State Title – Steinbrenner 9, Oviedo Hagerty 4

Published on April 19, 2023.

Playing the game for a spell

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

They are a few moves ahead of everyone else.

At the Dungeons & Dragons Club at Steinbrenner High School in Lutz, members have been playing for years. Not just in the after-school weekly meetups, but on their own, for personal fun and pleasure.

And they’re not playing just because a TV show has made it culturally acceptable by raising its popularity to the mainstream. Or because there’s a blockbuster movie now playing in theaters that’s based on the game.

Peyton White, the Dungeon Master (DM) in Steinbrenner High School’s Dungeons & Dragons after-school club, is seen here during one of the weekly gaming sessions at the school in Lutz. The club is open to anyone who wants to play, from newbies to experienced players. (Mike Camunas)

The game’s popularity, and the club, have grown because of the global hit Netflix series, “Stranger Things,” said Branden Lingerfelt, a Steinbrenner social studies teacher, who is the club’s adult sponsor and monitor.

But he added that he believes the popularity goes beyond “Stranger Things,” which began airing in 2016.

“It’s amazing to see kids come to this club,” Lingerfelt said. “Maybe they didn’t have a lot of friends before, but now they do, and maybe that was or wasn’t their intent or maybe they just wanted to play D&D, but I love seeing both of those from kids who have come to this club.

“They just want to have fun playing Dungeons & Dragons.”

For much of its existence since the game was first published in 1974, this fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson has been considered part of the “nerd culture.” The game is sometimes viewed as played by people who lack a social life or spend all of their time playing the game in a basement or garage.

Junior Mikie White, the president of Steinbrenner’s club, said he never set out to change that image when he founded the club two years ago.

Mikie White, middle, is president and founder of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) after-school club at Steinbrenner High. He watches as the 20-sided die rolls an outcome during a recent gaming session of the fantasy role-playing game. He said he wanted to start the D&D club at Steinbrenner to have a safe space for players to get together and just have some fun going through the story labyrinth set up by the Dungeon Master.

He’s always loved the game — even before ‘Stranger Things’ — and wanted to have a safe space for players to get together and either learn the game, to improve at playing it, or just have fun going through the story labyrinth set up by the Dungeon Master.

But “Stranger Things” has had an impact. About 50 people showed up at the club’s first meeting this school year.

“Basically, before ‘Stranger Things,’ it wasn’t like that,” he said, “and with most clubs, it whittles down after the first day. When you get one of the most famous TV shows in the world basically promoting it and it becomes mainstream, then you see the new players.

“But a lot of people don’t know how to play it or get into it. So if you have a club at school, it’s about, ‘Come join us, come learn how to play,’ — because this is an easy way to find out how.

“This isn’t really about competing — you don’t really win D&D. You’re getting together with friends and having a great time — that’s what you really want.”

The club meets once a week, for about an hour or so of play, as Lingerfelt keeps a watchful eye.

Lingerfelt says he’s not an avid player and doesn’t play with the students, but he’s more than happy to sit back and watch much better players at work.

The minimum number of dice to Dungeons & Dragons is a seven-dice set, which can include one of each die that is four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and finally, a 20-sided that is generally used for important or critical outcomes to the story.

“What I like is that they’re just hanging out at a place and time to meet,” Lingerfelt said. “It’s lowkey — like a kid isn’t here and in this club for his or her (college) resume. He or she is here to play D&D, and I think that’s great.

“They want a space and time to play with fellow students? I am here for them.”

Of course the club has more experienced players, such as Mikie White or the club’s vice president, senior Peyton White (no relation). Which, as leaders of the club, is perfect, as they are the go-to experts for rule clarifications and playing advice.

“What I try to do with new players,” Peyton White said, “is get them with more experienced Dungeon Masters. I’m very anti-gatekeeping, so no matter how you found out about tabletop dice games — ‘Stranger Things’ or the movie or some podcast or TV show or friend — if you want to play it, play it! If you want to do it, do it! Come join us or a game or find a game and have fun!

Sophomore Diego Campos has a good laugh with his Dungeons & Dragons comrades and club friends during a recent gaming session at Steinbrenner High in Lutz.

“I care about it a lot, that’s why I encourage it, and not everyone stuck with it, but I’m glad to have those who did stick with it and I’m glad to have this club at my school until I graduate because it can be very hard to find games anywhere, especially outside a school setting at our age.

“It’s so much fun and anyone can play!”

Mikie White agrees, knowing first-hand the fun of playing the elaborate game, but also that the game isn’t just for “nerds.”

“There’s a few athletes in (the club),” he said. “It’s not a dorky thing anymore, and whether it’s ‘Stranger Things’ or something else that got you into the game, Dungeons & Dragons is for everyone.”

Dungeons & Dragons
Details: This fantasy tabletop game, created by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, was first published in 1974. The role-playing game (RPG) has evolved and gained popularity through the years, even now after it has been published by Wizards of the Coast (a subsidiary of Hasbro) since 1997.
The game departs from traditional war gaming by allowing each player to create their own character to play instead of a military formation. These characters embark upon adventures within a fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master (DM) serves as the game’s referee and storyteller, while maintaining the setting in which the adventures occur, and playing the role of the inhabitants of the game world, also referred to as non-player characters (NPCs).
During the game, players describe their characters’ intended actions to the DM, who then describes the result or response. Trivial actions, such as picking up a letter or opening an unlocked door, are usually automatically successful. The outcomes of more complex or risky actions, such as scaling a cliff or picking a lock, are determined by rolling dice. Different polyhedral dice are used for different actions, such as a 20-sided die to see whether a hit was made in combat, but an eight-sided die to determine how much damage was dealt. A single session of Dungeons & Dragons can last anywhere between three hours to an entire day.
For more information about the Steinbrenner D&D club, email Branden Lingerfelt at .

Published April 12, 2023

Sophomore Aiden Webber, a member of Steinbrenner High’s Dungeons & Dragons Club, watches his die as he tries to make a calculated roll.

Steinbrenner High’s Dungeons & Dragons Club meets weekly on campus and features about 20 members who gather in a safe space to have friendly sessions of the fantasy role-playing game.

Senior Dungeons & Dragons player Zachary Gondelman hopes for a good outcome on his roll of a 20-sided die during a recent gaming session.

St. Leo, San Antonio work together, improve Pompanic Street

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The neighboring towns of St. Leo and San Antonio came together and painted a line down their border — a line of asphalt — in a joint road improvement collaboration.

In the past eight months, the towns of St. Leo and San Antonio worked together to fix up, repave and add safety measures to Pompanic Street, which serves as the boundary between the two East Pasco municipalities. (Mike Camunas)

In the past eight months, the two towns worked together to fix up, repave and add safety measures to Pompanic Street, which serves as the boundary between San Antonio and St. Leo.

According to town officials, the middle of the road is considered the dividing line and the two municipalities partnered to improve the road. The project, which cost $850,048.38, is about 95% complete after being widened, adding a sidewalk and improving the stormwater drainage.

A solar-powered speed radar and speed limit sign were installed, too.

The less-than-a-mile-long road runs parallel to Lake Jovita, coming off the intersection at State Road 52 and College Avenue.

Town officials said the road improvements will improve public safety.

However, the project was initiated prior to the idea and announcement of St. Leo’s plans to add a multi-faceted town center at the corner of State Road 52 and Lemon Road, less than a mile from the university that also bears its name.

On Feb. 14, St. Leo’s Town Commission voted to move forward with building a town center — a much-welcomed shopping, entertainment, event and community district in the hopes of changing the identity of the oldest incorporated municipality in Pasco County from a drive-through town to a destination.

Additionally, St. Leo also is working with the Florida Department of Transportation to reconfigure the intersection of State Road 52, College Avenue and Pompanic Street to convert the now-complicated intersection into a more traffic-friendly roundabout.

Published April 12, 2023

Students get plugged into EVs

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

They’re trying to change climate change, one electric vehicle at a time.

Sixth-graders in Environmental Science class at Learning Gate Community School in Lutz recently took seven broken mini EVs and rebuilt them.

It was an ambitious undertaking, led by the school’s Environment Science teacher, Steven Warrener.

He wanted his students to see what sustainable transportation looks like, how electric vehicles are made, and to experience, firsthand, how the vehicles can be fixed easily and cheaply.

Learning Gate Community School in Lutz and its sixth-graders took seven broken mini electric vehicles (EVs) — in this case, scooters — and rebuilt them as part of a project in Environmental Science Teacher Steven Warrener’s class. The goal was to show the kids what sustainable transportation looks like, how electric vehicles are made, and see firsthand how the vehicles can be fixed easily and cheaply. (Courtesy of Steve Warrener)

“It ended up being pretty fun,” Warrener said. “I wanted the kids to learn the ins and outs of sustainable transportation.

“We basically got seven broken mini EVs and rebuilt them — and I thought it was pretty a fun project in part because I ride some of them around school whenever I have an excuse and I hear the younger kids say, ‘I can’t wait to get to sixth grade’ and that is a big part of why I do it.”

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation account for about 27% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor. Between 1990 and 2020, GHG emissions in the transportation sector increased more in absolute terms than any other sector.

With that in mind, it was easy for the students to see how important it was to find alternatives to combustible-engine vehicles and implement EVs more into daily use.

As Teresa Gallegos put it, “(EVs are) a form of sustainable transportation that is very much needed,” while Cam Kirouac added about the project, “Hopefully, we can be one step closer to stopping climate change.”

Warrener said he “trolled Facebook Marketplace and local pawn shops and negotiated for very cheap — and occasionally free — used and broken electric scooters, trikes and motorcycles” and ended up with four scooters, two motorcycles and a drift trike.

Learning Gate Community School Environmental Science Teacher Steven Warrener sits on one of the seven mini EVs he and his students saved and rebuilt.

After pairing students in groups, Warrener had the kids research and experiment with their group’s vehicle to figure out what was broken and repair it. Through a multi-week process, they learned how electricity and motors work, how to test voltage and identify problems, and then made the repairs themselves with parts Warrener had purchased.

The students were allowed to customize the paint job and clean up the EVs for their second life.

“We were successful with six of the vehicles,” Warrener added. “Two we put in an auction fundraiser, two will be giveaways and one will stay for next year’s class.

The remaining motorcycle is a work in progress, as efforts are made to see if a record can be set for the fastest Razor MX350, Warrener said.

They will attempt this by taking the motor from the electric go-kart built earlier this school year. That will produce about eight times the power of the original motor, in hopes to top the unofficial speed record of 34 mph, the teacher said.

Because of the project, students were able to easily grasp the important lessons Warrener set out to teach.

“I learned that EVs can help the world because they don’t require gasoline,” Elijah Bossio said. “That’s really important right now.”

Added Alexander Bailey, “I learned how to make an electric vehicle and you can buy a broken thing for a cheap price and fix it for a profit. I think more people should do that.”

Warrener agrees.

“EVs are really just a motor, throttle, controller and battery,” he said. “There are so few pieces and they are so simple (that) gas cars really have no chance of competing in the future.”

Published April 12, 2023

Getting medieval in Dade City

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Huzzah!

Tennille McKinney, from South Carolina, walks around with her steampunk wings at the Bay Area Renaissance Festival that was held for more than a month in Dade City. (Mike Camunas)

The lively cheer of nearly 100,000 attendees and patrons to the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City could be heard for miles, as the annual, vibrant, extravagant and outlandishly fun event finished out its celebration with a bang on April 2.

Gates opened to welcome visitors to join the Villagers of Fittleworth, a magical 16th Century European village, in seeing exciting live-action entertainment, such as jousting, magicians, jugglers, jesters and mimes. Plus, a majority of visitors adorned full fantasy-eccentric costumes as they strolled through booths and attractions set up on the fields just outside Withlacoochee River Park.

Set in 1524, the seven-weeks long festival also has reenactments of King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine Parr, who even have nearly authentic English accents.

It was the third year the festival was held in Dade City, a move that happened in 2021 after decades of being at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI), near the University of South Florida.

Starting on Feb. 18, patrons were able to come out to the festivals on the weekends, each with a different theme. The final weekend was the swashbuckling adventures of pirates, but there were still several festival goers that stuck with a medieval theme, from knights to wenches. There were plenty of other costumes, as well, from Norwegian vikings, to witches and wizards, to fairies and pixies. There were plenty of cultural references, such as Game of Thrones and the Knights of Templar, too.

For more information on the festival throughout the year, visit BayAreaRenFest.com.

Published April 12, 2023

Brianna Vorbeck, of Oldsmar, sits upon the Iron Throne — er, Throne of Swords — at the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City on April 2 as her husband, Travis, snaps a picture. The yearly festival, which runs from mid-February to early April brought the magical 16th Century European Village of Fittleworth to the wooded fields off Auton Road, just outside Withlacoochee River Park. (Mike Camunas)

Brooksville resident Aaron Dykstra gets the ‘full Viking’ hairdo from Tralynn Manning on the last day of the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City.

Full-contact, armored live jousting was one of the many entertainment attractions at the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City.

Venice residents Andrea Meythalier, left, and Joe Monach walk around the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City in full costume while enjoying an adult beverage from the magical 16th Century European Village of Fittleworth.

Dozens of spectators watch in amazement as a Bay Area Renaissance Festival performer braved the Wheel of Death in Dade City on April 2.

Bella the Bard performs at the 45th Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City on April 2.

Digging deep in the sand

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Playing volleyball is just another day at the beach for them.

It doesn’t mean that the Saint Leo University Beach Volleyball players aren’t taking it seriously.

Saint Leo University beach volleyball player Aliya Fredette-Huffman dives to make a return during a training session. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s sandy and sunny and you get tan, so, unless you’re losing, there’s no complaints when you get to play this (sport) all the time,” said Jeanette Henderson, who is half of the team’s No. 1 duo. “I think beach volleyball is a lot more mental and I really appreciate that about the sport because that shows on the court — on the sand.”

Beach volleyball, which Saint Leo has been competing in since 2018, is a sport that may require more all-around skill than its indoor counterpart.

“Honestly, I think I had an easier time coming to beach volleyball because it was a little bit more individually focused and I could do a little bit of everything,” said Aliya Fredette-Huffman, who is Henderson’s playing partner. “With indoor, you pick one skill: you hit, you pass, you set, but here, on the sand, you can do it all — you have to do it all, which I really like because I enjoy doing all three (skills).

“Being an all-around player who can hit, set and pass is key.”

Jeanette Henderson, a Wharton High graduate, is one half of the No. 1 duo team on Saint Leo University’s Beach Volleyball team. Henderson, her playing partner Aliya Fredette-Huffman and their fellow teammates are headed to the 2022 Small College Beach Championship starting April 14, at Hickory Point Beach in Tavares. The Lions, who have four sandy courts on campus, are having a solid season under coach Natalia Koryzna, who also coaches the university’s indoor volleyball team.

Having the full-range skill set of a volleyball player comes in handy in beach volleyball because, unlike being a gym when the team has six players on the court, sandy matches are 2-v-2. Then, each team has five pairings, similar to how collegiate tennis matches are played. A pair must win two sets to take the match and a set is won by reaching 21 points first.

Since there are only two players, placement strategy is the real road to victory in beach volleyball.

The court dimensions are slightly smaller than indoor volleyball, but with only two players on each team, there’s much more area to place drop shots on the court.

“It’s significantly different than indoor because it’s more about perfecting placement and way more about the strategy it takes,” Lions coach Natalia Koryzna said. “You have more people to rely on when indoors, but out here in the sand, with just two people, it shows the players have to have the overall skills of every position of an indoor volleyball player.

“So you’re going to see a lot more 1-on-1 play, which you won’t see indoors.”

However, a handful of Lions’ beach volleyball players also play for the indoor team, For example, Henderson, who is a Wharton High graduate, was recruited for beach volleyball, but also walked on the indoor team.

Assistant coach Emily Kalmink said recruiting beach volleyball players in Florida can be easier since it’s more likely players will be good on the beach given the abundance of them in this state.

“I transitioned to beach (volleyball) a lot earlier, but being from (New Smyrna Beach), it was right up my alley,” Fredette-Huffman added.

Ignacia Cortinez jumps up to serve the ball across the Lions sandy court during a training session.

Saint Leo competes in the Division II level of college sports, however, according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association, “the popularity of beach volleyball has exploded over the last few years” and is “the fastest-growing NCAA sport over the last five years in Division I.”

It’s why the program is so young, but also doesn’t even have a full conference in which to hold a postseason tournament. Yet, after the team’s best season last year (22-13), Saint Leo continued those winning ways this season, finishing 15-8. The team is now headed to the Small College Beach Championships on April 14.

Last season in the same tournament, Saint Leo went 3-3 and won third in the silver bracket. This year, the Lions feel even more confident as they head to the sandy beach courts just off the shore of Lake Harris in Tavares.

“We have high expectations,” Fredette-Huffman said. “We’ve played some great teams and games and come away with some wins and also some losses, but the way the season has been going, we think we’re playing well enough to play with anyone.”

Henderson agrees, adding how close-knit the team has become in the two years under Koryzna has been crucial to their success.

“Our team chemistry is top tier,” Henderson added. “We all feel like family, like sisters and we hang out all the time together. So, it’s a lot like, even if you’re out there playing in the sand for a point or you’re not, you still feel like part of the team and want to be part of the team.”

AVCA Small College Beach Championships
When: April 14 to April 16
Where: Hickory Point Beach, 27345 State Road 19, Tavares
Details: On 21 professional-grade lighted, sand courts, universities will bring their squads of two-player teams to compete for Division II, III and NAIA Division titles.
For results or more information, visit avca.org/events/small-college-beach-champ.html.

Published April 12, 2023

Lions beach volleyball player LeeAnn Potter looks to toss back the ball during a practice on campus.

Lions beach volleyball coach Natalia Koryzna, in her second season, also coaches the indoor volleyball squad.

Amanda Doherty lunges for a return during a recent Lions beach volleyball practice.

Lions grab first win in new home

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The Saint Leo University Ice Hockey Club played its first game in what will now be the team’s new home, as the Lions hosted the University of North Florida on April 1 at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel.

The Lions defeated the Ospreys 9-4 in front of a rowdy crowd of green-and-yellow-clad students and fans.

The club, which features students along with faculty member Dr. Randall Woodar and staff member Kevin Floyd on its roster, recently met the necessary requirements to join the Collegiate Hockey Federation, the governing body of more than 120 collegiate club hockey programs.

According to the team, there also are on-ice and off-ice opportunities to be part of the club. Email club president "> for more information.

Lacrosse team picks up 100th win

April 11, 2023 By Mike Camunas

The Steinbrenner High Boys Lacrosse Team just wrapped its regular season schedule on April 3, finishing 14-1. Additionally, the team picked up its 100th win in program history since becoming a FHSAA sanctioned program.

Junior Chad Dempsey, pictured, scored a goal and assist in the 20-3 historic win over East Lake on March 28.

The Warriors played in the Class 2A-District 10 tournament, which ran from April 8 to April 12, and faced off against other local teams such as Land O’ Lakes, Wharton, Sunlake and Wiregrass Ranch.

Results were unavailable at press time.

However, Steinbrenner outscored its opponents 223-73 in the regular season, with senior Avery Kamuf leading the team in goals (44) and assists (26), while junior Andrew Diaz also scored 39 goals and 13 assists.

Sprung up from the railroads

April 4, 2023 By Mike Camunas

Escape. Engage. Explore.

That’s what is expected from visitors — who eventually end up doing just that — at Bonnet Springs Park, located in the heart of Lakeland.

The state-of-the-art, open-air, world-class park opened in October 2022 and has become a hot new destination not only in Polk County, but in Central Florida, too.

Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, was an abandoned rail yard before it was transformed into 168 acres of free public park. It features several amenities, including a Welcome Center, a cafe, coffee and gift shops, event venues, playground, nature centers, a children’s museum, a tree house, boardwalks, botanical and butterfly gardens, and more. (Mike Camunas)

And rightly so.

Bonnet Springs Park is massive, with amenities on top of amenities. It’s a perfect place for family outings, but also for a picnic date. It’s also an excellent choice for an afternoon stroll with your dog, or more adventurous outings.

The expansive property, with its exceptional options, is just outside downtown Lakeland. It was a long time in the making, but the public park is now open daily — and word has spread about its terrific offerings.

It definitely is worth the trip.

Explore the past
It was abandoned in the early 1980s.

It was an extensive rail yard, even claimed to be all but forgotten by resident Lakelanders. Until a group of community investors and developers stepped in to bring new life to the historic site.

Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland features a 200-year-old grandfather oak tree that partially shades the Crenshaw Canopy Walk. The boardwalk, which is 1,500 feet long and 24 feet high, winds through the 168-acre park, which previously was an abandoned rail yard.

Local developer David Bunch, retired Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director Bill Tinsley, and Carol and Barney Barnett worked together to create the now exciting Bonnet Springs Park. They purchased the rail yard and the more than a dozen adjoining properties and began the master plan and design for the park in 2016.

The site is situated between West Memorial and George Jenkins boulevards.

Remediation work began on the site in April 2019, unearthing the ecological impacts of the railroad’s steam and coal era’s transition to diesel locomotives.

The park embraces its railroad history.

Trains run next to the park, with their blaring whistles, while several park amenities feature railroad themes. There’s a playground — shaped like a train — near the Hollis Family Welcome Center. There also are displays within the center offering details about the site’s railyard days.

A popular spot at the park is Florida’s Children’s Museum. The 47,800-square-foot facility offers indoor and outdoor opportunities for science, discovery and play.

It has two floors of galleries with interactive experiences.

Bonnet Springs Park also features extreme height changes and undulations throughout. It has a slide to go down a hill and a playground that has loads of climbing obstacles and small streams, where visitors can splash around.

The Crenshaw Canopy Walk is one of the many amenities at Bonnet Springs park in Lakeland and it is roughly 1,500 feet long and 24 feet high, at its tallest point. It provides a bird’s-eye view of the park, as well as circling a 200-year-old grandfather oak tree.

Engage in the view(s)
One of the main attractions at Bonnet Springs Park is the Crenshaw Canopy Walk.

At roughly 1,500 feet long and 24 feet high at its tallest point, it’s perfect for a bird’s-eye view of the park and is partially shaded by the 200-year-old grandfather oak tree in the park.

The canopy walk is just a small stroll from the Kiwanis Kid’s Treehouse, which is a fun hangout to explore, as well as a place to host events, such as birthday parties.

Both these attractions are also near the Ann and Ward Edwards Boathouse, which sits on the Blanton Family Lagoon, a 6.5-acre lagoon.

The 2,600-square-foot boathouse provides a place to rent paddleboats or grab a quick snack. Around the lagoon, there are more boardwalks that give visitors nature views.

Other amenities include the GiveWell Community Foundation Nature Center, the Depot Café, a greenhouse and a butterfly house. The event center features a ballroom that can accommodate up to 400 guests and features a ballroom, terrace, and an outdoor kitchen, overlooking the botanical gardens.

With its careful planning, its expansive offerings, its everyday features and its special events — Bonnet Springs Park, in Lakeland, is a gem.

It truly is a place with something for everyone.

Bonnet Springs Park
Where: 400 Bonnet Springs Blvd., Lakeland
When: Open daily from 6 a.m. to dusk.
Coffee Shop in the Welcome Center: Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Depot Cafe: Open 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Rooftop Garden Bar: Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: A once-abandoned rail yard, from the 1980s, was idle until a group of community investors and developers came together to bring new life to the historic site. The park, which opened in October 2022, represents a collaboration of local developer David Bunch, retired Lakeland Parks and Recreation Director Bill Tinsley, and Carol and Barney Barnett. The redeveloped site is a 168-acres park just outside of downtown Lakeland, between West Memorial Boulevard and George Jenkins Boulevard on the east side of Lake Bonnet.
It features several amenities including a Welcome Center, a cafe, coffee and gift shops, event venues, play areas, nature centers, a children’s museum, a treehouse, boardwalks, botanical and butterfly gardens, and more. The park is dog-friendly.
Info: Visit BonnetSpringsPark.com.

Published April 05, 2023