The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Michael Murillo

Wharton Boys take cross-country invitational

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Freshman Tre Rivers won the junior varsity race for Wharton High School at the Central Hillsborough Invitational on Aug. 26. Their cross-country team placed first overall at the event as well. (Courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)
Freshman Tre Rivers won the junior varsity race for Wharton High School at the Central Hillsborough Invitational on Aug. 26. Their cross-country team placed first overall at the event as well.
(Courtesy of Kyle LoJacono)

The boys’ cross-country team at Wharton High School took the top spot at the Central Hillsborough Invitational, on Aug. 26 at Wharton. The team scored 20 points, a mark significantly lower than its competition (low scores are preferable in cross country). The next closest team, Freedom High School, scored 62. King High School placed third with 79.

Prep Sports Board

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Aug. 24
Volleyball
Steinbrenner 3, Strawberry Crest 0

Aug. 25
Volleyball
Wiregrass Ranch 3, Hudson 0
Sunlake 3, Fivay 0
Bloomingdale 3, Freedom 1
Wharton 3, King 0
Mitchell 3, Zephyrhills 0

Aug. 26
Volleyball
Steinbrenner 3, Chamberlain 0

Aug. 27
Volleyball
Sunlake 3, Wiregrass Ranch 1
Land O’ Lakes 3, Zephyrhills 0
Steinbrenner 3, Armwood 0
Freedom 3, Alonso 0
Wharton 3, Plant City 0

Aug. 28
Football
Sunlake 41, Gulf 3
Zephyrhills 26,Wiregrass Ranch 0
Land O’ Lakes 14, Wesley Chapel 7
Pasco 13, Victory Christian Academy 6
Steinbrenner 13, Gaither 0
East Bay 20, Freedom 17 (2OT)
Wharton 35, King 7

Sept. 2
Volleyball
Academy at the Lakes at Pasco, 7 p.m.
Wharton at Strawberry Crest, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 3
Volleyball
Pasco at Sunlake, 6 p.m.
Wiregrass Ranch at Land O’ Lakes, 7:30 p.m.
Zephyrhills at Wesley Chapel, 8 p.m.
Freedom at Hillsborough, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 4
Football
Zephyrhills at Sunlake, 7:30 p.m.
River Ridge at Land O’ Lakes, 7:30 p.m.
Pasco at Gulf, 7:30 p.m.
Blake at Steinbrenner, 7:30 p.m.
Wiregrass Ranch at Wesley Chapel, 7:30 p.m.
Wharton at Robinson, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 8
Volleyball
Springstead at Sunlake, 6 p.m.
Wiregrass Ranch at Wesley Chapel, 8 p.m.
Land O’ Lakes at Mitchell, 7:30 p.m.
Fivay at Zephyrhills, 7:30 p.m.

Sources: MaxPreps, various

SUNRISE OF PASCO GOLF TOURNEY OCT. 5

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Sunrise of Pasco, a domestic and sexual violence prevention/victim services organization, will host its “Holes for Hope” golf tournament on Oct. 5 at the Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, 12900 Lake Jovita Blvd., in Dade City. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $125 per golfer, or $500 for a foursome. Golf, cart, lunch, contests, prizes and drawings are included. Sponsorships also are available. For information, contact Jarrod Scharber at (352) 567-4690 or .

BASEBALL INSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION MOVES TO PASCO COUNTY

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7 Tool Baseball, a baseball instruction organization for individuals ages 10-21 years old, has moved from Tennessee to Pasco County. They provide classroom and field instruction, as well as weight room training. The organization’s goals are to start a 10U travel ball program this year, with an additional program each successive year. They currently have training sessions by appointment at Wesley Chapel District Park, 7727 Boyette Road, and the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. For information, call 813-693-1830 or visit 7ToolBaseball.com.

Sunlake grad earns AP distinction

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When Alex Minnick was a senior at Sunlake High School back in June, he had to submit a 24-piece portfolio for his Advanced Placement Drawing class. They were on display at a scoring event in Salt Lake City, Utah, where judges determined an overall score of one through six.

As it turns out, no sixes were awarded, and only around 15.5 percent of the approximately 18,000 entries earned a 5, which was the highest score awarded by the judges.

Alex Minnick's favorite piece is the one he drew of his sister, Michelle. (Photos courtesy of Alex Minnick)
Alex Minnick’s favorite piece is the one he drew of his sister, Michelle.
(Photos courtesy of Alex Minnick)

Minnick was surprised when he learned his score.

“I thought I would get a three or a four,” he said.

The Lutz resident tends to be critical of his own work, but he devotes considerable time and effort to each piece.

He estimates that it typically takes eight hours or more to complete a piece, and he generally prefers the quiet of his room, so he can focus on his work.

When he finishes, he often feels more relieved, than satisfied.

“Most of the time, I’m just exhausted because I’m really critical of what I do. So when I look at the final piece, it’s not exactly how I planned it originally, but it still turns out fine,” Minnick said.

One piece that turned out fine involves hands, which Minnick said was a challenge. They’re easy to get wrong, he explained, because people know when they don’t look right. And, he noted, they need to be expressive and convey strength.

Another difficult piece shows Minnick looking at his reflection in a mirror. That one took closer to 14 hours to complete. He said he had to work hard to get the face in the reflection just right.

Still, he doesn’t think it’s perfect.

“I feel like it’s a good starting point, but I don’t feel like it’s one of my stronger pieces,” Minnick said.

Hands are difficult to draw, Alex Minnick said. They need to look realistic and convey the appropriate emotion at the same time. After significant practice, he’s improved his technique.

If the artist sounds like an unforgiving critic, it’s because he specializes in a type of art with little room for error. Realistic pieces are supposed to look like the subject. Any deviation is noticed and detracts from the goal, which is to represent the subject in an authentic manner. Other subjects, such as a depiction of a reflection in a chrome faucet, are actually easier for Minnick to create. Because those images are supposed to look distorted, a viewer can be more forgiving — the eye doesn’t expect the image to be normal.

As a fan of art, Minnick’s preferences deviate from his own talents. His favorite artist is M.C. Escher, known for his famous and challenging works that often depict physically impossible images. The viewer sees staircases and other visuals, and tries to reconcile them with the physical world, but they don’t match up, creating an optical illusion of sorts.

In fact, departures from realistic depictions of subjects tend to interest Minnick.

“I like surrealist art, because I’m not too good at that. So, it’s something I like because it’s different from what I do,” Minnick said.

He’ll continue his own style at Pasco-Hernando State College, where he’ll continue to study art.

His teacher from Sunlake High School’s 2D AP Studio, Carolyn Frances, is impressed by Minnick’s talents.

“The AP Studio process challenges the student to reach expressive and artistic milestones that match the rigor and skills required of college-level studio art students,” Frances said, in a news release. “Alex is definitely ready for the college studio experience.”

While Minnick acknowledged that he’s not perfectly happy with his Advanced Placement submissions, his friends and family were excited about his score.

He has learned to accept that, even though he still sees aspects in his art that didn’t come out the way he wanted, he’s been recognized for excellence with a score that the vast majority of students won’t achieve.

“I still see the things I don’t like, but now that I know that I got a five, I’m more accepting of those things,” Minnick said.

This piece, depicting his reflection in a mirror, took Alex Minnick nearly 14 hours to complete. Minnick spent a lot of time on getting the reflection image correct.
This piece, depicting his reflection in a mirror, took Alex Minnick nearly 14 hours to complete.                          Minnick spent a lot of time on getting the reflection image correct.

 

 

Published August 26, 2015

 

Gators’ goal: A return to its winning ways in football

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The Land O’ Lakes High School football team dipped to 4-6 record last year, after posting an 8-2 record the year before.

Head coach Brian Wachtel doesn’t blame bad luck or a lack of talent for the decline. He said it came down to execution.

Senior safety Colton Smith is ready for a leadership role this season.

“I don’t think we reached our potential last year,” Wachtel said. “There were a couple games that were close, but we just didn’t execute well in a half of that game, and that put us in the position that we were in at the end of the game.”

Half of the team’s six losses last year were by a touchdown or less, and only two were by more than 10 points.

The Gators also suffered some injuries last season, but Wachtel isn’t interested in excuses. He preaches a “next man up” philosophy, with the next player expected to contribute when the starter is unavailable.

And that philosophy will be put to the test this season at the most prominent position on offense.

James Pensyl, the standout lefty who helped Land O’ Lakes rank No. 1 in the district in passing yardage last season, graduated and signed on to play for Eastern Michigan University. That leaves Spencer Childress as the next man up, and Wachtel understands that means changes for his offense.

“As a coach you’d better adjust, and we’ve adjusted offensively,” Wachtel said. “We want to put our kids in a position to be successful. We’re going to put in our quarterback this year and play to his strengths.”

Land O’ Lakes coach Brian Wachtel focuses on limiting mistakes when his team suits up, including during hard-hitting practice drills. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photos)

While he doesn’t have Pensyl’s name recognition, the coach said Childress is an effective runner, which adds another dimension to his skill set.

Wachtel expects Childress to manage the game effectively, and they’re looking for a high completion percentage to keep the offense on the field.

The coaching staff also will rely on the team’s returning players to provide leadership.

Seniors, like Colton Smith, feel up to the task.

“The maturity level has risen for all of us, especially the seniors who have been here for day one of freshman year,” Smith said.

Being a leader for Smith means holding players accountable but not having a negative attitude toward his teammates. The safety and the rest of the players will depend on each other to get through the season successfully, and he wants to do that by staying positive and helping raise the bar for everyone.

“You see some people who just yell, yell, yell. And sometimes that doesn’t fix it. You’ve got to give them some confidence,” Smith said. “It’s all about making sure that they’re going to do what it takes, and not get them more angry with themselves so that they do worse.”

Now entering his fifth season as head coach for the Gators — and around 11 years in coaching overall — Wachtel still has the enthusiasm of a newer coach.

The offseason, the game film, the seven-on-seven practices and the daily drills still keep him engaged and eager to see his younger players develop, and his older players execute and reach their potential.

“I love doing it. It’s exciting to me. I love seeing the guys be successful. You get them for four years, and it’s fun to watch them grow,” he said.

Sometimes the progress is dramatic.

Wachtel singled out Jordan Ferrante, a defensive end who graduated last season, as an example of watching a player develop into something special.

When he entered the program, Ferrante weighed 130 pounds. But hard work and a lot of time in the weight room became a ticket to continuing his football career.

Ferrante will suit up for William Jewell College this fall, a school with a Division II football program in Missouri.

Wachtel’s current team might have other players who follow that path, but he isn’t letting them think about it just yet. They aren’t thinking about the playoffs, either. He wants them focused only on what’s ahead of them each week, so they can limit mistakes and realize their full potential this season.

“We’re just going to take it one game at a time, because we know where we want to be when it’s all said and done. But we also understand what we have to do to reach that, and its all about the process and taking the little steps to reach the end goal,” Wachtel said.

Land O’ Lakes Gators regular season schedule
(all times at 7:30 p.m.)

Aug. 28 at Wesley Chapel

Sept. 4 vs. River Ridge

Sept. 11 at Anclote

Sept. 18 at Sunlake

Oct. 2 at Lakeland Christian

Oct. 9 at Tampa Catholic

Oct. 16 at Springstead

Oct. 23 vs. Pasco

Oct. 30 vs. Mitchell

Nov. 6 vs. Fivay

Published August 26, 2015

Prep Sports Board

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Aug. 21
Football
Land O’ Lakes 27, Zephyrhills 7
Wesley Chapel 15, Citrus 6
Sickles 13, Steinbrenner 0
Lennard 22, Wharton 20

Aug. 26
Volleyball
Chamberlain at Steinbrenner, 7 p.m.

Aug. 27
Volleyball
Sunlake at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.
Steinbrenner at Armwood, 7 p.m.
Alonso at Freedom, 7 p.m.
Plant City at Wharton, 7 p.m.

Aug. 28
Football
Gulf at Sunlake, 7:30 p.m.
Zephyrhills at Wiregrass Ranch, 7:30 p.m.
Land O’ Lakes at Wesley Chapel, 7:30 p.m.
Victory Christian Academy at Pasco, 7:30 p.m.
Gaither at Steinbrenner, 7:30 p.m.
East Bay at Freedom, 7:30 p.m.
King at Wharton, 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 31
Volleyball
Steinbrenner at Robinson, 7:30 p.m.
Riverview at Wharton, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 1
Volleyball
Sunlake at Land O’ Lakes, 6 p.m.
Wiregrass Ranch at Anclote, 7:30 p.m.

Source: MaxPreps.com, various

KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS GOLF TOURNEY SEPT. 27

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The Knights of Columbus, Council 8104, will host its Autumn Golf Classic on Sept. 27 at the Bay Palms Golf Complex at MacDill Air Force Base, 1803 Golf Course Ave., in Tampa. The event benefits Knights of Columbus charities. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m., with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person. For information, contact Mike Ford at (813) 909-9271, or visit KnightsLOL.org.

New volunteer teams expand Sheriff’s Office’s reach

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Representatives of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office are preparing to patrol area waters, respond to natural disasters and investigate crime scenes.

But they aren’t deputies or detectives.

They’re regular citizens taking part in one of the Sheriff’s Office’s three new volunteer programs.

Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff's Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments. (Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)
Holly Taylor is one of the new volunteers on the Forensic Services Volunteer Team. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has three new groups of volunteers, serving different departments.
(Photos courtesy of Susan Miller)

The Volunteer Corps Marine Crime Unit, the Volunteer Agriculture Response Team and the Forensic Services Volunteer Team are accepting applications from students who are studying related courses in college and from anyone else who is interested in taking an active role in helping the county. Volunteers will undergo a background check and fingerprinting, and must be available for a minimum number of hours each month.

“I think this is going to be a great addition. It’s going to be a wonderful opportunity to get people involved and helping out in the community,” said Susan Miller, a forensic shift supervisor at the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Forensic Services department. Volunteers for her department will need to be available for a minimum of 16 hours a month and will be dispatched to crime scenes to assist deputies.

It is a hands-on method of lending support to the Sheriff’s Office, but there are limitations. The marine unit isn’t authorized to pursue or board any vehicles. They use their own craft to patrol neighborhood waterways and report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office, much like a neighborhood watch program — but this one’s on the water.

The agriculture team will work on mending fences, and corralling and handling livestock and other animals in the event of a disaster situation.

The forensics team will work on property crimes such as auto burglaries. Their job will be to collect information, fingerprints and any related evidence at the scene.

Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.
Collecting fingerprints is one of the jobs volunteers like Steve Lovelace learn when they join the Forensic Services Volunteer Team.

Forensics team volunteers will receive specific training related to their duties, Miller said. She worked with other supervisors to create a 40-hour course that volunteers will complete. They’ll learn the science and processing procedures regarding fingerprinting, applicable photography information, and how to identify and collect relevant evidence.

Miller also expects them to learn that forensics work is interesting, but not the action-filled, drama seen on popular television shows.

It’s not glamorous work, either, Miller said. “You’re really out there working hard.”

Crimes aren’t neatly solved in an hour, and there’s a lot more paperwork than you’ll find on the television screen, but it still can be an enjoyable experience for those interested in the field, she said.

Volunteers will be dispatched to crime scenes and will help the county with the many auto burglaries that occur on a daily basis. Miller said there were around 1,500 such incidents in Pasco County during the past year.

While it’s a new program, there are some volunteers already taking the course, and a small number in the field for her department, Miller said. She’s pleased with the results so far, and hopes more people take advantage to learn new skills and volunteer for the Sheriff’s Office in a meaningful way.

“It’s going to be great to have the help and to have the added presence in the community,” she said.

For information about the new volunteer groups, call the Pasco Sheriff’s Office Human Resources Department at (727) 844-7791 or (800) 854-2862, ext. 7791.

To download an application, visit PascoSheriff.com/volunteer-opportunities/.

Published August 19, 2015

 

Saint Leo welcomes its first Fulbright Scholar in Residence

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Students at Saint Leo University will be learning about different languages, culture and music this fall.

That type of education isn’t new for the university. But the type of educator delivering it is unprecedented in the university’s history.

Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan is Saint Leo’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence to teach at the university. Her curriculum will include language, culture and communication, and her music background also will be highlighted during her stay. (Courtesy of Saint Leo University)
Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan is Saint Leo’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence to teach at the university. Her curriculum will include language, culture and communication, and her music background also will be highlighted during her stay.
(Courtesy of Saint Leo University)

Dr. Vasumathi Badrinathan will be the university’s first Fulbright Scholar in Residence. She has left her native India, where she’s taught for nearly three decades, to spend a semester educating students in her areas of expertise.

And while she’s only recently made it to Florida, she’s already impressed with what she’s seen.

“I’m delighted to be a part of this really old university with this beautiful, green campus. I’m discovering something new every day,” Badrinathan said. “I’m very, very happy to be here.”

Saint Leo is very happy to have her, too.

The school made the formal request to bring her to campus under the Fulbright program, which offers cultural exchange opportunities for students, educators and institutions. Badrinathan teaches French at Ramnarain Ruia College, University of Mumbai, and is fluent in a half-dozen languages, including several spoken in India. She’s also a vocalist of southern Indian classical music and has performed in international music festivals.

Those qualifications made her an attractive educational and cultural asset for a university looking to enhance its students’ learning experiences. And the Fulbright program offered exactly that kind of opportunity.

The Fulbright program was founded in 1946 by J. William Fulbright, a United States Senator and the longest serving chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, with a tenure of nearly 16 years.

The program provides grants to send students and educators from the United States to foreign countries to learn and share cultural ideas, and it brings foreign students and educators to the United States.

The program provides 8,000 grants per year, with more than 160 countries participating. Since its inception, more than 360,000 participants have taken advantage of the opportunity to visit another country and culture.

Those statistics now include Badrinathan, who is looking forward to getting in the classroom and teaching a curriculum that includes language, culture and communication. But she isn’t bringing a rigid teaching method with her. Instead, she wants to learn about her students, and find the best ways to educate them based on how they react and interact with the curriculum.

“Flexibility is one of the cornerstones of an educator. You need to be flexible, you need to be adaptable, and you need to bear in mind that you’re dealing with human beings, after all,” she explained. “Absolutely, flexibility is the name of the game.”

For Badrinathan, that means not only sharing her personal experiences and knowledge with lessons, but also with music. She’s collaborating with the university’s music department to perform a special concert in October that will contain elements of both western and Indian music. Being entrenched in India’s culture and music as a performer enhances her ability to communicate those experiences as an educator, she said.

The teacher isn’t just here to teach. She’s also here to learn.

While Badrinathan has traveled around the world learning, teaching and performing (she earned her doctorate in French while studying in France), this is her first trip to the United States. And she expects to not only share her experiences and knowledge in the cultural exchange, but to also partake in the exchange.

“It’s going to be very enriching, because when you’re in a new scenario, you’re always open to new things,” Badrinathan said. “I think it’s going to be a great learning experience for me as well.”

Published August 19, 2015