Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Jeff Odom

One of the centerpieces in the Academy at the Lakes girls basketball team’s run to the Class 2A state championship game has finally made her college decision.

Wildcats forward Tatiana Manuel opted to stay close to home by signing with Santa Fe Community College in Gainesville on July 6 over interest from other programs including University of South Florida, Webber International and College of Charleston in South Carolina, according to AATL athletic director Tom Haslam.

Manuel, who transferred to AATL from Brooks-DeBartolo after her junior year, was a defensive headache for opponents and a scoring machine for the Wildcats last season, earning The Laker/Lutz News Girls Basketball Offensive Player of the Year honor for her efforts on the court.

The 6-foot-2 Manuel led AATL in scoring with more than 15.6 points per game. She also averaged 9.2 rebounds and 5.8 blocks respectively.

Manuel’s best performance of the season came at a pivotal time for the Wildcats as she exploded for a team-high 27 points in AATL’s 65-24 rout of Sheridan Hills Christian in the state semifinals. The Wildcats, however, came up short for the second consecutive season against FAMU High in the title game.

By Ed Pierce

Longtime Pasco Hernando Community College baseball coach Steve Winterling has added athletic director to his duties at the school.

Winterling becomes just the third athletic director in school history and just completed his 23^rd season as the helm of the Conquistadors baseball program, which he will continue to lead.

“I trained for this position ever since graduate school,” Winterling said. “I love sports and want to see our college continue to play at a high level and represent PHCC in a classy way. We have some outstanding athletic programs and we need to continue that strong tradition. I will be the biggest fan of all our teams.”

He grew up in Jacksonville and played baseball for Florida College and the University of South Florida before earning a master’s degree in physical education at Florida State University.

At Florida State, Winterling served as assistant baseball coach and helped lead the Seminoles to three College World Series appearances and a berth in the national championship game in 1986.

Launching the PHCC’s college baseball program in 1991, he has led the Conquistadors to national recognition and three consecutive appearances in the NJCAA Division II regional tournament.

He said he believes communication between the athletic department and the college’s administration will be an essential part of his approach to the job.

“I have really enjoyed working with our administrators and staff these first few weeks,” Winterling said. “I’m learning a lot of new things, but everyone has been tremendous in helping me.”

Over the years he has coached more than 30 Conquistador athletes who have signed to play professionally and helped numerous others go on to play for four-year schools.

In addition, Winterling teaches health and physical education at the college and serves as assistant women’s cross country coach.

When his career ends, he hopes people will be appreciative of his efforts.

“I’d want people to remember that I’ve been a very loyal and dedicated employee to the college and have lived and served the community in a positive manner.”

The Laker/Lutz News staff report

Saint Leo University Director of Athletics Francis X. Reidy has announced the appointment of Chris Greenwood as the new head coach for the Lions’ men’s golf program.

Greenwood, a graduate from North Carolina State University, comes to Saint Leo after serving as the Director of Golf at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the past year.

“I feel blessed to have this opportunity to come to Saint Leo and compete in the Sunshine State Conference,” Greenwood said. “I’m looking forward to helping the Saint Leo men’s golf team become an exceptional program.”

Under Greenwood’s guidance at UALR, the Trojans claimed one Sun Belt All-Conference Selection while also earning the highest GPA of UALR men’s sports programs.

Prior to his success with the Trojans, Greenwood served as the head men’s golf coach at Lynn University in Boca Raton for seven seasons, where he led the Fighting Knights to 16 tournament titles, extended Lynn’s streak of consecutive NCAA appearances to 10, and reached the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Tournament four times (2006 and 2009-11).

“We are excited to name Chris Greenwood as our first full-time men’s golf coach,” Reidy said. “He has produced successful results at the conference, regional and national level as a coach in the SSC. Coach Greenwood is a proven leader and recruiter; couple this with the facilities of Lake Jovita, and we have a great combination for our golf program.”

A two-time Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year (2006 and 2008), Greenwood coached 11 All-America selections and eight Academic All-Americans in his seven years at Lynn. During his first year with the program, Greenwood picked up his first SSC Coach of the Year award after guiding the Fighting Knights to a Sunshine State Conference title and leading the team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II National Championship.

Before entering the realm of collegiate coaching, Greenwood played for 12 years on the Canadian Golf Tour, where he recorded six victories as a professional, multiple top-ten finishes and set a tournament record by finishing the Eagle Creek Classic at 22-under par. He has also played on the PGA Tour, Nationwide, Tight Lies, Nike, South African PGA, Australasia PGA and the Dakotas tour.

While competing on the Canadian Tour, Greenwood served as the United States Players Representative on the Board of Directors, and the Canadian Tour representative to Srixon, ensuring all players utilize the proper equipment at each event.

A member of the North Carolina State University golf team from 1990-92, Greenwood notched one tournament victory as a collegiate athlete at Duke University’s John Ryan Memorial. Upon graduating from NC State in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in general communications with a concentration in public relations, he joined the Wolfpack as an assistant men’s golf coach. Prior to NC State, Greenwood attended Virginia Tech where he was an All-Conference selection as a freshman.

The Valdese, N.C. native will serve as the first-ever full-time head men’s golf coach at Saint Leo. He is married to Nancy Greenwood. The couple has two daughters, Savannah and Mackenzie, and one son, Daniel.

By Jeff Odom

Gaither High boys soccer coach Eric Sims has stepped down after 12 seasons guiding the team.

The 35-year-old Sims, who also serves as the executive director of the Tampa Bay United Youth Soccer Club (TBU), led the Cowboys to three state final four appearances, including back-to-back trips in 2011 and 2012.

Under his direction, Gaither also won five district titles and made 10 playoff appearances, most recently during the 2011-12 season when the team upset Freedom for the Class 4A-District 8 championship.

Gaither did not make the playoffs last season.

Sims’ dedication to coaching soccer also extended past the high school level as an assistant men’s coach at the University of Tampa and head coach of TBU’s Under-18 boys team.

Former Gaither forward Tyler Helm told The Laker/Lutz News in December that there is no better man to play for than Sims.

“Coach Sims is the best around,” Helm said. “His vision on the field is professional. He sees our options. He treats us like fellow players … (and) teaches us to be physical.”

— Correspondent Don Trello contributed to this report.

The Laker/Lutz News staff report

After leading the Saint Leo women’s golf program to national success, Lions head coach Erika Brennan resigned June 25 to take the assistant women’s golf coach position at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

Brennan, who just finished her fifth season at the helm of the women’s golf program, led the Lions to four NCAA Division II regional appearances, including their first postseason appearance in 2010. In addition to sending multiple golfers to the regional spotlight, Brennan also led Saint Leo women’s golfer, Goeun Lee, to an NCAA National Championship appearance in 2012.

“I’m grateful for Saint Leo and the opportunity to coach here. Mr. Reidy took a chance on a coach with very little experience and allowed me to grow while taking extra time to mentor me along the way,” said Brennan. “The teams that I’ve had the opportunity to coach have taught me so much. They are a group of girls that I will never forget, and I will always be thankful for the opportunity to coach them.”

During most of her time with the green and gold, the Lions saw high national rankings, including an overall Golfstat Ranking of ninth in the nation during the 2010-11 season. In addition to high team honors, Brennan guided Heather Petronis to Saint Leo’s first Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year Award in 2011.

“We are grateful for the great work Coach Brennan did with the program,” said Director of Athletics Francis X. Reidy. “She took over a fledging program and developed it into a top-25 program. Because of her work and dedication, the women’s golf program is in a much better place today. In addition to her success on the course, we will also miss the great work she did with our Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Leadership class, which she developed. We wish her all the best at UT and in the next chapter of her career.”

Although she was new to the collegiate coaching ranks upon her arrival to Saint Leo, Brennan’s success with the Lions has certainly left a dent in the record books. In the fall of 2012 the team set numerous records, including the top single round team score (291) and top 36-hole tournament score (592), which they scored at the Myrtle Beach Intercollegiate.

As an advisor for the Saint Leo Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Sophomore Leadership class, Brennan has also impacted the surrounding community with community outreach projects such as raising money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation ($21,500 in just three years), donating items to local charities and hosting multiple events for local community members. During the past two years, Saint Leo also won the Sunshine State Conference donation competition by donating nearly 12,000 nonperishable items to Dade City Catholic Charities.

“Saint Leo University holds such a special place in my heart,” said Brennan on her departure. “The core values that I’ve learned in my time here will be carried with me for the rest of my life.”

By Jeff Odom

Former Gaither High football player Ernest Suttles, a true freshman, has been dismissed from the University of Nebraska football team before ever stepping onto the field.

According to a statement from the university, Suttles, a highly recruited defensive end and 2012 All-Laker/All-Lutz News Defensive Player of the Year, and a teammate were kicked off the squad by Nebraska coach Bo Pelini after an incident at an off-campus party on June 21.

“We are aware of an incident involving student-athletes which occurred off campus over the weekend,” the statement said. “We are working with the University’s Dean of Students in gathering further details. We will continue to review the incident. Further, head football coach Bo Pelini has announced that Ernest Suttles and Thomas Brown are no longer members of the football program.”

According to a report by the Lincoln Journal Star, Suttles was cited for assaulting teammate and Nebraska linebacker David Santos in the late evening hours on June 21. The report added that a Lincoln (Neb.) Police Department incident report says Suttles allegedly struck Santos in the head with a bottle, requiring multiple stitches.

No other information about the incident was made available by press time.

Gaither coach Jason Stokes told The Laker/Lutz News in a text message that he was “very disappointed with the whole situation” but added that “everything is still under investigation.”

Suttles was a dynamic force on defense for the Cowboys last season, compiling 88 total tackles, 12 for a loss of yardage, 12 sacks and four forced fumbles, while helping lead Gaither to its first Class 7A-District 7 title in nine years. He was originally verbally committed to Iowa State University, but opted to sign with the Cornhuskers instead.

In total, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Suttles had 15 offers from Division I schools including Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, South Florida, Missouri and Indiana.

After he signed his letter of intent on National Signing Day in February, he said he was thrilled to play for Nebraska.

“Excitement, that’s the only way I can describe it,” Suttles said. “I wish I could leave today. … I’m ready to climb the ladder. Hopefully sooner than later.”

By Ed Pierce

The New Tampa Wildcats youth football program has joined the Tri-County Youth Football and Cheerleading Conference.

League officials say it is the right move at the right time, as parents have been asking to take the for Pop Warner program in a different direction for the past few seasons.

Most of the conference opponents will now be in Hillsborough County to reduce lengthy travel times to games for parents, players and families.

The conference also has lower minimum player per team requirements than Pop Warner, which will help the Wildcats field teams in every division.

In the past, the program has been hampered by smaller enrollments in some age divisions that resulted in forfeits if players were ill, injured or unable to attend games for one reason or another.

Practice and the new season for the Wildcats will begin in July, creating an opportunity for families to be more flexible in scheduling vacations.

Each Wildcats team will play five home games and five away games in the new conference.

Player weigh-in rules are simpler, and training for Wildcats coaches will be conducted locally.

And unlike past years, the Wildcats will be encouraged by the Tri-County Conference to participate in post-season bowl games, tournaments and cheerleading competitions.

This means Wildcats squads will be able to continue to play in the annual Turkey Day and Game Day of Champions games at Raymond James Stadium in November.

For more information about the New Tampa Wildcats, visit www.newtampawildcats.org or send an email to .

By Jeff Odom

Colton Olasin’s love for the game of baseball blossomed at an early age.

At just 4-years-old, the Spring Hill resident would play games of catch with his friends and father, Michael, in the front yard for hours at a time.

Then, one day, Michael asked his son if he would like to play any competitive sports. Olasin’s choice came without hesitation.

“Can I try baseball?” Olasin asked.

Michael instantly said yes and it was a decision that changed Olasin’s life forever.

“I started getting into it and I just didn’t want to stop after that,” Olasin said. “It was constant baseball, baseball, baseball. Every week I was practicing and getting better and better by working hard. Even when it’s a lot of baseball, it can get tiring, but I still don’t want to stop playing.”

Olasin’s talent for the game was evident from Day 1 at the Spring Hill Dixie Baseball League.

He skipped past T-ball and joined the older group of players — some twice his age – at coach pitch. Then, just three years later, Olasin started playing travel ball at age 7 with one of the area’s top teams, the Tampa Titans, where he ventured all across the state of Florida and the country, playing in various tournaments.

“You get to go to places not just to play ball, but the experience meeting different people and different kids and different skills of the game is cool,” said Olasin, who is now 12. “It was cool meet other people and learn different things about the game and how they play.”

As he grew older, Olasin moved on to the nationally recognized Pro Talent Instructs (PTI) Maniacs baseball program in Tampa, an organization that was started in 2006 providing college and scouting camps, with guidance from both current and former major leaguers, where he competed against some of the best players in the nation in places like Cooperstown, N.Y. — home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

This season, Olasin led the Maniacs in batting average (.494), home runs (14) and was third in total RBIs (54). On the mound, he led all pitchers in strikeouts (63) and had the third-most wins with six in 18 appearances.

With those statistics, his stock skyrocketed and others around the country began to take notice in a big way. Soon, Olasin was given an offer he couldn’t refuse — an opportunity to tryout for the inaugural United States National 12-Under Baseball Team.

“Because I play travel ball and since I had been around a lot, somebody from California had asked me if I wanted to tryout for the team and I couldn’t pass it down. I had to say yes,” Olasin said.

After the tryout, Olasin impressed the scouts in attendance and was named as one of only 18 youth baseball players in the country to the team, which will compete for the 2013 International Baseball Federation 12-Under World Cup July 18 to 28 in Taipei City, Taiwan.

“I was just speechless for like 10 minutes,” Olasin said. “I just sat there thinking for 10, 20 minutes with all of these ideas going through my head like ‘I can’t believe I’m going to Taiwan’ and ‘Wow, this is awesome’. It was just shocking. Out of all those kids that tried out for the team, I made it. I made the team.”

His mother, Jess Hoffman, said she couldn’t believe he made it and added that she was proud of her son, because of all the hard work he puts into getting better on and off the field.

“I was very excited for him,” Hoffman said. “I’m very proud of him. He’s been playing ball for a long time and he works very hard for it, has a great passion for it. … His dad has a very strong knowledge for baseball and he played baseball in college, before tearing his ACL. So, he got most of those skills from him.”

When Olasin delivered the news to his friends and teammates, most of them thought he was joking until he showed them the roster.

“Some of my friends that I tell, they don’t even believe me,” Olasin said with a laugh. “Their mouths usually go all the way to the floor and they don’t believe me, sometimes, but once they see it, they think it’s awesome, though.”

Olasin said he knows without the sacrifices by his parents, none of this would be possible. Hoffman is still trying to raise money through donations and sponsors to see her son play in Taiwan through the website, GoFundMe.com.

“Not a lot of people have parents like that who take them where they need to go just to play baseball,” Olasin said. “I think my parents are great. I don’t know how they’re doing it, I don’t know how they can take me all of these places, but it’s awesome and I’m glad they’re able to do that for me and support me like that. I really respect that.”

One of the biggest things Olasin is looking forward to when he gets to Taiwan is meeting other people from around the world and sharing their experiences with the game, while representing the U.S. He said seeing how other countries play baseball might be more rewarding than winning it all.

“When you’re playing for the U.S.A., it’s not just about playing ball, but when you go to a different country, you’re representing your entire nation,” Olasin said. “It’s awesome, because you let other people know that U.S.A. baseball is a big thing and meeting different people from other countries like China and Venezuela and all of these other places. It’s going to be cool.”

— Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter @JOdomLaker