Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Wharton seniors Ashton Stocker and Caci Andreychuk have been among Tampa Bay’s most productive volleyball players the last four years, but there was a big void on their resumes.

They had as many kills, assists and wins as any duo in the area, but no playoff appearances. That changed Oct. 24 in dramatic fashion.

The Wildcats (25-2) fell behind Class 8A-District 7 tournament host Durant by two sets in the semifinals. Dropping the third would not only eliminate Wharton from the playoffs, but would also end Stocker’s and Andreychuk’s high school careers.

“After the second game we said we can do this as long as we start playing Wharton volleyball,” said Andreychuk, a 5-foot-11 outside hitter.

The Wildcats roared back to win the last three sets and earn their first playoff berth since 2006.

“We both cried after the game,” said Stocker, a 6-foot-1 setter. “To get to share that together was really special.”

The duo met as sophomores when Andreychuk switched club teams and joined Tampa United, where Stocker started playing the year before.

Stocker immediately saw her teammate’s talent, but didn’t think the feeling was mutual.

“Actually our first practice together I swore that she hated me,” said Stocker, who picked up the game in seventh grade at Weightman Middle in Wesley Chapel. “I thought she thought I was a horrible setter. That’s just how she is when you first meet her. She’s very focused. I remember I went home and I cried. I said she hates me and thinks I’m a horrible setter. It ended up working out. … Now I can pretty much set the ball wherever and she can get it.”

Andreychuk said their time together and closeness off the court has given them an unspoken feel for each other.

“We have that hitter/setter chemistry that’s hard to get,” said Andreychuk, who started playing volleyball in sixth grade at Academy at the Lakes. “She knows where I want the ball, which makes it a lot easier.”

Their relationship grew when Stocker transferred from Wiregrass Ranch as a junior.

“When I heard she was coming to Wharton I was happy because I knew she’d make us better,” Andreychuk said.

Fifth-year Wildcats coach Eric Barber said Stocker’s addition has given them consistency setting while moving to a faster-paced attack, but her stature allows her to do more than just run an offense.

“With her height, you just don’t see that in setters,” Barber said. “That lets us use a 5-1 and not lose anything with the block. Even at a college level you don’t see that. She actually adds to our block. We lose something when she rotates back row.”

Stocker is left handed, but learned to play volleyball as a righty. Being partially ambidextrous allows her to also take advantage of the opposition with various sneak attacks, such as a behind-the-back hook dump.

“My freshman year when I was in club they started having me do different things like that,” Stocker said. “I can’t do it all the time, but with Caci on the outside they usually leave the right side open.”

As for Andreychuk, Barber said her athleticism jumped out during tryouts four years ago.

“When I saw her in that first tryout I knew she was going to be a special player,” Barber said “She was gifted beyond a freshman.”

Barber said her strength has improved during the years, but the biggest change has been in Andreychuk’s consistency while hitting around blockers.

The last two years, Andreychuk has totaled 687 kills, 362 digs, 100 aces and 49 blocks. Stocker, a Furman University commit, has amassed 955 assists, 135 kills, 97 digs, 90 blocks and 89 aces.

Wharton’s program has also taken off, going 44-6 since the duo came together, 13 more wins than the previous four years combined. The piles of victories have turned Wildcats volleyball into one of the most popular and well attended sports at the New Tampa school.

“Everyone at school knows about Wharton volleyball now,” Andreychuk said. “Now more people go and want to go to our games. It’s been a big accomplishment to make people care about volleyball.”

Stocker said this year has really stood out because of the excitement that has come with winning 25 of their first 27 matches.

“It’s been the best season that I’ve played in high school or club,” Stocker said. “There hasn’t been any part of it that I haven’t enjoyed. These girls are like family.”

Stocker, Andreychuk and the Wildcats play in the regional quarterfinals at Palm Harbor University Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

District championships and the Steinbrenner volleyball team have been synonymous since the school opened in 2009.

In fact, the Warriors (17-8) have yet to experience a season that didn’t include a district title after claiming the 7A-9 crown Oct. 25 by sweeping Freedom 25-23, 25-22, 25-21.

“I was trying to tell myself and the team was all saying don’t get too cocky,” said senior libero Natalia Campos. “We also focused a lot on closing things out because we’ve been going through a little rougher patch the last four or five games. We wanted to close this out in three and show that we still got it.”

Steinbrenner’s run to its fourth district crown including extending its all-time record against league teams to 32-0, but the Patriots (16-11) pushed the Warriors like never before for the 2012 title.

“I’m very proud of our girls,” said fifth-year Freedom coach Kerry Short. “They played great. We were so close, and we were in there neck and neck with them. To just lose each game by a few points is a heartbreaker. I told them to be proud of the way they played.”

No team had been able to score 20 points in a set against the Warriors in a district final the last three years. The Patriots did so in every set this season.

“It was actually the most fun of them throughout the last few years because of how close it was,” said senior outside hitter Madison Seuzeneau, a four-year varsity player.

Steinbrenner brought a quicker offense to the finals, which they just put in the day before.

“During practice coach pulled me and Rachel (Mathison) aside and just took reps and reps and reps of the faster offense,” said Seuzeneau, who finished with a team-high 12 kills. “It definitely worked in our favor.”

The Warriors appeared a bit unsure of the new attack in the first set. Six of the 14 kills came from middle hitters instead of the outsides.

“You could tell we were a little nervous about that to start, but once we got by that we had so much fun with it,” said Mathison, who had nine kills. “We took off. … The block doesn’t have time to get over to the sides, so we can put the ball down easier.”

Seuzeneau and Mathison started rolling in the second set, which allowed sophomore setter Brooke Royals (34 assists) to spread the ball to even more players. Sophomore rightside hitter Avery Bradshaw had 11 kills, while sophomore middle hitter Lauren Heldt had six.

“We kept shooting it over to the outside, so the blocks were leaning to that side,” said first-year Steinbrenner coach Laura Stegenga. “We needed to spread out our offense in order to keep the block wondering where the ball was going to go. … I have good hitters all the way around that can play multiple positions, so I wanted to use that to the maximum ability.”

The Warriors jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third and stretched it to 12-7 before Freedom made a final push to take a set. The Patriots ran off a 7-1 run to go ahead 14-13.

The squads went back and forth until Seuzeneau’s service rotation came around. She tied the set with her 12th kill of the match and then recorded two aces on her serve to help Steinbrenner take a 23-20 lead.

Mathison ended the match shortly after with a kill from the right side.

“The swing before that I was really pumped and wanted it to go down, so the next one I was determined to put the ball down and end it,” said Mathison, a junior.

Campos ended with 14 digs. Junior defensive specialist Casey McLean had four aces.

Freedom was led offensively by senior outside hitter Jasmyn Perry, who totaled 25 kills while adding 10 digs. Junior outside hitter Ashley Wilson added 11 digs, 10 kills and four aces. Junior setter Kelly Schaller had 33 assists and seven digs

Stegenga said the district championship is nice, but they have bigger goals.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Stegenga said. “It’s just going to get bigger and faster. We need to get prepared for it and we need to practice really, really hard because nothing comes easy at all from this point on.”

The Patriots will have to wait for their first district title in the program’s 10-year history, but Short said she won’t let her players hang their heads.

“Unfortunately we fell a little short tonight,” Short said. “Steinbrenner is a great team, we wish them luck and hopefully we’ll meet them again down the road.”

The Warriors swept Chamberlain 25-17, 25-14, 25-11 Oct. 23 to reach the finals. Bradshaw had a team-high 14 kills. Seuzeneau totaled 10 kills, five digs and five aces. Mathison had eight kills and five digs, Heldt had seven kills and Royals added five kills with 40 assist.

The Patriots defeated Wiregrass Ranch 25-16, 28-26, 21-25, 25-17 in the other semifinal. The Bulls (17-6) won the first two matches with Freedom this season, one in the regular season district meeting and the other in the Harvest Tournament at Wharton.

Perry had a team-high 21 kills and 12 digs. Wilson put down nine kills with 10 digs. Schaller totaled 32 assists, 11 digs, five kills and four aces. Sophomore Hannah Skendziel racked up five blocks, while senior middle hitter Ashle Thompson had four.

Wiregrass Ranch junior outside hitter Grace Olsen led her squad with 16 kills.

Steinbrenner hosts St. Petersburg in the regional quarterfinals Oct. 31, while Freedom travels to Clearwater. Both matches start at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Jeff Odom

The Wharton volleyball team’s dreams of claiming the program’s first district championship since 1999 were crushed by Plant Oct. 25 19-25, 12-25, 28-26, 25-14, 15-13.

The No. 1 seeded Wildcats (25-2) looked destined to take the Class 8A-District 7 title after jumping out to a 2-0 lead, but the Panthers (15-10) held off elimination with an emotional third set victory.

Everything went downhill for Wharton after that.

“We had a couple plays to end it, but the ball didn’t find the floor and it ended up being an emotional swing in the (third) game,” said Wharton coach Eric Barber. “It was hard to get it back, so there wasn’t a whole lot left in the tank emotionally, but they still fought hard.”

Plant came out of the gate firing on all cylinders until Wharton seniors Caci Andreychuk (16 kills) and Ashton Stocker  (30 assists, 10 kills, six blocks) turned a three-point deficit into a four-point lead with their presence on the front and back rows midway through the opening set.

Stocker’s late block and hard kill gave the Wildcats a lead they would not surrender.

In the second, Plant led only once by one point to open the frame. Wildcats freshman libero Chanelle Hargreaves (41 digs) was a defensive force, stopping almost every ball that came in her direction to help her squad take nine of the last 10 points.

Then came the third set.

Wharton started off trailing 5-1, but got back into its groove with streaky offensive play. Middle hitters Avery Day (10 kills, six blocks) and Lindsey Schiable (seven kills, six blocks), along with Stocker, gave the Wildcats a four-point advantage before the Panthers stormed back to score 16 of 19 near the end of the set.

“I just think that we stopped playing our game,” Stocker said. “We just let up, and you can’t let up with a good team like Plant. I think that we tried to stay positive, but it’s hard to bounce back. They had the momentum.”

The Wildcats would hang with the Panthers, even taking a 26-25 lead. However, Plant’s Ashley Sibson found an opening in Wharton’s defense to tie it. And after an error put them up by one, the Panthers sealed it with a thunderous kill from Ashley Cozart.

“We fought back and forth, back and forth,” Barber said. “In the end, we just didn’t make as many plays as they did.”

Wharton dropped the fourth set without leading once, but fought much harder in the fifth.

Stocker and Day combined for five kills, including two that tied the fifth set late, but Plant capitalized on a ball that took an odd bounce off of the roof and Wildcats error to complete the comeback.

“I really, really wanted this, and it’s been what we’ve been working for all season,” Day said. “We just handed it to them, and that’s not what should have happened. We should have kept going and we should have won that third set.”

While he was disappointed at the outcome, Barber was quick to remind his players they are still in the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

“I just told them that our season isn’t defined by this one game,” Barber said. “Our seniors, they’ve never made it this far. So, we’re grateful for the season that we had and we’re thankful that we have another game to play.”

In the semifinals, Wharton was put on the brink of elimination against tournament host Durant before rallying from its own 2-0 deficit to knock off the Cougars 18-25, 12-25, 25-19, 25-21, 15-9 Oct. 24 to earn a spot in the postseason.

Barber said in order to make a run, his team will have to play better across the board.

“We have to work on consistency,” Barber said. “(We have to) be able to play consistent defense throughout a match when we’re playing a tough opponent, something that’s been up and down the last couple of matches. We just need to have that consistency in regionals that we’ve had all season.”

The Wildcats travel to Palm Harbor University for the regional quarterfinals Oct. 30 at 7 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

It looked like momentum was turning in the Carrollwood Day School (CDS) volleyball team’s favor.

Then, the ball hit one of the court lines for the match-ending point. A stunned silence from the Patriots fans seemed to linger as a team’s once promising postseason hopes were extinguished.

The No. 2 seeded CDS (19-8) fell to No. 3 Seffner Christian 11-25, 25-22, 25-23, 26-24, in the Class 3A-District 8 semifinals Oct. 23.

“They played with heart; they truly did” said Patriots coach Travis Nead.

CDS found itself in a tighter battle after breezing through the first set.

The poise of recent junior varsity call-up Chrissy Brynjolffson (nine aces) and Aisling Sheehan (11 kills, two aces) kept it close. Still, the Crusaders (12-10) went blow for blow and eventually came out on top, scoring nine of 10 points in the middle of the second set.

In the third, the Patriots struggled to get a leg up on the host Seffner Christian as the squads traded points nine times before the Crusaders broke out with three straight.

That’s when senior and four-year team captain Nicole Neugebauer stepped up in the fourth set.

She fired off four straight kills; Seffner Christian answered with another five-point streak.

CDS tied the fourth at 24-24 late, but dropped the next two points and the match.

“It’s been a big journey going from a really small, underdog team freshman year … ‘til we have a great group of girls senior year who played their hearts out,” said senior libero Grace Kerkviet.

Through tears, Neugebauer said she will cherish the experiences she had at CDS.

“We had a record-breaking year, and it was absolutely incredible,” Neugebauer said. “To help watch this program grow from our freshman year when I had three wins to now when we have 19 is great, and I know next year they’re going to be unbelievable.”

In the other semifinal, after trailing 2-0, No. 4 seed Bishop McLaughlin came close to pulling an upset against No. 1 Tampa Prep, but fell in five sets 25-20, 25-16, 20-25, 22-25, 15-6.

Alyssa Mathis led the Hurricanes (16-9) with 23 kills and seven blocks.

“It’s all about getting better,” said Hurricanes coach Doug Chinchar. “We had a tough time early on this season, but we got it going at the end. (Tampa Prep) won’t beat us again, ever.”

By Kyle LoJacono

The Gaither football team looked like it would escape its district showdown with Chamberlain Oct. 27 with the victory needed to clinch consecutive playoff berths.

Then the Chiefs (4-4, 3-1) got the ball for their final possession 84 yards from the goal line with 2:45 remaining in the game.

Chamberlain marched the ball down to the Cowboys’ (6-2, 3-1) 8-yard line. On the 14th play of the drive with 1.2 seconds on the clock, wide receiver Jermaine Gilyard took a reverse across the field and up the middle to put the Chiefs up 19-17 with no time remaining.

“Football is just a microcosm of life,” said Gaither coach Jason Stokes. “It mirrors life almost exactly. You get knocked down and things don’t always go your way even when you fight your hardest. The only choice you have is come back swinging. We did enough to win, and we did enough to lose. That’s how life goes, but these kids are going to show character and these coaches are going to show character. We’re going to come back and fight next week.”

The Cowboys made the postseason last year and reached the regional finals for just the second time in the program’s 28-year history, but they must beat Class 7A-District 7 leader Tampa Bay Tech Nov. 2 to stay alive in the playoff race.

Stokes had a powerful question for his players moments after dropping the contest.

“Are we going to be the biggest disappointment in this county, or are we going to fight?” Stokes said.

Gaither took the lead just before Chamberlain’s final possession.

The Cowboys took the ball on a 10-play, 66-yard drive capped off by quarterback Alex McGough finding wide receiver Marcus Brown for an 8-yard touchdown.

The score nearly didn’t happen. McGough had to run back 10 yards to pick up a bad snap that went skipping across the field while in the shotgun formation.

McGough, who finished 14-of-21 passing for 152 yards, scooped up the ball and fired a strike to Brown (four catches, 43 yards) on the left side of the end zone.

Unfortunately for Gaither, it was their only offensive touchdown of the night. The squad finished with 179 total yards.

“No doubt we’ve got to get more offensive production,” Stokes said. “We got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot.”

The Cowboys gave up a 48-yard rushing touchdown to Chiefs running back Xavier Johnson 3:96 into the contest to go behind 7-0, but the defense slowed them down until the fourth quarter.

Gaither forced a fumble on Chamberlain’s next drive and took over on its own 3-yard line. The Cowboys also recorded four sacks, three from University of Iowa commit Ernest Suttles.

“Defensively, we held strong,” Stokes said. “We knew this wasn’t going to be a 7-7 game. We bend and bend, and I wish we could have held toward the end, but we didn’t.”

The Chiefs scored touchdowns on their last two drives thanks in large part to incorporating a passing attack in their read-option offense. They threw the ball 13 times in the contest, eight of which came during their final two drives.

Chamberlain was able to overcome losing Johnson, who entered the game with 684 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, in the second quarter with an ankle injury.

“Give it up to Chamberlain,” Stokes said. “Those kids played hard. They’re tough, their coach is tough minded, and it shows in his kids. Half of them go both ways. They had injuries and didn’t make excuses. They lost their best player in the second quarter, and they found a way to win the game.”

Gaither’s first points came on a 27-yard field goal by Dalton Gilson with 1:57 left in the first half, which was set up by Samson Moore blocking a punt deep in Chiefs territory.

The Cowboys took a 10-7 lead with 2:03 remaining in the third quarter when senior Dom Neglio blocked another punt, which was scooped up by senior Jeshua Williams and taken 48 yards for a touchdown.

Chamberlain regained the lead 13-10 with 5:40 left in the contest when James Martin caught a 17-yard pass. Gaither answered with Brown’s touchdown less than three minutes later.

The Chiefs travel to Steinbrenner Nov. 2, while the Cowboys host Tampa Bay Tech. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

Wins by Chamberlain and Gaither would create a three-way tie in the district.

A Cowboys victory and a Chiefs loss would give Gaither the district championship.

A Cowboys loss ends any chance of the playoffs.

“It’s do or die,” Stokes said. “Character check time.”

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Andy Warrener
The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

When the Carrollwood Day School (CDS) and Indian Rocks football teams met last year, the result was 113 points, 1,096 yards and a three-point Patriots loss.

CDS (8-1, 6-1) returned the favor at home Oct. 26, besting Class 2A-District 5 rival Golden Eagles (6-2, 6-2) 28-22.

The Patriots came out of the gate slow, recording –7 yards on their first three drives while Indian Rocks took its first possession 75 yards for a touchdown to go up 8-0.

Penalties plagued the Patriots throughout the game. Add in the Golden Eagles picking off quarterback Vidal Woodruff early and CDS looked on the brink.

The Patriots faced fourth-and-two on their own 48-yard line on the ensuing drive. They executed an inside handoff to Dominic Cuono on a fake punt for the first down.

On the next play, Woodruff hit senior Andy Embody (four catches, 105 yards) on a deep corner route for a 55-yard touchdown to cut the score to 8-6.

Embody helped capture the momentum for CDS by intercepting Matt Kulaga in the end zone. The offense began gobbling up yardage, 38 yards on a one-handed catch by senior Nate Lewis followed by a 38-yard rushing score by senior Robert Davis.

The Patriots rode a 13-0 run into halftime leading 13-8.

Indian Rocks found the end zone on a seven-play, 80-yard drive to start the second half before forcing a turnover and scoring on the following drive to go ahead 22-13. The Golden Eagles pounded the edges and stretched the CDS defense with jet sweeps.

Facing their biggest deficit of the game, the Patriots went to the well again as Woodruff hit Embody for a 24-yard touchdown to get within two points.

The defense then turned Indian Rocks over on downs to set up an eight-play, 64-yard drive capped by Davis’ 15-yard rushing score for the winning margin 28-22.

The Golden Eagles recovered a CDS fumble and drove into Patriots territory, but the defense held on fourth-and-inches.

Indian Rocks got one more chance, but its last drive stalled near midfield.

The Patriots needed at least one more first down to burn the rest of Indian Rocks’ timeouts, and it was Davis who delivered by running 31 yards before being knocked out of bounds at the goal line.

CDS lined up in victory formation and knelt on the last play of the game.

“This was a war,” McLaughlin said. “I feel like I played the game.”

Davis finished with 148 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns. Woodruff was 8 of 15 for 193 yards and two scores.

The Patriots can clinch the first playoff appearance in program history by winning at Cavalry Christian Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

The Sunlake football team has been known for its ability to run since the program opened in 2007, and its biggest rushing performance was just turned in by Josh Zifer.

The senior quarterback ran for a program-record 210 yards, including a touchdown of 56 yards, to help the Seahawks (6-2) beat River Ridge 35-9 at home Oct. 26.

“I had no idea I had that many yards,” Zifer said. “It all kind of went into a big blur. There were a lot of great things happening out there. Our line blocked perfectly. Our wide receivers held their blocks. It’s not like I did it all myself. It’s all of us out there. … The whole team, they’re in that record too.”

Zifer has 770 rushing yards and two touchdowns this year while adding 439 yards passing and another four scores. He said it is special to have a running record at a program known for its ground game.

“Sunlake has had some quarterbacks who were good runningwise like Jacob Jackson, and it feels good to hold a record like that after all the guys who have been here,” Zifer said. “I appreciate that my team got this for me.”

Seahawks coach Bill Browning said Zifer broke the record set just this year by senior running back Eddie Burgos, who rushed for 207 yards at Hudson in the season opener Aug. 31.

The running game was a question entering this year as Sunlake lost its top four rushers to graduation, including Jerome Samuels (536 yards, six touchdowns) and Rashaud Daniels (478 yards, four touchdowns).

“Even losing the guys we did from last year, I knew we were going to be able to pick up the reins and keep things going,” Zifer said. “Raushad Daniels and the others did their thing last year and set records. It was our time. We picked it up and kept the Sunlake thing going.”

The Seahawks host Central Nov. 2 before closing the season at Gulf Nov. 9. Both games start at 7:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Jeff Odom

The Steinbrenner football team earned its first Class 7A-District 7 win of the season, pounding Wiregrass Ranch 48-10 at home Oct. 26.

The Warriors (3-5) used their run game and defense to dominate as they forced five turnovers and scored five rushing touchdowns.

Bulls (0-8) quarterback Shane Bucenell was intercepted on the game’s opening play by Shyheem Barthel, to set up his own 3-yard scoring run on the ensuing drive.

Steinbrenner’s offense started to roll from there.

“It felt good to get the win, finally,” said Barthel, who finished with six carries for 91 yards. “After so many losses, I felt like we came together tonight and it showed on the field.”

The Warriors continued to find success on its very next drive, as the running trio of halfback Kendall Pearcey, Jack Carroll and Barthel combined for 65 yards on the ground.

Pearcey, who finished off the drive with an 18-yard touchdown, said it felt good to get back into the groove.

“We knew coming into this thing that we had in our mindset that we were going to come out and win this,” said Pearcey, who finished with 103 yards on 12 attempts and two scores. “Our offensive line blocked the best they’ve blocked all season. We just weren’t going to lose.”

Wiregrass Ranch could not stop Steinbrenner’s offensive for the rest of the second quarter. The Warriors added three more touchdowns before halftime, including a 21-yard run by quarterback Curtis Fitch (4 for 10, 140-yards, one touchdown) that set up Carroll from 4 yards out.

Fitch also hooked up with Jon Marc Carrier on a 64-yard scoring pass to enter the locker room leading 34-3.

Steinbrenner coach Andres Perez said he thought his squad showed its potential in the first half, something he’s been waiting for all season.

“That was fun to watch,” Perez said. “Those guys, they blocked for each other and to me, that’s the key. Once you see backs blocking for other backs and enjoying the game, that’s what it’s all about.”

The Warriors would not let up after halftime as the defense continued to pressure the Bulls. They picked off Bucenell two more times after the break, one by defensive lineman Bret Byler and the other a one-handed interception by Logan McKnight who returned it to the house for his squad’s final points.

The Bulls’ most successful drive came late in the third quarter.

Bucenell completed a 65-yard pass to wide receiver Ryan Shea and running back Elias Galvan Jr. found a hole for a 26-yard gain. Bucenell capped the drive with a 2-yard keeper on fourth-and-goal for a touchdown.

Perez said he was excited to see “fresh blood” performing on the field given that his squad is eliminated from playoff contention.

“At this point, we’re at the point this season where we need to keep building and get ready for next year,” Perez said. “Bottom line, we had a lot of kids that came out, seniors that played their butts off, and they played with pride today.”

Steinbrenner hosts Chamberlain Nov. 2 in the final home game of the season, while Wiregrass Ranch hosts Freedom. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch girls distance runner Nikita Shah is continuing to do things never seen before, but her latest effort didn’t involve a clock, championship or course.

The senior will become the first girl from Florida to run for Harvard University’s track and cross country teams. She committed to the Ivy League school Oct. 25, the same day she was accepted academically.

“It’s really exciting, and it’s definitely an honor to be going to such a prestigious school,” Shah said. “I’m really excited to be part of Harvard’s very well-respected team. … Harvard is arguably the top university in the world, so it’s really special.”

Shah finished fourth at the Class 3A state cross country meet last year and set her personal record of 17 minutes 48 seconds on a 5-kilometer course this season. She was also third in the 3,200-meter at the 3A track final as a junior.

“I contacted the Harvard coach, and they didn’t have Nikita on their radar,” said Bulls coach Don Howard. “As soon as they realized what she had done, they called me back and that’s when I got excited for Nikita. She told me when she was a freshman that she wanted to go there.”

Her ability wasn’t questioned by Harvard coaches, but the university makes potential student-athletes go through the regular admissions process.

Not that Shah’s intelligence was in question either.

Shah, who plans to pursue a premed degree, has a 4.65 weighted grade point average, which puts her on pace to finish in a three-way tie as Wiregrass Ranch’s valedictorian with cross country teammates Emily Payne and Hannah Eder.

Shah said she is ready for the rigors of life at Harvard.

“It’s going to be a challenge,” Shah said. “I know it’s going to be a step up from what I’ve been doing here. The classes will be hard and the practice schedule will be difficult, but I know that I will be able to make the transition.”

Howard said Shah has plenty of motivation to stay on top of her grades and training.

“I don’t know how many people know this, but she has a dream of running for India’s Olympic team,” Howard said. “I told the Harvard coach that would keep her focused. … They’re getting a girl who is going to benefit them greatly in cross country and track and somebody who is going to do well academically.”

Howard said college plans appeared to be weighing on Shah, and even thought an illness she recently got over was linked to being anxious about being accepted at Harvard. He said she appears to be running easier now that her college plans are set.

“She just looks so much more relaxed, and it’s going to be beneficial to her,” Howard said. “I think she’s going to attack these next few weeks and go into the state met with a goal of winning a state title. … She just runs at a pace that I’ve never seen a girl run before. That’s why she runs in the 17s when almost no girl does.”

Shah committed just five days after capturing her first individual Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) cross country championship. She said she is excited for her last three weeks of her senior season.

“I’m really ready,” Shah said. “I’m going to do everything I can to win a state championship.”

Shah and the Bulls will run in the Class 3A-District 6 meet Nov. 2 at Crews Lake Park at 4 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker