Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The Laker and the Lutz News has named its inaugural All-Laker/All-Lutz News girls team for the entire 2011-12 high school year. Members were selected based on their skill, value to their squad, final statistics and head-to-head matchups, and only student-athletes who competed in at least two sports were considered. In addition, coaches and teams that stood out are also recognized.

Schools in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wharton and Wiregrass Ranch. The boys team will be revealed next week.

Stats are as recorded to Maxpreps.com or provided by coaches, and all postseason performances are as recorded by the FHSAA. All grade levels for student-athletes are from the 2011-12 school year. Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team. He can be reached at .

First team

–Sandra Akachukwu, Jr., Freedom. Akachukwu made
a huge impact on Freedom sports in her first year transferring from King. She
helped the basketball team go 18-11 and finish as a district runner-up while
scoring two points, grabbing 1.4 rebounds and getting one steal per game at
guard. She followed that up with an explosion during track regionals, where she
claimed championships in the long jump and 100- and 200-meters and took second
in the high jump. The junior earned medals in all four events at the Class 4A
state meet.

–Cary Anne Bame, Sr., Steinbrenner. Bame was the starting
libero and team captain for the Warriors team that set a program record with 24
wins last season. Steinbrenner also won its third straight district title in
2011 and reached the regional semifinals. Bame recorded 262 digs and 18 aces to
earn All-Laker/All-Lutz News Volleyball Player of the Year honors. She also
shined as a defensive back for the flag football team, where she notched 44
flag pulls and one interception to help the squad reach its first postseason.

–Courtney Durbin, Sr., Sunlake. Durbin was one of the most
complete softball players in the area. She played a near-flawless outfield, but
really shined as an offensive terror. The senior hit .533 with 33 runs, 23 RBI,
10 doubles and eight triples while stealing 20 bases, to help the Seahawks go
17-6. Her work on the diamond earned her All-Laker/All-Lutz News Softball
Player of the Year honors. She was also a member of the girls weightlifting
team that won a district championship for the third consecutive season.

–Hannah Eder, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Eder was one of the
most versatile athletes in the area. She claimed track district championships
in the long and triple jumps and helped the 4×100-meter relay team take first.
The junior also placed third at districts in the 100, an event she had never
competed in before, to help the Bulls win the team title for the fourth
straight year. Eder also scored six goals and recorded six assists while
playing forward/midfield for the soccer team (17-5).

–Bailey Hooker, Jr., Steinbrenner. Just call her queen of
the hard courts. Hooker was at the center of the Steinbrenner volleyball (24-5)
and basketball (22-3) teams earning district titles this year. The
guard/forward led all area girls basketball players with 19.4 points while
adding 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.1 blocks. As a middle hitter in
volleyball she put down 55 kills with a hitting percentage of 32.8 and 60 total
blocks, 49 solo.

–Andrea Mauger, Jr., Academy at the Lakes. Mauger led the
Wildcats basketball team (23-6) to the first final four in school history,
while also earning a berth in the Class 1A state track meet. Mauger, a forward,
posted 15.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and four assists per game to help the academy
win consecutive district championships and earn the All-Laker/All-Lutz News
Girls Basketball Player of the Year award. She also claimed district gold in
the shot put with a toss of 32-feet 5-inches.

–Courtney Prengaman, Jr., Wesley Chapel. The 6-foot-2
Prengaman did something never seen before in Wesley Chapel’s 12-year history —
win a girls track state championship. The junior cleared 5-feet 6-inches at the
Class 2A final, better than anyone else in Florida. She also broke the school
record four times, setting the new mark of 5-7 at districts and earned
All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Field Athlete of the Year honors. Her height also
made her an explosive force for the Wildcats volleyball team.

–Nikita Shah, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Shah had the most
successful season of any area distance runner. She ran better than 18 minutes
during the cross country district, regional and state meets. The junior
recorded a 17:53.96 during the Class 3A state final to finish fourth, but that
time would have given her gold in the other three classifications. During track
she earned Sunshine Athletic Conference championships in the 1,600- and
3,200-meters, reached states in both and walked away with the bronze medal in
the latter by posting a 10:49.62.

–Spencer Valdespino, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. In the fall, Valdespino
left a wake of destruction on the soccer field. The speedy and powerful
midfielder led the Hurricanes with 18 goals and 17 assists en route to a 13-6-3
record and a district runner-up spot. In the spring, she was the ‘Canes
do-everything outfielder, hitting .500 with 27 runs, 18 RBI, 15 steals, four
doubles and three home runs. Bishop McLaughlin went 13-15 and reached the
playoffs as a district champion.

–Alexis Wright, Sr., Steinbrenner. Wright earned a trio of
Western Conference and district track championships, winning the 100- and
300-meter hurdles and the triple jump. The University of Miami-bound senior
reached the Class 3A state meet in the three events and picked up fifth-place
medals in the 100 and triple. She was also the lock-down defender for the
Warriors basketball team (22-3). Wright, a guard, averaged 6.9 points, four
rebounds and two steals.

Second team

–Ariana Bailey, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. The tri-sport athlete
helped the Gators on the volleyball court, soccer field and softball diamond.
As the starting goalkeeper, she racked up 146 saves with 13 shutouts to help
Land O’ Lakes go 14-7-3 and win its first district title since 2003. She played
second base for the softball team and contributed to the volleyball squad as an
outside hitter/middle hitter.

–Jessica Brewer, Jr., Steinbrenner. Brewer made a huge
impact on the Warriors track team. Her first place in the long jump and fourth
place in the triple jump helped Steinbrenner win consecutive district
championships while qualifying for states by setting a new personal record with
a long jump of 16-feet ll.5-inches. The junior was also on the cheerleading
team that finished as the Class 2A large division state runner-up.

–Stephany Brown, Sr., Wharton. The 6-foot-2 senior was one
of the most ferocious middle blockers in the state. She averaged 1.3 blocks per
set as a senior, tied for 10th most in Florida. She added 157 kills and 29 aces
for a Wharton team that went 19-4. Aldo, she contributed to the track team by
placing fifth in the high jump at districts.

–Meghan Durbin, Sr., Sunlake. Durbin was the Seahawks
softball team’s No. 1 pitcher, going 10-4 with a 2.76 ERA and 59 strikeouts in
83.2 innings. Durbin also played second base and in the outfield while batting
.359 with 31 RBI, 28 runs, 13 steals and eight doubles. The senior also joined
the weightlifting team, which won its third straight district title in 2012.

–Hallie Grimes, So., Land O’ Lakes. Grimes reached
consecutive Class 3A state track meets this season, where she earned the
sixth-place medal (56.93 seconds) in the 400-meters. She also won Sunshine
Athletic Conference and district championships in the 400. The sophomore helped
the Gators cheerleading team finish third at the Class 1A large division state
meet.

–Arielle Le-Tran, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Le-Tran’s ability as
a lethal forward or midfielder helped give Land O’ Lakes soccer the offensive
boost needed to win its first district title since 2003. She scored nine goals
and recorded six assists a year after tearing the ACL in her left knee while
adding leadership to the Gators. She also ran the 3,200-meters for track team.

–Amelia Oliver, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. The Sunlake High
transfer made huge impacts for the Wildcats. Her 18.9 points gave the
basketball team (23-6) the scoring needed to make the Class 2A final four. She
also played third base/outfield for the softball team that went 14-5, won a
district title and made the regional finals. She started her year on the front
line of the academy’s volleyball team.

–Kendra Sheets, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Sheets epitomized
defense. She had a team-high 67 blocks, 58 solo, while adding 133 digs and 56
kills as a middle hitter on the Gators volleyball team. She grabbed 9.1
rebounds as a forward for the basketball squad while scoring 7.5 points. The
senior ended the year advancing to track regionals in the high jump.

–Jessica Taylor, Fr., Steinbrenner. The freshman earned a
starting spot on the soccer team (16-4-2) as a midfielder/forward, scoring six
goals and adding two assists in helping the Warriors win their third straight
district title. As a wide receiver on the flag football team, she recorded
1,023 total yards and 10 touchdowns, which helped Steinbrenner make its first
postseason.

–Berlin Waters, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. The blazingly-fast
Waters led all area soccer players with 21 goals while kicking in seven assists
from the forward position. Her offensive skills helped the Bulls go 17-5. The
junior also joined the cross country team this year, helping Wiregrass Ranch
win its fourth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference and district championship
and place seventh at the Class 3A state meet.

Honorable mention

–Linzi Arndt, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Took over as the Gators’
No. 1 tennis player, leading the squad to a district runner-up playoff berth in
consecutive years. Also competed with Land O’ Lakes’ weightlifting team.

–Mikayla Barber, Jr., Wharton. Made a big mark as a
hurdler, where she won the 100- and 300-meters district track titles. Made the
Class 4A state meet in both events and placed fourth in the 300 while playing
middle hitter for Wharton’s volleyball team.

–Lexy Bubley, Sr., Gaither. The Steinbrenner transfer gave
a physical presence to Gaither soccer’s defensive unit while adding six
interceptions and 18 flag pulls in her first year playing flag football.

–Rachel Cazares, So., Gaither. Reached regionals in two
events during the track season after doing the same in cross country. Cazares
played soccer in between.

–Elise Cedre, So., Wiregrass Ranch. The sophomore finished
64th at the Class 3A state cross country meet. Reached regionals as part of the
Bulls 4×800-meter relay team.

–Shannon Clark, Jr., Wharton. A center piece in Wharton
basketball’s (13-15) playoff run. The guard/forward scored 8.7 points with 3.1
rebounds. Before the winter season she played for the Wildcats golf team.

–Teresa Della Penna, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Led the Gators
volleyball team with 185 kills and 50 aces while adding 200 digs and 26 blocks.
Della Penna also threw the discus for the track squad.

–Tiffany Echevarria, Jr., Wesley Chapel. The point guard
was a bright spot for the Wildcats basketball team. She recorded 14.5 points
per contest while helping Wesley Chapel’s 4×800-meter track relay team reach
regionals.

–Stephanie Francis, Jr., Sunlake. Sunlake’s powerful third
baseman hit .563 with 34 RBI, 29 runs, 11 doubles and six homers. Used her
muscle to help the Seahawks weightlifting team win its third district title.

–Jordanyné Fye, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Was a spark for the
Bulls girls soccer team off the bench, scoring nine goals with four assists.
Her work as the No. 5 helped the tennis team win the first district title in
program history.

–Lauren Garris, Jr., Steinbrenner. Garris’ work as a
distance runner and forward/midfielder helped the Warriors cross country,
soccer and track teams win district titles this season.

–Chelse Davis, Jr.,
Wiregrass Ranch. One of only three returners in the Bulls cross country top
seven, helping the program, along with the track team, win Sunshine Athletic
Conference and district titles.

–Savannah Goode, So.,
Wiregrass Ranch. The newcomer’s improvement helped the Bulls cross county team
win its fourth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference and district title. Also
reached regionals in track with the 4×400-meter relay team.

–Jhade Hayes, Fr., Sunlake. The combo guard for the
Seahawks basketball team recorded a team-high 13.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.2
steals. Also won a Sunshine Athletic Conference title in the discus throw.

–Alexis Holler, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Made her
contributions as a forward on the basketball team with defense and rebounding
to the sound of 4.1 boards per game. Kicked in 23 aces and 16 blocks as a
volleyball rightside hitter.

–Abby Hudak, Jr., Wesley Chapel. The pole vaulter took
second at the Sunshine Athletic Conference meet while reaching regionals. Also
participated with the Wildcats cheerleading squad.

–Bianca Igwe, Fr., Freedom. The center added 3.4 rebounds,
3.3 points and one steal per contest for the Patriots basketball team that
finished as a district runner-up. Her shot put of 31-feet 8-iches placed her
second at districts.

–Cassidy Kallenborn, Fr., Sunlake. The freshman hit .245
with eight runs while playing shortstop in softball, scored four goals while
playing midfield in soccer and ran on the cross country team.

–Morgan Litchfield, Sr., Gaither. Shot 91 at golf districts
to make regionals as an individual. Also hit .339 with 18 runs, 12 RBI
and five doubles while manning first base for the Cowboys softball squad.

–Caitlin Milne, Jr., Gaither. The
infielder/designated hitter batted .367 with 21 RBI and two homers for the
softball team. Also qualified individually for golf regionals.

–Andrea Niggebrugge, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. The tri-sport
athlete led ‘Canes basketball with 9.6 points, 7.3 steals and 2.5 assists while
hitting .373 with 22 runs and 15 RBI for the softball team. Also on the
school’s volleyball team that made the playoffs.

–Grace Olsen, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Showed her versatility
for the Bulls volleyball team, recording a team-high 150 kills and 351 digs.
Olsen’s work as a defender helped the soccer team allow only 15 goals with 13
shutouts.

–Neena Pacholke, Jr., Freedom. The guard’s 7.5 points and
1.3 assists in basketball and 46 digs as a defensive specialist in volleyball
helped both Freedom teams make consecutive postseasons.

–Emily Payne, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Moved up five spots to
help the cross country team and added depth to the track squad to help both win
their fourth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference and district title.

–Hanna Seybold, Jr., Freedom. On the first Freedom
cheerleading squad to win a county and regional title. Also a midfielder for
the soccer team that made its third straight postseason while totaling 806
yards in flag football.

–Meghan Sfraga, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. The solid defensive
catcher for the Gators softball team hit .357. Also on the Land O’ Lakes
weightlifting squad.

–Ashley Smith, Sr.,
Freedom. The top runner on the first Freedom cross country squad to make the
state meet, and also ran the distance events for the track team.

–Joelle Stewart, Sr.,
Land O’ Lakes. Part of the Gators soccer defensive unit that allowed only 20
goals in 24 games with 13 shutouts after playing volleyball in the fall.

–Taylor Thigpen, So., Steinbrenner. Ran point for the first
Warriors basketball team to make the postseason to the tune of four points, 2.8
assists and 1.8 steals. Also reached track regionals in the long jump.

–Jessica Weatherman, Jr., Steinbrenner. Kicked for the
football team (7-3), played forward in basketball (22-3), made track regionals
in the discus throw and part of the first Steinbrenner flag football team to
make the playoffs.

Girls Athlete of the Year: Alexis Wright, Steinbrenner. Wright
was a central piece in two of Steinbrenner’s most successful teams this season.
In the winter, her defensive mentality at guard helped the Warriors basketball
team go 22-3, qualify for the first postseason in the program’s three-year
history and hoist the squad’s first district championship. She also racked up
6.9 points, four rebounds and two steals per contest. In the spring, Wright
helped the track team earn consecutive district titles and finish as a regional
runner-up for the first time. Individually, she earned three conference and
district championships, one regional title and walked away from the Class 3A
state meet with two fifth-place medals, one in the triple jump (38 feet 4
inches) and the other in the 100-meter hurdles (14.75 seconds). She was named
the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Track Athlete of the Year this season and
will continue her running career at the University of Miami.

Girls Athlete Runner-Up: Nikita Shah, Wiregrass Ranch.
Shah’s sophomore season didn’t go
according to plan. She suffered through a bout of anemia that took away much of
her speed, strength and endurance. After getting her iron levels fixed, Shah
trained like never before during the summer, and it showed in distance events
this year. She ran faster than 18 minutes at districts, regionals and states,
finishing off the cross country season with a fourth-place medal. Her time of
17:53.96 was faster than any other runner from Pasco or Hillsborough counties.
The junior, the All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year,
also placed first in the 1,600- and 3,200-meters during the Sunshine Athletic
Conference meet and took third in the latter during the Class 3A state meet
with her time of 10:49.62.

Girls Team of the Year: Academy at the Lakes basketball.
Despite having only nine players, the Wildcats went out and had one of the most
successful seasons for any Wildcats sports team ever. The academy, which won
consecutive district championships, set a new program record with 23 wins to
only six loses while claiming the school’s first regional championship in any
sport en route to the final four. The academy lost only one contest to another
Class 2A team, which came in the state semifinals.

Girls Team Runner-Up: Steinbrenner track. The Warriors were
coming off a district championship from 2011, but the squad was moving up in
classification from 2A to 3A this season. Steinbrenner not only repeated as
tops in its district, but also earned regional runner-up honors for the first
time in the program’s three-year history. The Warriors also placed second at
the Western Conference American Division meet, while two athletes and a relay
team qualified for states.

Girls Coach of the Year: Michelle Clark, Wesley Chapel
soccer. Wesley Chapel soccer has had zero expectations since the school opened
in 1999 — that is before this season. The Wildcats had no postseason
appearances in its history and had won only 10 games to 65 losses the previous
five years. Clark didn’t care about the program’s past and got the team
believing in itself in her second year at the helm. Wesley Chapel (9-12)
qualified for the playoffs as a district runner-up, something that will likely
become regular for the squad with Clark at the helm.

Girls Coach Runner-Up: Jennifer Graham, Steinbrenner
volleyball. The pressure was on Graham entering the season. She took over a
program that had won consecutive district titles, but was losing six seniors to
graduation. The Warriors took no steps backward, setting a program record with
24 wins to only six loses en route to claiming their third straight district
championship and reaching the regional semifinals in back-to-back years. The
same task falls to another in 2012, as Graham resigned to move back to Alabama
for family reasons.

Surprise Girls Team of the Year: Land O’ Lakes soccer. The
Land O’ Lakes soccer team had quite a challenge ahead when the year started.
The 2010-11 season ended without a playoff appearance for the first time in 11
years and also lost 13 seniors. The young and untested group came together
quickly to re-establish the Gators as one of the area’s top programs. The squad
went 14-7-3 and earned the program’s first district championship since 2003.

Surprise Girls Team Runner-Up: Wiregrass Ranch cross country. The Bulls had a lot of question marks entering the season. Wiregrass
Ranch lost or graduated four of its top-seven runners from the 2010 squad that
won conference, district and regional gold. Coach Don Howard and the returning
athletes got the new girls competing at top form at the season’s end, earning
the program’s fourth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference and district titles.
The Bulls finished seventh at the Class 3A state meet, better than any other
area team.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

The rest of Steinbrenner High was empty June 25 to 28, but the Warriors gym was packed with basketball players improving their game.

In fact, the Steinbrenner Warriors Basketball Camp was split between two sites to accommodate the 98 participants ranging in age from 8 to 16. The youngest filled Martinez Middle’s gym, while the older kids were across the parking lot at Steinbrenner.

Warriors girls basketball coach JR Allen couldn’t have smiled bigger when he said the camp had grown from 31 kids during the inaugural event last summer.

“When I got hired here I wanted to do this, but we wanted to get that first year under our belt to build our program before thinking about branching out,” said Allen, adding they may include a second session next year because of the popularity.

The first mission was accomplished when Allen’s team won a district championship last season in the program’s third year. The second goal also seems guaranteed with so many kids participating in the camp.

“I do believe that the accomplishments we had last year has helped build this camp,” said Steinbrenner senior forward/guard Bailey Hooker, who volunteered at the event the last two years. “A lot of these kids are from Martinez, and it’s really cool. Coach Allen told us we’re going to become some little girl or some little boy’s hero. That’s cool to see them look up to you. Out of everything I’ve gotten from coaches, I get to give it back to them.”

Allen said it’s a privilege to introduce a lot of the campers to basketball.

“I’ve been able to do a lot because of basketball,” Allen said. “I kind of see this as a way of paying the game back for all it’s given me by not only coaching the kids at Steinbrenner, but also these younger kids.”

Among the 98 campers are most of those who participated last year, including Makenzie Muley. The guard will be a freshman at Steinbrenner this fall and wanted to get used to the faster paced game in high school.

“It’s a lot different than middle school,” Muley said. She added, “They also teach really good skills; taught me a lot of shooting drills.”

Also back is Steinbrenner sophomore Alex Abdul. He doesn’t play on the school’s basketball team and doesn’t plan to, but returned to the camp because he liked learning about the game.

“It’s a good way to stay active during the summer and learn more about basketball,” Abdul said. “This year I think my defense has gotten better.”

Allen had a lot of help coaching the event. All nine of his returning varsity players volunteered, along with many from the junior varsity team.

“Not only are they getting volunteer hours, but they’re getting leadership skills, which is something every team can build,” Allen said. “It
isn’t always just about the ball on the court. If you’re well refined as a person, that’s going to translate onto the court. Now, instead of having one or two leaders, we can have a whole group of leaders because of this camp.”

Allen added all the money from the camp is going directly into the Warriors girls basketball program for equipment and other expenses.

Senior forward Lauren Shedd organized and ran the camp for the younger kids for the second straight year, despite the time and energy it requires.

“I just have a heart for little kids,” Shedd said. “I don’t have any younger siblings, so I never got to be around them a lot. They’re cute and fun to work with, and I’m a big kid too.”

Last year, Shedd had less than 10 youngsters to coach. This year she had 38.

“We break it down to its simplest form,” Shedd continued. “It’s all about basics. The first day we worked on ball handling. Then we worked on defense and passing. I just take it down to the lowest you can and build up from there so they understand. We want them to learn and take as much knowledge as they can from the camp so they grow as players.”

Shedd said the time together will also benefit the high school team once the season begins as the Warriors look to defend their district title.

“It’s nice to get the junior varsity and varsity team together on common ground,” Shedd said. “Now it’s not like we’re JV and varsity. We’re just one big team. It’s cool as well to get to step on the other side and see how difficult it is to coach. It gives us an appreciation for our coach. … It’s a lot harder than I ever imagine. I give coach Allen mad props.”

James Tringali to begin 2012 as St. Norbert’s starting QB

By Kyle LoJacono

James Tringali is used to being the No. 1 quarterback on football depth charts.

He ran first team while an eighth-grader at John Long Middle and became the starter at Wiregrass Ranch High halfway through his freshman year. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound signal caller was the first-string quarterback for 33 games with the Bulls, so it was strange for him being third on the depth charts for the entire 2011 season.

Tringali, who started playing flag football at age 7, was the No. 3 quarterback last year as a freshman at St. Norbert College, a Division III program in De Pere, Wis. He got into three games in 2011, closing out the final series or two.

“It was different,” Tringali said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be competing for a starting job because we had two senior quarterbacks ahead of me, so I came in with the mindset of just learning from them. I’d never had to do that before, but I had an open mind with it. Both of those quarterbacks are great guys, so that helped the process.”

His efforts and patience have paid off, as Tringali was named the Green Knights’ starter during spring practice.

“One of the things that helped me earn the starting job in the spring is I got to start 33 games in high school,” Tringali said. “A lot of kids only get to start 10 or 15.

“Once the season ended, my goal was to win the starting quarterback job,” Tringali added. “The first part of spring, the reps were equal and everyone had an equal chance. The last couple days, I was with the first teamers. Once that happened, I just started to work on getting chemistry with those guys. That’s really important for a quarterback, to have good relationships with the team, including the defense.”

Tringali said the top two quarterbacks from last season were very receptive to helping him prepare to take over the reins once they graduated.

“Watching them really helped a lot,” Tringali said. “They were two different types of quarterbacks. (Kevin Hansen) was more of a pocket passer and the starter last year (Mike Fabrizio) was more athletic. I learned a lot watching how they both did things at practice and in games.”

Tringali said the physical workload was similar to what he experienced at Wiregrass Ranch. The biggest difference was the mental preparation for college games. He estimated he spent more than twice as much time in meetings and watching film than when he was in high school.

Another big difference is the expectation level to win at St. Norbert.

Wiregrass Ranch was in its third year when Tringali took over under center in 2008. The Bulls went 1-9 that season, but increased their win total each campaign until 2010 when the squad was 6-5 to clinch the program’s first district championship and playoff berth.

Statistics were not kept before Tringali’s sophomore season, but he totaled 3,219 passing yards on 277 completions and 23 touchdowns during his final three years in high school, all program records.

The Green Knights went 7-3 last year, finishing third in the Midwest Conference. They have won at least seven games the last 13 seasons, averaging more than eight Ws since 2006.

“It’s a different kind of pressure from Wiregrass when we were trying to build something,” Tringali said. “There was a lot of pressure put on you by yourself to bring a program somewhere it’s never been. At St. Norbert there’s a very rich tradition.”

St. Norbert coach Jim Purtill said he has been pleased with Tringali’s physical and mental progression and predicts he will take additional steps as a leader as he spends more time running the first team offense.

“The starting quarterback is always a leader on the team,” Purtill said. “Typically leadership falls into the arms of the upperclassmen; juniors and seniors.  If you have a young QB starting, team leadership is still in its early phases. Obviously with good performance will come success. With success will come confidence from the individual and from the team itself. Those things will lead to leadership.”

Tringali, who is studying business, has plans to do more than just continue the program’s triumphant ways.

“There have been a lot of wins, but in terms of conference championships they’ve been pretty down,” Tringali said. “It’s been only one the last four years. The team goal is to win the conference this year. We’ve got a lot of guys coming back on both sides of the ball.”

St. Norbert opens up the 2012 season in Dublin, Ireland against John Carroll University Aug. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

By Jeff Odom

Florida State University (FSU) women’s golfer Alex Milan knows what it’s like to be on top.

The 2010 All-Laker/All-Lutz News Girls Golfer of the Year won four individual district titles and earned berths in the state tournament three
straight years at Sickles and Steinbrenner. She was the Warriors’ valedictorian with a 6.32 weighted grade point average.

Now, with high school long gone and a year of college under her belt, Milan said she found the level of competition greater than the prep level. However, her extensive experience in junior tournaments helped prepare her for the rigors of FSU golf.

“High school (golf) doesn’t count for much in the grand scheme of things, because I played a lot of individual tournaments all year,” said Milan, who averaged 78.20 strokes in 20 rounds with the Seminoles. “It wasn’t too different, it was just the fact that I would do that and travel just around Florida, but now we’re getting on a plane and flying anywhere.”

During her freshman season, Milan competed in seven tournaments for the ‘Noles, including the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship
tournament, where she finished tied for 40th overall.

Her best finish came in her first collegiate tournament, the Susie Maxwell Berning Classic at the University of Oklahoma, where she carded a
72 and a career-best 26th place in bitterly cold rain. She said that experience helped her get through rough conditions later in the season.

“Just putting on the FSU colors and getting in your uniform was really cool,” Milan said of her first tournament. “I was just excited to walk
to the airport with my team. When I got out there, in the first couple rounds I didn’t put together the rounds I was hoping for, but in the last rounds it was freezing cold, but I was just able to focus.”

Seminoles women’s golf coach Amy Bond said what sets Milan apart from others on the course isn’t just academics or a great work ethic, it is her ability to adapt to certain playing conditions.

That ability is something Bond identified early.

“The interesting thing (in Alex’s first tournament) was on the last day when the weather was the worst and what it seems to be with Alex, which is a great attribute to have, is that she plays really well when the weather is bad,” Bond said. “She’s a fighter and she fights throughout her entire golf round, never gives up on anything. … It’s something I was really impressed with.”

Milan said the biggest adjustment between high school and college golf is time management, adding that having a set schedule was something completely new. Her transition was made easier thanks to some help from the seasoned upperclassmen.

“It was really cool to have some older girls on the team, and to have some leadership made it fun to get used to it all because I wasn’t the one in charge,” Milan joked. “You know, you start over and it was different. It was kind of nice too, because they helped me adjust to my new schedule.”

Steinbrenner girls golf coach Mark Mann said Milan has left a legacy behind that is continuing the program’s winning attitude.

“I think what she brought to us was the leadership that speaks volumes for how successful the program has been,” said Mann, whose team finished a program record 10-0 in the regular season last year. He added, “A lot of the girls fed off of (Milan’s) spirit and wanted to continue the success and be like her.”

As far as the future goes for Milan, she wants to build a tradition much like she did at Steinbrenner. She said she learned a lot playing with the Seminoles and will continue to build on that each season.

“I didn’t have the year that I anticipated to have, but I feel like I learned a lot of important things about golf and playing on different
courses across the country,” Milan said. “I got to play in different climates and on different grass and styles of courses, and I definitely think that will help me in seasons to come.”

Bond added Milan has the potential to be one of the best golfers on the squad moving forward if she continues working at her current pace.

“Basically if Alex continues to work hard, she is going to be a big member in our squad in the next couple of years,” Bond said. “Alex worked really hard this year and if she just kind of fine tunes her short game, I look for big things in the future from her.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JeffO_TheLaker

By Andy Warrener
The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Tampa Bay Inferno girls basketball club is living up to its name — it’s on fire.

All five of the fifth-year program’s teams are ranked in the top 20 in the AAU national standings, including the No. 1 seventh-grade squad in the country.

The Inferno seventh-grader red team moved to the top spot by winning four tournament championships in 2012. In all, the club has six titles this season.

Such success was exactly what club founder Harold Givens, of Wesley Chapel, intended when he started the Inferno with his wife, JoAn.

“These girls learn to understand the game of basketball,” JoAn said. “We don’t teach girls basketball, we teach basketball.”

The Givens captain the six teams, but each squad has a different coach. One of those is sixth-grade coach Kelsey Gatz.

“We have genuine people in the organization,” Gatz said. “At any time any parent can come talk to us.”

The grueling AAU summer schedule has the Inferno competing as far north as the Florida Panhandle and as far south as Miami. The progression from when the season started has been great, according to Gatz.

“When these girls started in March, they could barely dribble and cut,” Gatz said. “Now look at them.”

Unlike many athletic clubs, the Givens actually seek talent. Harold and JoAn can be spotted at YMCAs and middle school basketball games looking for new players.

“We have about a 60/40 recruit-to-walk-in percentage,” JoAn said.

The Inferno has fifth-, sixth-, two seventh-, ninth- and eleventh-grade teams. JoAn said they like to have 10 to 12 players on each team to spread out the talent.

“There is no fall off when we make substitutions,” JoAn said.

Gatz and the other coaches work on a voluntary basis. The club is a nonprofit group, which has several fundraisers to offset the fees for the athletes.

“We hold car washes, try to get sponsors, we try to get it to where the girls have to pay little or nothing to play for us,” JoAn said.

The Inferno keeps a low overhead by relying on low-priced use of several facilities, such as the First Baptist Church of Land O’ Lakes and Spring Hill Missionary Baptist Church.

The consequence of all the bouncing around is the Inferno does not really have a home court.

“These girls are used to playing on the road,” Harold said.

For more information on the Inferno, call Harold at (813) 997-9933.

By Jeff Odom

Recent Steinbrenner High graduate and second baseman Christian Diaz committed June 25 to Jacksonville University, a Division-I baseball program.

Diaz, who plans to officially sign when he visits the school on July 9, batted .343 with 17 RBI, seven doubles and recorded one home run.
The three-year starter, who began his high school career at Sickles in 2009, was also an honorable mention for the Wade Boggs Achievement Award in June.

“(I feel) happiness really, glad to get (the recruiting process) over with and have a chance to further my career there,” Diaz said. “I can’t wait.”

He added he is happy for the opportunity to play with the Dolphins.

“It opens a world of possibilities,” Diaz said. “(It) gives me a chance to compete at the highest level possible.”

—Follow Jeff Odom on Twitter: @JeffO_TheLaker

Warriors’ Merrell picks USF

Steinbrenner junior middle infielder/center fielder Kevin Merrell has committed to the University of South Florida (USF), Warriors
baseball coach John Crumbley announced June 28. Merrell played in all 24 of Steinbrenner’s games last season, batting .258 with a .343 on base percentage, 12 runs, seven RBI and six steals.

—Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches

 

Camp also marks Graham’s last duties as Steinbrenner coach

By Kyle LoJacono

The only football coach in Steinbrenner High history had one more duty before stepping away from the post.

Floyd Graham resigned several weeks ago to take care of his sick parents in his home state of Alabama, but he already committed to leading the Lutz Chiefs Summer Football Camp at Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in Lutz, which ends June 29.

“I came back just for this camp because of the relationship I’ve had with the Lutz Chiefs being our school’s feeder program,” Graham said. “My players are out here running it, so I’m working here during the day and packing at night. … It’s giving me the opportunity to hang out with my players and coaches again before I leave.”

Graham and his wife, Jennifer, are taking a leave of absence from their teaching positions at Steinbrenner, which required them to resign as the Warriors football and volleyball coach, respectively.

Linda Cobb, spokeswoman for Hillsborough County schools, said those with an approved leave of only one year are guaranteed their same teaching position back if they want it. Graham said he and Jennifer would like to return to Steinbrenner for the 2013-14 school year if their family matters are resolved.

About a dozen of Graham’s football players volunteered at the camp, including junior Curtis Fitch. The quarterback, who is the son of University of South Florida offensive coordinator Todd Fitch, said coaching the kids gave him a greater appreciation for what Graham and his father do.

“We do a small game at the end, and we get fired up watching,” Fitch said. “I can only imagine what coach Graham or my dad feels during a game.”

Fitch also volunteered at the camp last year. He said it’s great to give back to the community while helping develop young football players.

“Every other school, like Gaither and Sickles, have been around for awhile and have built off this kind of thing,” Fitch said. “They’re the future of Steinbrenner football, and someday it’s going to be us coming back to see them play when we’re alumni. That’s something I really want to build is pride in our school.”

Graham said having a relationship with the local youth football organization is important for a successful high school program.

“Zach Kilburn is the director here for the Lutz Chiefs, and we’ve worked together on this camp,” Graham said. “He helped get the word out about the camp, and all these young kids are Lutz Chiefs. We’ve had some coaching clinics where his coaches came over in the spring to learn how we’re doing things at Steinbrenner so we’re on the same page.”

The first week of the camp is for players ages 6 to 10 where they teach the basics, followed by a session for those up to 13. The younger players are invited back for the older camp to watch the more advanced drills.

Graham said he received several comments from parents touting the camp’s added benefits.

“I had three sets of parents say to me this is fantastic because they go home and take a nap.” Graham said with a smile.

Logan Kilburn, 10, is a running back/linebacker for the Chiefs midget team and is the son of the organization’s director. He participated in the camp last year and said the drills are improving his game.

“It helps me with my footwork and technique,” Kilburn said. “It also helped me with catching the football and getting faster. That’s what I need to work on because I play running back.”

Another returning camper was Nicholas Testa, 10, who also plays linebacker for the Chiefs super midget club.

“It’s going to help me a lot because they’re teaching me the things that they’re doing in high school,” Testa said. “That’s what I want to do is play football. … They’re teaching me rules about what I’m supposed to do and not supposed to do that I didn’t’ know before.”

One of the newcomers to the camp is Brian Ford, who is volunteering for the first time.

“It’s fun to be a coach,” Ford said with a smile.

Ford, a junior center, started playing football in high school. He said the campers will be ahead of where he was when they start playing under the lights on Friday nights.

“It lets them know all those basics I didn’t know going into high school,” Ford said. “It gives them a lot of good conditioning habits, and we’re telling them how important it is to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated. It lets them know what’s expected.”

A lot of fun and teaching happens at the sessions, but football rivalries also bleed through.

Connor Whelan, 10, showed up to the third day of the youth camp wearing a Gaither shirt. The Cowboys have become one of Steinbrenner’s rivals, and the two teams compete in the same football district.

Graham couldn’t let the fashion choice go without at least some lighthearted kidding.

“I told him I was going to have him run extra sprints because he’s got that Gaither shirt on,” Graham said with a laugh.