Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

Sunlake senior unlimited weightlifter Nate McCoole posted 750 pounds to win the Class 2A state title April 21 in Kissimmee, the first championship in the program’s five-year history.

He lifted 440 in the bench and a personal best 310 in the clean and jerk, far from the 270 and 185, respectively, he lifted as a freshman.

“This was the goal,” McCoole said. “I said it when I was a freshman I wanted to be state champ.”

McCoole benched 450 three weeks ago at districts. He said he was angry going into cleans, which helped him get 10 pounds more than he’s ever posted in the event.

“I went in there knowing I was going to take it home, but it scared me a little bit when I did an under-par performance on the bench,” McCoole said. “I was able to recover, make up for it on cleans and it turned into a good day.”

McCoole got the 310 in his third attempt after lifting 275 and 300 in his first two tries. He clinched the title when his closest competitor, Crestview’s Earl Reed, scratched on his last attempt, but the newly crowned state champ gave 310 a shot anyway.

“It’s an honor, but I have to give a lot of credit to my coach (Matt) Smith,” McCoole said. “He kind of built me if you will. He stuck with me, and he gave me a passion for the sport.”

Wiregrass Ranch’s aces fall in state finals

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch’s Courage Okungbowa and Star Makarome both finished as runner-up in the Class 4A state singles tournament April 17 in Altamonte Springs.

Okungbowa ends the season 21-1, while Makarome is 12-1. No other school in any class sent a boy and a girl to the singles finals.

“That shows that Wiregrass has put ourselves on the map in tennis” said Bulls boys coach and athletic director Dave Wilson. “We’re going to keep working to get better to get back here as a team and someday win the state title.”

For Okungbowa, a junior, the run to the boys championship match was redemption. Last year he entered states with the Bulls team undefeated, but lost in the first round.

“I didn’t think I was going to play this well, and it was a better experience than last year,” Okungbowa said. He then added, “I’m not happy, but it was a good season. I played my best.”

Makarome reached the finals despite being a freshman and 14 years old. She lost only three games all season entering states, but said the experience showed her she can improve.

“I learned I should go back and practice a lot,” Makarome said with a laugh. “I have to learn to meet power with power, and learn how to control the point especially against the bigger girls. I don’t see me coming in as a freshman as an excuse.”

Okungbowa received a first-round bye before defeating Royal Palm Beach’s Wade Ball 6-0, 6-3 in the quarterfinals and the top seeded Gainesville Buchholz’s Erik Vincent 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in a three-hour semifinal. Vincent was the first player to take a set from Wiregrass Ranch’s ace.

He was unable to make it two comebacks in a row against Orlando Olympia’s Sebastian Beltrame, falling 6-1, 6-3. He staved off elimination by breaking Beltrame and winning his service game to get the score at 5-3 in the second, but it wasn’t enough.

“He’s got a really good serve,” Okungbowa said. “He really stayed consistent. That’s my problem is staying consistent. I can hit really good shots, but it’s like five out of 20.”

Wilson added, “It’s kind of hard to be prouder of him. Yesterday his battle was so tough. I think it took a lot out of his legs. … He had a great year. To be 21-1 and the state runner-up is a great year.”

Bulls girls coach Jewell Fye was also beaming about her star pupil.

“To be so good and get this far so young is amazing,” Fye said. “I knew she would make it to this point.”

Makarome bested Parkland Douglas’ Kellyn Abbanat 6-2, 6-3 in the first round before getting past Orlando Dr. Phillips’ Sarah Baron 7-5, 6-1 in the quarters. She made short work of the No. 1 seed Coral Gables’ Sonja Radosevic 6-1, 6-3 in the semis.

All that stood in Makarome’s way was Miramar Everglades’ Gabriela Castenda.

The freshman had never seen Castenda before, but soon learned she was more than a solid player.

“She was really aggressive and was hugging the baseline,” Makarome said. “It set me back on my game. I had to play defense for a long while until I could step into the point. Once I stepped into the point I hit winners, it was just getting a chance to control the point. … Gabby was just too good of a player today.”

Castenda was able to hit her returns deep into the opposite court, negating Makarome’s drop shot; one of her biggest weapons.

Makarome lost the first set 6-1, but made Castenda work in the second. The Wiregrass Ranch No. 1 lost her serve twice in her first three attempts, but managed to break her opponent back on the following game both times.

Castenda took the lead for good by breaking Makarome to put the score at 5-4 before serving for the match.

The day didn’t end with a state title, but Makarome and Okungbowa have more opportunities.

“I hope I’m able to get a title,” Okungbowa said. “I’ve got one more chance.”

Makarome added, “Hopefully in the next few years I can follow in Courage’s footsteps.”

CDS’s historic trip to states

Carrollwood Day Schools’ (CDS) first trip to states didn’t end with a championship, but the future is bright for the program.

The Patriots won a district and regional title this season, the first in school history for any sport, and all of the top four are sophomores or younger.

“It’s been very exciting for the girls and the coaching staff,” said CDS fourth-year coach Susan Most. “The girls played incredibly well all season. Just a great journey for all of us. I’m proud of how they performed at all levels.”

Freshman Jackie Fitz-Randolph reached the Class 1A No. 1 singles final, where she fell to Gainesville PK Young’s Jazz Whitaker 7-6 (2), 6-1 on April 19.

Jackie defeated Cantonment Ransom’s Sullivan Annette 2-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the quarterfinals before dispatching Boca Raton St. Andrews’ Caroline Hsu 6-0, 6-1 in the semis.

Jackie teamed with her sister Lauren, a seventh-grader, for No. 1 doubles. The siblings defeated PK Young 6-2, 6-4 in the quarters.

The Patriots’ run ended against Ransom in the semifinals April 19, falling 7-6 (5) 6-4. CDS fought off five match points to earn a break, which got the second set back on serve, but lost the next service game.

Most thinks the trip to states will motivate the squad.

“They’re hungry,” Most said. “They want to come back for more. They were able to experience that championship environment. They’re ready to come back and work harder.”

For the boys, Patriots junior Eric Fitz-Randolph, brother of Jackie and Lauren, lost his first match of the 1A singles tournament after receiving a bye in the first round.

By Kyle LoJacono

Land O’ Lakes senior Colin Roller reached the state singles semifinals in consecutive years, but was unable to survive a three-hour struggle with eventual champion Fort Myers Cypress Lake’s Parker Woodall 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Roller was down 2-0 in the first set, but broke Woodall’s serve and won six of the last seven games.

“I don’t know what happened after that,” Roller said. “It was back and forth. The guy played unbelievable. In the third I had him at 0-40 two times in his service games, had nine or 10 break points and didn’t break him once. At 4-4 I faced my first break point, I served and volleyed and he shanked a backhand, but I shanked a forehand volley. I make that shot 99 times out of 100.”

Roller received a bye in the first round after being seeded No. 1 in the Class 3A meet. He beat Orlando Edgewater’s David Neitzel 6-1, 6-1 on April 18 before dropping the marathon match. He finishes his career 60-5 in singles, 15-1 this season.

Roller, an Eastern Carolina signee, and David Dollbaum, a freshman, defeated Lakeland in the doubles first round 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, but dropped a three setter to Cypress Lake in the quarters 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“We came out fast,” Roller said. “In the second we went down 4-1 and couldn’t come back. In the third set we came out like turtles. We were so slow in the third. … We went down 5-1 and fought back to 5-4.”

The Gators’ duo went 12-1 this season. Roller won’t be back, but all of Land O’ Lakes’ returning players are freshmen or sophomores.

“They can be good again next year with Tyler (Sanders) and Erik Thielbar who will be juniors,” Roller said. “David is only a freshman and he won No. 2 singles at districts and got to regionals and state just like I did as a freshman. After the match I told him if he just keeps playing he’s going to be near as good or better than I am.”

By Andy Warrener

The Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

Carrollwood Day School (CDS) sophomore tennis player Sarah Yaffe was unsure if she’d ever pick up a racket again last April because of the pain in her wrist.

The problem became apparent on her 15th birthday in November 2010 when she recalled her left wrist “kind of popped” and that it felt like “someone stabbed me with a knife.”

By February 2011 she decided to see a doctor, who suggested taking a break for two weeks followed by physical and localized massage therapy. When that didn’t work she tried different casts. Nothing helped.

The prognosis went from bad to worse when she was diagnosed with an elongated ulna, the outside bone in the forearm.

Yaffe’s ulna was crowding the small bones in her wrist, severely limiting her range of motion and causing pain for someone trying to play tennis. The only solution to continue her tennis career was surgery to shorten the bone, followed by a long recovery.

“(The doctor) said nine months recovery time and I just broke down, right there in his office,” Yaffe said. “I had to call all of my coaches and tell them I was going to get this surgery.”

Yaffe is accustomed to a busy tennis schedule. She transferred from Saddlebrook Prep in Wesley Chapel, where she practiced five days a week and had tournaments every weekend.

Yaffe was not quite ready to accept having no physical activity. She went to the gym diligently to try and maintain her strength and conditioning.

“I tried to run to the gym with a cast on my arm one time,” Yaffe said. “I guess someone must’ve seen me and called my parents. They drove out to get me and I kind of got in trouble.”

She had the surgery last June 13. In December, just six months after the surgery, she started to hit again with her coach. She was able to hit forehands with her right wrist as her left arm recovered.

She started playing again on February 9 against Academy at the Lakes. She said she is almost back physically.

“The mental part is still coming back to me,” Yaffe said. “That’s the hardest part.”

The experience is something she will never forget.

“I still have a metal plate and screws in my arm today, but it feels better now than it ever did,” Yaffe said.

Yaffe helped the Patriots win a district championship this season, the first in CDS history. The squad followed that with a regional title to reach the 1A state tournament.

By Kyle LoJacono

Wiregrass Ranch girls track and field has won district championships the last three years by an average of more than 52 points, but a
title this year was by slimmer margins.

The Bulls trailed Belleview by 2.5 points April 20 at Central when the 11-team Class 3A-District 6 meet was postponed due to lightning. Three
events remain: the 3,200-meter, 4×400 relay and discus.

The remaining events were run April 23 starting with the 3,200, where the Bulls scored 17 points in the Belleview’s 11 to take a lead of 3.5.

The Rattlers came back to win the 4×400 to score 10 points to Wiregrass Ranch’s six earned with a third-place performance, creating a separation of 0.5 with only the discus left.

The Bulls had two athletes, seniors Patricia Magwood and Pfalicity Harris-Scott, in the final flight and Belleview had one. Magwood and
Harris-Scott were among the eight who advanced to the final while the Rattlers were shut out, which clinched the team title for Wiregrass Ranch.

“It was really stressful,” Harris-Scott said. “If me and Patricia didn’t bring it we would have lost by half a point. It’s a great feeling. … Nobody is ever watching the discus, but today everybody is watching. Had a lot of eyes on us.”

Magwood was in danger of missing the finals after scratching on her first attempt and throwing a subpar 80 feet 4 inches on the second.

She unleashed a toss of 97-07 on the third try, sending Magwood to the finals and knocking out Belleview.

“The wind was really bad, and a lot of my throws were going off to the right,” said Magwood, who finished as runner-up. “We all had to deal
with it, but it was taking a while for me to get used to it. When I let go of that third throw in prelims I knew it was good.”

The final tally gave the Bulls 154 points to Belleview’s 144.5.

“This one is definitely the most satisfying,” said Wiregrass Ranch girls coach Don Howard. “We weren’t the favorites to win this year. … We
were down a half point, and discus is an event that’s never at the end of a meet. I didn’t tell them, but they found out. They knew what they had to do and they did.

“When these kids are expected to step up they do,” Howard continued. “Pressure doesn’t get to them. That’s all you can ask of kids. I
told them before we came the first day if we win this one they should be very proud.”

Several Bulls volunteered to compete in events they don’t normal do to earn more points.

“They wanted to do that for the team,” Howard said. “Hannah Eder did the 100(-meters) for the first time, and we also had Alisha Henry do the
long jump. They did that to score, and the both did.”

Eder, who placed third in the 100 in 13.1 seconds to earn six points, won titles in the long jump with a personal record (PR) 17 feet while also taking the triple jump (33-11).

“I went for it and ran as fast as I could,” Eder said. “When I heard 17 feet I was so happy the hard work is paying off. … Last year I did
horrible at districts. I’m being a lot more positive this year and it’s making a difference.”

Eder is also on the 4×100 team that claimed gold in 51.56. The junior helped bring in 36 points during the tightly contested meet.

“Our coach said before we came out if there’s a Belleview girl in front of you just beat her,” Eder said. “I had that in the back of my mind.”

Henry finished as runner-up in the pole vault (11), her primary event, while scoring three in the long jump (15-01.25).

“She actually just started doing (long jump), but she’s been doing really well,” Eder said. “If she just focused on long jump she would definitely be able to move on.”

The Bulls also got titles from Marissa Ginn-Davis in the 300 hurdles (49.52) and Magwood in the shot put
(35-02).

“I was rushing today I guess because of the nerves,” said Magwood, whose PR is 38-06.25. “I have to work on that. … I was happy I got first place
but disappointed in myself for the performance. It gives me something to work on.”

The Land O’ Lakes boys (124) led by 54 points when the meet was suspended and held on to win the championship. Wiregrass Ranch made a late surge to move from fourth to second place (86).

The Bulls won the 4×800 relay, the day’s first race, in 8:25.04. Springstead went by senior Tyler Mattera halfway through the final lap, but the
Wiregrass Ranch anchor turned on the jets in the final turn to win by 1.03.

“He passed me, so I just let him take it then so he’d tire himself out,” Mattera said. “He scared me when he passed me, but in the turns I thought I’d have enough.”

Bulls junior Ermias Bireda, a member of the 4×800 team, won the 1,600 and 3,200. He was fourth after one lap in the 1,600, but slowly crept his
way forward to beat out Land O’ Lakes’ Tyler Stahl by nearly two seconds.

“I just wanted to hold that lead,” said Bireda, who missed districts last year with injuries. “I was looking back to see where he was at. I just wanted to hold on really bad.”

Sprinter Jamel Nuñez claimed his second district championship in as many years by posting a 22.69 in the 200. Nunez and the next two finishers were separated by only 0.3.

“The kid from Mitchell (Michael Tancreti) was coming through, and I was like wow, I’ve never seen this kid before,” Nuñez said. “I started to speed up because Jordan (Roberts) from Zephyrhills was right there too. I gave it my all.”

Nuñez was unable to advance from regionals last year, something he plans on changing in his final year.

“I feel like I can compete and get to states,” Nuñez said. “That’s what I’ve been working for all season.”

The top four in each event advance to regionals at Leto April 25 starting at noon.

–Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association

By Kyle LoJacono

Land O’ Lakes track and field ran away with the Class3A-District 6 meet despite having to wait several days for the officialcrowning.

The Gators had a 54-point lead April 20 at Central when the 11-teammeet was postponed. Three events remained: the 3,200-meter, 4×400 relay and discus.

The remaining events were run April 23. Land O’ Lakes didn’t win any of them, but the Gators had already done enough to win the title by scoring
153.

Land O’ Lakes first-year boys coach Bill Schmitz said the depth has been key.

“Our team looked completely different in January,” Schmitz said. “We had kids like Jackson Cannon, Shadow Williams and Ethan Weilant from the football team who decided to do track, plus Josh Davis from the soccer team. That gave us so many athletes, which lets us score in all 17 events. Plus I’ve got great coaches.”

The Gators got three individual titles at the meet. Chris Wilkinson won the 800 (2 minutes 2.98 seconds), Henry Parrish claimed the 400
(52.67) and senior Darin Patom earned his first career gold by running the 300 hurdles in a personal record 40.59.

“It was a great feeling,” Patom said. “I was seeded fourth coming in, so I knew I had to kick it in and push harder than ever.”

Patom, who placed second in the 110 hurdles (15.2), has run track since his freshman year.  Land O’ Lakes has had one of its most successful seasons, winning all but one meet, which makes his final campaign more satisfying for Patom.

“We’ve never in school history won conference and districts in the same year,” Patom said. He added, “We have kids who at the start of the
season we didn’t know if they were going to make the team. Now they’re scoring for us and helping us stay on top.”

Parrish was unsure he could run track this season after tearing the ACL in his left knee playing football. The junior was third rounding the final turn of the 400.

“I was thinking it’s time to kick on the jets, Parrish said with a smile. He added, “I wanted to do everything to help the team. Being a team
member has been great. Everybody puts in the work together and are unselfish. Everything is for the team, and I think that’s why we’ve done what we’ve done this year.”

The Gators also won the 4×100 relay in 44.1. Land O’ Lakes beat second-place Sunlake (44.7) and Wiregrass Ranch (45.02), which finished first
and second, respectively, at conference three weeks ago.

“That was motivation,” said Isaac Cabrera, the 4×100 anchor. “We’ve been working on our handoffs a lot since then. We just had to come out and execute.”

Cross-town rival Sunlake got two championship thanks to powerful junior Travis Manecke, who claimed the shot put and discus titles for the second straight year with a launch of 48 feet 2 inches and 147-10, respectively.

“I was trying to go for 50, but just couldn’t get it,” Manecke said of the shot put. “I knew there was competition for it here, so I put a lot into it. … Last year I got 51, so I want at least 50 again. I really want 55.”

Sunlake finished fifth place (71.5) when the meet was suspended. Wiregrass Ranch was fourth (51) when the meet was suspended, but made a huge jump up to the runner-up spot.

The Land O’ Lakes girls were led by sophomore Hallie Grimes, who won the 400 (59.38) and placed second in the 200 (26.05).

Grimes won the 400 at districts last year and qualified for states as a freshman. The early success compelled her to work harder in her second season.

“I was hoping to get first because I set such high expectations for myself last year, and I knew there was really good competition,” Grimes said. “I felt a lot of pressure to do better than I did last year.”

The top four in each event advance to regionals at Leto April 25 starting at noon.

–Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association

By Kyle LoJacono

The Steinbrenner girls track and field team won its second straight district championship April 19 at Gaither.

The Warriors scored 201.5 points at the Class 3A-District 8 meet, besting runner-up Hillsborough by 66 and third-place Gaither by 123.5.

“We have a group of hard-working kids that just get it done,” said Steinbrenner girls coach Ladd Baldwin. “We’ve done a good job at Steinbrenner spreading kids out and finding the right places for them. If we’re not winning, we’re battling.”

Senior Alexis Wright, who attended Gaither as a freshman, set the tone for the Warriors, winning all three of her individual events. She ran the 100- and 300-meter hurdles in 14.64 seconds and 47.22, respectively, and claimed the triple jump with a leap of 36 feet 6 inches.

“It was a great opportunity to do what I know I’m capable of doing and run on Gaither’s track for the last time,” Wright said. “I started out there, and finishing my district meet there going 3 for 3 was an amazing feeling. A lot of big things happened there. I had the opportunity to PR in the 100 hurdles.”

Wright added that the sizable win at the 3A level validates where the third-year program is after claiming a district title in 2A a year ago.

“It’s great to let people know that just because we’re new doesn’t mean we can’t compete with the best of the best,” said Wright, who won the 100 hurdles state title last year. “It was a very good defining moment not only for track and not only for our sports, but for Steinbrenner as a whole. We have the resources, we have the people and we have the determination to be a school that can do big things in the state of Florida.”

Wright will be joined at regionals with fellow triple jumper Jessica Brewer, who finished fourth (34-00.5), and also won the long jump with a 16-07.5. The Warriors also got a title from Sarah Eppler for clearing 8-06 in the pole vault.

Steinbrenner also got a boost from the Garris twins Lauren and Salina, who finished second and third in the 1,600 in 5:39.61 and 5:40.3, respectively. Lauren was also runner-up in the 3,200 (12:38.54), and the sisters were half of the 4×800 relay team that placed No. 2 (10:08.25).

Jessica Weatherman recorded a 109-08 to finish as the discus runner-up, while Warriors teammate Melissa Stankovich was third (107-04).

Gaither’s lone championship came from Kiana Bryant, who won the 100 in 12.32. She also finished as the 200 runner-up in 25.37.

Fellow Cowboy Rachel Cazares took second in the 800 (2:21.21), while Ariel Moore (15.63) and Jennifer Kingsley (16.24) finished second and third in the 100 hurdles, respectively. Moore was also runner-up in the 300 hurdles (48.06).

The Steinbrenner boys finished third with 102 points, 41 off Jefferson’s championship pace. The Cowboys were fifth with 70.

Preston West won the pole vault for the Warriors by posting 13, 2-06 better than runner-up Ryan Hagen from Gaither.

Steinbrenner’s Tyler and Zach Lima took first and third in the 3,200 in 9:54.75 and 10:03.63, respectively. The twins are also on the 4×800 relay team that claimed district gold.

The Cowboys shined in the hurdles. Senior Paul Barrett won the 300 (38.43) while taking second in the high jump (6-02). Freshman Samson Moore claimed the 110 (14.39) and was runner-up in the 400 (49.42).

The top four in each event advance to regionals at Leto April 25 starting at noon.

–Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association

By Eugenio Torrens

Freedom’s Sandra Akachukwu claimed one title and had three second-place performances at the Class 4A-District 6 meet April 17 at Leto.

Akachukwu bested the competition in the girls 100-meter by finishing in 12.41 seconds. Add in the runner-ups in the 200 (25.33), high jump (5 feet) and long jump (17-09.25) and junior earned 34 of the Patriots’ 96 points.

Though Akachukwu was frustrated with her day afterward, her coach Dwight Smith didn’t seem as concerned.

“We always tell her she needs to channel her emotions to the next race,” Smith said. “She ran in four events. She made it through to regionals in four events. She’s district runner-up in three, district champion in one. I mean you still had a great day.”

Neither Freedom nor Wharton could wrestle the team title from Plant, which scored 195.5 points. The Wildcats took second with 139.5 and the Patriots finished fourth.

Wharton was boosted by Mikayla Barber, who won the 100 and 300 hurdles.

“Like many goals in my life that I want to achieve, if I come on the track scared all the time I’ll never get there,” Barber said. “I came out here with the mindset that I want to conquer.”

Teammate Tyler Watson was right behind Barber in the 300. Watson also got second in the triple jump.

Barber and Watson were part of the winning 4×400 relay that clocked in at 4:01.11, nearly 10 seconds faster than Alonso.

The Plant boys also won team gold with 210.5. Freedom took third (87.5) and Wharton was fourth (72.5).

Apart from second-place finishes by Vernon Hargreaves in the long jump, Britton Lewis in the 300 hurdles and Jayren Barginere in the 800 run, the Wildcats’ best effort came in the 4×800 relay, which they won with a time of 8:12.14.

The top four in each event advance to regionals at Leto April 25 starting at noon.

–Results as recorded by the Florida High School Athletic Association