Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Jeff Odom

Laker/Lutz News Correspondent

The Steinbrenner girls basketball team has spent the last two seasons clawing its way up the ladder to become a competitive program.

From finishing one game under .500 during its first season in 2009-10 to capturing its first winning record with a 15-7 record last year, the squad had been focused on gaining respect. Now in Year 3, the talk of a district championship is starting to brew.

“I think with the new district alignment, we will have a very good opportunity to win the district title,” said Warriors coach J.R. Allen, the only coach in program history.

The new alignment matches Steinbrenner (3-1) against Freedom (5-0), Gaither (1-6), Wiregrass Ranch (5-2) and Chamberlain (3-2) in Class 7A-District 9.

Allen said his team is in good position for a title because numerous district opponents lost key players to graduation last year.

“Three of the teams that are in our district were hit hard by graduation and therefore will have to rely on some unproven players to step in and represent their teams,” Allen said.

Freedom, which went 20-6 and won a district championship last year, lost its top-two scorers to graduation.

Point guard Kaitlynn Pacholke posted 15.3 points, 8.8 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 5.3 steals per game in 2010-11. She is currently playing at Jacksonville State University on a basketball scholarship. Freedom also lost forward/center Lindsay Taggart, who put up 14.1 points, 8 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game last season.

Gaither also lost its top-two scorers from the 2010-11 squad that went 6-14. Departing were center/forward Aja Osborne and her 12.3 points, 17.1 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per contest, and guard Ayanna Fullwood’s 9.1 points, 6.3 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 steals.

Wiregrass Ranch is coming off the rockiest offseason in the program’s six-year history. It was hit with Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) violations that included recruiting point guard Briahanna Jackson, who has since graduated from Freedom.

Greg Finkel, who had been the only coach in program history, resigned after the FHSAA found the Bulls guilty of 10 violations. John Gant was named Wiregrass Ranch’s new leader in August.

The Bulls, who finished 14-12 last year, were unable to make the postseason for the first time in three seasons and must replace three of their top four scorers. Guard Jeileen Mas, who is playing at East Wyoming College on a basketball scholarship, averaged 13.5 points last season. Fellow guard Lauren Gould and center/forward Kayla Deloach put up 9.2 and 10 points per game, respectively, a year ago.

Wiregrass Ranch does return leading scorer Kelly McCaffrey, a senior forward, and her 15.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.9 assists per game from the 2010-11 campaign.

Steinbrenner is fortunate enough to return every one of its players.

“We have the great luxury of returning our entire varsity team for the third year in a row, so we have great experience and veteran leadership across the board in all positions,” Allen said.

The team returns junior guards Baylee Hooker, who averaged 11.8 points per game last season; and Justice Thigpen, who recorded 4.4 rebounds per game before an injury ended her 2010-11 campaign. Also back is senior guard Alexis Wright and senior forward/center Rebecca Cohen, who averaged 8.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, respectively.

Hooker says while the competition will be tougher than in years past, the squad has looked strong to open the season and is focused on reaching its goals.

“Our offseason was really crucial for us this summer,” Hooker said. She then added, “We all set personal goals and pushed ourselves to reach them. We even dedicated ourselves to (early morning) conditioning three days a week for five weeks. Practices are more intense and coach is really pushing each one of us to be the best we can be.”

The Warriors’ attention is centered on a district title, but Allen said the talent level and consistency gives them a shot of making a run to the state final four.

“I feel very strongly that we will not only win the district title this year, but also are in a great position to make a deep run,” Allen said. “We have great team speed, good depth off the bench, good size and a bit of a swagger that has been brought about due to knowing that all the hours of preparation and sacrifice are going to pay off for us.”

Steinbrenner got its first district win at Gaither on Dec. 1, a 68-17 victory. The Warriors traveled to Blake on Monday, Dec. 5, but results were not available by press time. The squad hosts Wiregrass Ranch on Tuesday, Dec. 6 before traveling to Hillsborough on Thursday, Dec. 8. Both games start at 8 p.m.

–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.

 

By Kyle LoJacono

Olympic weightlifter Brad Bouthot had quite a pair of weekends to close out November.

The Wesley Chapel resident and 2007 Zephyrhills High graduate went out and won the Florida State Championships on Nov. 12 at Altamonte Springs and backed up that title with another on Nov. 20 in Miami at the Soul Open.

Bouthot put up 265 kilograms, 584 pounds, combined at the state championships. His total was matched by another lifter, but Bouthot weighed less and was therefore declared the overall champion.

Bouthot, who competes in the 187-pound weight class, posted 264 pounds in the power snatch and 320 in the clean and jerk. He was named the men’s Best Overall Lifter at the state championships, given to the best pound-for-pound athlete.

Bouthot was also named the top lifter in Miami by posting 606 total pounds, 276 snatch and 330 clean, the following week. The amounts were not only new personal bests for him, but also totaled the most of any lifter at the event. He did not have to sweat out the final outcome at the Soul Open.

“The way the meets are structured is that the athletes lifting the lighter weights go first and the barbell slowly increases in weight as each athlete takes their attempts,” Bouthot said. “Each athlete gets three attempts, so the strongest athletes will be the last ones lifting. Well I hadn’t even taken my first attempt and all the other men had already completed all their attempts. This was the case on both the snatch and the clean and jerk.”

Eric Auciello has been Bouthot’s coach since he picked up the sport less than two years ago and said it was a proud couple of weeks for him watching his pupil excel.

“Almost two years ago a young man walked into my gym and told me he wanted to be a champion,” Auciello said. “He possessed certain physical attributes that made him a natural weightlifter, but it was the intangible qualities that impressed me the most. He exuded a quiet confidence. He was driven, passionate, dedicated and hungry.”

Auciello added Bouthot is a very self-motivated person. They only see each other at Crossfit Revolution in Brandon about once every other week to make sure Bouthot is using correct form. The rest of the time the east Pasco County resident is lifting on his own.

The pair of titles for Bouthot came in a lighter weight class than he had previously competed in. He shed 9 kilograms, about 20 pounds, to get down to 187.

“It was really just a personal choice,” Bouthot said. “I felt I had extra weight that wasn’t benefiting me as an athlete that I could afford to lose. The extra baby fat wasn’t what was moving the weights. So I figured I’d clean up the diet even more than it already was and slowly see if I could lose the useless weight. Certainly I thought also that it would be beneficial to be in a lighter class as I try and move up the national ladder as well.”

Bouthot said it was pretty easy for him to lose the weight.

“The hardest part was staying away from the fridge late night,” Bouthot said. “The easiest way to lose weight like that is to eat your biggest meal earlier in the day. The worst thing you can do when trying to lose weight is load up on food within the last hours before bed. Other than that my diet didn’t really change too much in terms of the things that I ate, it was just the timing of when I ate them.”

Besides keeping up his high lift totals with his new slimmed-down frame, Bouthot is planning to compete in the Arnold Classic in March. His long-term goal is to eventually make the U.S. Olympic team.

“I’m not among that top five elite in the country yet that will have a real shot to go to the London Olympics next summer, but I won’t let anyone outwork me, and I’ll be busting mine to get to Rio, Brazil in 2016,” Bouthot said. “For 2012, I’d like to total 300 kilograms (661 pounds) in competition. Going up by 25 kilograms (55 pounds) in competition won’t be easy, but I think I can do it by the next Christmas.”

The videos of Bouthot’s lifts in Miami can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylxn_lnOfpA and www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWiNtz-Dm7s.

By Eugenio Torrens

Derrick Alexander told his football team on Day 1 of Bishop McLaughlin’s 2011 season that his team was going to have moxie to usher in the new era under the first-year coach.

“Everything’s changed. We do everything with swagger now,” said Evan Barhonovich, a senior linebacker and wide receiver for the Hurricanes (4-6).

Alexander finished his first year at the helm with Bishop McLaughlin, but he is far from inexperienced when it comes to the gridiron. He was an All-American defensive end at Florida State University and a first-round pick in the 1995 NFL Draft for the Minnesota Vikings.

Now he is trying to bring what he has learned to build a foundation with the Hurricanes.

“I’ve tried to create a culture around here of we gotta work hard during the week and play hard during the games and we gotta speed practice up a little bit,” Alexander said. “What I’ve always learned, the faster you practice, the faster you play.”

In addition to speeding up the tempo at practice, Alexander has stressed the fundamentals: blocking and tackling, as well as working on hand- and footwork.

“A lot of times in high school, everybody likes to run into each other,” Alexander said. “You watch the pro and the college game, and these guys use their hands better than anybody else.”

Alexander’s players took notice quickly.

“Last year’s practice we’d all just be walking around, looking at the sky, doing our thing,” said junior Austin Meyers who plays offense and defense. He added that this year, kids come focused to practice. Barhonovich knew immediately when Alexander took over that it would be a good move.

“The first practice when we ran tons, I knew it was going to be a better year,” Barhonovich said. “Just coming out and making us run, going crazy right off the start was good for us. That’s what we needed.”

The Hurricanes started 0-5 against a stretch of teams that exposed fundamental flaws in the squad. But the rookie coach loaded the front end of his schedule with tough teams, and Bishop McLaughlin rebounded, reeling off four straight victories to reach the Sunshine State Athletic Conference playoffs.

The Hurricanes were knocked out in the first round of the postseason by Lecanto Seven Rivers Christian, 55-38 on Nov. 11.

While Bishop McLaughlin’s practices may be sped up, Alexander knows firsthand success and stability don’t come as quick.

“We’ll be around this thing popping, going quick,” Alexander said. “Everything will be done exactly kind of the way it would be done on a college level. But it takes time, it’s not going to happen in one year.”

Just a few weeks ago the South Pasco Predators youth football program had zero regional championships but now can display a trio of titles in its trophy case.

The Predators, part of the national Pop Warner youth program, play in the Foundation for Youth Development (FYD) region of Florida. The program’s Jr. Pee Wee Gold, Pee Wee Blue and Jr. Midget Blue squads each claimed championships at the regional finals on Nov. 5 at Tampa Bay Tech High.

Jr. Pee Wee Gold defeated the Palm Harbor Panthers 30-6 to complete a 9-0 season. The Jr. Midget Blue also went 9-0 by defeating the Manatee Bulldogs 37-0. Pee Wee Blue knocked off the West Pasco Prowlers 38-6 to finish with a 7-2 record.

The Predators are part of a 25-team league that includes clubs from Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties. The squad practices at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway. For more information on the program, visit www.southpascopredators.com.

Saint Leo University (SLU) cross country runner Tereza Novotna concluded her freshman season with a 64th-place performance at the NCAA Division II national meet on Nov. 19 in Spokane, Wash.

“The race was tough, but I made it,” Novotna said. “It was a great experience.”

The native of Opocno, Czech Republic ran a 23:03 in the 6-kilometer race. She is the first Lions runner to qualify for nationals.

“I am proud of Tereza,” said SLU coach Melissa Miller-Mangen. “The NCAA championships are one of the most memorable events to participate in. She is already aiming for the 2012 championships to build upon this performance.”

Novotna was named the Sunshine State Conference Runner of the Year this season while also setting program records for lowest times in a 5K and 6K.

 

The Laker and the Lutz News has named its All-Laker/All-Lutz News team for the 2011 fall high school athletic season. Members of the team were selected based on skill, value to their team, final statistics and head-to-head matchups. Schools in the coverage area include Academy at the Lakes, Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Freedom, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Saddlebrook Prep, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wharton, Wesley Chapel and Wiregrass Ranch. The football team will be released after the season ends. Sports Editor Kyle LoJacono selected the team. All stats were as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches and all playoff performances are as recorded by the FHSAA.

Girls golf first team

–Sara Bair, Sr., Steinbrenner. Carded a 76 at districts to help the Warriors advance to regionals as a team for the second straight season.

–Claire Becker, Fr., Steinbrenner. Exploded onto the season and made a big impact on a team as a freshman. Was consistently one of the lowest scorers in every match.

–Nina Hwang, Sr., Saddlebrook Prep. Her 80 in the district tournament made her the event runner-up. Hwang missed out on a state appearance by just two strokes at regionals.

–Lauren Riehle, Sr., Saddlebrook Prep. Won her third straight individual district championship this season while adding a regional title.

–Teresa Romero, Fr., Freedom. Shot a team-best 77 at districts to help the Patriots take third place and advance to regionals.

Girls golf second team

–Shannon Clark, Jr., Wharton. Led her squad with an 80 at districts, but missed out on a trip to regionals by five strokes.

–Ellen Crowley, Sr., Academy at the Lakes. Qualified for regionals for the second straight season, the first Wildcat golfer ever to accomplish the feat.

–Michelle Stein, Sr., Steinbrenner. Stein was a consistent performer for the Warriors all year and carded an 82 to help the third-year program make regionals.

–Morgan Litchfield, Sr., Gaither. Her 91 at districts qualified her for regionals as an individual.

–Eden Shirmohammad, So., Land O’ Lakes. The only central Pasco County golfer, boy or girl, to qualify for regionals.

Player of the Year: Lauren Riehle, Saddlebrook Prep. Riehle claimed her third straight individual district championship this year and added her first regional title in her senior season. She competed in the Class 1A state meet in consecutive years. This year Riehle shot a two-day total of 157 to take 19th place out of 95 competitors. Riehle will continue her golfing career at the University of Miami.

Coach of the Year: Mark Mann, Steinbrenner. Mann takes the honor for the second straight season. He became the Warriors’ leader when the school opened in 2009 and has helped make the program into one of the most consistent in the Tampa Bay area. His squad lost No. 1 golfer Alex Milan, who is now playing in college at Florida State University, to graduation last year, but managed to guide the team to a 10-0 regular season record and back-to-back regional tournament appearances.

Boys golf first team

–Jorge Junquera, So., Wharton. His 76 at districts earned him a spot in regionals for the second straight season.

–Jimmy Jones, So., Freedom. Claimed the Class 2A-District 10 individual championship with a 71 to help the Patriots finish as runner-up.

–Tom Ng, N/A, Saddlebrook Prep. Won the Class 1A-District 9 individual district title to also help his team place first at the event.

–Trevor Joseph, Sr., Steinbrenner. The Warriors’ No. 1 didn’t have his best round at districts, where he shot an 80, but was the consistent leader for the third-year program.

–Jimmy Stanger, Jr., Gaither. Won a district championship and was a regional runner-up on his way to playing in the Class 2A state meet.

Boys golf second team

–Ryoto Furuya, N/A, Saddlebrook Prep. Shot an 81 in the Class 1A-District 9 tournament to help the Spartans win the team championship.

–Nik Kalolo, Jr., Steinbrenner. Carded a 77 at districts to help Steinbrenner reach regionals as a team in back-to-back years.

–Clyde Meadows, Jr., Gaither. Moved up several spots to the No. 2 position for the Cowboys after the squad lost two of its top three to graduation.

–John Nickisher, Jr., Wesley Chapel. Reached regionals individually by shooting a 94 at the Class 1A-District 9 event.

–Michael Richards, N/A, Saddlebrook Prep. Carded an 81 in districts to help Saddlebrook Prep win the Class 1A-District 9 title.

Player of the Year: Jimmy Stanger, Gaither. Stanger established himself as the Cowboys’ No. 1 player the year before but was hungry to take his game to the next level. He revamped his swing during the offseason to be more accurate, and his scores improved throughout his junior campaign. He shot a 3-under 69 to win the Class 2A-District 9 individual championship and followed that up with a 71 at regionals to advance to states for the first time in his high school career.

Coach of the Year: Dwayne Olinger, Gaither. Olinger had a challenge in his third year at the helm of Gaither’s program. He lost two of his top-three golfers from the 2010 squad that was the district runner-up. The year started slowly and Gaither entered districts as the No. 6 seed out of 12 teams, but finished third and advanced to regionals.

Volleyball first team

–Libero: Cary Anne Bame, Sr., Steinbrenner. Came up with 262 digs while adding 18 aces for the Warriors.

–Middle hitter: Stephany Brown, Sr., Wharton. Her 1.3 blocks per set was tied for 10th most in the state. Had a team-high 84 blocks while adding 157 kills and 29 aces.

–Middle hitter: Baylee Hooker, Jr., Steinbrenner. Had a team-high 55 blocks and added 55 kills with a hitting percentage of 32.8, better than any Warrior with at least 10 attempts.

–Outside hitter: Jess Johnson, Sr., Bishop McLaughlin. Led all area athletes with 403 kills while averaging 1.4 aces per set for the first team in program history to make the playoffs.

–Outside hitter: Hannah Kaczmarek, So., Freedom. Put down 364 kills. Also posted 93 digs and 55 aces to help the Patriots reach back-to-back postseasons.

–Outside hitter: Madison Seuzeneau, Jr., Steinbrenner. Had a team-high 341 kills with a hitting percentage of 27.5.

–Rightside hitter: Rachel Mathison, So., Steinbrenner. Totaled 145 kills with a 27.5 hitting percentage while adding 137 digs, 21 aces and 17 blocks.

–Setter: Kelly Schaller, So., Freedom. Used her athleticism to set from anywhere on the court to post 799 assists, while contributing 149 digs, 74 kills and 55 aces.

–Utility: Teresa Della Penna, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Did everything for the Gators. Led the squad with 185 kills and 50 aces while adding 200 digs and 70 assists.

Volleyball second team

–Libero: Cara Walden, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Came up with 289 digs for the Gators while adding 14 aces.

–Middle hitter: Lauren Heldt, Fr., Steinbrenner. The freshman came on in the second half of the year to post 62 kills, 54 aces and 48 blocks.

–Middle hitter: Kendra Sheets, Sr., Land O’ Lakes. Was a defensive presence for Land O’ Lakes with a team-high 63 blocks.

–Outside hitter: Caci Andreychuk, Jr., Wharton. Had a team-leading 291 kills, 164 digs and 57 aces.

–Outside hitter: Jasmyn Perry, Jr., Freedom. The Tampa Bay Tech transfer helped fill holes on the Patriot frontline. Recorded 313 kills, 196 digs and 45 aces.

–Outside hitter: Miranda Powell, Sr., Steinbrenner. Led the Warriors with 90 aces while putting down 309 kills.

–Rightside hitter: Tori Quaglia, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Recorded 146 kills, 99 digs, 49 blocks and 32 aces for the Bulls.

–Setter: Casey McLean, So., Steinbrenner. Posted 832 assists despite having the tall order of replacing setter Erin McMurtry, the 2010 All-Laker/All-Lutz News Volleyball Player of the Year.

–Utility: Grace Olsen, So., Wiregrass Ranch. The epitome of a utility player. Had a team-high 351 digs and 150 kills while adding 32 aces.

Player of the Year: Cary Anne Bame, Steinbrenner. Bame posted a program-record 262 digs this season while committing only 49 errors, but her contributions go further than statistics. The senior has been a team captain for the squad since Steinbrenner opened in 2009, and her leadership was evident every time the Warriors took the court. Bame’s teammates and coaches have said she brought a level of confidence the team needed to win its third straight district championship this season.

Coach of the Year: Jennifer Graham, Steinbrenner. Graham took over a program that had won back-to-back district championships and a combined 40-15 record the previous two years. Graham, who had been an assistant the first two years of the program, needed to find replacements for seven graduating seniors. She guided the Warriors to a 24-5 record, setting a single-season record for wins. Steinbrenner also completed a perfect district season for the third straight campaign, reaching the regional semis in back-to-back years.

Girls swimming/diving first team

–Danielle Albright, Sr., Wharton. Won the 200-yard freestyle district and regional championships, and backed that up with a fourth-place performance at states.

–Athena Cimino, Fr., Wiregrass Ranch. The only Bulls swimmer to claim a district title when she won the 3A-5 50-yard freestyle. Also finished as regional runner-up and took seventh at states.

–Krystin Demsher, So., Land O’ Lakes. Brought home the 500-yard freestyle Class 2A-District 5 championship. Also part of the Gators’ 400 freestyle team that won district gold.

–Savannah Mattox, Sr., Sunlake. The Seahawks’ senior bested all competitors for the Class 2A-District 5 100-yard freestyle race by finishing in 1:00.4.

–Dee Sopapong, Fr., Wharton. Claimed the 100-yard breaststroke title and was part of the 200 medley and freestyle teams that also captured district titles.

Girls swimming/diving second team

–Jenna Cropanese, Jr., Bishop McLaughlin. Was the only Hurricanes swimmer to win a district title, claiming the 1A-3 100-yard butterfly in 1:03.82.

–Andrea Mapugay, Jr., Land O’ Lakes. Placed second in the Class 2A-District 5 50-yard freestyle race in 27.21.

–Dona McDonald, So., Land O’ Lakes. Finished as the Class 2A-District 5 100-yard freestyle runner-up in 1:00.97, 0.57 seconds behind the champion.

–Courtney Meyer, So., Sunlake. Captured a district championship by completing the 2A-5 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.76.

–Jocelyn Williams, So., Land O’ Lakes. Completed the Class 2A-District 5 100-yard backstroke race in 1:12.45, good enough for second place.

Swimmer/Diver of the Year: Danielle Albright, Wharton. Albright ran, or swam, away with the Class 3A-District 4 200-yard freestyle championship by finishing in 1:56.7. A sign of things to come for the senior. She backed up that title with a regional crown by shaving 4.05 seconds off her district time. Albright also placed fourth at states, better than any other area competitor in any event.

Coach of the Year: Robin Hilgenberg, Land O’ Lakes. The Gators’ leader helped Land O’ Lakes maintain its dominance of area swimming. Hilgenberg’s squad won its fourth straight Sunshine Athletic Conference and third straight district championships this season. The program also completed an undefeated regular season.

Boys swimming/diving first team

–Chad Ankers, Sr., Wharton. Claimed a pair of individual district championships and also helped the Wildcats win a relay crown.

–Cam Hilgenberg, So., Land O’ Lakes. Won the Class 2A-District 5 50-yard freestyle race by swimming a 22.57.

–Giorgi Meyer, Sr., Steinbrenner. The diver won his second straight district championship this year by scoring 508.9.

–Austin Wachsman, Sr., Sunlake. The Seahawks’ senior scored 331.7 to win the Class 2A-District 5 diving championship.

–Jordan Wheeler, Fr., Land O’ Lakes. The freshman wasn’t intimidated by his first district meet, winning the 500-yard freestyle title in 4:59.58.

Boys swimming/diving second team

–Marc Berson, So., Freedom. Finished as the runner-up in the Class 3A-District 4 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle races.

–Jordan Shollenberger, So., Freedom. Took second in the Class 3A-District 4 200-yard individual medley by finishing in 2:11.51.

–Dillan Villavisanis, So., Academy at the Lakes. The only member of the Wildcats’ squad placed second in the 100-yard backstroke at the Class 1A-District 7 meet in 1:05.91.

–Caleb Zeleznock, So., Wesley Chapel. His time of 1:54.08 was good enough to make him runner-up at the Class 2A-District 5 200-yard freestyle race.

–Austin VanVliet, Sr., Sunlake. Placed second in the Class 2A-District 5 100-yard freestyle race in 50.28.

Swimmer/Diver of the Year: Chad Ankers, Wharton. Was the only area swimmer to claim three district championships this year. Won the individual 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard freestyle races in 55.08 and 1:45.55, respectively. The senior was also on the Wildcats’ 200 freestyle team that tied for first with George Jenkins in 1:36.73. At regionals he placed third in both individual events.

Coach of the Year: Barbara Hayes, Land O’ Lakes. Hayes guided the Gators to another Sunshine Athletic Conference title this year, their 11th consecutive. Land O’ Lakes also won a district championship after missing out on the crown last year, the first time the program hadn’t won such a title since 2003. To top things off, the Gators completed another undefeated regular season.

Girls cross country first team

–Elise Cedre, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Overcame a rolled ankle to run a 20:26.6 at states, good enough to place 64th overall.

–Chelse Ginn-Davis, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. One of the most consistent scorers for a Bulls squad that had to replace four of its top-seven runners from a year ago.

–Savannah Goode, So., Wiregrass Ranch. Goode decided to run cross country this season instead of being a cheerleader. Posted a 20:45.07 at states to take 74th.

–Nikita Shah, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Her fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state meet is better than any other runner in school history.

–Berlin Waters, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Normally a soccer player, Waters picked up cross country this year as well. Finished the state course in 20:33.66 to finish 66th.

Girls cross country second team

–Laure Arfaras, So., Freedom. Was constantly at the top for a Patriots squad that finished as a district runner-up and advanced to states.

–Taylor Griffith, Jr., Wharton. Led all Wildcats runners at the Class 4A state meet by posting a 21:07.68 to place 93rd.

–Mariah Henderson, So., Wharton. The sophomore ran a 21:18.87 in her first state finals meet, good enough for 97th.

–Ashley Smith, Sr., Freedom. Ran better than any other Patriot at the Class 4A state meet by finishing in 20:30.98 to take 67th.

–Annie Tedesco, So., Freedom. Tedesco finished in 80th place at the state meet by running a 20:48.38.

Runner of the Year: Nikita Shah, Wiregrass Ranch. Shah entered the year as one of the top girls runners in the Tampa Bay area and peaked at the right time. The junior finished in less than 18 minutes in the district, regional and state meet, including setting a personal record 17:52 at the Class 3A-Ditrict 6 race. Shah ran a 17:53.96 at the Class 3A state meet to take fourth place, better than any runner in school history. Her time would have made her the individual champion in the 1A, 2A or 4A state meets.

Coach of the Year: Don Howard, Wiregrass Ranch. Howard had quite a challenge ahead of him at the start of the 2011 season. He lost four of his top-seven runners from the 2010 squad that won conference, district and regional titles. Howard managed to get his new and returning runners at a level to place seventh at the Class 3A state meet, one spot off the best finish in program history.

Boys cross country first team

–Ermias Bireda, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. Led all Bulls runners at the Class 3A state meet by running a 16:09.10, good enough for 15th place.

–David Hill, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. His consistent times helped the Bulls take sixth as a team at the Class 3A state meet, matching the best finish in program history.

–Sam Hippely, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Won an individual conference championship and placed 26th at states in his final year.

–Matt Magee, Jr., Steinbrenner. Placed 37th at the Class 3A state meet by finishing in 16:29.51.

–Travis Nichols, So., Land O’ Lakes. Won the Class 3A-Ditrict 6 individual district championship and later took 16th at states by posting a 16:10.74.

Boys cross country second team

–Patrick Hill, Jr., Wiregrass Ranch. The junior ran a 16:59.62 at states to claim 77th overall.

–Tyler Lima, Jr., Steinbrenner. The Warriors’ team captain ran a 16:48.55 at the Class 3A state meet, good enough for 63rd overall.

–Tyler Mattera, Sr., Wiregrass Ranch. Without the senior’s times, Wiregrass Ranch wouldn’t have been able to place sixth at the Class 3A state meet.

–Tyler Stahl, So., Land O’ Lakes. Suffered an injury at the Class 3A state meet, but the sophomore was a big reason the Gators returned to the finals.

–Blake West, Jr., Steinbrenner. Ran a personal record 17:10.66 at the Class 3A state meet to take 89th.

Runner of the Year: Sam Hippely. The Wiregrass Ranch senior saved his best season for last. He won an individual Sunshine State Conference championship, finished as the Class 3A-Ditrict 6 individual runner-up and placed fourth at regionals to help the Bulls win titles at all three events. Also posted a 26th-place finish at states, helping Wiregrass Ranch take sixth overall to match the best finish in program history.

Coach of the Year: Chris Loth, Wiregrass Ranch. Loth had to come up with four new runners for the squad and did so with his now tried-and-true methods of training top athletes. Loth’s boys claimed conference, district and regionals championships this year and also placed sixth at the Class 3A state meet, matching the best finish in the program’s six-year history.