The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Idlewild men’s group seeks early risers

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By Sarah Whitman

The men of Idlewild Baptist Church are awake and ready to worship before the sun comes up. Fellow early risers are welcome to join in when the church’s men’s ministry, Morning Momentum, begins its summer season May 20.
The group meets at 6:15 a.m. Thursday mornings at the church. Meetings consist of prayer time, Biblical study and group discussions. There is also coffee for those who need an extra boost.
“We meet early in the morning because the first thing every man should do when he gets up is spend time with God,” said ministry leader Bob Thompson. “This way, we make it a point to do that by coming together to worship the Lord.”
Thompson has more than 20 years experience in men’s ministry and has worked at Idlewild for three years. He said the church’s men’s groups are constantly growing and changing. Morning Momentum currently has 65 members, ranging from singles to married men with grown children.

Idlewild Morning Momentum members Ray Acosta, Lorenzo Monteagudo, Dan Romesburg, Steve Warren and Scott Smith work to build a ramp for a disabled little girl in Lutz. (Photo courtesy of Bob Thompson)

This season’s study is “The Man God Uses” by Henry and Tom Blackaby, a reflection on being a man of God in daily life. Chapter topics include Character of a Man, How God Shapes a Man and Man’s Response to God. Topics will be reviewed at morning meetings.
General day-to-day topics and issues are also on the agenda.
“Men are facing a lot of stresses and pressures in the world,” Thompson said. “Men need other men so we can learn from each other to become better husbands and fathers and to be more successful in the workplace.”
Dana Hardey has been a member at Idlewild for 20 years. He considers men’s fellowship a way to refocus and gain perspective. He hopes to be an example to younger men in Morning Momentum.
“Sometimes you need advice from someone who’s already been through the situation you’re going through,” he said. “If someone is considering divorce, a man that’s been through it might be able to shed light on the pain of divorce and tell a friend not to give up. By getting together, we can help each other overcome hurts, habits and hang-ups.”
Hardey doesn’t mind waking up early for meetings. He said the time is convenient.
“Guys can get up, meet and then can go to work,” he said. “It works.”
Thompson said it is a perfect time for busy dads.
“It’s a good time to meet because it doesn’t interfere with being home with the family in the evenings,” he said.
For the men who don’t have to rush to work, Idlewild offers men’s small groups following Thursday morning meetings. The men’s ministry also offers a 5:30 p.m. Thursday group, for those who aren’t morning people.
“I’m a part of that one too,” Hardey said.
Thompson said the men’s ministry is more than just its meet-up groups. The men participate in community service projects and are there for one another in difficult times.
“We’re an all inclusive ministry,” Thompson said. “We really consider all men at the church part of the group. If they don’t come to us, we go to them.”
For information on Morning Momentum and Idlewild’s men’s ministry, call (813) 264-1515 or visit www.idlewild.org.

Sunlake students will tour with drum and bugle corps

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By Suzanne Schmidt

Brent Harden, 16, of Land O’ Lakes practices with his instrument, the mellophone. (Photo by Suzanne Schmidt)

Two students from Sunlake High School will march the summer away touring with Teal Sound, a world-class drum and bugle corps.
Brent Harden, 16, of Land O’ Lakes and Becky Macias, 17, of Odessa, will compete in the Drum Corps International World Class Summer Tour from the day school ends June 4 to the day before it starts again Aug. 14. The students will get to travel all over including Texas, Oklahoma, New York, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and Illinois.
Harden will be playing the mellophone an instrument he has played for five years because it is a fun and easy.
“The corps is like the NFL for marching bands,” Harden said. “It is rewarding and challenging. It will be very tough to leave my family behind for the summer. One good thing about it is we will get to see a lot of the country.”
Macias said she is excited to be on tour all summer.
“I think it will be fun but I will miss my family,” Macias said. “I am looking forward to going on tour. Even if it is hard right now, I feel like it is completely worth it. It is something I really like to do.”
Macias has been in the color guard for a little more than two years.

“I started off in percussion then midway through the marching season I switched to color guard,” Macias said. “I like performing and I like dancing around and having people watch me. It is a lot of fun. I want to be a high school teacher and teach color guard on the side one day.”
Harden and Macias need to raise $2,500 each to be able to go on the tour. The money will go towards their lodging and food. To donate, visit tealsound.org/support/wholeperson.html.
The students auditioned for Teal Sound at a weekend-long camp with hundreds of other high school students from throughout the Southeast United States. They were two of only four students from Pasco to make it. The other two are Brandon Slaughter and Ryan Harring from Mitchell High School.
Ever since they found out they would be touring with the corps, they have been spending at least one weekend a month practicing at Matanzas High School in Palm Coast. They said they are practicing as much as 12 to 14 hours a day in the sun only breaking for meals.
“You have to be fit,” Macias said. “You have to eat healthy and they gave us exercise plans.”
Harden said he has learned a lot more than just being fit.
“I learned that nothing comes easily,” Harden said. “It is something I will take with me for the rest of my life.”
Tonya O’Malley, Sunlake band director, is the visual technician for Teal Sound. She asked both students to audition because she thought they would learn a lot from the experience.
“I saw there were some positions available but I didn’t know if they were interested,” O’Malley said. “I contacted the students who I thought could perform at that level. Becky and Brent went to a couple of the camps and it was nice because they really enjoyed it. This is an experience I feel high school students wouldn’t get anywhere else. The camaraderie and the work ethic they learn is something a lot of kids just don’t understand.”

Becky Macias, 17, of Odessa practices her color guard moves. (Photo by Suzanne Schmidt)

O’Malley said she is happy they both enjoy the corps because of how hectic the work schedule is.
“They wake up at 7:30 a.m. and the lights out are at 1:30 a.m.,” O’Malley said. “They only get a break for meals. They are literally rehearsing all day long. They do a lot of physical training out in the sun all day.”
In addition to the life lessons, O’Malley said it is a great opportunity to prepare the students to be global citizens.
“There are people who fly from all over to participate,” O’Malley said. “There is even one person in Brent’s section who is from Japan. It gives them the opportunity to interact with people from different parts of the world.”
For more information, visit tealsound.org.

GPS For Life Seminar set for Wesley Chapel

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By Suzanne Schmidt

Wesley Chapel resident John Loblack has been helping people to accomplish their personal and professional goals for eight years.
Loblack, a human development specialist, will lead a GPS for Life Seminar 10 a.m. to noon May 20 at Best Western Summer Crest, 5639 Oakley Blvd. in Wesley Chapel. The cost is $59.
“I want to remind people of their goals and resolutions they set at the beginning of the year,” Loblack said. “I will help them gauge where they are and help them get the tools so they can accomplish the goals they have set. Saying you are going to do something is one thing, knowing how to do it is another. I do whatever it takes to get the people from where they are to where they want to go.”
The seminar will be more like a workshop with handouts and interaction. People will learn the S.M.A.R.T. approach to completing goals. S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Resonant or Realistic and Timely.
Loblack said many times the reason people do not accomplish their goals is because the goals are too general.
“When I grow up, I want to be a doctor is not specific enough,” Loblack said. “You have to state the goal and outline the step-by-step process to help you get there. I like the group seminars because I feel people will be able to learn so much more from the other people in the seminar as well, but I will also talk with people one-on-one.”

Dr. John Loblack, professional development specialist, will have a GPS for Life seminar May 20. (Photo by Suzanne Schmidt)

Loblack said he has a unique perspective, which helps him to motivate the people he works with. He grew up in Dominica, an island in the Caribbean, with his mother Lucia George.
“I can provide guidance because of my personal experience,” Loblack said. “I have come from a third world developing country with a mom who has only a fifth-grade education. I was motivated since I was a kid to get an education and now I have a doctorate. These collective experiences enable me to help others.”
Loblack also draws from his education. He has a bachelor’s in Sociology from Midwestern State University in Texas, a master’s in human resources from Texas State University and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale.
“I want to help people because so many people helped me,” Loblack said. “My mom was my biggest influence and my sociology teacher Dr. Emily Labeff (Midwestern State University) was a big influence as well. She inspired me to believe in myself. She helped me so much, it is my goal before I die to start a scholarship in her name.”
Loblack teaches a graduate course in education at Strayer University.
“There is nothing better than seeing people blossom,” Loblack said. “It is great helping people to uncover or discover their inner potential. I am like a farmer sowing the seeds and then seeing them grow.”
Angie Tyson-Martin of Temple Terrace attended one of Loblack’s goal setting seminars and she said it helped her a lot. She is about halfway through her book of original poetry titled “Messages from Above.”
“For years, I was saying I need to write a book,” Tyson-Martin said. “I had a bunch of poems. After the seminar, I used the steps in the pamphlet to get all my poems in order and then I started adding to them. I am halfway through finishing my book and I have been looking into self-publishing sites.”
Tyson-Martin was inspired to complete her goal because she could finally see each and every step she needed to take. She also had a lot of motivation from Loblack with regular e-mails and check ups.
“The way he presented the steps, it was so motivational to me,” Tyson-Martin said. “It was real helpful for me to see that I can accomplish something. He helped me to go from being less confident about myself to being more confident. His follow up methods helped me a lot too because he would always call me or e-mail me and see what I accomplished that week.”
Loblack also inspires Michael Riley of Tampa. They have been friends for about a year since they met at Nova Southeastern University.
“He is a good leader and he encourages me and motivates me,” Riley said. “He is very helpful. He strives to make me feel comfortable. He does whatever it takes to help you. He will go that extra mile.”
Loblack is also focusing his efforts on helping at-risk youth from the ages of 13 to 24.
“I am going out and talking to inmates getting their GED,” Loblack said. “I want to focus on the at-risk youth because there are so many of them.”
In June, Loblack will have another workshop on how to overcome roadblocks in work and in life. For more information, visit http://goalmindcoaching.net.

A dream not lost

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Ken Gezelman’s dreams of being on “The Biggest Loser” were lost but his dreams of loosing weight live on. I’ve been following Ken on Facebook and he’s working hard to prove he doesn’t need a television show to get in shape. He posts what he eats and when he exercises. When he craves a food like pizza, he asks for advice on how to satisfy the craving in a healthy way. He counts calories and doesn’t get discouraged on a bad day.
Ken is proof that taking a risk on a big dream may not turn out they way you hope, but that doesn’t mean something good won’t happen. Maybe even something great. He’s proof that the most important thing is never giving up hope.
He may not be a T.V. star, but to the people of Zephyrhills, he is a superstar.

The Laker,

Well, I didn’t get picked for the Biggest Loser show but since the article was printed, the support on Facebook has been overwhelming. The group jumped up to 1755 people. The responses have been good, mostly advice and well wishes. Overall, support is great.
I have been working with my doctor, Alise Pastorik, ARNP. Together we are working on a diet program and I have been working on my exercise program. I go to The Local Gym in Zephyrhills. It is a great place with newer updated equipment and it is open 24 hours a day. Which makes it easier for me to go to after work, since I work afternoons.
Trying to get on the Biggest Loser has been a life awakening experience. I have been recognized from the article in The Laker and from my Facebook page. While shopping in stores or just being out and about around town, people ask me questions about my diet.
It will be a challenge but I will reach my goal. I will lose the weight I need to get healthy. I am going to continue to go to workout and control my eating habits. I will try to help others on their weight lose journeys too. I want to thank The Laker for putting my story out there and the readers for all their support.
I am still working at West Zephyrhills Elementary as the Assistant Plant Manager. I want to be a positive role model for the children to get in shape and exercise. My goal is that once I lose the weight, I will talk to the children and show them they can be healthy too. I have been overweight my whole life. If I can change, it should give hope to others that they can be fit.

Ken “JT” Gezelman

Benedetto’s switches up seafood dishes due to oil spill

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By Suzanne Schmidt

Ben Pumo, owner of Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano, has changed the seafood dishes at his restaurant to bring in fresh fish from other areas like Maine and Hawaii due to the recent Gulf oil spill.
“We have stocked up on shrimp and once we run out, we will get it from the east coast,” Pumo said. “We are now serving monchong from Hawaii, which is a buttery, meaty fish with a texture almost like chicken and an unbelievable taste. We are also bringing in fish from Maine where it comes from our own dock. We have haddock, Ipswich clams, and Maine lobster.”
The restaurant is also serving mahi-mahi and big eye tuna from Hawaii and Chilean sea bass. Sean O’Connor, general manager of the restaurant, said he thinks it is a good idea.

Ben Pumo, Vito Martucci and Dustin Funderburg take a break from cooking at Benedetto’s Ristorante Italiano in Land O’ Lakes. (Photo by Suzanne Schmidt)

“People won’t want to eat seafood as much with the oil spill,” O’Connor said. “We are getting our seafood now from all over the place.”
Pumo said his restaurant is different from others for a number of reasons.
“The uniqueness of the piano bar and the type of cuisine we offer sets us apart,” Pumo said. “Everything we serve is so fresh. We also have a lot of talent here with the chefs and the servers.”
Vito Martucci, a chef at the restaurant, is from Italy and has worked in and owned a few Italian restaurants through the years.
“We have contemporary Italian cuisine with a flair of French and Latin influences,” Martucci said. “The atmosphere is nice since we have live music every night. The piano adds a New York flair to the atmosphere.”
The restaurant can also serve up made-to-order dishes.
“A lot of people think eating Italian means that they have to eat garlic, but everything we make is made-to-order,” Pumo said. “We can make something special for people who are lactose-intolerant or we can make it with wheat pasta. Also most of our dishes are vegetarian or can be made that way. We truly try to have something for everyone.”
Lillian Stark of Land O’ Lakes has been eating at Benedetto’s since it opened. She said she keeps coming back because the staff is so inviting, the atmosphere is cozy and the food is excellent.
“He has a real knack for coming up with creative and delicious dishes,” Stark said. “It is a place I like to go weekly to just hang out. I am from New York and it is hard to find an Italian restaurant that can deliver such great food. Plus I love the piano bar, it makes it so much fun.”

Linguine with clams (Photo by Suzanne Schmidt)

The restaurant is also offering early dinner specials from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. For $14.95 customers get a beverage, house or Caesar salad, a choice from eight entrees and either key lime pie or spumoni for dessert.
“It is a good deal and that is what people are looking for,” Pumo said.
The restaurant, 21529 Village Lakes Shopping Center Drive in Land O’ Lakes, is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, call (813) 909-9694 or visit benedettoitaliano.com.

Spring football practice heats up in Pasco County

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Spring game within sights

By Kyle LoJacono

High school football practices have been underway for a few weeks and the first Pasco County spring games in 19 years are a few days away.

One of the teams looking to build on last year is Wiregrass Ranch High, which went 5-5 in 2009. The five wins are the most in Bulls school history, which opened in 2006.

Wiregrass Ranch wide receiver Donovan Blackman will be a senior next season.

“Things have been going real well,” said Wiregrass Ranch coach Jeremy Shobe. “We have high expectations. We brought in a whole new coaching staff who are unbelievable and are getting to know the kids and gel with them. The more we play together the more together we will be as a team.”

The staff is new, but the system will remain similar. The defense will run the same 4-3 defense, or four down linemen and three linebackers. The offense will use multiple formations to run the spread offense.

The Bulls are losing 23 seniors from the 2009 team, but have at least that many juniors who will fill that void.

Sophomore lineman Brandon Teeling and junior defensive back Rudy Walker have stepped up on the defense.

The Bulls are led on offense by 6-foot-4 quarterback James Tringali.

“Practice has been going good,” Walker said. “Just putting in hard work is all we do…Having that spring game coming up has helped us a lot getting ready.”

Offensive leaders include wide receiver Donovan Blackman and quarterback James Tringali.

“The thing I’ve really noticed is we have a lot more kids out here this spring versus last year,” Tringali said. “The enthusiasm is good. We’ve got that winning mentality now.”

The players are looking forward to the game, but coaches are focusing on the basics.

“Were just working on fundamentals and getting everyone back in the swing of things,” Shobe said. “We just want to build on last year’s success. We tell them with winning comes expectations and we expect to win.”

LAND O’ LAKES HIGH

Last season Land O’ Lakes High managed to extend its Pasco County record for regional appearances to 13 straight years despite losing John Benedetto who coached the Gators for 32 seasons.

Matt Kitchie took over the program and led them to a 9-2 record, but the Gators are not resting on their reputation.

“Things have been phenomenal in practice,” Kitchie said. “Our goals are to find out who our starters will be and also to find out who’s going to be role players. We need to know who is going to step up and fill in if we have injuries. We need to find out who is going to play varsity and who’ll be (junior varsity).”

Land O’ Lakes running attack will be led by Ryan Lane next season.

Land O’ Lakes ran the spread offense last season and will keep the same system in place in 2010. The system is based on throwing the ball with multiple receivers, which puts added importance on quarterback Stephen Weatherford.

“Stephen needs to get the ball to the right player and make good decisions,” Kitchie said. “We want to spread them out so they’re in a bad position to defend. On defense we play a 3-3 stack like they play at the University of Michigan and blitz a lot to keep them off balance and again put them in a bad position.”

In a 3-3 stack, a team has three down linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs.

Continuing the playoff streak is likely reason enough to work throughout the spring, but the revival of the game at the end of the season is adding more motivation.

“Before last year I’d never coached at a team that didn’t have a spring game,” Kitchie said. “The younger kids know they’ll get to play against the varsity. It’s a huge carrot for the kids to compete throughout the spring.”

Most teams view playoff appearances as successful seasons, but the Gators have greater goals.

“Every day is a competition and no one is guaranteed a spot, even Stephen has to earn his place,” Kitchie said. “That’s what it will take to win a state title is competing on each play in each practice because district titles are nice, but we want that big prize. If you’re not trying to win that title each day and on each play then you’ll come up short.”

ZEPHYRHILLS HIGH

Whenever Zephyrhills and Pasco play the intensity level is ratcheted up, even for spring football.

Pasco transfer Jacolby O’Neal will play running back for Zephyrhills next year.

“The kids are always motivated to play that team nine miles away, but we are focusing on the fundamentals right now,” said new Bulldogs coach Reggie Roberts, who played for Zephyrhills from 1986 to 1990. “I believe in being fundamentally sound as a team so you don’t beat yourself.”

One of the things Roberts has emphasized to the team is football is important, but not the most important thing.

“When I took the job I said I had a triangle of three important things, with academics on the top of that triangle,” Roberts said. “With that is community service and good health. That means getting your workout in and staying away from drugs and other things that hurt your body and mind.”

Each Monday and Wednesday players with a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) or higher have study hall for an hour before practice. Those with a 2.4 to 2.0 GPA hit the study hall Monday through Thursday. Students are not eligible to play sports if they fall below a 2.0 GPA.

On the field the coaches are learning how to best use the players’ talents.

“Were going to spread it out a little bit on offense,” Roberts said. “That means throwing the ball down the field and getting good work from our running backs like Jacolby O’Neal who’s come over from Pasco.

“On defense we’re going to bring back the old (Tom) Fisher days of defense,” Roberts continued. “That’s smash mouth and making the other team pay for every yard.”

Tom Fisher coached Zephyrhills for 20 years and led the Bulldogs during Roberts playing days.

SUNLAKE HIGH

The 2010 season will be the fourth year of Sunlake as a school and football program and the goal for the Seahawks is to continue to improve.

Sophomore Jamal Jones will contribute to Sunlake as a defensive back and running back in 2010.

“We’ve had a good start to the spring,” said Sunlake coach Bill Browning. “We’ve still got a long way to go to get where we want. I like what I see but we still need to improve.”

Sunlake finished last year 4-6, setting a program record for wins. In the first two years the Seahawks won a total of one game, but the practice field has been filled with players hoping to make 2010 the school’s first winning season.

“We have 70 guys out there right now and we’re looking to see who will be our leaders next year,” Browning said. “We ran multiple offensive and defensive alignments last year and we won’t know what we’ll use next season until we sort out the positions.”

The Seahawks emphasized the run last year with 60 percent of the plays staying on the ground.

Sunlake will play Mitchell at home May 28. Bringing back the game changes the spring schedule for the coaches.

“It really expedites things for us,” Browning said. “We have to think about game preparation as we get closer to that. We’ve done as many spring practices as we were allowed during the last few years and this kind of increases the importance of each one.”

WESLEY CHAPEL HIGH

Wesley Chapel is in the first spring practices without former coach John Castelamare running the show, but new coach Ben Alford is not wasting time putting in his system.

“The former coach ran a wing-T and we run more of a spread offense,” Alford said. “That means using four or five wide receiver sets, but we’ll also run out of the I-formation. Basically whatever our kids do best that is what we will do.”

A wing-T is an offense based on running the ball on sweeps to the left or right, while a spread formation relies on the pass.

The former quarterback at Pasco, the University of Northern Iowa and in the American Professional Football League will use a spread offense next year.

“Things are going really well,” Alford said of practice. “We’ve got some leaders emerging and we’ve got 80 kids out there which shows the passion for football in Wesley Chapel.”

Some of those leaders include two-way player Devin Piper, defensive back Davan Henry and linebacker Jake Fisher.

Jake Fisher played on the defensive line last season, but is moving to his natural position of linebacker next year.

“He will play middle linebacker (and) he is the quarterback of the defense,” Alford said of Fisher. “Great kid on and off the field. The other kids really look up to him. I’m just glad that my first year of coaching that I have a guy like that in the middle of my defense.”

While Alford is installing his system, he has a lot of respect for what Castelamare did at Wesley Chapel.

“Coach Cass is a legend,” Alford said. “He worked here and did a great job. He set the foundation for me to come in and work with. I’ve got some big shoes to fill and I can only hope to do half of what he did here in his career.”

ACADEMY AT THE LAKES

Academy at the Lakes is not the largest school in Pasco, but it has one of the most well-known coaches — John Castelamare who coached at Wesley Chapel from 1999 until last year.

“We’re doing alright here considering some of the kids are still new to the workouts,” Castelamare said. “We have 14 boys on the team now, which is pretty good when you consider the school only has 46 boys in the high school.”

The academy, which has about 110 high school students, will again play six-man football this year, but the goal is to move up to the 11-man version.

“That’s the goal is to make us a traditional football team and grow the program,” Castelamare said. “I keep telling the kids you could be the start here.”

Castelamare does not know what system he will run yet until he learns the players’ strengths. He has however found some leaders in seniors Alex Thompson and Jason Pitcairn.

“They are the only two seniors we’ll have next year,” Castelamare said. “The team only had eight players last year and six of them graduated. We’ll lean on their experience.”

The Wildcats will either play a spring game or an intra-squad scrimmage at the end of the spring season, but that is to be determined.

Pasco spring schedule

Land O’ Lakes at Wiregrass Ranch May 28

Zephyrhills at Pasco May 28

Mitchell at Sunlake May 28

Hudson at Wesley Chapel May 28

Academy at the Lakes vs. TBA

Low impact workout, high intensity fun with rowing club

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Land O’ Lakes woman starts club to honor her father

By Kyle LoJacono

Members of the Land O’ Lakes Rowing Club enjoy the activity so much they sacrifice sleep each weekend to be the first on Saxon Lake.

From left are Land O' Lakes Rowing Club members Darby Harvey, Jennifer Nelson, Leslie Stanford, Barb Hayes and Mary Jane Kranendonk.

“We’ve been meeting for a couple months at 7:30 (a.m.) on Saturdays or Sundays,” said Mary Jane Kranendonk, who started the club. “We have about 17 people who come out right now who are all women in their mid to late 40s from around Land O’ Lakes. Let me tell you if you’ve never been it’s quite a full-body workout.”

The club is on the water early because the winds are usually less strong at that time and there are fewer people on the lake, which creates calmer water.

“It’s also good to get out there early because we all are juggling family life and other things, so it’s the best time to get out there,” said member Darby Harvey, 50. “The boat can get really tippy, so if we don’t get out there before other boats it’s hard to get going.

“Thank goodness I haven’t been in the boat when it has flipped,” Harvey said jokingly. “I think that has only happened once when they were trying to bring it in.”

The club usually spends about an hour and a half rowing. After that, the traffic on the water increases.

Kranendonk, 47, learned how to lead a rowing team from the Tampa Rowing Club and got her U.S. Rowing coaching card from Stetson University. She is also a physical education teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary School in Pasco Lutz.

“I wanted to start the club in honor of my dad (Art Trubiano) who passed away a few years ago,” Kranendonk said. “He was on the crew team at the University of Tampa and coached there too. Our boat is named after him, 4 Truby.”

The 4 in the boat’s name corresponds to the number of rowers that fit into the boat and Truby was his nickname. A fifth person in the boat steers.

Another group member is Mary Cooley, 45, who is a physical therapist for all levels of public schools in east Pasco County.

“When we are setting things up to get the boat in the water you can enjoy the scenery a little bit, but once we get out there we have to concentrate on each stroke,” Cooley said. “We really have to focus and stop talking, but it is still very peaceful out there at that time of day.”

All three women said the appeal originally was because rowing is a total body workout, especially the way they do it.

“The workout is really more about using your core and whole body because we sweep so it’s like doing little crunches while using your legs and upper body,” Harvey said. “…Sweeping is when the seats move too so you can’t just use your arms and it forces you to be in good rhythm with your own body and as a team.”

Rowing is also a low impact exercise, which is good for the women who sometimes have joint pain.

While the team is made up of middle-aged women, their competitive drive still burns within them. Harvey remembered a recent morning when that passion got the better of them.

“We have all these strong spirited women that got a little too into (rowing) a couple weeks ago,” Harvey said. “Mary Jane’s goal is to eventually form a team to enter into the Mayor’s Cup in Tampa and she told us to pretend we were in a race. We all got going a little too fast and got off rhythm and went nowhere fast.

“You’re linked out there and if you don’t do everything in sync things just get tippy and you don’t go anywhere fast,” Harvey continued.

The Mayor’s Cup is a big race each year where teams from around the nation come to compete. While Kranendonk would like to enter the event in 2011, she also wants to spread rowing to Pasco’s high schools.

“I was already given permission to start a club team at Land O’ Lakes High School and hopefully I’ll eventually have the time to get that started,” Kranendonk said. “I want to see more people and young people develop a love for rowing too.”

As a physical therapist in the school system, Cooley sees the benefits to both students and the everyday person.

“It’s awesome for people of all ages and the team aspect would be great for the kids,” Cooley said.

“I think it’s kind of cool to add things to life to make it more interesting,” Colley continued. “We aren’t all people who did this in school or anything. We’re just a bunch of people who get together for a good workout and for each other’s company.”

Athlete of the week

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Emily Rivera wins state championship

Wesley Chapel resident and gymnast Emily Rivera, 9, recently won the level 3 AAU State Meet All-American Award.

The award is given to the top level-3 gymnast in the 9-year-old division in the state.

Emily Rivera

Her final score was also higher than all the other 229 competitors of all ages at the meet. She just started competing in gymnastics one year ago and trains at East Pasco Gymnastics in Zephyrhills.

First ever winning season for Wesley Chapel baseball

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By Kyle LoJacono

Before this year, Wesley Chapel High had never won more than half its games, but the team changed that forever in 2010.

The Wildcats also won their first regional tournament game against Nature Coast Tech, but were eliminated by Hernando in the second round.

The Wildcats (24-4) have reached the regional tournament every year since coach Chuck Yingling took over the program for the 2008 season. They were the district runners-up his first year and took the championship last season.

“The season has gone extremely well,” Yingling said. “I think it’s really special to have the kind of season we’ve had. I’d say it’s a little better than we expected. Other teams know we’re tough to play home or away.”

Wesley Chapel closer Matt Wynne.

Wesley Chapel built its team on pitching and defense.

“We felt we would mature and grow as a pitching staff this year,” Yingling said. “Matt Wynne is our big closer. Marcus (Crescentini) comes out of the bullpen and has made a couple big starts for us this season too. Jeremy Thompson has stepped up big when needed.”

The two leaders in the starting rotation have been left-handers Cole Miraglia and Brandon Mumaw.

“I think they’ve both had outstanding seasons,” said pitching coach Steve Mumaw. “…To be honest it would have been nice to have Cole for the last two or three years because he is outstanding. He was great with Zephyrhills too and sometimes guys who come to a new program after having success don’t listen, but he’s been very coachable and willing to learn.”

The Wildcats No. 1 pitcher Cole Miraglia transferred from Zephyrhills for his senior season.

Miraglia (9-1) transferred from Zephyrhills for his senior year. He was out of the fall season because of an old injury to his pitching arm.

“I had a hairline fracture in my arm when I was a sophomore and had to wear a cast for a couple months,” Miraglia said earlier this season. “It was giving me problems and coach Yingling wanted me to have it looked at.”

Miraglia originally suffered the fracture when he and a friend were “messing around” as he put it. He ended up being hit with a bat in his arm and cracked his ulna, one of the two bones in the forearm.

Miraglia finished the year with a team leading 95 strikeouts and a 1.49 earned run average (ERA). He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup.

Steve, who is also the Wildcats athletic director, is Brandon’s father.

“It’s a little bit different coaching your son,” Steve said. “The relationship is different. You can talk with your son in the car and at home, but I treat all the players like they are my sons and as individuals.

“It’s great to watch (Brandon) grow as a pitcher,” Steve continued. “It’s been special to coach him the last three seasons. It’s very satisfying as a father.”

Brandon season was cut short with a few weeks left in the regular season because of a broken finger on his nonthrowing hand. Even though he missed several starts, he still managed a 6-0 record with one save and a 0.50 ERA.

“I think we’ve played up to our potential this season,” Brandon said. “We are a complete team. We get hits when we need to and our pitching and defense have come through all year.”

Wesley Chapel pitching coach Steve Mumaw (left) watches practice with his son, Brandon.

Brandon also throws a fastball, curveball and changeup. He has 47 strikeouts to just five walks, a ratio of nearly 9.5 Ks to every one BB.

“I’ve tried to work both the outside corner and inside corner and use the least number of pitches possible,” Brandon said. “That’s something our coaches have emphasized to all the pitchers. Getting 12 strikeouts a game is great, but if you can only go four innings it doesn’t matter much. It is better to go deep into the game and get people out quicker.”

The Wildcats have a team ERA of 1.51 and have 225 strikeouts to 52 walks. An important part to any successful pitching staff is strong defense.

“They’ve helped out all the pitchers a lot,” Brandon said of the team defense. “When guys get on I have confidence the defense will get them out…Our catch Justin (Frost) throws out everybody trying to steal and blocks everything we throw at him.”

Wesley Chapel has come a long way from the team Yingling took over three seasons ago.

“They’re a really close team and a lot of people have contributed to the success,” Yingling said. “To see the program come so far in three years is very special.”

-All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of May 10. Kyle LoJacono can be reached at or (813) 909-2800.

Program firsts and hall of fame honors for Gaither baseball

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By Kyle LoJacono

The 2010 Gaither High baseball team did things never done before at the school. While the Cowboys (21-4) were eliminated by Venice in the regional first round, the team continued its baseball tradition.

“We’ve only had one losing season since we started and that was the first year,” said Frank Permuy, who has been the only baseball coach at Gaither since it opened in 1984. “…We’ve had a great year. We’ve won 16 games in a row, which is a school record. We also are batting .380 as a team entering regionals and that’s the best team average we’ve ever had.”

Another baseball first came when the Cowboys won their 20th game of the season against Riverview April 22 — the first time Gaither has won 20 games in the regular season.

Before the record-setting season began, Permuy was inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Hall of Fame.

“That was a real honor,” Permuy said after hearing of the honor. “There are a lot of great coaches in the hall and I’m pleased to be among them. It’s something very special.”

While the Cowboys were upset in the Class 5A, District 9 tournament championship game by King, Gaither still made the regional tournament for the sixth straight season, according to the FHSAA.

“Alex and Dylan were really our top pitchers,” Permuy continued. “Alex had a tough time in the fall with tendonitis….He recovered from that and is our No. 1 pitcher. Dylan just always does the job. We bring him into shut any game down and he just has one of those arms that can throw almost every day.”

Cowboys closer Dylan Hathcock finished with a 3-0 with five saves entering the regional tournament.

Hathcock, senior, had a 3-0 record with five saves and a 1.30 earned run average (ERA). He has signed to play at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to study business administration.

“I’m really happy with it,” Hathcock said of his senior season. “The seniors and parents have been looking forward to this year because we knew we would have a good year.”

Hathcock throws a fastball, slider and changeup and has team-high 48 strikeouts to 15 walks during his 27 innings of work entering the regional tournament. As a closer, it is his job to get the final outs when the Cowboys are winning.

“I try to be as relaxed as possible on the mound,” Hathcock said. “I try to not let my emotions show or get the best of me.”

Milne, sophomore, led Gaither with eight wins. Of those wins, Hathcock saved two of them.

“It’s good to have someone as reliable as him coming out of the bullpen,” Milne said. “With runners on base he can get out of the inning without them scoring.”

Milne, who is left handed, says he is completely recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out of Gaither’s fall season. He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup and posted a 2.95 ERA and recorded 32 Ks.

The offense has had several standouts, but the three seniors have made the most of their last seasons.

Third baseman Mike Danner had a .425 batting average, 29 runs scored, four homeruns and a team-leading 14 steals, 34 hits and 39 runs batted in (RBI). Before the season he signed to play at Polk Community College.

Gaither senior third baseman Mike Danner is part of the Cowboys team that won 20 games for the first time in program history.

First baseman Brady North led the team with seven homers and 31 runs scored. He also batted .413, had 31 hits and 30 RBI. He has signed to play at Hillsborough County Community College.

Centerfielder Drew Doty will play at St. Petersburg College next year. He posted a .362 batting average, 28 runs scored, 29 hits and two homeruns at the plate. He was also a perfect 12 for 12 in stolen base attempts.

“They are all great to the underclassman and help us out when we need it,” Milne said. “They’ve seen a lot more and keep us calm when we need to.”

Permuy was happy to send the seniors out as winners.

“I think a good senior season can help springboard players the next year,” Permuy said. “They wanted to get to states, but they still had a great year…I think we’ll be able to be strong again next year because our underclass had a .360 batting average entering regionals and Alex will be back to lead the pitchers. I think we can have another good year next season.”

— All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches as of May 7.

Gaither baseball achievements

  • First 20 win regular season
  • School record 16 straight wins
  • School record .380 batting average
  • Sixth straight regional tournament appearance
  • Coach Frank Permuy inducted to the FHSAA Hall of Fame