Check This Out

Academy at the Lakes senior basketball standout Jackie Laihinen was recently recognized as Spectrum Scholar-Athlete of the Month for January. For the honor, Laihenen will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Spectrum, as well as a certificate and a feature that will air on Bay News 9 and Spectrum Sports. Laihenen averages 17.8 points per game on the basketball court and has a 3.86 GPA in the classroom. From left: Academy at the Lakes Head of School Mark Heller, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore, Jackie Laihinen, Academy at the Lakes Athletic Director Tom Haslam, and Spectrum Government Affairs Senior Manager Albie Kaminsky.

The Groves Golf & Country Club in Land O’ Lakes has been ranked as the No. 2 best golf value in the Tampa Bay area by Golf Advisor, a website which offers golf course reviews and ratings by golfers across the United States and world.

Nearly 95% of the reviewers who played The Groves recommended the course, second highest among 120 in the Tampa area, the website reported.

For this list, Golf Advisor looked for courses that are roughly 2,200 yards and longer, or a par 31 (double that for 18-hole courses), and urban courses that allow a golfer to hit every club in their bag. The site used 2018-2019 Nielson market size data to determine the 50 largest markets and used a 30-mile radius from the urban core. Courses were ranked on:

• Conditions
• Value
• Layout
• Friendliness of Staff
• Pace
• Amenities

Land O’ Lakes High product Sydny Nasello, now a sophomore forward/midfielder on the University of South Florida (USF) women’s soccer team, was chosen as one of 25 participants for the United States Women’s National Team U-20 pre-qualifying training camp, which runs through January in Lakewood Ranch.

After the camp, the team will be whittled down to 20 players for the 2020 CONCACAG Women’s U-20 Championship, which runs from Feb. 15 to March 1. The 2020 FIFA U-20 World Cup will be in Panama and Costa Rica this August.

Nasello finished her 2019 season at USF with two goals and 10 assists for 14 points. She was also selected as second team American Athletic All-Conference in a season where the Bulls reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.
At Land O’ Lakes, Nasello racked up 120 goals across a four-year varsity soccer career. Her senior year, she was named the 2018 Florida Dairy Farmers Class 3A Player of the Year after posting 45 goals and 13 assists, guiding the Gators to the regional finals, a 23-3 record and undefeated district mark.

Chris Neatherly, left, and Steve Gallette teamed to take first place at the South Pasco Bassmasters’ January tournament on the Winter Haven Chain of Lakes, hauling in a winning weight of 18.72 pounds. The fishing duo caught their haul using multiple techniques of flipping plastics in vegetation, using Rat L Traps in the mouth of canals and open water, and topwater frogs. The next SPBM tournament is scheduled for Feb. 15, at Herlong Park in Leesburg. For more information, visit SouthPascoBassmasters.com.

Watergrass Elementary fifth-grader Jonny Robinson has been selected to represent Team USA at the first-ever Youth Soccer World Cup in Madrid, Spain, in April. Robinson is one of only 20 American players selected for the honor, as tryouts were held in over 20 cities in the United States. Robinson and Team USA will join hundreds of the world’s top youth players representing more than 45 countries in the event.

Wesley Chapel native Tre’ McKitty announced that he’s transferring from Florida State University to the University of Georgia for the 2020 football season. The 6-foot-5, 245-pound tight end caught 50 passes for 520 yards in three seasons in Tallahassee. McKitty, who prepped at Wesley Chapel High and IMG Academy, will enroll at Georgia as a graduate transfer and will be eligible immediately.

Pasco Hernando-State College men’s basketball standout Daniel Harrison Jones recently signed with Life University, an NAIA Division I program in Marietta, Georgia. The 6-foot-2 forward led the Bobcats in scoring (15.2 points per game) and was second in rebounds (5.4 per game) during the 2018-2019 season. Jones prepped at Brandon High.

Saint Leo University men’s basketball head coach Lance Randall achieved his 200th career Division II win, in a 95-80 road victory over Lynn University, on Jan. 11. Randall, who sported a 200-139 career record in 11 seasons at the time of the win, is in his second head coaching stint at Saint Leo. He was the Lions head from 2011 to 2015, then assumed the same position at Lindenwood University (St. Charles, Missouri) from 2015 to 2019, before returning to Saint Leo again this season.

Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High junior guard Isabella Prada recently surpassed 1,000 career points for her varsity basketball career. The 5-foot-6 Prada has averaged a combined 18 points per game in three varsity seasons.