Check This Out

Darin Kilfoyl, a junior right-hander for Academy at the Lakes, has committed to play baseball at St. Johns River State College in Palatka. Last season, the 6-foot-8 Kilfoyl recorded a 0.91 ERA and struck out 97 batters, in 46 innings. At the plate, Kilfoyl batted .348 with two home runs and 16 RBIs. Over the summer, Kilfoyl played for the Atlanta Blue Jays, an elite travel club for 15 to 18 year olds. Kilfoyl is noted for having a four-pitch arsenal, which includes a fastball, curveball, changeup and cutter.

Erika Peitersen, a senior midfielder for Steinbrenner High, has verbally committed to play soccer at Saint Leo University. In 2016, Peitersen was a second-team All-Western Conference selection, scoring six goals and notching nine assists.

 

• 

  Cayley Gottschall, a senior outfielder for Sunlake High, has verbally committed to play softball at Broward College. In 2016, Gottschall batted .364, with 21 runs and 11 RBI. Gottschall is the third Sunlake softball player to announce a commitment this year. The others are second baseman Haley Kirinsky (Flagler College) and catcher Shelby Lansing (Southeastern University).

The Pasco-Hernando State College volleyball program has added one of the region’s top middle blockers to its 2017 roster. The state college also announced the signing of Abby Epstein, a two-sport athlete from Crystal River High School in Citrus County. Epstein, a three-year starter, was the 6A-7 district leader in kills (362), blocks (144) and aces (49) in 2016. She was also named the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Region 8 District 6A Player of the Year and was selected to play on the FACA All-Star Team. “Abby is an exceptional athlete with an outstanding work ethic. We look forward to her joining our volleyball program at PHSC,” head coach Kim Whitney said, in a statement. Epstein also led her high school team with a .356 hitting percentage. PHSC’s volleyball season begins in August.

Saddlebrook Resort in Wesley Chapel is hosting a $25,000 United States Tennis Association Women’s Tennis event from Jan. 22 to Jan. 29. Matches will be played daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sixty-four professional tennis players are expected, including rising stars Cici Bellis, 17, and 24-year-old Shelby Rodgers. Players will compete in singles and doubles draw, with four rounds per day. Besides the purse, the tournament allows pros to generate ranking points for larger events, such as grand slams. There is no spectator charge, but Saddlebrook Resort requires valet parking of $25 per day. For more information, visit Saddlebrook.com.

Former Academy at the Lakes girls basketball star Audra Leipold, now a junior point guard at Seffner Christian Academy, scored her 2,000th high school career point on Dec. 31, during the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational. The milestone came just two weeks after she tallied her 500th career assist. Leipold was a four-year starting guard at Academy of the Lakes before transferring to Seffner Christian last July. The dexterous 5-foot-8 point guard is currently averaging 12 points per game at Seffner Christian, one year after she led AATL in scoring at 24.8 points per game.

Megan Clark, a senior guard at Freedom High School, notched her 1,000th high school career point on Dec. 31, during the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational. A four-year varsity player, the 5-foot-9 Clark is averaging 22.7 points per game for the Patriots this season. She’s also averaging 6.3 rebounds and 4.3 steals per game. Clark committed to play collegiate hoops at Tennessee Tech University last June.

Academy at the Lakes sophomore pitcher/infielder Alexis Kilfoyl has been selected to the 2017 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training (JWNT) team. Kilfoyl, a University of Alabama commit, was one of 24 athletes chosen after a two-day nationwide selection process by the Women’s National Team Selection Committee. Kilfoyl and her new teammates will compete in a training camp and exhibition games in Oklahoma City at the World Cup of Softball XII. From there, the final roster for the 2017 USA Softball JWNT will be narrowed down to 17 players. The 17-player roster will then compete at the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Junior Women’s World Championship from July 24 to July 30 in Clearwater.

In her freshman season, Kilfoyl won 11 games, compiling a 1.36 ERA and striking out 163 batters in 103 innings. At the plate, Kilfoyl batted .561, hitting three home runs, along with six doubles and 20 RBIs.

Antwione Sims, a record-breaking running back at Zephyrhills High School, has received a football scholarship offer from Citadel, a Division I FCS school in South Carolina. Despite missing the entire 2016 season with a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), the 5-foot-11, 193-pound now holds 12 offers. Other prominent offers include Boston College, Navy and Troy (Alabama) University. In 2015, Sims ran for a school-record 2,093 yards and 24 touchdowns. Various football-recruiting services list Sims as either a two-star or three-star recruit.

Buoyed by a 25-point bump, Saint Leo University moved up to No. 13 in the final fall update of the 2016-17 Division II Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. Saint Leo gained 25 points after its qualification in the 2016 NCAA Division II Women’s Volleyball Championship, finishing the fall season with 171.00 points in the Directors’ Cup standings — the highest ranking of any Sunshine State Conference program; Grand Valley State (Michigan) finished the season atop the Directors’ Cup standings with 350.00 points. The Learfield Directors’ Cup was developed as a joint effort between the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and USA Today.  Points are awarded based on each institution’s finish in NCAA Championships. The next Directors’ Cup standings update is scheduled for March 16.

John Pease, a standout goalkeeper for Wiregrass Ranch High School, has verbally committed to play soccer for Jacksonville University, a Division I school. Through Dec. 21, the 5-foot-8, 145-pound senior has notched 26 saves, a 90 percent save percentage and a 0.7 goals against average. The Bulls are 8-3-3, through 14 matches.