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Gabrielle Marshall, a Gaither High graduate and cross-country runner for Pasco- Hernando State College (PHSC), received the Larry Monts Award on June 21. 

The honor goes to those who have excelled in academics, athletics and altruism. Cross-country coaches from across the state make the selection.

Marshall earned her associate’s degree from PHSC in Fall 2021 and a Technical Certificate in Practical Nursing in Summer 2022, while leading PHSC to consecutive Florida College System Activities Association Athletics Championships. She ran under the guidance of Jacki Wachtel, the FCSAA Region 8 coach of the year. While enrolled, Marshall worked at Moffitt Cancer Center. She also served as a special need’s ministry and youth volunteer and worship leader in her local church.

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Chay Yeager, a two-way player for the Pasco-Hernando State College Bobcats, in the 12th round of the MLB Draft on June 11.

This season, Yeager pitched 69.1 innings with 102 strikeouts for a 13.24 K/9 during 15 appearances and a 3.76 ERA. At the plate, he batted .258/.343/.440 (batting avg., on-base percentage, slugging percentage).

Additionally, teammate Aiden Corn, a freshman outfielder, was selected to the 2023 NJCAA Division II All-American baseball team. In 2023, Corn batted .422 with 86 hits, 54 RBI, seven homers and scored 49 runs.

The North Tampa Bay Senior Softball league (NTBSS) celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2022 by experiencing record participation numbers and crowning new champions.

The team sponsored by RIPA Associates out of Tampa defeated AMI Recycling 10-9 to take home the 2022-2023 North Tampa Bay Senior League Slowpitch Championship earlier this year.

RIPA is led by managers/players Wayne Spencer and Gene Castillo, and includes Angel Delgado, Paul Wells, Howard Honigbaum, Bernie Desrosiers, Carlos Pinnace, Brian Jared, Nick Cozzo, Ed Madeo, Dave Leto, Dave Perez, Joe Ricardo and John Esposito rounding out the roster.

The league has teams sponsored by local businesses such as Humana, Payne Environmental, Culinary Packaging, HOJO Softball Inc., E.M. Consultants, J. Emerson LLC, Gary Lemberg Ministries, and A&R Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Inc.

NTBSS is a league that offers outdoor activity for senior men and women, with a concentration on sisterhood, brotherhood, sportsmanship, fitness and competition. The league practices during the summer months twice a week at the fields at Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex, 3032 Collier Parkway, on Tuesdays and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

New players (men over age 60 and women over 50) are invited to try out for the 2023-2024 season starting in September. A draft of players for team participation will be held last week of August.

For more information, contact League Commissioner Walt Bruschi at or 330-701-0646, or League Secretary Denny Kato at or 727-215-5345. 

Interested parties also can visit NTBSS.net for more league information.

Former Land O’ Lakes High baseball player Dakota Harris (2020) was drafted in the 11th round of the Major League Baseball Amatuer Draft on July 11 by the St. Louis Cardinals.

Harris just finished his first season at Oklahoma State University after transferring in from Polk State and batted .328 with seven homers, 12 doubles and 48 RBI in 46 games. At Polk State, Harris was National Junior College Athletic Association co-Defensive Player of the Year and earned a Rawlings Junior College Gold Glove thanks to a .973 fielding percentage, committing just four errors in 150 chances and assisting on 28 double plays.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department will host a wheelchair basketball clinic on July 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Charles S. Rushe Middle School, 18654 Mentmore Blvd., Land O’ Lakes. The clinic will be run by Paul Schulte, a Summer Paralympics medalist from Top End Wheelchairs, a sporting wheelchair company in Pinellas Park. The clinic is $5 per athlete and for athletes with disabilities ages 5 to 18. Registration can be completed online at tinyurl.com/3zkta9n4. For more details, call Scarlett Lawhorne at 727-494-4878.

The Wesley Chapel Storm, a 12U travel baseball team, recently brought home the gold championship from a week-long baseball tournament at the Cal Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. They went 9-1 in their 36-team age division.

In pool play, the Storm first faced Bowfins Elite, losing 4-3, but then they won four straight — defeating Hoover Force (8-5); Baton Rouge Astros (16-1); the Rage (24-2), and finally Lincoln-Way Prospects (17-0). They outscored those opponents 65-8.

The team was at the No. 5 seed in the elimination round, but blew through these games to the championship, defeating: the Oswego Panthers 8-0; the Channahon Indians 9-3; and, the top-seeded Texas Twelve Maroon-Woodlands 16-5.

To win the championship, the Storm defeated a nearby Tampa foe, G.R.I.T. Baseball, topping it 5-2.

In all, the team combined for 105 hits, 106 runs, six home runs, three complete games pitched, and the 11 players who did pitch allowed just 16 earned runs.

Team members include Max Wyszkowski, Bennett Nissley, Lucas Mendez,, Zander Daughtery, Keagan Libby, Julian Pascarella, Logan Robertson, Christian Jarrett, Tyler McDonald, Luca Giacomino, Jonah Lloyd, and are coached by manager Justin Giacomino and assistants Brian Jarrett, Isaac Libby, Shawn Daughtery and Rick Massey.

Prospects Hockey Intermediate and Senior camps will return for their seventh year at AdventHealth Center Ice, 3173 Cypress Ridge Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

During the week of camps and the World Tournament, players will receive a combination of skill development, in-game awareness training, power skating, small area games, on-ice testing and professional guest speakers. The camp also will include an NHL-style draft, with all players entering the draft. Teams representing specific countries will be formed to compete in the World Championship (five games guaranteed). 

The camp will be led by coach Marcin Snita, who has two decades of experience working with elite athletes, including 40 current NHL players.

Cost for the camp starts at $799 and spots are filling quickly.

For more information or to register, visit AHCenterIce.com/icehockey-prospectshockeycamp.

The Montreal Alouettes, a.k.a Skylarks (formally Battlehawks), a Land O’ Lakes-based youth flag football team, recently won its league championship and a chance to compete for the national championship beginning July 6 at the University of Maryland.

The Skylarks had a tough — but ultimately — victorious road to become champions. The team started as the fifth seed in the playoffs. 

It had to defeat the Seahawks, a team that had beaten them in the regular season. It won that game 33-14. Then, the Skylarks played the No. 1-seeded Colts. The Skylarks dominated again, this time 28-6.

Then, after waiting an hour before the championship game started, the Skylarks defeated the Dolphins, a team which had defeated the Skylarks 25-12 in the regular season. Again, the Skylarks dominated, winning 33-6 for the 3/4 UA RISE Spring Season Championship.

Team members include Ty Camp, Colton Leitzell, Austin Leitzell, Lincoln Lovelace, Zane Miller, Christian Mirabella, Parker Nichols, Michael Noto, Jesse Toro, Justin Vaca, James Vargas and Mason Thayer, and are coached by Greg Mark and Matt Mirabella.

For information on the team, visit tinyurl.com/yu6s7cs4.