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Putting an exclamation point on a stellar high school running career, Sunlake senior distance runner Alex Pena took home the state title in the 1600 meter race at the Class 4A state championships on May 20 at the Jax Track at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville. Pena ran a time of four minutes, seven seconds, which represented the event’s fastest time in all state classifications, as well as the eighth-fastest in Florida High School history.

By overcoming an early season injury, Pena worked with his coach, Randal Reeves, and developed a “cross training” plan that enabled him to keep his fitness level high throughout the season.

Pena also placed sixth in the 3200-meter race at the state championships with a 9:19 time. At the Class 4A-District 6A meet, he also finished first in the 1600 meter (4:29), the 800 meter (1:56) and the 3200 meter (9:34).

Additionally, several other Sunlake distance runners were at the state championships, including freshman Christian Hindman in the 1600 meter (4:24) and the 3200 meter (9:35). 

Sophomore Cade Culpepper placed ninth (9:24) in the 3200 meter, junior Joshua Hindman placed seventh in the 800 meter (1:56), Abigail Williams placed 10th in the 3200 meter (11:25) and Christian Hindman placed 15th in the 1600 meter (4:33). 

Sunlake also had two field event athletes competing at the state meet, with Jadyn Wolf placing 15th in the pole vault and Kendyl Okin placing eighth in the javelin.

The Pirates announced on June 5 the hiring of Armwood High defensive coordinator Fred Hicks as its new football coach, replacing the departing Alphonso Freeney, who accepted a head football coaching job at Saks High School in Alabama.

The Hawks’ defensive coordinator led a unit that allowed 12.2 points per game in 2022, when Armwood went 6-4.

Freeney turned around a Pasco team that went 0-10 in 2021 and led the Pirates (9-2) to a Class 3S playoff berth.

Saint Leo University (SLU) baseball relief pitcher Nick Jennings was named to the All-South Region Second Team by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA) on May 17.

Jennings, a former Land O’ Lakes High ballplayer who graduated from SLU on May 13, finished fourth in saves for the season, with a 1.42 ERA through 31.2 innings. Jennings ended the season with a 4-1 record over 18 appearances and struck out 35 batters and allowed only 20 hits.

Jennings also was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference Second Team for relievers.

The Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department will begin its Summer Outdoor Adventures Challenge on June 1 and run through Aug. 31 for participants to earn a Blazin’ Hot Summer Challenge patch.

Cost is $20 for those who sign up to complete 75 miles of any combination of biking, hiking, paddling or swimming. The challenge will help fund support for the Pasco Outdoor Adventures programming, allowing the department to hire more outdoor recreation staff, offer more programs and purchase more equipment.

To learn more or sign up, visit tinyurl.com/bp65sjmt.

The Wiregrass Ranch boys tennis team brought home the Class 3A state title as a team on April 25, defeating Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas in straight five sets to secure the championship.

In fact, the Bulls didn’t drop a single match at the state tournament, as they defeated Seabreeze 4-0 in the quarterfinal and defeated Ponte Vedra 4-0 in the semifinals.

Wiregrass was led by singles player Ninad Raut, who was also overall state champion, and Raut would team with doubles partner Vlad Shumakov to become overall doubles state champions.

This is the Bulls’ boys tennis team’s third state title in school history.

The Academy at the Lakes softball community experienced a tragedy, however, the team and school are rallying around one of its players. 

Junior pitcher Sydney Klein’s 12-year-old cousin, Noah, passed away from a terminal form of brain cancer called diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG).

The softball team has rallied around Sydney by dedicating the team’s new field to Noah and his baseball number (11). The players will also wear gold (pediatric cancer) and silver (brain cancer) ribbons in their hair and use gold face glitter during games.

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month and the players are “going gray for May.” They will be wearing hair ties with gray ribbons and gray shirts on game days. Parents are wearing the shirts, as well. 

The family has partnered with ChadTough, a foundation dedicated to finding a cure for DIPG. For more information, visit ChadTough.org.

Following a successful season at the helm, Pasco High football coach Alphonso Freeney announced on April 20 he would step down from his position at the end of the spring football season.

Freeney came into a struggling program that had been 9-22 in its past three seasons, including a winless 2021 season that saw the Pirates score just 18 points. However, in his first season as head coach, Freeney revived Pasco into a 9-2 playoff team, led by running back Tayshaun Balmir, who had 1,899 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns.

Freeney, an Alabama native, said he is returning home to coach football due to a compensatory “package” he “could not refuse for my family.”

Ravens Cheer, from Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, based in Lutz, took home the 2023 School Grand Champion title at the Spirit Championship Season Showcase Finale. The event was held at the Florida State Fairgrounds on April 23.