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Land O' Lakes Sports

Sunlake girls weightlifting celebrates state title

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The Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting team perennially has been among the more dominant programs in the area, wielding multiple conference and district titles over the years.

But, their latest feat places them on an entirely new level.

The Seahawks claimed the 2019 FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A girls weightlifting state championship, on Feb. 8 in Panama City Beach.

The Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting team claimed the Class 2A state championship earlier this month. They join competitive cheerleading as the Sunlake’s only boys or girls sports program to win a state title since the school opened in 2007. (Courtesy of Sunlake High girls weightlifting)

The Seahawks tallied 22 points as a team, besting the second-place finisher, Vero Beach High School (19 points) by 3 points.

The title marked the end of the sport’s longest active streak of consecutive team championships held by Navarre High School — four titles won between 2015 through 2018 — who tied for seventh place with 11 points.

It also marks Sunlake’s second state championship among all boys or girls sports; the school’s competitive cheerleading won a state title back in 2014.

Sunlake’s girls weightlifting program has endured solid finishes in previous years in the state meet — including an eighth-place tie in 2018.

This year’s group, however, featured more than a handful of top-flight performances across multiple weight classes.

Six of Sunlake’s eight state lifters earned points with top-six finishes in the bench press and clean-and-jerk aggregate lifts:

  • Madison Guincho, sophomore—fourth place, 119-pound (170-155—325)
  • Loah Castro, senior—third place, 129-pound (165-160—325)
  • Gianna Levy, junior—fifth place, 139-pound (170-170—340)
  • Juliette Pacheco, junior—second place, 154-pound (205-170—375)
  • Abigail Schmook, junior—fourth place, 183-pound (170-170—340)
  • Antoinette Farmer, junior—second place, 199-pound (195-170—365)

Sunlake’s other two individual state qualifiers, senior Valerie Busot (129-pound) and junior Brianna Caban (169-pound) tied for seventh and ninth place, in their respective weight classes.

Hoisting the state championship trophy still leaves longtime Sunlake head coach Denise Garcia speechless at times.

“I’m overwhelmed,” said Garcia, who’s in her 11th season coaching. “I’m so happy. I sit there sometimes and am like, ‘Holy crap, we just did that with six girls. That’s amazing.’”

Absent of any individual state champions this year, Garcia noted the team’s strategy was to “nickel and dime” its way to the 2A crown.

And that they did.

“It’s about placing. If you have enough girls where you can accumulate points, then you’re going to win. And, we won by three,” Garcia explained.

Entering the 2018-2019 season, the coach had an inkling she had a special group on her hands.

Garcia saw the team had the drive, attitude and work ethic required to contend for a state title, alongside natural ability, and mastering the sport’s techniques and fundamentals.

“They wanted it so bad,” Garcia said. “The key is being coachable and accepting everything I give them, and all of them did it. …I’ve always said we’re the hardest working team.”

The coach credited the leadership of the team’s two captains — senior Loah Castro and junior Antoinette Farmer.

Garcia noted both helped keep the team’s entire roster of 32 girls in check through encouragement and positivity.

“You’ve got to have leaders,” Garcia said. “The captains, I think, really made a difference. They help their teammates. It’s like having another coach there.”

Castro joined the weightlifting team her sophomore year.

While many of her high school peers opted for traditional sports like softball or volleyball, she wanted to try something different.

Said Castro: “When I first started I didn’t go in thinking, ‘Oh, I’m going to win a state title.’ I genuinely wanted to try it because I had never really done a sport before, so I was like, ‘Maybe this is something I could be good at.’”

She surely did — placing at states her junior and senior years.

“It was a lot of hard work,” Castro said. “It’s really a mindset type of thing. Like, this whole sport is a mind game.”

Castro first noticed the team’s potential for a state title at the end of last year’s state meet, realizing there’d be many returning lifters poised to make improvements.

Then, by the time this year’s Sunshine Athletic Conference meet came around — which Sunlake also won — Castro was convinced the team had enough to become state’s top 2A program.

Castro put it like this: “I was like, ‘There’s no way we’re not winning states. We’re going to work way too hard and everything, and, there’s no way we’re not taking the title.’”

Just like her coach, Castro is in awe being able to say she’s a member of a state championship program.

“It’s so surreal, especially because it’s my senior year,” Castro said. “I call us the dream team.”

Weightlifting was a relatively new venture for the team’s other captain, too.

Farmer’s sights were originally set on playing basketball in high school.

However, she was encouraged to give lifting a try by Sunlake graduate and family friend Brianna Anderson, who won the 183-pound state weightlifting title as a senior year back in 2016.

Farmer was hooked almost instantly when she tried out as a freshman.

“I didn’t even know that you could do that,” Farmer said of weightlifting. “After my first summer conditioning with coach, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I love this.’”

Farmer’s performance this season is arguably the most splendid, among her other teammates who placed at states.

That’s because she had surgery on a torn meniscus back in late September, right before the season started.

She methodically worked her way back to full health, to finish state runner-up in the 199-pound division, and set a county record for her weight class with a 180-pound clean.

Farmer remains unsatisfied, though.

The junior is gunning for an individual state title next year — motivated to unseat Niceville High sophomore Melaina Bryant, who edged her by 15 pounds in the bench and 10 pounds in the clean, respectively.

“I’m just a stepping-stone away from that first place,” Farmer said. “I want it.”

Her coach has little doubt it will happen

“She’s going to win next year,” Garcia said, confidently. “She’s closing the gap.”

Sunlake’s Juliette Pacheco is yet another that has a shot to claim an individual title next year. The junior finished state runner-up in the 154-pound division, just five pounds shy of top finisher, Oakleaf High senior Lexi Perez.

“They’re going to both be No. 1,” Garcia proudly said, of Farmer and Pacheco.

In the meantime, Sunlake’s prospect for winning another state crown next year also seems well within grasp.

The Seahawks expect to return every lifter that placed at states, aside from the graduating Castro; several others are projected to step up as well, Garcia said.

“Every year we get better and better,” the coach said. “Next year, it’s going to be even more.”

State results from area weightlifters and teams

Class 2A
Team results
Sunlake High—First place (22 points)
Land O’ Lakes High—10th place (tie) (seven points)
Wiregrass Ranch High—No placing (0 points)

119 pounds
Madison Guincho, sophomore, Sunlake: fourth place; 170-155—325

129 pounds
Loah Castro, senior, Sunlake: third place; 165-160—325
Valerie Busot, senior, Sunlake: seventh place (tie); 155-160—315
Gianina Rios, junior, Wiregrass Ranch: 17th place; 170-0—170

139 pounds
Gianna Levy, junior, Sunlake: fifth place; 170-170—340

154 pounds
Juliette Pacheco, junior, Sunlake: second place; 205-170—375

169 pounds
Veronica Salazar, senior, Land O’ Lakes: first place; 200-185—385
Alyssa Kremer, junior, Land O’ Lakes: seventh place; 200-160—360
Brianna Caban, junior, Sunlake: ninth place (tie); 180-170—350

183 pounds
Abigail Schmook, junior, Sunlake: fourth place; 170-170—340

199 pounds
Antionette Farmer, junior, Sunlake: second place; 195-170—365

Class 1A finals
Team results
Pasco High—14th place (tie) (five points)
Zephyrhills High—14th place (tie) (five points)
Wesley Chapel—No placing (zero points)

Bench press-clean-and-jerk—Total (in pounds)
101 pounds
Prestine Carter, senior, Pasco: second place; 115-135—250

139 pounds
Sarah Davis, junior, Zephyrhills: sixth place; 160-150—310

154 pounds
Kayla Robbins, junior, Zephyrhills: eighth place; 160-150—310

169 pounds
Lakisia Thomas, junior, Zephyrhills: sixth place; 160-165—325
Dinah Harden, senior, Wesley Chapel: 13th place; 145-145—290

199 pound
Cynthia Wilkes, senior, Zephyrhills: 14th place; 155-145—300

Unlimited
Abby Shaffer, senior, Zephyrhills: fourth place; 230-220—450

Published February 20, 2019

Local softball sensations make junior national team

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They’ve bewildered hundreds of batters.

They’ve won state titles.

They’ve earned state player of the year honors.

They’ve signed with powerhouse Southeastern Conference (SEC) schools.

Academy at the Lakes’ Lexi Kilfoyl and Land O’ Lakes High School’s Callie Turner have raked in their fair share of achievements across their prep fastpitch softball careers.

And, the latest, places the pitching sensations together on the national stage.

Academy at the Lakes senior pitcher and Alabama signee Alexis Kilfoyl is one of just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team. She also made the team in 2017. (Courtesy of USA Softball)

Kilfoyl and Turner are among just 20 athletes nationwide chosen to the 2019 USA Softball Junior Women’s National Training Team.

The high school seniors made the under-19 team following a three-day tryout in Clearwater in December; they were evaluated by members of the Women’s National Team Selection Committee.

Kilfoyl and Turner represent the only selections from Florida. Others on the roster represent just eight additional states (Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas).

Both being from Land O’ Lakes — and close friends, at that — makes the prestigious designation that much sweeter.

Kilfoyl and Turner’s friendship began when they played Little League together, and has been forged through high school and travel ball.

The bond is sure to continue, even as college rivals at the University of Alabama and University of Tennessee, respectively.

“We’re just like really close,” said Turner. “I’d probably say she’s one of my best friends with all that stuff.”

“It’s definitely crazy how things worked out,” Kilfoyl said, “because…we’ve been there for each other pretty much our entire softball careers.”

That was the case in point during the national team tryouts.

Kilfoyl, a 6-foot-1 right-hander, made the squad back in 2017 — then the team’s youngest member as a 16-year-old sophomore.

Knowing what to anticipate, Kilfoyl guided Turner throughout the tryout process, calming her nerves.

“She was kind of my mentor,” said Turner, a 5-foot-10 left-hander. “If she wasn’t there, I’d probably be a little bit more uncomfortable but, since she was there, it really helped me with being comfortable.

Alexis Kilfoyl

“It was really like nerve-wracking at the beginning, just because like everyone that was there deserved to be there because of their talent.”

Kilfoyl added, “Being there two years ago, I knew what to expect, so I explained it to her and it helped a little bit more, and she knew what was coming and there were no surprises for her.”

Turner recalls “tears of joy” upon discovering she made the team.

“I was crying,” she said, “just because it was definitely a hard-work experience getting there, so when you find you find out that your hard work actually paid off in some ways, it was really exciting.”

Kilfoyl, meanwhile, felt some added pressure to make the team a second time around as an older, more mature pitcher.

“It was definitely a relief knowing that they wanted me back again,” Kilfoyl said. “Getting the (selection) email was definitely a relief to know that all the hard work paid off.”

Proud to represent their schools, and Land O’ Lakes
“It really isn’t about one person,” Kilfoyl said. “It’s definitely about the whole team and the whole school.”

“I think it did bring a lot of pride,” Turner said. “People are still congratulating me to this day because it’s such an honor.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will compete in a training camp and exhibition games in Columbus, Georgia, at the 2019 USA Softball International Cup, throughout June and July.

The roster then will be trimmed to 17 athletes to participate in the WSBC (World Baseball Softball Confederation) Junior Women’s World Cup, in August, in Irvine, California.

Kilfoyl said the experience back in 2017 helped heighten her overall level of play.

Specifically, because she was practicing alongside the nation’s top talents, facing elite international competition, and getting instruction from renowned Division I college coaches.

“It was very beneficial,” Kilfoyl said. “I really got a feel of like what is expected at that age and how you have to be able to do everything right. You can’t leave balls over the plate when you’re pitching. You have to be able to locate very well, and you have to spin very well.”

Land O’ Lakes High School senior pitcher and Tennessee Callie Turner joins Kilfoyl on the U.S. junior national team. She made the team after a three-day tryout in December.

But, before they go off and compete for the United States this summer, Kilfoyl and Turner are gearing up for their high school softball swan songs.

Kilfoyl posted a 23-1 mark in the circle last season, with a 0.32 earned run average and 249 strikeouts in 154 innings pitched. She guided Academy at the Lakes to a 26-4 record and the Class 2A state championship.

She also produced a .482 batting average with five home runs, 35 RBI, a .585 on-base percentage and a .788 slugging percentage.

The play earned Kilfoyl 2017-2018 Gatorade Florida Softball Player of the Year honors, distinguishing her as the state’s best high school softball player.

Both players aim for continued excellence
Defending the team’s state championship this season is among Kilfoyl’s top priorities in 2019.

She wants the team to make it as far as it did last year.

“Winning a state championship would be crazy again, and I know we’re going to have a huge target on our backs and it’s going to be that much harder, but definitely want to do that again,” she said.

“As far as personal goals, I guess I’d like to push myself a little bit more.

“I definitely want to go into this year pitching every game like it’s a state championship game, striking out as many as I can and just having a bunch of energy,” Kilfoyl said.

Callie Turner

Turner has similar goals in mind.

After winning the Class 6A state crown in 2017, Land O’ Lakes fell just short of another last season. They went 25-7 and finished state runner-up after falling to Plantation American Heritage 5-1 in the Class 6A state championship game in May.

“I definitely want to end up on top this year,” Turner said. “Last year was kind of rough, just not getting over the peak, especially for our seniors.”

The two-time Class 6A Pitcher of the Year and 2018 Class 6A Player of the Year surely did her part for the team.

Turner posted a 17-6 mark with a 0.78 earned run average and 252 strikeouts in 153.1 innings pitched, including 20 complete games, a no-hitter and six shutouts. She also batted .309 and six RBIs in 65 plate appearances

In the quest to win a second state title in three years, Turner is fine-tuning her repertoire of pitches — changeup, curveball, riseball and dropball.

Turner said she wants to “keep on feeling comfortable with my pitches” and “try to get them more consistent.”

“Sometimes they don’t work, and I just want to be able to like rely on the pitches every time,” Turner said, “so just the practice of the basic things is what I really want to work on this season.”

Kilfoyl and Turner will likely match up against each other on April 23, when Academy at the Lakes hosts Land O’ Lakes in a nonconference game.

Published February 6, 2019

AATL football earns awards

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Accolades keep piling up for the back-to-back eight-man football state championship-winning Academy at the Lakes Wildcats.

Team members were well-represented on the 2018 Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) all-state, all-conference and miscellaneous award selections, which were recently announced.

The 2018 Academy at the Lakes Wildcats culminated a perfect 10-0 season by winning the FCAPPS (Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools) eight-man state championship in December. Eight players earned FCAPPS postseason awards, as well as head coach Shawn Brown, who was named the league’s coach of the year. (File)

A total of eight Academy players were recognized, including sophomore quarterback Jalen Brown, who won the FCAPPS Heisman Trophy Winner award, and senior linebacker Dylan Price, who was named FCAPPS Defensive Player of the Year.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Brown completed nearly 58 percent of his throws for 1,105 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed for 672 yards and 10 touchdowns on 93 carries.

Brown marks the Wildcats’ second FCAPPS Heisman Trophy winner in as many years. He follows former Wildcats running back/linebacker Dylan Gonzalez, who won the 2017 Heisman  award, after putting up big numbers on offense (1,125 yards, 28 total touchdowns) and defense (138 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, one interception) during his senior year.

The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Price, meanwhile, registered 99 total tackles, 17 sacks and four forced fumbles. (Also a running back, Price rushed for 566 yards and six touchdowns on 73 carries.)

Other Academy players receiving honors included: sophomore lineman Dwight Downing, junior defensive end Elijah Freedman, senior defensive back Jullian Jennings, sophomore lineman Andrew Kilfoyl, junior lineman Matthew Martin and senior tight end/defensive end Tioma Stepanets.

Additionally, Wildcats head coach Shawn Brown was named FCAPPS Coach of the Year, for the second straight year.

The 2018 Wildcats wrapped up a perfect 10-0 campaign after defeating Miami Citi Christian 36018 in the FCAPPS eight-man state championship game at Southeastern University in Lakeland; they also won the 2017 state title after beating Jacksonville Old Plank Christian Academy.

The team will enter the 2019 season on a 20-game win streak.

Academy at the Lakes will be formally recognized at the FCAPPS Players’ Awards banquet on April 14 at noon, at Hillsborough Baptist School, 6021 Williams Road in Seffner.

Academy at the Lakes football FCAPPS honorees:
•  Head Coach Shawn Brown — FCAPPS Coach of the Year

  • Jalen Brown, sophomore — FCAPPS Heisman Trophy Winner/All-State Quarterback
  • Dwight Downing, sophomore – All-Conference Center
  • Elijah Freedman, junior – All-Conference Defensive End
  • Jullian Jennings, senior — All-State Defensive Back
  • Andrew Kilfoyl, sophomore — All-State Offensive Lineman
  • Matthew Martin, junior — FCAPPS Sportsmanship Award
  • Dylan Price, senior — FCAPPS Defensive Player of the Year/All-State Defensive End
  • Tioma Stepanets, senior — FCAPPS Spiritual Inspirational Award

Published January 30, 2019

Pasco High gets new football coach

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Pasco High School will have a new head football coach roaming the sidelines, for the first time in more than a decade.

The school recently announced its next head coach is Jason Stokes — a coaching mainstay in the Tampa Bay area, most notably at Gaither High School.

Jason Stokes has been named Pasco High School’s football coach. (File)

Stokes, 43, replaces longtime Pasco coach Tom McHugh, who was relieved of his coaching duties following four consecutive losing seasons, including a 2-8 mark this past year.

Stokes most recently coached at Lake Region High School, in Polk County. The perennially struggling program went winless in his lone season there.

Stokes has achieved coaching success elsewhere, however.

In 2017, he served a season as offensive coordinator at Indian Rocks Christian High School, which went 9-3 and reached the 2A regional finals.

He’s best known for his time at Gaither, from 2011 to 2016 — steering that program to playoff appearances in each of his first three seasons. (He later resigned in the middle of the 2016 season after reports surfaced about using ineligible players, which led to three games forfeited that year.)

Before that, Stokes was the head football coach at Bloomingdale (7-5 in 2008) and Middleton (10-10 combined record in 2009-10) high schools.

In taking over for McHugh, Stokes undoubtedly has big shoes to fill.

McHugh compiled an 86-50 mark in 12 seasons, winning six district titles (2007-12) and two regional titles (2008, 2011).

He is the county’s fifth winningest coach in public schools, behind John Benedetto (195 wins at Land O’ Lakes), Tom Fisher (124 wins at Zephyrhills), John Castelamare (103 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell) and Scott Schmitz (94 wins at River Ridge, Mitchell).

McHugh also coached a trio of Pasco players who would go on to the NFL— Josh Johnson, a former San Diego Charger and Jacksonville Jaguar cornerback who now plays for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League; Janarion Grant, a wide receiver currently on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad; and, Joey Ivie, a defensive tackle currently on the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad.

Yet, the Pirates have struggled in recent years under McHugh, going a combined 10-30 the past four years. Moreover, the program suffered four straight defeats to crosstown foe Zephyrhills High School in the annual 9-Mile War rivalry game, losing those games by an average margin of nearly 40 points.

Despite the difficulties of late, the Pirates do have a young roster stocked with promising players.

That includes linebacker Gabriel Barnes, tailback Malcolm Gibbs, receiver Darrion Robinson and lineman Savion Spaights, who will all be juniors next season, as well as rising seniors in quarterback Desmin Green, defensive back Jordan Mclaughlin and offensive/defensive tackle Cody Rand, among others.

New Sunlake football coach Trey Burdick, left, pictured with former Sunlake all-star linebacker Adam Jarvis. (Courtesy of Trey Burdick)

Meanwhile, Pasco isn’t the only local school to undergo a coaching change this offseason.

In early December, Sunlake High School named assistant Trey Burdick as its next head coach, to replace the now-retired Bill Browning, the only head varsity football coach in the school’s history.

Burdick, 36, has been an assistant at Sunlake since 2008, where he’s coached linebackers, tight ends, special teams, and served as the team’s recruiting coordinator; he’s also been the school’s head track coach for six years, a role he’ll continue as head football coach.

Prior to Sunlake, Burdick was an assistant for two years at Tallahassee Godby High School, working under Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Famer Shelton Crews. He also played football for Tallahassee Lincoln High School, where he was a member of the 1999 6A state championship team.

Sunlake is coming off back-to-back 4-6 marks. Before that, from 2010 to 2016, the Seahawks strung together seven consecutive winning seasons and four playoff appearances.

Published January 16, 2019

Academy at the Lakes wins second straight football title

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They did it again.

The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats notched its second straight eight-man football title, downing Miami Citi Christian Academy Fire 36-18 in the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) state championship on Dec. 8, at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

Team members for Academy at the Lakes hoist the championship trophy after beating Citi Christian Academy of Miami. (Fred Bellet)

Academy at the Lakes (10-0) never trailed against the Fire (7-3) in a game marked by physicality, aggressive play-calling and bouts of sloppy play.

The Wildcats struck first blood midway through the first quarter when quarterback Jalen Brown, in the face of heavy defensive pressure, completed a 3-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to running back Adrian Leverette.

Near the end of the first half, the sophomore signal-caller drove the Wildcats to the end zone again, with the score square 6-6.

Fielding the ball at their own 38 after a Citi turnover on downs, Brown quickly brought the ball into opposing territory rumbling 22 yards on a bootleg run. He then completed two passes for downs, to set up a 17-yard touchdown pass to receiver Jullian Jennings, with under a minute to go in the half.

For Brown, who entered the game with 26 total touchdowns, those types of plays have been par for the course. Brown was named offensive MVP for the game.

“I thought his play was awesome,” Wildcats head coach Shawn Brown said. “I thought he stayed under control. I thought he stayed composed.

Head Coach Shawn Brown signals during game action against Citi Christian of Miami.

“He had a heck of a season,” the coach said.

The Wildcats cushioned their lead to 22-6 midway through the third quarter on a 3-yard rushing touchdown by senior running back/linebacker Dylan Price — set up by a successful onside kick that gave the Wildcats good field position.

The squad from Miami didn’t give up without a tough fight, however.

The Fire answered with two consecutive scoring drives — the first touchdown set up by a Wildcats failed onside kick; the second, set up by a Brown interception — to narrow the game to 22-18 early in the fourth quarter.

And, they had a chance to take the lead, driving the ball from their own 38-yard line with 4 minutes left in regulation.

At that point, the Wildcat’s championship prospects appeared dicey, with momentum on the opposition’s side.

Citi Christian’s No. 21 Denzel Aracena tries bringing down Academy’s No. 7 Adrian Leverette as he carries for extra yardage during game action in Lakeland.

The team stuck together, however, through the tense moments.

“Nobody got down on each other,” coach Brown said. “We constantly lift people up. We see somebody’s head hanging, I saw players go and talk to them, ‘Hey, you’re all right, you gotta get going.’ I thought they stayed positive. I thought they stayed with it. They were picking kids up that were down, so it was amazing.”

Staying upbeat may have worked for the Wildcats — as the game’s course shifted almost instantly.

A bad snap over the head of Fire quarterback Rolondo Bayex forced an errant throw, which wound up the hands of Wildcats defensive end Tioma Stepanets, who returned the interception 10 yards for a touchdown to give the Wildcats a 30-18 lead with 3:24 left in regulation.

With under a minute left, Wildcats defensive back Caleb Yann added another pick-6 for 85 yards to safely put the game out of reach at 36-18.

Wildcats players and coaches agree: The final score wasn’t indicative of just how challenging the game was, matched up against a team stacked with athleticism and size.

Coach Brown described the game as “crazy, crazy physical.”

Jalen Brown called the game a “dogfight.” “We knew they were going to come in and hit us. We just had to stay cool,” he said.

Academy at the Lakes’ quarterback No. 2 Jalen Brown was the offensive most valuable player at the championship game against Citi Christian Academy of Miami.

Senior running back/linebacker Dylan Price put it this way: “They were a tough team. They hit hard. They had that speed to back up the hard hitting.”

The victory was an encore to last year’s memorable state title run when the team went 11-1 and defeated Jacksonville Old Plank Christian Academy 30-9 — for the school’s first-ever eight-man state football championship.

That 2017 season also prepared the team for what to expect this time around.

“I think our experience from last year is the reason why we pulled away in this game,” Jalen Brown said. “(Citi) came out with everything right away, and we were calm, cool and collected, and we just executed.”

With two consecutive state titles, an undefeated season and 20-game winning streak in tow, the team already has their sights set on a third straight championship.

“It’s happening,” Jalen Brown said.

Meanwhile, for seniors like Price, a team captain, his high school career couldn’t have ended any better.

“Every high school player has that image of wanting to end their season on top, with a state championship, get a ring. I’ve been able to do that twice, so it’s just amazing. To celebrate it with these guys, it’s great,” he said.

Road to a perfect season
Sept. 14: Citi Christian Academy (24-12 win)

Sept. 21: at Solid Rock Community (53-6 win)

Sept. 28: at Canterbury (34-13 win)

Oct. 19: Faith Christian (46-13 win)

Oct. 26: St. Lucie Christian (13-0 win by forfeit)

Nov. 2: at Lakeside Christian (15-6 win)

Nov. 9: at Bell Creek Academy (52-0 win)

Nov. 16: Harvest Community (22-6 win)

Nov. 30: Duval Charter (27-16 win)

Dec. 8: Citi Christian Academy (36-18 win)

Scoring Plays


First quarter
(6:29) — Academy at the Lakes (AATL) quarterback Jalen Brown completes a 3-yard touchdown pass to running back Adrian Leverett; extra point no good (6-0, AATL leads)

(0:19) — Citi Christian Academy (CCA) athlete Walter Grimes rushes 3 yards for a touchdown; extra point no good (6-6, tie game)

Second quarter
(0:54) — Brown completes a 17-yard touchdown pass to receiver Julian Jennings; 2-point conversion good (14-6, AATL leads)

Third quarter
(7:01) — AATL running back Dylan Prices rushes 3 yards for a touchdown; extra point (22-6, AATL leads)

(5:09) — CCA running back Derrick Posas rushes 3 yards for a touchdown; 2-point conversion attempt no good (22-12, AATL leads)

Fourth quarter
(7:59) — CCA offensive lineman Wilbert Fabian recovers an offensive fumble for a touchdown at the 1-yard line; two-point conversion no good (22-18, AATL leads)

(3:24) — AATL defensive end Tioma Stepanets returns an interception 10 yards for a touchdown; extra point good (30-18, AATL leads)

(0:58) – AATL defensive back Caleb Yann returns an interception 85 yards for a touchdown; extra point no good (36-18, AATL leads)

Final: 36-18, AATL wins

Academy at the Lakes Wildcats 2018 roster (By jersey number)
1—Jullian Jennings, senior

2—Jalen Brown, sophomore (team captain)

3—Tioma Stepanets, senior (team captain)

4—Peyton Williams, sophomore

5—Jamaal Johnson, senior

6—Brandon Lemke, senior

7—Adrian Leverette, sophomore

8—Amad Zarak, senior

9—Caleb Yann, sophomore

10—Sebastian Sosa, junior

11—Cole Lallanilla, junior

12—Denzyl Downing, junior

13—Tayshawn Pendleton, sophomore

15—James Elverson, freshman

17—AJ Panepinto, freshman

18—Elijah Freedman, junior (Team captain)

22—Dylan Price, senior (Team captain)

23—Carson Passero, senior

47—Quinn McCormick, eighth grade

48—Andrew Kilfoyl, sophomore

52—Matthew Martin, junior

54—Adam Zarak, sophomore

55—Jordan Witt, junior

81—Terrell Woods, freshman

87—Will Callaghan, senior

97—Jay Qian, junior

99—Dwight Downing, sophomore

Coaching/training staff
Shawn Brown, head coach

Kevin Barrett, assistant coach

Landon Smith, assistant coach

Kirk Downing, assistant coach/stats

Jesus Soler, assistant coach

Ben Donatelli, assistant coach

Troy Williams, assistant coach

Makenzie Brinker, athletic trainer

Managers: Ian Curry, Carter Kienast

Published December 12, 2018

Local youth barefoot water-skier is a rising star

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In the extreme sport of barefoot water-skiing, one of the world’s top-ranked juniors can regularly be seen perfecting his craft on the steady waters of East Lake Padgett.

Hanging on to a line from the boat’s tower, Brett Swanbom endures the spray from barefooting in the stern of his father’s boat. (Fred Bellet)

Twelve-year-old Brett Swanbom is a Land O’ Lakes resident and seventh-grader at Pine View Middle School. He also happens to be a two-time national junior champion and the world’s ninth-ranked junior barefoot water skier, according to the World Barefoot Council’s latest published rankings.

Since he took up the craft three years ago, Swanbom has collected countless trophies, individual medals and other honors for his assortment of tricks, jumps and slaloms on the water.

His latest career highlight is his greatest.

That’s when he was one of just six youths selected to the 2018 U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team. In August, the group topped 11 other countries to win overall gold at the 2018 Barefoot Water Ski World Championships, at Dream Lake in Napanee, Ontario, Canada.

Twelve-year-old Brett Swanbom attempts to master barefooting tricks to improve his standings with the World Barefoot Council’s rankings.

Until recently, Swanbom’s biggest goal was to make the 2020 U.S. junior team. So, when he was selected to the national team two years earlier than expected, it came as a very pleasant — and shocking — surprise.

“When (my dad) first said it to me, I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke,” Swanbom said, with a chuckle.

In addition to Team USA’s gold medal against the likes of New Zealand, Australia and others, Swanbom finished ninth overall as an individual boys junior at the World Games; other Americans also dominated the leaderboards.

“I was happy,” Swanbom said, of the performance. “It was kind of funny, too, because there were so many (Team USA) people that we kept falling off the podium.”

And, the overall trip to Canada proved special.

Holding onto a slalom wake handle, Brett Swanbom reverses his position at 45 mph for some backward barefooting.

Though he acknowledged it felt strange to spend a week away from family, the elite barefooter enjoyed soaking up time with his fellow Team USA teammates. He also made new friends from other nations, swapping articles of country-themed World Games gear with one another.

Swanbom also remembers plenty of playful nationalism throughout the trip.

He recalled one such comical experience of first arriving to the team’s hotel in Ontario: “So, we had a minivan, and we just pulled into the hotel and we blasted ‘Proud to be an American,’ and everyone’s looking at us because they’re from Canada.”

The World Games wasn’t the only major success for Swanbom this season.

One hand, one foot. Brett Swanbom makes it look easy at 45 mph on Lake Padgett, in Land O’ Lakes.

He also claimed a national title at the 41st annual Footin.com Barefoot Water Ski National Championship, held in July at Lake Grew in Polk City. In the boys B division (12 & under), Swanbom swept titles in slalom (12.00 points), tricks (2,580 points), jumping (32 feet) and overall (3,000.0 points).

His next task: Build upon those numbers in time for the 2020 World Games in Sydney, Australia. By then, Swanbom said he’d like to tally somewhere around 16 points in slalom, 4,000 to 5,000 points in tricks, and around 50 feet in jumps.

To achieve those marks, Swanbom is working to refine high-scoring maneuvers like toe holds, reverse turns and more. He practices many of his new moves on dry land before hitting the lake several times per week. “We try to go out every day,” he said.

The elite barefooter also plays other sports, such as flag football and basketball.

Brett Swanbom, 12, of Land O’ Lakes, is a rising superstar in the world of barefoot skiing, and he’s got the medals, plaques and trophies to prove it.

But, he’s more drawn to barefooting because he likes “always having a new challenge and learning a new thing.” He explained: “Like a lot of kids want to play (sports like) baseball and master everything, and it’s easy for them, but this one takes until like you’re 20 (years old) to get everything done.”

Barefooting is evidently challenging, as it requires a combination of balance, technique and strength.

It also requires a rare brand of toughness — bracing for water falls at high rates of speed.

“You gotta be tough to take the falls,” Swanbom said. “A lot of the falls hurt, and I’ve seen some people, they quit because of the falls, they just can’t take ‘em.”

Swanbom’s affinity for the sport can be traced to his father, Bob Swanbom, a former professional show skier on the Wisconsin-based Tommy Bartlett water-ski team back in the 1970s and 1980s.

Nowadays, the elder Swanbom will post videos of his son’s barefooting skills on Facebook, where some of his old ski friends will remark that Brett may someday surpass him.

The father proudly pointed out it’s already happened.

“He’s way better than I ever was. He’s way excelled past me,” Bob Swanbom said.

The father added, “I was pretty good in my time, but everything’s advanced so much. …Seeing him come up, he’s more of a natural at it.”

Interestingly, Brett Swanbom isn’t the first big name in the sport to come from Land O’ Lakes. The Lake Padgett community is also home to Don Mixon Sr., and Don Mixon Jr. — both regarded as pioneers in the sport. Mixon Sr., is the past president of the American Barefoot Waterskiing Association and a former coach of the United States Barefoot Team. Mixon Jr., is a former barefoot professional, winning the 1994 World Barefoot Championship in Sydney, Australia.

What is barefoot water-skiing?
Barefoot skiing, also referred to as “barefooting,” is water-skiing behind a motorboat without the use of water skis. It requires skiers to travel at higher speeds than conventional water-skiing (30 mph to 45 mph); the necessary speed required to keep the skier upright varies by the weight of the barefooter.

There are three events in traditional barefooting:

  • Tricks: The skier has two passes of 15 seconds to complete as many different tricks as possible. All tricks have specific point values depending on difficulty. The skier also is awarded points for the start trick they performed to get up.
  • Slalom: The skier has two passes of 15 seconds to cross the wake as many times as possible. The skier can cross the wake forward or backward, and on two feet or one foot.
  • Jump: The skier travels over a small, fiberglass jump ramp. They have three jumps, and the longest one successfully landed counts.

Published November 28, 2018

Academy at the Lakes football eyes state title run

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Following last year’s historic eight-man state title run, questions swirled about how the Academy at the Lakes football program would respond in 2018 with the loss a number of impactful seniors, including do-it-all tailback/linebacker Daniel Gonzalez, the 2017 Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) Heisman Trophy winner.

Fair to say, they’ve handled the adjustment with aplomb.

Sophomore quarterback Jalen Brown seeks to lead the Wildcats to back-to-back eight-man state titles. (Courtesy of Rebecca Price)

The Wildcats wrapped up their first undefeated regular season (7-0) in program history and secured the No. 1 seed in the FCAPPS eight-man playoffs — also part of a 17-game winning streak that dates back to Sept. 22, 2017.

Their attention now turns to the team winning its second straight eight-man state championship.

Academy at the Lakes will host Jacksonville Harvest Community in the FCAPPS state quarterfinals on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

For Wildcats head coach Shawn Brown, the groundwork for another state championship traces back to implementing dutiful, high-effort practices all season long, no matter the level of competition each week.

It’s a challenge the team has embraced, Brown said.

“They’re able to come out here and get started without me saying, ‘Hey, let’s go,’ and stay focused on staying serious has made a difference at practice. Now, with kids you’re going to have days where they get a little loose, but for the most part they’ve kept it serious,” Brown said at a recent late-season practice.

It’s undoubtedly something the Wildcats must do, with less depth this year, and without the safety net of Gonzalez, who could singlehandedly take over a game on offense (1,125 rushing yards, 25 touchdowns) and defense (138 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, three fumble-return touchdowns).

“I think a lot of times last year (Gonzalez) made things happen by himself, where this year I think we have to play more as a team,” Brown said.

That’s particularly been the case on defense.

The Wildcats have surrendered fewer than nine points per game this season.

The Academy at the Lakes Wildcats varsity football team wrapped up its first undefeated season (7-0) in program history. A stingy defense allowing fewer than nine points per game is a big part of the team’s success.

They also haven’t allowed more than 13 points in any one game.

“It’s a different type of way that we’re beating people (this season). We’re not beating them explosively on the offensive side of the ball, but defensively we’ve kind of held things down,” explained Brown.

The coach credits the defense’s overall speed, also pointing out significant contributions from senior linebacker/end Dylan Price (56 tackles, 9.5 sacks) and the emergence of defensive backs Jullian Jennings (27 tackles, four interceptions) and Caleb Yann (20 tackles, three interceptions).

“We understand that we’ve got to make people work. I thought we’ve done a really good job with our run defense and our pass defense,” Brown said.

Overall teamwork has been at play this season, added Price, one of five team captains and the team’s starting tailback.

“Everybody’s doing their job,” Price said. “You don’t have people saying, ‘Oh, I’ve got to do this person’s job.’ We’re all sticking to our one job.”

He also noted the team this year was forced to “come together more” in lieu of Gonzalez and other impact players from 2017, such as leading receiver Isaiah Smith (864 scrimmage yards, 17 touchdowns) and star cornerback Jordan Oladokun (11 interceptions), who transferred to Gaither for his sophomore season.

Said Price: “We couldn’t just rely on someone like a Daniel (Gonzalez) or offense or a Jordan (Oladokun) on defense, so everyone’s had to do their part this year, so I mean we don’t have one person doing everything, everyone’s sharing the load.”

And, what the Wildcats may lack in dynamic playmakers, the team makes up for in knowledge of what it takes to win a state title, Price acknowledged.

“I think it helps,” Price said of the experience of last year’s state title run. “We’re not going to be completely clueless on, ‘Oh, what do we do here, what do we do there?’ We know what to expect. We know that people are going to come to play, and we’ve just got to play our best game.”

Meanwhile, the strides made at the quarterback position could also come in handy.

Sophomore Jalen Brown has completed nearly 60 percent of his passes for 823 yards and 21 total touchdowns (3 interceptions). He’s also added over 300 yards on the ground, as part of a balanced offensive attack.

His best performance came in a 46-13 win against Faith Christian on Oct. 19. With the Wildcats struggling to run the ball, Jalen Brown was tasked to get the job done through the air, throwing for 233 yards and four touchdowns on 12 of 17 passes.

“He’s proven to himself that he can take over a game,” said Wildcats quarterbacks coach/offensive assistance Jesus Soler. “That’s really the big leap from the beginning of the season until now, is we can just ask him to take over a game.”

Beyond the numbers, Soler noted the Wildcats three-year starter has shown marked improvements in everything from footwork and arm strength, to his decision-making.

“He understands the offense better than everybody. He is another coach on the field,” Soler said.

The assistant coach, too, believes Jalen Brown has legit college football potential, a relative rarity in the eight-man ranks.

“I think he could be a Division I quarterback. It’s just a matter of whether Division I teams will take a gamble on an eight-man quarterback,” Soler said. “He’s got the skillset already.”

For the time being, however, the young, but tested, quarterback is strictly focused on guiding the team to back-to-back state titles.

He feels it’s well within reach for the undefeated squad.

“I think we’ve got it skill-wise,” he said, “but, we’ve got to stay together as a group. No outside distractions.”

He added: “We’re not the team last year where we just came in and destroyed everybody. We actually have got to work for what we want. …We’ve just got to be together as a team and keep going hard for all four quarters.”

The signal-caller, too, is working to “be more of a leader” as the team gears up for the postseason.

“If I get down, I can’t do that being a leader. I have to stay positive and keep everything up,” he said.

If so, the Wildcats may once again be hoisting gold in December.

A look at Academy at the Lakes’ 17-game winning streak that dates to 2017
(The Wildcats last loss came on Sept. 7, 2017, a 50-35 home defeat to Eastland Christian)

2017
Sept. 22: Canterbury (48-16 win)

Sept. 28: Solid Rock Community (80-0 win)

Oct. 2: at St. Lucie Christian (49-12 win)

Oct. 13: Lakeside Christian (40-21 win)

Oct. 20: at Donahue Catholic (36-0 win)

Oct. 27: Seacoast Christian Academy (68-7 win)

Nov. 3: at Hernando Christian Academy (57-29 win)

Nov. 17: Canterbury (54-6 win)

Dec. 1: Eastland Christian (46-6 win)

Dec. 9: Old Plank Christian Academy (30-9 win)

2018
Sept. 14: Citi Christian Academy (24-12 win)

Sept. 21: at Solid Rock Community (53-6 win)

Sept. 28: at Canterbury (34-13 win)

Oct. 19: Faith Christian (46-13 win)

Oct. 26: St. Lucie Christian (13-0 win by forfeit)

Nov. 2: at Lakeside Christian (15-6 win)

Nov. 9: at Bell Creek Academy (52-0)

Published November 14, 2018

Local schools receive Special Olympics honor

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Land O’ Lakes High School’s Unified Special Olympics program received international attention more than three years ago, when its coed soccer team won the bronze medal at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles.

Now, the school’s Unified program has earned another prestigious honor — 2018 Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

The Land O’ Lakes High School Unified program has had many years of success. Under coach Vicky King in 2015, its coed soccer team won the bronze medal at the 2015 Special Olympics World Games in Los Angeles, defeating China 2-1. (File)

The designation, based on the 2017-2018 school year, means Land O’ Lakes met 10 standards of excellence set forth by Special Olympics International. These standards focus on four key areas: Unified Sports, Inclusive Youth Leadership, Whole School Engagement and sustainability for the program.

Land O’ Lakes was one of just 13 schools in Florida — and 132 schools nationally — to receive the designation. New Port Richey’s Longleaf Elementary School and Seven Springs Middle School also were named Unified Champion Schools.

The Unified Special Olympics sports program pairs special needs athletes with nondisabled peers, called partners. Together, these athletes and partners compete year-round against other unified programs in sports, such as basketball, soccer, swimming, golf, and others.

According to Special Olympics Florida’s website, the Unified program enables Special Olympics athletes to not only learn and play new sports, but also experience meaningful inclusion. Each athlete is ensured of playing a valued role on the team. The teams also provide a forum for positive social interaction.

All participants are of similar age and ability, and unified teams are designed to provide training and competition opportunities that meaningfully challenge and involve all athletes.

Special Olympics sports rules, moreover, make sure that everyone has “a fair and enjoyable competitive experience.”

The national honor brings satisfaction to Vicky King, who’s coached Special Olympics programming at Land O’ Lakes for more than 30 years.

“It means that we’ve done a lot,” King said, “and, we have a student body and community that is very involved, because it’s all about inclusion and acceptance everywhere, not just in athletics, but just as a school and a community.”

According to King, the Land O’ Lakes Unified program last year featured more than 20 coed athletes and nearly 40 partners, representing a solid participation rate based on the school’s ESE (Exceptional Student Education) population.

For the 2018-2019 academic school year, the Pasco County school district relocated its special education unit —and Unified program— to Sunlake High School.

Before the transfer, King estimates the Unified program was installed at Land O’ Lakes sometime in the early 2000s, after the school had a traditional Special Olympics sports program.

King noted the Unified program did wonders for involvement between the school’s students with special needs and the rest of the student body. “If you look at some Special Olympics athletes in some places, they’re singled out, they’re not included; but when our athletes were here, they were just other kids,” King said.

Club keeps students involved with Special Olympics
While Land O’ Lakes no longer has its own Unified teams, the school still remains active in Unified sports programming. The school has an organization called the Student Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), which numbers about 90 students who volunteer at local Special Olympics events and/or become Unified partners.

Through the club, Land O’ Lakes sophomore Courtney Eckel became a Unified partner. She also volunteers with other Unified sports, as a scorekeeper in flag football and a lane assistant in bowling.

Courtney wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older sister, Haley Eckel, who’s volunteered for Special Olympics for several years and was a Unified partner on the Land O’ Lakes soccer team that went to the World Games. (Haley is also a former standout varsity soccer player at Land O’ Lakes and now a sophomore midfielder at Florida Southern College.)

The involvement has proven rewarding for Courtney.

“It’s really great,” she said of being a partner. “It’s so nice to see (the athletes) when they can do something good and score, and see the excitement on their face and know that they can do whatever they want to, and, it’s nice to play with them and help them achieve their goals.”

Courtney, too, believes Unified programming has been beneficial for promoting acceptance among all students.

“I think it’s really important because it keeps everyone included,” she said. “It teaches people how to be inclusive, even if someone’s not special needs. Just teaching how to include everyone and almost be like more understanding and respectful to everyone and their needs.”

King noted many Unified partners and volunteers develop bonds and tight-knit relationships with the athletes, adding that many continue as Special Olympics volunteers and participants through adulthood.

“It becomes just like a way of life,” said King, who still remains in touch with many of the athletes even after they’ve graduated from Land O’ Lakes.

In addition to the bonds they form, King noted that many local Unified athletes excel in their sport — regardless of intellectual or developmental disabilities.

King put it this way: “Sometimes the developmental delay is only academic. It has nothing to do with your physical capabilities, so a lot of our athletes are awesome athletes, so that’s why a lot of times on the field we’ll get called for player domination, rather than partner domination. Everything’s supposed to be equal, but we have some really good athletic partners and good athletes, so it makes a great combination.”

In all her years working in Special Olympics, King’s favorite memory comes as no surprise — the 2015 trip to Los Angeles.

“World Games was the best event — opening ceremonies and just the whole experience,” King said. “When we were out there, everyone just wanted to take pictures with us.”

Making Pasco proud
Pasco County has about 1,100 athletes and 500 Unified volunteers participating in more than a dozen sports, according to Special Olympics-Pasco co-director Val Lundin.

Having a trio of Pasco schools earn national recognition for their Unified programs is a testament to the commitment of those athletes, volunteers and coaches, she said.

“We’re very proud. We’re proud of all our athletes and our coaches,” said Lundin, who’s been involved with Special Olympics for more than 35 years, oversees the county’s Unified programs.

“It amazes me — Pasco County’s pretty small in comparison to many of the counties around the state, yet when we take our (state games) delegations, we’re always in the top five, as far as the amount of athletes, so we’re up there competing with the Orange and Miami-Dade (counties), which I think reflects well upon our program here. We’re obviously doing something right.”

Lundin also heaped plenty of praise towards King, who she said helps set the standard for many other Unified school programs in the county.

King was named Special Olympics Florida Coach of the Year in 2015.

In addition to dedicating her time toward Special Olympics, King is one of the state’s top varsity girls soccer coaches — guiding Land O’ Lakes to the state semifinals the last three years and winning a state title in 2003.

“There’s not enough you can say about Vicky,” Lundin said. “She’s just an amazing coach. She’s an amazing person. She just has a way about her that can bring the best out in her athletes and her partners. It’s just a reflection upon her and her club — the CEC club is one of the largest in the county. It takes a lot of time and work, and on top of it, she’s one of the top varsity soccer coaches in the county. She’s tireless, and she works hard. She believes in the program and her students, and it shows every day.”

National Banner Unified Champion School standards
A National Banner School must meet 10 standards of excellence among four categories, including unified sports, inclusive youth leadership, whole-school engagement and sustainability.

  • Unified Sports is offered in at least two seasons throughout the school year.
  • Unified Sports participation occurs regularly over the course of each sport season or school term and includes competition.
  • An adult coach for each sport has received training on Special Olympics Unified Sports.
  • Unified Sports is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other athletics and activities.
  • A Unified Club or student group offers leadership opportunities and training for students with and without intellectual disabilities.
  • The inclusive club meets at least once per month throughout the school year.
  • The inclusive club has an adult liaison and is officially recognized by the school in a similar style as other clubs.
  • At least two whole-school engagement activities are implemented per school year.
  • Students with and without disabilities are involved with planning and leading the awareness activities.
  • The school is currently self-sustainable or has a plan in place to sustain the three components into the future.

These 10 standards of excellence were developed by a national panel of leaders in education and Special Olympics. A school meeting the standards is eligible to receive national banner recognition.

Land O’ Lakes High School is one of 13 Florida schools to be named a 2018 Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School.

Other recipients are: Seabreeze High School, Stirling Elementary School, Homestead Senior High, Park Vista High School, Lely High School, Longleaf Elementary School, Seven Springs Middle School, Plant City High School, Lawton Chiles High School, Leon High School, Tavares Middle School and Immokalee High School.

Published October 31, 2018

Sunlake High girls swimming primed for another big splash

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The Land O’ Lakes High varsity football team upending Sunlake High in the 12th annual Butter Bowl wasn’t the only long-running sports streak broken between the two rival schools.

The other came in girls swimming and diving — with Sunlake finally getting the upper hand against its crosstown foe.

The Seahawks girls defeated the Gators in a dual meet 108-78, on Sept. 19 at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex Pool.

It marks the first time Sunlake has defeated Land O’ Lakes in a head-to-head competition.

Further, it’s just the third time that Land O’ Lakes has lost a dual meet since 2004.

The Gators entered the season with a 144-2 streak in this type of meet, according to longtime Gators head coach Robin Hilgenberg.

The Sunlake High girls swimming and diving team looks to build upon last season’s fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state championships. Shown here are coaches and members of the 200 free relay that placed first at states, from left: Coach Shelly Koutras, Tori Eurell, Audrey Ballash, Hanna Barton, Chloe Grimme and Coach Lorin Macdonald. (File)

Sunlake head coach Lorin Macdonald said the momentous win — plus the sizable point margin — is “a big confidence builder” as the team enters its conference and state series meets later this month.

“We ended up beating (Land O’ Lakes) by a lot more points that I was anticipating,” she said, noting the scores are usually much closer between the two schools.

Sunlake’s rare victory against one of the state’s perennial swim programs is no fluke.

Last year, the Seahawks girls team were regional champions in the Class 3A-Region 3 meet.

They followed that performance with a fourth-place finish (out of 48 schools) at the Class 3A state finals, shattering numerous school records along the way.

This year’s squad, however, may be even better.

It’s certainly deeper and more experienced.

Just about every key contributor returns from last season.

That includes junior Chloe Grimme, who at last year’s state meet won the 50 free (23.11) and placed second in the 100 free (51.18), earning All-American honors.

She was also part of the 200 free relay and 200 medley relay that placed first and third at states, respectively.

Other Sunlake standouts include future Division I talents in seniors Elise Ballash (verbal commit to University of North Florida) and Hanna Barton (verbal commit to University of South Carolina), along with Tori Eurell, Audrey Ballash and Alex Sprague.

With a roster of 31 swimmers, the Seahawks also have added depth, buoyed by a formidable freshman class paced by Amber Ewald and Leah Fonnotto.

“We have a really, really strong team this year,” Macdonald said. “There’s a lot more drive, especially behind our girls who went to states last year. They have a lot of drive and they have a lot of hunger to do very well this year.”

Barton, a team captain, put it like this: “We definitely are stronger (this year). “I think we are closer because we won last year and so we were all like really proud of each other. I think it’s even more close-knit this year. We all definitely are a lot more motivated and realize what we’re capable of doing.”

Fellow team captain Elise Ballash added: “We are the strongest, most positive and close-knit that I think we’ve been in the past four years. I’m really looking forward to this season.”

Grimme’s presence felt
There’s no question what Grimme’s impact means to the team — as an individual state

champion and the 2017 Sunshine Athletic Conference East Swimmer of the Year.

Aside from her swimming ability, Grimme’s everyday drive has also set the tone for the team.

As a freshman, she earned the nickname, ‘Beast Mode.’

When Grimme hits the water, Macdonald said she’s “like a machine.”

“The amount of focus that she has is crazy,” Macdonald said. “She just goes for it. There’s no turning back when she’s got her mindset on it.”

Such presence and determination serves as a motivator for everyone else, teammates say.

“She’s a good teammate,” Ballash said. “She like amps up the training atmosphere and the standard of training that we have here, too.”

“We want to be able to contribute as much as Chloe does and do what Chloe can do,” said Barton, “so it definitely pushes all of us, and it also just gets us more excited for each other because we know that with her, we are capable of doing some pretty cool things.”

Grimme, surprisingly, didn’t begin swimming until middle school.

She had played just about every sport until deciding to give competitive swimming a shot.

Her initial feelings toward the water-based sport: “Well, let’s see how it goes.”

The star swimmer admitted she “didn’t really know how to do anything” when she first hopped into a pool.

She was immediately drawn to the 50 freestyle, because it was the shortest event.

Fair to say, it became a natural fit.

“The more I worked on it, the speed of my stroke (improved), so I really tapped into the 50,” she said.

This year, Grimme hopes to repeat as 50 free state champion and win a state title in the 100 free.

She’s also striving to break her own records.

“I’ve always wanted to be the best at what I do. I want to reach my full potential,” she said.

In the meantime, Sunlake’s coaching staff is focused on keeping the team grounded and supportive of one another in advance of the Sunshine Athletic Conference meet, on Oct. 13 at the New Port Richey Recreation and Aquatic Center.

It’s another event — like the dual meet — Sunlake hopes to capture from Land O’ Lakes, which has won every year since 2009.

“Even though we have such a strong team, I don’t want us banking on the fact that we have a strong team and going in overly confident,” Macdonald said. “If we go in overly confident then there’s that chance we take a misstep.”

Published October 3, 2018

Land O’ Lakes girl is all-star golfer

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Hailey Stricker already has collected a fair number of medals and trophies competing in youth tournaments throughout Tampa Bay.

The 12-year-old from Land O’ Lakes is seeking an addition to her trophy case — as a member of the Clearwater Jr. PGA All-Star team.

The 10-member all-star team will compete on Aug. 26 in the PGA Jr. League North Florida Section Championship at Orlando’s Grand Cypress Golf Club.

Land O’ Lakes resident Hailey Stricker, 12, has notched several top finishes within the Greater Tampa Bay Junior Golf Association. This summer, Stricker was selected to the Clearwater Jr. PGA All-Star team. She is a seventh-grader at Rushe Middle School.
(Courtesy of Brian Stricker)

Earlier this month, the group won a sectional qualifier at Apollo Beach Golf Club, besting a handful of other all-star teams from Tampa, Sarasota and Odessa.

A top finish this weekend would allow the team to advance to the PGA Jr. regional tournament in St. Augustine. Winners from 12 regional tournaments across the country then earn a spot in the seventh PGA Junior League Championship in November in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Stricker, who’s been golfing since age 8, already has made a name for herself within the Greater Tampa Bay Junior Golf Association.

Over the past two years, she’s collected five top-three finishes for her age group. That includes a pair of first place titles she won last October and November, at Wentworth Golf Club and Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club, respectively.

Orlando will mark the longest distance that Stricker has traveled to compete in a golf tournament.

She’s optimistic about the team’s chances, even against tougher competition.

“I’m looking forward to our team pulling through it and winning, so we can go to St. Augustine and do that tournament,” said the seventh-grader, who attends Rushe Middle School.

Stricker is one of three girls on the Clearwater Jr. PGA All-Star team.

She was named to the select squad after strong showings all summer in the PGA Junior League at Westchase Golf Club, in Tampa.

Stricker considers it a special honor.

“It’s kind of cool because I tell people I’m on the all-star team, and they’re proud of me. I just feel really good about it because I’ve practiced and worked hard for this moment,” she said.

Her grandfather, Brian Stricker, is enjoying the moment, too. He’s the one who encouraged the young golfer when she showed an interest in the sport four years ago.

“She kind of took to (golf) in a natural way,” her grandfather said. “She can stand up on the tee and, when she gets a good swing on the ball, she can hit the ball 160 yards straight. She has a pretty well-rounded game, and she just has a passion for it that’s really impressive.”

Stricker said she plans to play golf in high school and “definitely” wants to play in college.

Her ultimate goal? “To play on the LPGA (Ladies Professional Golf Association) Tour,” she said.

Stricker appears to be on the right path for playing at a high level someday, according to Michael Cestone, who operates the Cestone Golf Academy at Westchase Golf Club.

The golf instructor said Stricker has “great promise” and a “very good skillset.”

“She has all of the basic fundamentals of the game,” said Cestone, who nominated Stricker to the Clearwater all-star team. “She has a good swing. She can chip. She can putt. She can do pretty much any of the shots that you need to play golf — it’s just a matter of getting better.”

Cestone noted Stricker regularly shoots in the high 80s and low 90s from the ladies tees.

He “very soon” foresees Stricker reaching the high 70s and low 80s — a striking feat for a young girl.

“If she stays on the track that she’s on, she’ll play college golf,” Cestone said. “Whether she wants a DI (Division 1) or D2 (Division 2) school, that’ll depend on how much time she’s willing to put into this game,” Cestone said.

Published August 22, 2018