The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Wesley Chapel/New Tampa Sports

Cypress Creek cheer team wins national title

By

The Cypress Creek cheer team won the America’s Cheerleading Cup Championships at Universal Studios Orlando on Feb. 11.

The all-girls team faced off against 20 schools, winning the title after three days of competition.

The team is both a sideline and a competitive program, meaning they started in the summer and just completed their long season. It was Jennifer Catalanotto’s first year as head coach.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Catalanotto)

“It takes a lot of dedication with these kids. They have to be really committed, and this year they really bought into the vision — that we’re in this first season together — and they really dug deep and worked hard all year and it paid off,” Catalanotto said in an interview with The Laker/Lutz News.

“Being a new school, it’s been really awesome to watch it evolve,” she said.

The championship is sponsored by Nfinity, an athletics apparel brand, and invites schools from across the country.

Following the first two days of competition, judges combined the scores of the 20 competitors, and the eight leading teams advanced to the final round. The slates were then wiped clean and the remaining teams battled it out one more time to determine the winner.

The Cypress Creek champions showed off elite skills — full ups, switch ups, hand-in-hands, tumbling passes — executed with high-level precision and difficulty.

As winners, the Cypress Creek girls received rings and medals, and the team’s name will be engraved on the competition’s traveling trophy — a massive sterling silver cup that will be arriving for a week starting April 1. A celebration banquet is planned for when the trophy comes to town.

The championship win tops off a record season, with the team placing in the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) regional and state finals, and winning Best of Pasco in January, making it their most successful run since the inception of the program.

“They’ve had an incredible season,” said Catalanotto.

Published March 06, 2024

Wildcats get a taste of states, seek more next season

By

The Wesley Chapel Boys Golf Team visualized its shot — as golfers do — and took full swing at it. In the end, the team’s shot at the state tournament landed perfectly.

The Wildcats knew what it would take to get to the two-day Class 2A State Tournament that started Nov. 7 in Howey-in-the-Hills. And, they took full advantage of a young, talented roster and secured a spot through tough play and arguably the best season in program history.

From left: Members of the Wesley Chapel Boys Golf Team sophomore Jacob Doonan, sophomore Carter Boynton, sophomore Tien Do, senior Michael Hale and sophomore Camden Battey pose for a team photo following their two-day appearance at the Class 2A State Tournament, at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, where the Wildcats finished tied 10th with an overall score of 663. It was the program’s first state tournament since 2011 after the team won the Sunshine Athletic Conference Championship, the Class 2A-District 9 and an at-large regional tournament bid. (Courtesy of Josh Raskopf)

They finished 11-1, including a Sunshine Athletic Conference Championship and a Class 2A-District 9 title, and capped off the season with a 10th place finish at states, with sophomore Carter Boynton finishing 10th overall individually thanks to a 151 (7 over par).

“The season was tough, but down the stretch at conference, at districts and regionals, we started having fun, as a team, as players,” said Boynton, who shot a 76 and 75, respectively, at the state tournament. “Once we got to states, and since it was our goal all season, we didn’t really have any expectations (on how’d we finish). We just wanted to get there and we did, and we had fun.

“The whole year,” he added, “we talked about making it to states and we finally did after working for it all season — it felt great. As a team, we’re friends and look to have fun on the course, which is why I think we’re so successful.”

Coming into the season, the Wildcats had lofty expectations and goals, which, of course, included making the program’s first state tournament appearance since 2011. Thanks to adding Boynton, a Minnesota transfer, and fellow sophomore Tien Do, a transfer from New York, it was mission accomplished.

“Sure, they work a lot and have swing coaches, but they play as a group of friends on a weekly basis,” coach Josh Raskopf said. “They just love golf and they’re just going to get better, and by next season, I expect they will be even better.”

Despite some great results, the players do expect to top their 2023 state tournament scores. 

Do finished 31st with a two-day 159 total, while fellow sophomores Jacob Doonan (172) and Camden Battey (187) finished 71st and 93rd, respectively. The team’s lone senior, Michael Hale, who narrowly missed a trip to states in 2022, finished 86th with a 181.

But, as golfers do, they want their scores to be better.

Wesley Chapel sophomore Carter Boynton follows through on a shot during the Class 2A State Tournament, at Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, where he shot a two-day 151 (7-over par) and a tie for 10th place.

“I take away (from our state tournament appearance) on how it went, how our team did and how our team is going to come back and try to take hardware,” Boynton said. “It’s the state tournament, so you’re a little nervous at first, but you try to stay focused and play your game.

“But (next year’s) goal is already there. We’re going back by just playing golf with friends.”

These golf buddies came together before the season and bonded, allowing them to put together a near-perfect season. Despite the Wildcats one loss — falling to nearby district rival Cypress Creek by two strokes — it missed coming in second at the regional tournament after a four-hole playoff. The team made the state tournament as an at-large bid due to its successful season.

“We had to stay focused all season because if we missed our shot at states with one of (the two) regional (winner spots), we knew our most clear path would be to win districts and have a great regular season,” Raskopf said. “We made sure we went out there every match and kept that hyperfocus through the whole season. It can be draining, but we knew that we were always going to put up competitive numbers.”

Raskopf already has big ambitions for next season. With four of the team’s top five golfers just sophomores, and now with state tournament experience, he expects those golfers just to get better.

And to continue to take their shots at the state tournament.

“Absolutely, the expectation next year is, realistically, in the top three or five,” Raskopf said. “The new expectation is making (states) for the next two years with this group of boys. (Making states) was always the question if we were really going to do it, but it’s not a question anymore. We know we have the talent and drive to get to the next level and break through.

“By their senior years, they’ll want to be holding the top spot that year, but, honestly, they want it next year.”

Additional State Qualifiers, Results

Class 3A
Boys
Jack Vanderschuur, Steinbrenner – 74, 77 – 151 (T-19th)

Girls
Alyssa Mixon, Sunlake – 72, 73 – 145 (T-4th)
Dannika Hines, Steinbrenner – 68, 77 – 145 (T-4th)

Class 2A
Girls
Fasauni Marshall, Freedom – 97, 96 – 193 (83rd)

Class 1A*
Boys
Conor Whalen, Bishop McLaughlin

*(Class 1A state tournament results not available at time of publication).

Published November 15, 2023

Bulls bounding toward district title, postseason berth

By

Luke Knight — and his teammates — had to convince the coach.

Longtime Wiregrass Ranch High Football coach Mark Kantor was weary — but also ready to go home. So, Knight and teammates pleaded — and eventually twisted Kantor’s arm enough — to go for it. They wanted the record for most touchdown passes in a game.

Wiregrass Ranch senior receiver Isaiah Riggins leads the team with 49 catches for 910 yards and 13 touchdowns, as the Bulls sit atop the Class 4 Suburban, District 6 poised to host a playoff game. The Bulls, however, are looking for more, specifically a second postseason win, as the program has just one win in eight playoff appearances. (Mike Camunas)

“The kids were like, ‘Coach! We’re one away!’” Kantor recalled. “I just wanted to get out of there with a win where no one got hurt either.”

In the end, Knight — the Bulls senior quarterback headed to Army to play football — threw a Pasco-County-record-tying eighth touchdown pass on Sept. 22 in the team’s 57-33 win over Harmony.

“When you’re a football player, your competitive nature is to win,” said Knight, who has passed 2,377 yards, 29 touchdowns and just one interception.

“(With) records, games — when we got to a point at halftime, we were like, ‘Let’s go get it.’ We all put our two cents in and said, ‘Let’s go for it, coach.’

“And we did.”

Knight tied the county record set in 2022 by Zephyrhills’ Brendyn Colella against Gulf, and also topped an impressive school record: six in a game (2020) by former quarterback Rocco Becht, now a redshirt freshman at Iowa State.

But the Bulls have more to go for, and hopefully get, before the season is done. Wiregrass Ranch — the program Kantor has guided for nine seasons —is in prime position to nab the Class 4 Suburban, District 6, which would give the Bulls home-field advantage.

Wiregrass Ranch senior quarterback Luke Knight is in the midst of a stellar 2023 season, passing for 2,006 and 24 touchdowns, with just one interception. Knight also tied a county record on Sept. 22 when he threw eight touchdown passes in a game.

This season, however, the team also wants to achieve its second-ever postseason win, with its only other coming in 2017 in a 17-10 victory over Lake Nona in the first round of the then-Class 7A regional tournament.

“Every time we go out there against an opponent it’s a 12-round bout and it will be every game,” said Kantor, who is 50-41 at Wiregrass, though the Bulls are 1-7 in the postseason. “We wanted to get back to our winning ways because it’s not the same beat, not the same vibe if we’re not in the playoffs.

“As long as we can continue to win, we should be in good shape.”

Heading down the final stretch of the season, the Bulls are in great shape.

According to FHSAA rankings in Class 4A Suburban, they are the No. 3 seed thanks to three-straight wins where the Bulls scored 50-plus points — 55-34 over Mitchell (Sept. 15), 52-45 over Springstead (Sept. 22) and 57-27 over River Ridge (Oct. 6).

However, Wiregrass realizes it’s in a tough region, with the likes of Lakeland, Bartow, Lake Minneola, Lake Gibson and George Jenkins lurking and also most likely headed to the postseason.

Wiregrass Ranch coach Mark Kantor, in his ninth season (50-41) with the Bulls, is looking for the program’s second postseason win, with the team’s last, and only one, coming in 2017.

With just one district game left — at Land O’ Lakes on Oct. 27 — Wiregrass is looking to knock off the defending district champs and host a playoff game come the second Friday of November.

“Really, it’s about us going into the playoffs and winning a couple of games and going further than any (Wiregrass) team has gone before,” said Knight, a Merritt Island transfer this season and who guided Jesuit to a state title in 2021. “We’ve got every tool we need to win the district and we just have to stay consistent.

“I know nothing but to win — it’s just my nature. I try to win at everything I do in life. I know we want to win a lot more than one (postseason game) and winning more than one is not something this program is super used to, but for me and these guys, we want to go further than (one postseason game).”

Fellow senior, and Knight’s top target, receiver Isaiah Riggins agrees.

“We just have to focus on not letting the little things slide,” said Riggins, who leads the team with 910 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. “It’s up to us, the leaders, to make sure it doesn’t slide. We’ve got a standard and our goal this season is to go as far as we can.

“We don’t want to go just to the first round, the second round — we want to go to states, we want to go to the end.”

And getting to the end will rest on the shoulders of Knight, who, Kantor says, “has great leadership skills and brings excitement to everything he and the team does.”

“That’s Luke Knight,” Riggens added. “He’s a great leader on this team, he’s a great kid, a great friend, a great brother, and I wouldn’t want to go to war with any other quarterback. He does everything right and keeps everyone up on the field, the locker room and the classroom.

“He’s just great to be around, and I know he’ll keep the leadership up.”

Class 4 Suburban, District 6 Standings
(Team/Overall Record/District Record)

Wiregrass Ranch 6-1,3-0
Springstead 5-2, 2-1
Mitchell 4-3, 1-1
Land O’ Lakes 2-5, 0-2
Sunlake 1-6, 0-2

Published October 18, 2023

Wildcats on course for a great season

By

If there’s one thing the Wildcats are trying to avoid, it’s a sophomore slump.

With four of the team’s top five golfers being sophomores, it would be beneficial to the whole team for them to all play well and reach for their lofty goals.

They want to lower their scores, grab some medals and, of course, earn a berth in the Class 2A state tournament in November in Howey-in-the-Hills.

Sophomore Tien Do transferred to the Wildcats from New York and will immediately add to the team’s young core of players, most of whom are sophomores. (Mike Camunas)

“We are a young, up-and-coming team, and they’re looking great,” coach Josh Raskopf said. “The top five are four sophomores and one senior, so we’re very young, which isn’t bad at all, since all five can shoot in the 70s. 

“And the top five can change, too,” he added. “Which, as they say, is a good problem to have, since if one guy is having a bad day, the others can pick him up. “What we’re hoping for is good days from each guy and, hopefully, a trip to states,” he said.

Leading the pack of Wildcats, for now, is Tien Do, a transfer from New York. However, the team returns No. 2, Jacob Doonan, who shot an 83 at districts and an 87 at regionals in 2022.

Then, rounding out the sophomores are Carter Boynton and Camden Battey. And then there’s the lone senior of the bunch: Michael Hale, who shot a field-best 75 at the 2A-9 district tournament and a 78 at the regional tournament, narrowly missing a trip to states.

“Even more than how they play on the course, it’s about how great young men they are,” Raskopf said. “We had another young man from another team and he was the only guy on his team — just picked up clubs a couple days prior to the match and wanted to play.

“We’ve all been there, starting golf, and it’s great to see such a great group of guys, but then they can also play well, so that seems like a bonus.”

Wesley Chapel boys golfers, sophomore Jacob Doonan, left, and sophomore Tien Do lead a young Wildcats squad that has aspirations for a deep postseason run in Class 2A this season.

Indeed, it’s a tight team that very much welcomed Do into the fold. But with the other three sophomores, they have been classmates and junior golf partners for years.

“I’ve known and played with these guys on our team since, I don’t know, second or third grade,” Doonan said. “It helps that we know each other’s strengths, but that we can also rely on one another and it helps, or we help each other, on the course and range. I think we’re all pretty tight.”

Do agrees.

“All of us, out of the five, just four of us are sophomores, but we’re always at the same club — Hunter’s Green — practicing and always pushing each other,” he said. “We’re putting in the work in each match, each practice, trying to build a solid foundation off the group of guys we have, who are really good, in my opinion.

“It’s definitely a good problem to have where the top five guys can match each other, and we rely a lot on team chemistry. Hopefully we make it to states and win.”

Sophomore Jacob Doonan looks to improve on his 2022 season, in which he shot an 83 at districts and an 87 at regionals.

The Wildcats, ranked 22nd in Class 2A, will have their work cut out for them, for sure. Do, for example, is learning firsthand how many great golfers are just in Wesley Chapel.

“I’ve definitely seen that since coming here,” he added. “I’ve played with a lot of great players, but there are plenty here (in Wesley Chapel).”

For starters, nearby rival Cypress Creek is in the same district and coming off back-to-back state tournament appearances, finishing 13th in 2022 and sixth in 2021. In fact, the Wildcats already have a loss this season to the Coyotes, being edged by just two strokes.

“It’s going to take hard effort and not giving up,” Doonan said. “It’ll be a lot of practice and effort, but that’s every team, and I think we’re willing to put that in so we can all go further than we’ve been before.

“We know it’s a tough district, but we’ll have our chances, I think.”

At the end of the day, and a round of golf, the Wildcats know where they stand — and want to go. It’s the state tournament, which they feel is a very realistic goal.

“It’s going to take — to make it states — everyone firing on all cylinders especially at the end of the season,” Raskopf said. “We’re going to need a couple of guys making sure we’re the ones firing on all cylinders, so getting their head in the game and making sure we’re prepared for full matches, once the postseason starts.

“If we have a good day, I think we come out over (district opponents) because we feel like we’re always in the hunt, in any round.”

Class 2A-District 9 Boys Golf
Teams
Brooksville Central
Cypress Creek
Fivay
Gulf
Hernando
Hudson
Nature Coast
Pasco
River Ridge
Springstead
Weeki Wachee
Wesley Chapel
Zephyrhills

District tournament details
Host: Springstead
Where: Hernando Oaks Golf Club, 5230 Delacroix Drive, Brooksville
When: Oct. 23, 9 a.m.

Published September 20, 2023

A blast from the fast(est)

By

Seth Williamson does everything fast.

Run. Walk. Talk. Even learn.

These are some of the reasons this 7-year-old has earned the title of “Fastest Kid in the Nation.”

That, and he’s also the back-to-back winner of the 100m dash at the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Track and Field National Championships.

Wesley Chapel 7-year-old Seth Williamson sprints down the track at Cypress Creek High during practice for Speed Starz Track/Running Club. (Mike Camunas)

“It’s pretty cool being (the Fastest Kid in the Nation),” the tiny Wesley Chapel speedster said, humbly. “I do like telling people that, sometimes, but I like running fast — faster than my friends, but I don’t like beating them. I want to run with my friends sometimes.”

Williamson held onto his 100-meter dash, and Fastest Kid in the Nation, title when, on July 10 at the AAU Primary National Championships at Doctor Phillips High in Orlando, he left his competition in the dust with a 15-second finish time. He would also finish fifth in the 200 meter (31.93) and second in the long jump (3.59 meters).

“It was a lot of fun to compete (in the championships) again,” Williamson said. “It was fun to go over there and go all over (the place) to run track. I was really happy to win again.”

Williamson, for nearly two years now, trains with Speed Starz Track/Running Club — a Wesley Chapel-based program that teaches athletes of all ages the basic fundamentals of running. The club uses professional and advanced running techniques and drills. BeBe Roberts leads the club that has worked with numerous elementary, middle and high school athletes in Pasco County who excel in track and field and other sports.

However, when Williamson showed up on his first day, Roberts — a former track star himself — saw the raw talent and potential.

“When he came to me at 6, during the practice sessions, I put him with the 8- and 9-year-olds, and he was beating some of them! This kid is only 6 and on the track for nearly the first time and beating kids that are much older than him, so I knew this kid is going to be something serious in track and field.

“He is way ahead of the game right now.”

Williamson is ahead of the game — and a lot of other runners.

Roberts calls this little blur  — whose nickname is The Flash, just like the comic book superhero — a quick study that’s on a whole other level.

“He picks up on everything real fast,” Roberts added. “I mean, some of the high school kids can’t pick up this stuff that fast, but not Seth. I tell him one thing, and he picks it up like that, and we’re talking about some advanced stuff.

Seven-year-old Seth Williamson, of Wesley Chapel, is the ‘Fastest Kid in the Nation,’ a title he earned by winning multiple championships last and this year during AAU Track and Field National Championships. On July 10 and July 11, Williamson defended his 100-meter dash title, this time finishing his run in 15 seconds. He also came in fifth in the 200 meter and second in the long jump in the 7-year-old division.

“At his age, he’s on a Level 10 when other kids his age are at a Level 1. … It makes coaching him easy because even at the track meet (during the National Championships), I told him, at the 65-meter mark, ‘Stay high (with your head), keep your posture up, and he did — you can see it in the video, and he won. 

“It (looks) like a professional (running).”

Williamson says he loves working with coach Roberts at Speed Starz.

“Coach BeBe is a good coach,” he said. “I like him a lot. He’s taught me how to have a fast start and how to have good form.”

Williamson showed his ability to learn quickly when he took on the long jump. Roberts said the young athlete didn’t practice the long jump much since “he’s a straight sprinter,” but still went out and placed well.

“He just went out there and got second in the nation,” Roberts said. “I mean, we get to the meet and then all of sudden, people are pointing him out and saying, ‘That kid right there — he’s the one to beat,’ and he was only fifth in the preliminaries (for the 100 meter). Everyone thought they had a shot on him, but then he surprised everyone.

“He’s a remarkable athlete — a fast learner and fast on the track, which is a great combo.”

Roberts said he’s “never seen someone this talented, this smart at (track), not at (Seth’s) age,” but also feels privileged to coach such a talented athlete at such a young age.

For Williamson, he’ll try to prove he’s not a flash in the pan — as fast as he can.

“Track is more easy (of a sport), since you can’t get hurt as often or as easily,” he said. “I like football and soccer, too, but I don’t play them. I just want to be on the track.

“I run everywhere, pretty fast, and I like running a lot.”

Speed Starz Track/Running Club
Details: Speed Starz Track/Running Club is a Christian-based track club in Wesley Chapel. It is designed to teach athletes of all ages the basic fundamentals of running, by using professional and advanced running techniques and drills. To see highlights of Seth Williamson accomplishments, visit his official Instagram account at @seth2flash.
Info: SpeedStarz.webflow.io/about

Published August 02, 2023

Cycling through the movies

By

Grab some popcorn — it’s time for a show.

But also grab a water bottle and a towel because at Cycle Cinema, there will be a show, but there will be sweating, too.

Cycle Cinema is a one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. Located inside Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, owner and operator Nick Walton removed all movie theater seats and replaced them with stationary bikes to provide morning and evening spin classes.

A trainer runs a session of Cycle Cinema, a one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. Located inside Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., Cycle Cinema removed all movie theater seats and replaced them with stationary bikes to provide morning and evening spin classes. (Mike Camunas)

Those stationary bikes sit in front of the big screen, include surround sound and participants can get a great workout with the help of a trainer and visuals on the screen that include trails, routes, motivational images and more.

“The visual aspect is a big thing,” said Walton, who also is executive director of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis Foundation in Zephyrhills. “That’s the hook that gets them in the theater.

“We’re in that category of boutique studio fitness, but there are no other spin studios in Wesley Chapel, so maybe you can get spin classes at a gym like EōS, but there’s nothing else like this out there.

“Certainly not another cycle studio with a full-size movie screen in front of them,” he said.

Persuading people that there’s actually a studio inside a movie theater is the biggest challenge, he added.

Most expect a spin studio to be in a strip mall but, of course, those can’t provide the big screen.

“They also think we’re in here watching movies,” Walton said. “When people realize what we’re doing, that it’s actually cycling classes, then they’re even more interested — because it’s still an intensive spin class, and once people realize that then they’re less apprehensive to come to a movie theater to work out,” he said, with a laugh.

When Cycle Cinema isn’t using the screen to show routes or trails, it will hold movie-themed nights, tapping into current releases showing in theaters just next door to the fitness studio.

Cycle Cinema puts a new spin on going to the movies. Instead of munching on popcorn while watching a film, the people in this particular theater are burning off calories, while riding stationary bikes.

For example, there was a boxing-themed class to go with the showing of ‘Creed 3’ and the ‘Rocky’ franchise. Another was doing a Mario-themed class, in which the screen showed ‘Mario Kart’ tracks to riders.

“People really liked that,” Walton said. “Especially the Mario class.”

Walton says classes are, for now, mornings and evenings on weekdays, as well as classes on weekend mornings. However, if there were requests for more classes at specific times, Cycle Cinema would be amenable to changing its schedule.

But riders now like the convenience of a spin class before or after work.

Wesley Chapel resident Sasha Glover, who was the first person to join Cycle Cinema, said she enjoys that benefit, plus the aspect of going to a non-gym.

“I love the indoor cycling atmosphere, I love the screen, I love the people, I love what they show and I love it’s not really going to a gym,” Glover said. “I love that there’s the screen and the instructor in front of you, especially since it’s dark in there (laughs), and everyone can’t look at you. Sure, it’s a little self-conscious thing, but once that is gone, then you can just focus on working out and riding.

A trainer is silhouetted in front of the big screen in Theater 5 at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16 during an evening session of Cycle Cinema.

“At a gym, everyone is there looking at you and … ewww. Here, you’re in your own little world and just work out. That’s much better for me.”

As a mom of two, Glover says she attends up to four classes a week, which has resulted in getting in great shape and losing weight. She also appreciates being able to bring her two kids, both of whom enjoyed what was on the big screen.

“My son,” she said, “loved Mario night and he even jumped up on a bike and rode some.

“It’s just so totally and completely different and an amazing experience every time I come and ride,” she added.

Especially since the cyclists are there for a workout — not a popcorn flick.

“There’s no one else doing something like this in a movie theater, possibly in the world,” Walton said. “Exercise should be fun and engaging, and I don’t know what could be more fun and engaging than working out in front of a giant screen at a movie theater.”

Cycle Cinema
Where: Inside B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel – The Grove 16, 6333 Wesley Grove Blvd., Wesley Chapel
Details: A one-of-a-kind fitness studio that combines the energy of a traditional cycle class with the visual and sound experience of the big screen. The studio is located in Theater 5, where all movie theater seats have been removed and replaced with stationary bikes. Morning and evening classes are offered on most days. Cycle Cinema also offers a free trial for the first class as an introductory tryout.
For more information, visit TheCycleCinema.com.

Published June 21, 2023

Hitting the gym — and the century mark

By

Roy Caldwood is a risk taker — a rebel.

And, a humanitarian.

The 100-year-old veteran — who regularly stays fit and active by working out with a trainer at AdventHealth Wellness Center in Wesley Chapel — served as a Buffalo Soldier in World War II, encountering German infantry and Third Reich soldiers in Italy. He was a medic, caring for his brothers in arms in the 92nd Infantry Division Reconnaissance Troop Second Platoon.
“I will say this, it was a hell of an experience, a once in a lifetime experience, and what I learned was how it felt to live in a free society and a colorless society — because in Italy, it was color blind. You never heard the word ‘color’ in the two years I spent in Italy,” Caldwood said.

Roy Caldwood, a 100-year-old World War II veteran, works out with Mike Guerdan, a trainer at AdventHealth Wellness Center in Wesley Chapel, where Caldwood comes to stay active and in shape. The gym gave the New Tampa resident an honorary membership to thank him for his World War II service as a Buffalo Soldier in the 92nd Infantry Division Reconnaissance Troop Second Platoon and, well, also because he’s the only centenarian who works out at the Wellness Center. (Mike Camunas)

Nearly 80 years later, Caldwood has long been retired and has resided in New Tampa now for about a year. His wife of 73 years, Muriel, passed in the summer of 2022.

He stays active by gardening and still does some traveling, and he works out with a hands-on trainer at AdventHealth Wellness Center, in Wesley Chapel.

The gym recently honored Caldwood, for his service and for being its only 100-year-old member, by giving him an honorary membership.

His daughter, Diane Royer, who also works out at the gym, thought it was a good way for him to remain active. But she also knew that this “risk taker” would need some guidance (a.k.a supervision).

“My role is to safeguard him, but if it was up to him, he would go (too) hard because he’s a risk taker, but also a humanitarian,” Royer said. “He’d be in here (at the gym) trying to help other people, which is all well and good, but I would feel bad if something happened to him.”

Caldwood works out with Wellness Trainer Mike Guerdan. The trainer keeps Caldwood grounded, even if the centenarian willingly does more than required.

“It can be tough to make sure he doesn’t do too much given his age, so I just want to make sure he doesn’t do anything too irresponsible and hurts himself,” Guerdan said. “He’s like a vintage automobile — you’ve got to drive him carefully.”

Royer worries her father might do too much — knowing his history as both a soldier and humanitarian.

Caldwood was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions in the war.

While in Italy, with the village his unit was occupying under imminent German attack, he and other medics volunteered to help the Italian villagers, but he also undertook a very dangerous mission.

New Tampa centenarian Roy Caldwood stays active and fit thanks to regular workouts at AdventHealth Wellness Center in Wesley Chapel, where he was bestowed an honorary membership as a thank you for his service in World War II.

He volunteered to escort a group of Italian women to go grocery shopping. They needed to pass through a section called “Purple Heart Stretch” because entering that war zone meant risking death.

“The Germans thought my actions were completely suicidal,” Caldwood recalled.

“That’s just Roy being Roy — always wanting to help somebody somehow, but also taking the road less traveled,” his daughter added. “For him, it’s go big or go home.”

When Caldwood finally did go home to his native New York, he spent more than 21 years in the New York City prison system as an assistant deputy warden and program director at Rikers Island. He worked in that system until 1976.

During that time, he was among six guards who were taken hostage during the 1972 Rikers Island Riot. Caldwood helped negotiate a peaceful resolution.

“Sometimes, you have to take a risk to help others,” said the author of “Making the Right Moves: Rikers Island & NYC Corrections.”

Roy Caldwood, at 100, still works out regularly with weights at AdventHealth Wellness Center, in Wesley Chapel.

The book recounts the story of the 1972 riot. In 2001, he was awarded the New York City Commissioner’s Award for Bravery and in 2016 received the New York City Department of Correction Guardian Association Medal of Honor, Valor & Merit.

Now, as he walks through the gym, sometimes wearing clothing honoring his Buffalo Soldier notoriety, Royer is still surprised no one notices.

“No one said anything when I put the year 1922 on the forms when signing him up,” she said. “I thought maybe they’re used to it — but here’s a 100-year-old Buffalo Soldier at this gym and no one knew! Which is okay because he’s working out and staying active.”

Guerdan agrees.

“It’s inspiring to see his work,” the trainer said. “It’s still pretty amazing to see him in the gym and handing him weights and he’s slinging it above his head and doing more than what I asked him to do.

“I hope I can still do that when I’m 100 or even younger!”

Caldwood — a rebellious, risk-taking humanitarian — doesn’t feel his age.

“I love this gym — and I like Mike (laughs),” Caldwood said. “But I don’t feel 100 — I’ve never been 100 before, so I don’t know what it’s supposed to feel like!

“But I’m going to keep working out and hopefully I’ll reach 101.”

Published May 24, 2023

Running up to Boston

By

Tia Pettygrue has been running toward this goal for about 12 years.

The 54-year-old New Tampa resident has qualified to run in the 128th annual Boston Marathon on April 15, 2024.

“It’s the Super Bowl for runners — because it’s the only one you have to qualify for,” Pettygrue said.

Tia Pettygrue, of New Tampa, trains at EōS Fitness, a new gym in Lutz, to prepare for the 2024 Boston Marathon. She recently qualified to run in the race after years of running and attempts. The 54-year-old financial advisor and certified running coach set a personal record of three hours, 53 minutes in a marathon in Newport News, Virginia. She will be one of 30,000 participants in the 128th Boston Marathon on April 15, 2024. (Mike Camunas)

It is still a ways off, but this longtime long-distance runner’s excitement hasn’t waned since qualifying for the event while setting a personal record (three hours, 53 minutes) in her 11th marathon — the Newport News One City Marathon — on March 5 in Virginia. 

“I am so excited. I’m thinking about it every day, and I was looking at when I crossed the finish line — the race photographer got the best shots, with all the emotions. I relive it every day now, and I don’t usually buy race photos!

“I’m known for doing a jump picture after my races. People couldn’t believe I was able to do it after running a hard 26.2 miles,” she said, with a laugh.

But all laughing aside, Pettygrue has finally qualified for her dream race, but only after several unsuccessful attempts. Those efforts fell short due to time, or added pressures of the situation, or occasional injuries.

That’s why she joined the new EōS Fitness gym in Lutz. It has trainers, a wide variety of equipment, and various recovery apparatuses and techniques that come in handy for avid runners.

That’s especially true for Pettygrue, who has been running since the mid-’90s.

EōS personal trainer Anya Kalnins has been working with Pettygrue to help her gain more unilateral strength.

She said Pettygrue is one of her most advanced clients.

Tia Pettygrue is overcome with joy and emotion after setting a new personal record at the Newport News One City Marathon, which qualifies her to run in the 2024 Boston Marathon. (Courtesy of Tia Pettygrue)

“She’s also very positive and always keeps her head high — even if she is a little injured, she doesn’t let it get her down,” Kainins said. “As you get older, your body does slow down, so recovery is key, but her training here is very impressive — you love to see that.”

Pettygrue will run long distance, outside, five days a week and then lift weights on another two. 

As for her recovery at EōS, she calls it her “spa day.”

She’ll spend 15 minutes to 20 minutes in the hot tub, 10 minutes in the sauna, finish up in the massage chairs and then put in a little stretching.

Her work and her long journey led her to being selected for the EōS Fitness’ annual “Submit Your Fit” contest, which involves members from across the nation sharing  transformational stories of how they embraced fitness to improve all aspects of their lives.

Pettygrue recalls the beginning of her journey to a more fit life.

“In 2008, on a cruise, someone I hadn’t seen in a while, said to me, ‘Tia, I didn’t even recognize you — you gained so much weight!’

”That’s what I needed to hear at the time.”

Tia Pettygrue poses with her husband, Johnny, after running the St. Pete Run Fest. Tia’s husband of 32 years is an avid long-distance runner, as well.

From there, she got back into long-distance running and signed up for the Gasparilla 15K.

Her husband of 32 years, Johnny, also is an avid runner, and he was ready to do the Gasparilla full marathon, a race that is now discontinued. He convinced PettyGrue to run with him and they have been hooked on running marathons and long races ever since. So much so, they plan trips around runs and then explore the city and area before and after the race.

In all, Pettygrue has run 158 half marathons, 11 marathons, a triathlon and an ultramarathon.

EōS Lutz fitness manager Emory Wolf-Bielawa thinks it’s awesome that Pettygrue has achieved her goal to run in the Boston Marathon.

“Just looking at her story and seeing all the highlights and photos and races she’s run, she’s come a long way,” Wolf-Bielawa said.

As Pettygrue prepares for the biggest race of her life, she will continue her work with Black Girls Run, a nonprofit aimed at getting young and adult black women out to exercise. Through the program, she has coached thousands of women as a certified running coach.

Her devotion to the sport is apparent to others.

“Honestly, I was wondering if I should go up there and support her as her coach! I’ve never been to Boston, so maybe I can make it a work trip — and to see her cross that finish line,” Kalnins said.

Now, Pettygrue is ready to cross the Boston Marathon finish line, after years of running toward it.

“It’s the runner’s Super Bowl — my Super Bowl,” she said, “and I can’t wait to run it — finally.”

Published May 03, 2023

Adaptive sports day is a home run

By

It was a hit.

From Wesley Chapel to Land O’ Lakes, the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department had itself quite the day — Adaptive Sports Day at Wesley Chapel District Park, as well as the “At Bat 4 Autism” Home Run Derby at the baseball fields at the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex — with both events held on April 15. 

Lauren Neal, of Ruskin, brings the basketball down court during a session of one of the four adaptive sports available at Adaptive Sports Day at Wesley Chapel District Park and Recreation Center on April 15. The event was sponsored by the Pasco County Parks, Recreation, & Natural Resources Department and designed to give individuals with a physical disability the opportunity to try different adaptive sports, from basketball, tennis, pickleball and archery. In all, about a dozen athletes and residents attended and were able to enjoy the sports and facilities. (Mike Camunas)

The activities were timed to bring attention to Autism Awareness Month, which is April, as well as to highlight the department’s Pasco Adaptive & Inclusive Recreation (P.A.I.R) program, which provides active events and activities for those with disabilities.

“I think we had a great turn out!” said Scarlet Lawhorne, recreation leader at Wesley Chapel Recreation Center. “Everyone had a great time and we’re happy with how it all turned out. We’re definitely going to try to make it a yearly thing and hopefully see even more (adaptive sports athletes) come out.”

Senior Recreation Coordinator Kimberly Miller said these two events were put on specifically this month as the department’s initiative to provide more adaptive sports for the county.

“While we have (P.A.I.R activities) all year long, this was our way of doing things during April for Autism Awareness Month,” she added.

At Adaptive Sports Day, about a dozen or so youth and adult participants with disabilities were able to give four adaptive sports — tennis, pickleball, basketball and archery — a try. While pickleball and tennis — put on by volunteers from the Sarah Vande Berg Foundation and USTA Florida, respectively — were brought into the gym because of the heat, archery and basketball were kept outside, with the latter sport seeing some fierce competition. That included stellar play from Team USA Wheelchair Basketball point guard Paul Schulte, who is a two-time Paralympic medalist.

Adaptive Sports Day only cost $5 per athlete and it provided sport wheelchairs for those who might not have them.

Over in Land O’ Lakes, the “At Bat 4 Autism” Home Run Derby had a couple dozen hitters pre-register and participate, however, organizers who braved the heat at the all-day event during Little League and softball games saw a lot of walk-ups pay just $3 for seven swings to be crowned home run champion.

In all, the organizers added, the department made a few hundred dollars off the home run derby, with those proceeds going to the P.A.I.R program.

“It was a great day, with these events,” Miller said. “We love getting this kind of support from the community for (the P.A.I.R) program and our department.

Published April 26, 2023

Tyler Keats, of Sarasota, returns a tennis volley inside the gym at Wesley Chapel Recreation Center during Adaptive Sports Day on April 15.
Robyn Stawski, of Tampa, works on aiming the bow during an archery session at an event offering athletes a different way to compete.
Jacob Paul, of Clearwater, gears up to return a tennis volley inside the gym at Wesley Chapel Recreation Center during Adaptive Sports Day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wesley Chapel resident and veteran Jerome Knight pulls back on his bow and takes aim during one of the four adaptive sports available to try at Adaptive Sports Day at Wesley Chapel District Park on April 15.
Shelton Mobley, of Temple Terrace, left, and Bradenton resident and Team USA Wheelchair Basketball point guard Paul Schulte battle for the ball during a game on Adaptive Sports Day in Wesley Chapel.
New Port Richey resident Isabella Thurman works on a return during a game of pickleball on the day highlighting adaptive sports.

Coyotes girls soccer make first state appearance

By

They believed in themselves.

That’s all the Cypress Creek girls soccer players — and their coach, Jessica Herzek — had to do, including drawing inspiration from the Apple TV+ hit show, Ted Lasso.

In the show, Ted Lasso, played ever-optimistically by Jason Sudeikis, is an American football coach hired to coach an English Premier League soccer team. Lasso will constantly tell his players, who don’t have faith in him since he’s never coached soccer, homespun anecdotes and inspirational quotes, as he points to a small, yellow-and-blue sign he has hung in the locker room

The sign just says, ‘Believe.’ 

The Cypress Creek girls soccer team became the first team in school history to advance to a state tournament since the school opened in Wesley Chapel, in 2017. The Coyotes (15-6) then faced state powerhouse Plantation American Heritage, losing 6-0. (Courtesy of Jessica Herzek)

That’s all Lasso, and also Herzek, wants the players to do, to believe in themselves and each other.

“When I watched that show,” Herzek excitedly recalls, “I was like, ‘He coaches like I do!’ … So yeah, it’s about (we) ‘Believe,’ so let’s go get it. We’re doing it the way that we believe in ourselves, so with a big game, I’m sending (my players) texts and telling them what to expect and getting mentally prepared for that game, and we come out better for it.

“The biggest thing I found in girls’ sports is you have to have unity — there can’t be bad attitudes,” she added. “They can’t be mad at each other or have animosity, which can cause discontinuity as a mental unit. This year, I focused a lot on the mental aspect of the game because we needed to focus as being one unit. That can be hard in high school.

“But it paid off.”

Channeling her inner Ted Lasso certainly paid off, as Herzek led the Coyotes (15-6) to becoming the high school’s first varsity team to advance to a state tournament since the school opened in 2017 in Wesley Chapel.

“It’s pretty awesome — it’s a really good feeling,” Herzek said. “Girls’ sports don’t get a lot of accolades or a lot of attention, and this girls soccer team is quite amazing. We knew it was a big deal, and we were very excited about it.

“It’s nice for them, for the players, to feel as though they’ve accomplished something and deserve the accolade that they worked very hard for.”

Unfortunately, the Class 5A state final four appearance most definitely didn’t go as the Coyotes would have liked, as they ran into one of the best teams out there: perennial state powerhouse, Plantation American Heritage. 

Cypress Creek lost 6-0 on Feb. 17.

“From Day One, I told them we were a final four team,” Herzek said. “I told them they have the abilities of a final-four team, but they have to work for it. When they did, they finally believed they were a final-four team.

“But they never gave up (in the state semifinal). That’s one of the best teams in the nation, and they never gave up.”

The Coyotes have had a strong run in the postseason the past four seasons.

Starting in 2020, they broke through for their first regional tournament appearance, but lost to Englewood Lemon Bay in the first round. In 2021, Lemon Bay ended the Coyotes’ season again, but this time the loss came in the region finals. In 2022, after jumping up to Class 5A, Merritt Island knocked out the Coyotes in the first round.

Herzek began coaching the team three years ago. However, she’s been coaching some of the players, including three senior starters, since seventh grade. They are: goalie Alex Capocy (114 saves), Abby Pittman (defensive stalwart) and Brooke Evans (five goals, five assists).

The Coyotes leading scorers were junior Allison Souers (30 goals), junior Ashley Olds (22 goals) and Avery Blevins (12 goals). All three had a team-high 10 assists.

As Herzek looks ahead, she “believes” the team will build on what’s become its yearly success.

“It was amazing going to states and really fun to experience it with the girls,” Herzek said. “I loved seeing how excited they were, especially because they really accomplished something. … What we did was historical, but like Ted Lasso, I try to also instill in them to not take it so seriously. If we can’t have fun in soccer, then why are we even doing it?

“That’s the neatest part about coaching.”

Published March 01, 2023