Land O’ Lakes’ Hall of Fame adds members

The Land O’ Lakes Gators Athletics Foundation inducted five new members to the school’s athletics Hall of Fame during a dinner ceremony on May 24.

The inductees for the 2016 class were: the 2002-2003 girls soccer team, which won a state title; Jerry English, a longtime varsity softball coach; Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier, a standout dual-sport athlete; Dianne McClendon, a key member of the Land O’ Lakes softball team during the late ‘70s; and Phil Teston, the school’s first player drafted in to the Major League Baseball.

The ceremony marked the school’s fourth Hall of Fame induction class, which began in 2013 after the Gators Athletics Foundation was established as a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

The foundation’s purpose is to “raise funds through donations and fundraising events for the direct benefit of the athletic programs at Land O’ Lakes High School.”

Antonio Tarver, a former World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion, was the keynote speaker for the ceremony, which drew about 180 people.

Jerry Brewster, vice president of the Gators Athletics Foundation, estimates that $12,000 to $15,000 was raised, several thousand dollars less than in previous years.

“The first three years we raised about $20,000 per year and so now the foundation has over $60,000 in there, but this past year, we just didn’t get as many sponsors as we had in prior years so…it was a little light from what we would’ve liked to have,” Brewster said.

Funds raised through the foundation are currently being allocated to build an athletic field house at the school, perhaps within the next five years.

Likely a $1 million to $1.5 million project, a field house would be the first step in upgrading the school’s athletic facilities in an effort to put it on par with other large schools throughout Tampa area. Ideally, features inside the field house could include boys and girls locker rooms, coaches’ rooms and a training area, Brewster said.

“We’ve got a vision of what we’d want it to look like,” the foundation’s vice president said. “We want to put an actual Hall of Fame (in) the field house, so when kids walk to the gym everyday, they have to go through the Hall of Fame; we want it to be something where kids can be inspired.”

In addition to nearly $70,000 in the foundation’s coffers, there’s an additional $150,000 commitment from a few of the foundation’s board members to help facilitate a field house project.

The organization also is in discussions with the Pasco County School Board to possibly create a joint partnership to spearhead a new athletic facility.

Meanwhile, in the next few months, the athletics foundation will deliberate candidates for next year’s Hall of Fame class. Typically, each class features a coach or administrator, a lifetime achievement award, one female athlete and two male athletes.

Both athletic prowess and the individual’s character are taken into account in evaluating Hall of Fame candidates, Brewster said.

Hall of Fame bios
2002-2003 Girls Soccer team
The Lady Gators capped off a 26-3 record in 2003 by winning the Class 2A state championship after they defeated Riviera Beach Suncoast High School 1-0. The Gators’ Stacy Bishop became the county’s all-time leading scorer during that season, while goalkeeper Shannon Aitken set the county’s career shutout mark. After the season, longtime girls soccer coach Vicki King was awarded the National Soccer Coaches Association coach of the year award.

Jerry English
Jerry English was the Land O’ Lakes varsity softball coach for 26 years, and also spent many years as the school’s assistant and head JV football coach before his retirement in 2003. During his tenure, English amassed 462 wins, 11 district championships, five regional championships, three sectional championships, three state final four appearances and two state runner-ups. He was also a two-time Florida Coach of the Year.
English taught PE, Social Studies and Diversified Career Technology (DCT) throughout his coaching career.

Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier
Lt. Col. Rhett Hierlmeier (Class of ’95) lettered in both football and baseball at Land O’ Lakes High. In 1994, he captained the football team, where he was an all-conference quarterback and defensive back.
Hierlmeier earned a four-year Air Force ROTC scholarship and completed his private pilot’s license before attending the University of Florida. Upon being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, Hierlmeier attended Joint Undergraduate Pilot Training, where he was a distinguished graduate earning the Air Education and Training Command commander’s trophy. He also earned two master’s degrees and served as an Air Officer Commanding at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

Diane McClendon
Diane McClendon (Class of ’79) was an integral part of the Land O’ Lakes softball team in the late ‘70s; her stellar play helped the Lady Gators finish state runner-up in both 1977 and in 1979. After graduation from high school, McClendon enlisted in the U.S. Air Force.

Phil Teston
Phil Teston (Class of ’78) was a dual-sport athlete at Land O’ Lakes, excelling at both baseball and football. He was nominated to the all-area baseball team three consecutive years, and was a member of the Gators’ first district champion baseball team. In his senior season, the right-handed pitcher compiled a 0.86 ERA with 170 strikeouts in 87 innings. His performance on the baseball diamond caught the eyes of pro baseball scouts, as he was drafted in the 25th round by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1978—making him the school’s first Major League Baseball draft pick. Following a brief minor league stint, Teston became a registered cardiovascular invasive specialist, where he’s performed over 3,000 abdominal and thoracic endografts.

2016 Land O’ Lakes Athletic Hall of Fame class

• 2002-2003 girls soccer team
• Jerry English—coach/administrator
• Col. Rhett Hierlmeier—Lifetime Achievement Award
• Dianne McClendon-female athlete
• Phil Teston-male athlete

Published June 8, 2016