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Brett Swanbom

Top moments in sports during 2018

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Teams captured state titles and local athletes turned in outstanding performances, during a year that brought shining moments and lasting memories.

Here are some of the highlights, from across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area:

USA Women’s Hockey, fans celebrate gold in Wesley Chapel
Just days after celebrating a gold medal win in the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the USA women’s ice hockey team returned to where their remarkable journey started — Wesley Chapel.

The U.S. women’s national ice hockey team posed for pictures on Feb. 28 at Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. The team spent more than five months training at the facility and lodging at Saddlebrook Resort. (File)

That’s where the team spent more than five months preparing for the Winter Olympics, training at Florida Hospital Center Ice and lodging at Saddlebrook Resort. It’s also where daily practices, off-ice testing and intra-squad scrimmages were used to determine the 23 players selected in May for the Team USA roster.

The team spent the better part of an hour on the afternoon of Feb. 28 greeting fans, posing for pictures and signing autographs at the Center Ice facility.

The event drew excitement from hockey enthusiasts, such as Wesley Chapel’s Rob Simonelli, who was prideful of the fact the Olympic team trained in his hometown.

“I just was excited that this was their home base. Just following them when they made this their home was kind of cool,” Simonelli said, at the time.

“They’re really friendly, and it’s nice that they decided to come and just kind of say ‘Hey’ to the people,” he added.

The surprise visit was part of a nationwide media blitz that also took them to Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York City.

The week prior, the team defeated Canada in a 3-2 shootout to win gold, ending a 20-year drought for the women’s hockey program.

Florida Hospital Center Ice was picked as Team USA’s training ground over such hockey facilities in Boston, Chicago and other cities — placing a feather in Pasco County’s cap in its quest to become a top-notch sports tourism destination.

The time spent by the Olympic gold medalists in Wesley Chapel led them to later be dubbed by some residents as ‘Pasco’s team.’

The stay in Wesley Chapel likewise proved special for the elite athletes, from top-flight training digs and hospitality, to the warm, sunny weather.

Said defenseman Cayla Barnes, then the youngest member of Team USA at 19 years old: “These facilities were awesome, the staff here was amazing, and they really helped us with everything we needed. It was great to be down here, such nice weather, and really nice to train out here in preparation for the games.”

Added two-time Olympian and forward Kendall Coyne: “Hockey in Florida was new to a lot of us, but I don’t think it took long for us to realize that hockey is serious in Florida.”

Local small-school sprinter wins state title
It’s not often a small-school athlete gets to celebrate on a big stage.

But, that’s what happened to Zephyrhills Christian Academy senior Evan Miller.

He captured the Class 1A boys 100-meter dash title in a blistering 10.75 seconds at the Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field 2018 Championships, at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.

Zephyrhills Christian Academy senior Evan Miller won first place in the 1A boys 100-meter dash in 10.75 seconds at the Florida High School Athletic Association Track & Field 2018 Championships.

The senior was also the final leg of the school’s gold-medal winning 4×100-meter relay team that scorched the competition with a 42.10 second mark — joining junior NyJohn Moody, sophomore Tyler Davis and senior Calvin Samuel.

Those marked the only first-place finishes at the state track & field meet among athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

It’s also noteworthy, considering Zephyrhills Christian has about 250 students from prekindergarten through 12th grade and was in just its second year offering a boys and girls track & field program.

For Miller, the memorable showing had been a year in the making.

The previous summer, the multi-sport athlete suffered a broken ankle during a 7-on-7 football tournament.

The injury forced Miller, a standout defensive back, to miss several games in the fall as a member of the Zephyrhills Christian varsity football team.

Unable to hit the gridiron, Miller hit the starting blocks instead, as part of his rehabilitation process.

The newfound sport proved to be his true calling.

Miller linked up with well-regarded AAU track coach and personal trainer BB Roberts, who runs the Wesley Chapel-based Speed Starz Track Club, and lists NFL and MLB athletes as training clientele.

Roberts, a former track star in his own right at Wesley Chapel High School and Coffeyville (Kansas) Community College, worked to correct Miller’s running form and technique, among other tips.

The fixtures shaved Miller’s 100-meter personal record from a still-impressive 11.2 to a 10.69 — which he set at the Steinbrenner High Invitational in early April.

Miller is now a freshman sprinter at Division I University of South Carolina, where he’s training under the Olympic pedigree of legendary head coach Curtis Frye.

Academy at the Lakes wins first state softball title
Buoyed by a longtime Division I coach in Diane Stephenson, one of the state’s top arms in Lexi Kilfoyl, and a potent offense averaging nearly seven runs per game, the 2018 Academy at the Lakes varsity softball team lived up to the preseason hype — finishing with a remarkable 26-4 record and winning its first-ever Class 2A state championship.

The state crown was a follow-up to an impressive 20-win season and regional final appearance in 2017.

Academy at the Lakes varsity softball won the FHSAA Class 2A state title on May 22 after defeating Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings. The Wildcats finished the season 26-4.

For the Wildcats, the most dramatic moment of the 2018 campaign came in its most important game.

Academy at the Lakes outlasted Monticello Aucilla Christian 1-0 in 11 innings on May 22 at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, in a game that featured a pitcher’s duel through wet, muddy conditions.

Kilfoyl, then a junior, outlasted Aucilla Christian senior and Florida signee Elizabeth Hightower by unleashing a 13-strikeout, fourth-hit shutout.

The softball sensation and Alabama signee also did some work with the bat.

Kilfoyl was responsible for the game-winning single that allowed freshman shortstop Brooke Blankenship to score on a two-out single in the 11th inning — unseating an Aucilla Christian program that had won state crowns two of the last three years.

Forecasting ahead, a state title repeat for the Wildcats  in 2019 certainly seems within reach.

Kilfoyl and Stephenson return, as do much of the key contributors from its state-winning squad.

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex breaks ground
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex’s June 7 groundbreaking represented a major step for Pasco County, as it looks to become a premier sports tourism destination in the years ahead.

Expected to open in late 2019, the $44 million, 98,000-square-foot complex is slated to feature eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings.

The $44 million Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is expected to open in late 2019. The 98,000-square-foot complex will have eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings. Also, besides the indoor gym, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

In addition to its indoor offerings, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

The complex — being built off State Road 54, near The Shops at Wiregrass— will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center for youth, adults and seniors, while weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county.

The county will own the facility and share in anticipated profits with RADD Sports, a private company that will operate and manage the sports complex.

Officials say annual economic impact would be about $6.5 million for the new facility. Over 10 years, about $8 million or more in sales and use taxes would be generated, not including tourism taxes from hotel stays, officials say.

The  complex adds to a growing list of premier, state-of-the art sports facilities in east Pasco — and further markets the area as a sports tourism destination primarily for youth and amateur sports.

Other nearby offerings include Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, which opened in early 2017 as the largest hockey complex in the southeastern United States; Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, an upscale resort renowned for world-class golf and tennis training; and, Wesley Chapel District Park, which sits on 144 acres and contains 10 full-size athletic fields, and lighted outdoor tennis courts and basketball courts. Efforts also recently began in a quest to build a premier aquatics facility in Land O’ Lakes, as well as a multimillion dollar tennis complex in Zephyrhills.

Land O’ Lakes High honors ‘Voice of the Gators’
For Land O’ Lakes High School, the 2018 ‘Butter Bowl’ will go down as one of the most historic, as the Gators football team finally cracked an eight-game losing streak to crosstown rival Sunlake High School, with a 35-24 home victory.

Matt Connor, top, and Meaghan Connor of Land O’ Lakes positioned Mike Connor on the sideline area for a dedication of the press box in his name.

The most enduring moment of that Sept. 14 evening, however, happened right before kickoff.

That’s when a special dedication ceremony was held to honor longtime athletics booster Mike Connor. The press box space at John Benedetto Stadium named the Mike Connor Family Press Box.

The dedication drew dozens of friends and family, as well as current and former Gators coaches, who showed their support and appreciation for Connor, who passed away a month later at age 69.

Connor, a volunteer at the school since 1989, was instrumental in building a sustainable athletic and football booster club. His efforts also helped established a yearly scholarship fund for a male and female at the high school.

Connor, too, served as the ‘Voice of the Gators,’ calling the action of every Friday night home game for nearly two decades, and creating catchphrases, such as ‘a gaggle of Gators.’

An area business owner and Land O’ Lakes resident since 1982, Connor operated Taco John’s on the corner of State Road 54 and U.S. 41, as well as Beef O’ Brady’s in Wilderness Lakes. He was also noted for being a key part of the early successes of the Flapjack Festival and, later, in helping to create the Land O’ Lakes Swamp Fest.

Academy at the Lakes wins its second straight football title
Following last year’s historic eight-man state title run, questions swirled about how the Academy at the Lakes football program would handle a newfound target on its back and the loss of several impactful players.

The team responded with aplomb— finishing with a perfect 10-0 record and winning its second straight eight-man state title, downing Miami Citi Christian Academy Fire 36-18 in the Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) championship game on Dec. 8, at Southeastern University in Lakeland.

In contrast to last year’s Wildcats team that relied heavily on do-it-all running back/linebacker Daniel Gonzalez — the  2017 Florida Christian Association of Private and Parochial Schools (FCAPPS) Heisman Trophy winner — the 2018 squad was forced to play together in all phases of the game.

Filled with new faces and inexperience at some positions, the Wildcats proved to be greater than the sum of its parts, winning games by way of stout defense and timely offense.

The Wildcats, too, showed their share of resiliency throughout the season.

For instance, they withstood a nagging early season injury to senior tailback Jamaal Johnson, who was expected to be one of the most dynamic players on offense; instead, he was only able to play bits and pieces of games from mid-October through the end of the season.

Meanwhile, in the playoffs, the Wildcats overcame a 16-0 halftime deficit in the state semifinals game against Duval Charter, ripping off 27 unanswered points to send them to the state championship game. The state title game also proved to be a test of mettle, as the Wildcats held onto a 22-18 lead late into the fourth quarter before pulling away for good.

Here’s a rundown of some other notable highlights throughout 2018:

  • Zephyrhills shuffleboard great Earl Ball surpasses 1,000 career points
  • Steinbrenner High School baseball coach John Crumbley enters the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame
  • Gaither High School alum/Florida International University quarterback Alex McGough is drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft
  • Land O’ Lakes High School’s Sydny Nasello wins Class 3A Player of the Year, and is named a 2018 Miss Soccer finalist
  • Saint Leo men’s lacrosse becomes the state’s first lacrosse program to make a national championship appearance
  • Carrollwood Day School varsity baseball reaches program’s first state final four
  • Academy at the Lakes varsity baseball celebrates its first winning season
  • Land O’ Lakes High School is one of three Pasco Schools named a Special Olympics National Banner Unified Champion School
  • Land O’ Lakes youth resident Brett Swanbom wins a world championship as a member of the 2018 U.S. Junior Barefoot Water Ski Team
  • Sunlake High School girls swimming & diving team unseats Land O’ Lakes High School to win the 2018 Sunshine Athletic Conference Championships
  • Former Gaither High School/current Hillsborough High School football coach Earl Garcia becomes all-time winningest coach in Tampa Bay
  • Wiregrass Ranch junior linebacker Dylan Ridolph sets the Pasco County record for career sacks, with 37
  • Longtime Sunlake High School football coach Bill Browning retires following a 29-year head coaching career throughout the North Suncoast
  • Zephyrhills High School football records an undefeated 10-0 regular season
  • Wesley Chapel High School basketball coach Doug Greseth wins 500th career game

Published December 26, 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

Local youth barefoot water-skier wins national title

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Brett Swanbom can be considered a rising star in the extreme sport of barefoot water-skiing.

The 11-year-old, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, has the medals to prove it.

Swanbom won first overall in the boys B Division (12 & under) at the 2017 United States Barefoot Nationals on Aug. 5 in Polk City. There, he claimed gold medals in jump and slalom events, and a silver medal in tricks.

Land O’ Lakes’ Brett Swanbom won first overall in the boys B Division (12 & under) at the 2017 United States Barefoot Nationals, on Aug. 5 in Polk City. The 11-year-old barefoot water-skier claimed gold medals in jump and slalom events, and a silver medal in tricks. (Courtesy of Bob Swanbom)

In April, Swanbom entered — and won — his first-ever tournament — the 2017 PGA Opener in Palm Beach Gardens.

He also went on to win a handful of other tournaments in Florida and Texas over the summer.

Those achievements paled in comparison to capturing the boys B Division national barefoot title, however.

“It didn’t really feel like it did at nationals; people come from all over America (to compete),” said Swanbom, a sixth-grader at Pine View Middle School.

A relative newcomer to the sport, Swanbom began barefooting just about a year-and-a-half ago. He first learned from his father, Bob Swanbom, a former show skier on the Wisconsin-based Tommy Bartlett water-ski team.

It became clear Swanbom was a natural.

“He just excelled real fast,” his father said.

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 to 45mph); 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.

Swanbom already has earned a name for himself in barefoot water-skiing.

He’s one of just 23 sponsored skiers by the World Barefoot Center (WBC) in Winter Haven, where he receives training and equipment perks.

There, he’s been called Brett ‘Slalom’ Swanbom, for his masterful displays in the wake slalom event.

Brett Swanbom is currently ranked 27th in the world in the boys junior division (17 and under), according to the World Barefoot Council’s latest rankings. He’s won several events since competing in April.
(Kevin Weiss)

“He’s very, very good at the slalom ski,” Brett’s father said. “They think someday he’ll beat (two-time World Barefoot Champion) Keith (St. Onge) in the world slalom record.”

David Small, one of Swanbom’s instructors at the World Barefoot Center, is spellbound by the 11-year-old’s slalom skills.

“As soon as he could stand up beyond the boat, he’d be tearing up the slalom,” said Small, the world’s top-ranked barefooter and a six-time world barefoot champion.

“Natural ability helps him. The power-to-weight ratio on that kid is unbelievable. He’s so strong, and he weighs next to nothing.”

Besides his moniker, Swanbom’s abilities spawned a new rule allowing the barefoot jump event for boys under 12 years old, colloquially referred to as the ‘Brett Rule.’

“…They didn’t allow 11 year olds to jump, so I said, ‘Well, how can he ever win boys B Division?’” Brett’s father recalled telling barefooting officials. “Now if you qualify, and they see you’re really a good barefooter, they’ll let you jump. You have to go through some qualifications. They just don’t want somebody to go out there and get hurt.”

Swanbom is currently ranked 27th in the world in the boys junior division (17 and under), according to the World Barefoot Council’s latest rankings. Many ranked higher are 15, 16 and 17 years old.

“I’m very proud of him,” his father said. “He’s accomplished a lot in a short period of time and, with the guys at WBC, he’s learning from the best.”

Swanbom stays humble, realizing there’s ways to go to reach the world’s elite.

“I’m not there yet,” he said, modestly. “I haven’t really mastered tricks. I haven’t really mastered slalom, either.”

Doing so is contingent on flawless barefooting technique.

“He’s progressed fast,” Small said, “so it’s our job to keep him mentally grounded so that he doesn’t act up, and really to solidify the fundamentals of the sport…so he can really push forward and compete at a high level.”

Meanwhile, Swanbom has incorporated several sophisticated tricks to his repertoire.

That includes ‘tumble-turns’ — a 360-degree spin while butt-sliding on the water, then coming back around with feet planted — and ‘toe-ups’ — where a skier, with one leg locked onto the ski handle, rocks their body up on the water on one foot, without using hands.

“When you learn new tricks and you finally get it after a long time, you’re relieved, but proud of yourself at the same time,” Swanbom said. “Some part makes you proud, some part makes it fun.”

During events, Swanbom focuses on setting personal-bests, rather than his opponents.

“It’s not about going against another person — it’s (about) going against you,” Brett said. “First, you try to beat yourself, then you worry about the other person. But, I don’t really do that much.”

“If you win or not, it doesn’t matter. It’s just like if you had fun,” he said.

“With the kids, it’s all about them having fun,” added Small. “He really enjoys the sport. So, it’s not like he’s going out there and training and not having fun.”

Swanbom someday hopes to compete professionally and set a world record “at least in one event.”

A more immediate goal is joining the United States World Team, perhaps even the 2018 junior squad.

“I don’t see why he can’t be on the U.S. team for the junior world championships, and start actively competing against the rest of the world,” Small said. “As long as he keeps enjoying it; he’s got the mental ability, and the physical ability to do it.”

It also doesn’t hurt that Swanbom resides in Central Florida, often referred to as the “Water Ski Capital of the World.”

“Florida’s a great place to water-ski because you can ski year-round,” Bob Swanbom said. “You can’t do that in Wisconsin, and you might not be able to do that in Utah, and in Texas you can’t, sometimes.”

Interestingly, Land O’ Lakes is home to a pair of the sport’s most recognizable names, as both Don Mixon Sr. and Don Mixon Jr., live in Lake Padgett. 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.

Published August 30, 2017