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Tampa Catholic High School

Two Hillsborough women to be honored

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A Valentine’s Day ceremony and luncheon is being organized by the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County to celebrate two women of distinction.

The 15th annual Lifetime Achievement Award Luncheon will honor Liana Fernandez Fox, Ph.D., and the late Dena Gross Leavengood, according to a posting on the Hillsborough County website.

The event will take place on the day that coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the League of Women Voters.

Fox and Leavengood are being honored for their contributions to the local community, and to the state of Florida.

The Feb. 14 event is set for 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, 522 N. Howard Avenue, in Tampa. Lorna Taylor, president & CEO of Premier Eye Care, will serve as emcee.

Fox represents the fourth generation of her Cuban and Sicilian ancestors in Tampa.

She began her career as a statistician for Florida’s State Road Department in 1969.

She retired as full professor of mathematics, after teaching for five years at Tampa Catholic High School and 33 years for Hillsborough Community College in Ybor City, and at the University of South Florida.

She pioneered the offering of online mathematics courses for HCC.

She currently is a trustee for the Tampa Bay History Center and president of the board of directors at Champions for Children.

Fox remains active at USF, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Council of Arts & Sciences, USF’s Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) and the USF Latin Community Advisory

Committee.

And, those are just a few of Fox’s accomplishments.

Leavengood, who passed away last year, was a Florida native and a marine biologist who was known for her community activism.

She graduated with a zoology degree from the University of Florida and received her Masters from USF. Her education and training launched a career that would span decades of activism and professional accomplishments. Dena was a tireless civic volunteer and was affiliated with countless organizations, including past president and board member of the League of Women Voters of Hillsborough County, the Athena Society, Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida and the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce to name but a few.

Registration for the event is available at HCLWV.org/laa.

Published January 08, 2020

Locals shine during 2017-2018 college football season

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Another exciting and memorable college football season is in the books. In addition to the University of Alabama capturing its sixth national title under head coach Nick Saban and the University of Central Florida finishing with an unblemished 13-0 record, several locals had noteworthy individual campaigns in 2017.

Here’s a look back at some of the top performers from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area, including both Pasco and Hillsborough counties, that shined in the Division I FBS and FCS ranks in 2017:

Auden Tate, wide receiver, Florida State University
High School: Wharton High School; graduated in 2015
Tate offered one of the few bright spots for a Florida State team that took a step back in 2017, finishing an uncharacteristic 7-6.

Auden Tate

A viable red-zone threat, the 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior tallied 40 receptions for 548 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdown receptions.

And, his last game was his best.

In the Seminole’s 42-12 win over Southern Mississippi in the Dec. 27 Independence Bowl, Tate tallied three touchdown passes as part of a five catch, 84-yard performance.

Tate has since announced he will forego his senior season to enter the 2018 NFL draft. Many outlets project the wide-out to be one of the top receivers selected, possibly between the first and fourth rounds.

A native of South Carolina, Tate moved to Tampa after his freshman year of high school. At Wharton, he developed into one of the nation’s most sought-after recruits, with his rare combination of size and athleticism.

Chase Litton, quarterback, Marshall University (Huntington, West Virginia)
High School: Wharton High School; graduated in 2014
Litton capped off his junior season —and third year as Marshall’s starter— in impressive fashion.

Chase LItton

He threw for 3,115 yards and 25 touchdowns, leading the Thundering Herd to an 8-5 record that was capped by a 31-28 win over Colorado State University in the Dec. 16 New Mexico Bowl.

The 6-foot-6, 232-pount Litton became just the second quarterback in school history to complete at least 60 percent of his passes in three consecutive seasons. The other was Byron Leftwich, who spent a decade in the NFL from 2003 to 2012.

Litton, who recently declared for the NFL Draft, cemented himself as one of the Marshall’s all-time great passers. He ranks fourth in program history in career touchdown passes (72); fourth in most pass completions (772); and fifth in career passing yards (8,832).

In four years at Wharton, Litton amassed more than 7,600 passing yards and 54 touchdowns. He was also a standout basketball player with more than 1,000 career points.

Alex McGough, quarterback, Florida International University
High School: Gaither High School; graduated in 2014
The four-year starter guided Florida International to an 8-5 record — tying the best mark in the program’s 16-year history. (FIU also went 8-5 in 2011).

McGough’s senior season was also his best season numbers-wise. Completing 65 percent of his passes, the 6-foot-3, 218-pound pocket passer tallied 2,798 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. A capable runner, he added 231 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Alex McGough

McGough exits the FIU program with numerous passing records, including most career touchdown passes (65).

His accomplished career came to a bittersweet end in the Gasparilla Bowl on Dec. 21, when he fractured his left collarbone on the team’s first offensive drive. FIU ended up losing to Temple 28-3.

McGough was rather lightly recruited out of Gaither (FIU was his only Division I scholarship offer) despite being one of Tampa Bay’s most decorated passers — amassing more than 5,100 career passing yards and 52 touchdown passes in four varsity seasons. He also played baseball and soccer.

McGough’s younger brother, Shane, also plays for FIU and graduated from Gaither.

Shaheed Salmon, linebacker, Samford University (Homewood, Alabama)
High School: Land O’ Lakes High School; graduated in 2014
The 6-foot-2, 233-pound senior outside linebacker followed up last year’s All-Southern Conference campaign with an even better showing, posting a team-leading 109 total tackles, along with 15.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and an interception. He again received First Team All-Southern Conference honors and was named Third Team Stats FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) All-American.

Shaheed Salmon

Salmon had four games with 10 or more tackles, including a career-high 18 in the team’s NCAA Playoff game at Kennesaw State.

He also was named Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Month in November.

The defensive stalwart and sure tackler was also one of the key reasons Samford posted an 8-4 overall record (6-2 conference play) and reached the FCS Playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1992.

At Land O’ Lakes High, Salmon was a three-sport standout, competing in football, basketball and track. In his senior year, he led the Gators in tackles (117), tackles for loss (21.5) and sacks (8.5).

Amani Oruwariye, cornerback, Penn State University (State College, Pennsylvania)
High School: Gaither High School; graduated in 2014

Amani Oruwariye

Despite missing two games to injury, the 6-foot-1, 209-pound redshirt junior firmly established himself as one of the Big Ten Conference’s top cornerbacks — posting a team-high four interceptions, along with 12 passes defended and 28 total tackles — helping the Nittany Lions to an 11-2 record and Fiesta Bowl win.

The on-field performance proved good enough for second team All-Big Ten honors — Penn State’s first cornerback to do so since 2008.

Expected to return for his senior season, Oruwariye is regarded for his size, length and athleticism at the defensive back position.

Prior to college football, Oruwariye was a three-year letterman at Gaither High and earned team MVP honors his senior year. He also earned first-team all-district honors and was selected to play in the Hillsborough County All-Star Game.

Other Notables:

Janarion Grant, wide receiver, Rutgers University (Piscataway, New Jersey)
High School: Pasco High School; graduated in 2013
Battled injuries all season long, but still managed to finish with 600 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in seven games. Exits Rutgers as its all-time kickoff return yardage leader (2,857 yards) and tied for the NCAA record for combined kick return touchdowns (8).

Nate Craig-Myers, wide receiver, Auburn University (Auburn, Alabama)
High School(s): Pasco High School; Tampa Catholic High School; graduated in 2016
Dade City native displayed a solid sophomore campaign, tallying 16 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Will be expected to make a bigger impact in 2018.

Chris Faddoul, punter, Florida A&M University
High School: Wiregrass Ranch High School; graduated in 2017
Freshman averaged 39.4 yards per punt, including eight of 50 or more yards. Also, pinned 16 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Shane Bucenell, quarterback, Charleston Southern University (Charleston, South Carolina)
High School: Wiregrass Ranch High School; graduated in 2015
Sophomore passed for 737 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions. Also, rushed 164 yards. Last month announced plans to transfer to another school.

Published January 17, 2018

Wiregrass Ranch football loses two playmakers

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The 2017 football season is two months away, but one of Pasco County’s top teams already has taken a hit.

In a week’s span, two varsity standouts from Wiregrass Ranch High School — cornerback Shamaur McDowell and quarterback/safety Raymond Woodie III — have exited the rising program, which last season finished Class 7A, District 8 runner-up, making its first playoff appearance since 2010.

Senior cornerback Shamaur McDowell has transferred to IMG Academy, a boarding school and sport-training destination in Bradenton. (File)

On June 16, Woodie III, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior, announced he was enrolling at Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, a move that allows him to reconnect with his father, an assistant football coach at the University of Oregon.

“…I would like to thank everyone at Wiregrass for taking me in and giving me the opportunity to be successful on and off the football field,” Woodie III said, in a statement. “I will forever be grateful to the coaches and players, and wish them nothing but the best this season. With that being said, my family and I have decided it is best for me to move out to Oregon with them and attend Sheldon High School.”

Just four days later, McDowell, a 5-foot-11, 184-pound senior, announced his intention to transfer to IMG Academy, a boarding school and sport-training destination in Bradenton.

“My parents and I felt like it was the best decision,” McDowell said, in a statement. “It will allow me to focus on being the best student-athlete I can be. It will also prepare me for the next stage in my life.”

Both are widely regarded as elite prospects for their respective classes.

And, noteworthy losses for Wiregrass Ranch, which figures to be one of the better teams in Pasco in 2017.

Woodie III, who landed at Wiregrass Ranch after transferring from Carrollwood Day School in the offseason, is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect and the nation’s eighth-best dual-threat quarterback for the 2019 class, and boasts scholarship offers from over 20 Division I football programs.

McDowell, a three-year varsity player for the Bulls and verbal commit to the University of Minnesota, is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect and ranked among the state’s top 300 players for the 2018 class; he also holds scholarship offers from nearly 20 Division I schools.

Junior quarterback/safety Raymond Woodie III has transferred to Sheldon High School in Eugene, Oregon, a move that allows him to reconnect with his father, an assistant football coach at the University of Oregon. (File)

For McDowell, the transfer to IMG Academy offers an opportunity to further enhance his skills, and raise his national profile.

The academy, ranked as the top prep program in Florida, typically plays a national schedule.

This season, IMG Academy (11-0 in 2016) will play games in Arizona, California, Maryland, Washington D.C., Utah, Alabama and Virginia, facing some of the nation’s other top prep football schools.

Throughout the school year, McDowell will receive training inside state-of-the art facilities from a staff of full-time coaches, trainers and nutritionists.

He will also compete alongside other top talent — IMG’s entire roster is actively recruited by FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) schools.

Meanwhile, the Bulls remain stockpiled with impact players, even with the two departures.

It all starts with senior defensive back Jordan Miner.

The four-star prospect is ranked one of the state’s top 50 players for the 2018 recruiting class, and claims nearly 30 Division I scholarship offers, including Penn State University, University of Maryland, University of North Carolina and University of Tennessee, among others.

Last season for the Bulls, the 6-foot-1, 177-pound Miner tallied 38 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions and 12 passes defensed.

He also racked up nearly 500 all-purpose yards on offense, defense and special teams.

Besides Miner, the Bulls have numerous players with standing college scholarships offers, including wide receiver/safety Daniel Biglow (Fort Lewis College), safety/running back Kwesi Littlejohn (Webber International University), tight end/defensive end Devaun Roberts (Warner University, Webber International) and wide receiver/slot back Adrian Thomas (Webber International).

The return of 1,000-yard rusher Da Da McGee and a potential breakout campaign from junior quarterback Grant Sessums should also help mask the exodus of Woodie III and McDowell.

Save for anymore unforeseen departures from the program, the Bulls look to build on last season’s success, under third-year coach Mark Kantor.

Kantor, who previously coached at Hudson High School, orchestrated an impressive turnaround from 2015 (2-8 record) to 2016 (7-3 record).

But, the upcoming season won’t be easy.

Besides facing tough district opponents like Plant, Gaither and Wharton high schools, the Bulls kick off the 2017 slate against nondistrict opponents Zephyrhills, Wesley Chapel and Sunlake high schools — which went a combined 22-7 last season.

The challenging schedule may come in handy near playoff time, however.

The Florida High School Athletic Association’s new playoff system for football stresses strength of schedule, along with overall record. After the four district champs in Class 7A, Region 2, the other four playoff teams will be determined by a points-based system.

In preparation for the rigors of a demanding 2017 schedule, Kantor arranged a May 19 spring game against Tampa Catholic (33-27 loss) and August 18 preseason classic against Clearwater Central Catholic (9-2 record in 2016).

—Stats were supplied by coaches on Maxpreps.com

Wiregrass Ranch High 2017 football schedule
Aug. 18 – at Clearwater Central Catholic
Aug. 25 – Zephyrhills High School
Sept. 1- at Wesley Chapel High School
Sept. 8 – Sunlake High School
Sept. 15 – at Sickles High School
Sept. 22 – Wharton High School
Oct. 6 – at Gaither High School
Oct. 13 — at Freedom High School
Oct. 20 — Leto High School
Oct. 27 — Plant High School
Nov. 3 – at Auburndale High School

Published July 5, 2017

Big Ed takes another bite out of summer

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The heir apparent rose early last Wednesday — pre-dawn early — to greet his official transmogrification from rising senior to the full-fledged real thing.

This sort of event repeats itself, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 3.4 million times each year, making it the very definition of normal. Nonetheless, when the rite arrived in the Jackson household, the boy’s parents reserved the right to have their breath taken away.

A member of the Tampa Catholic High School Class of 2017, his graduation is set for May 24. While the date does not yet loom large on the family calendar, if past is indeed prelude, we’ll be hearing “Pomp and Circumstance” in a virtual heartbeat.

For now, however, the family to-do list is crowded with other, more immediate concerns, including, but not limited to, prepping for another round of college-entrance tests, applying to said colleges, reserving Friday nights for football (the boy, risking his ears but not his cranium, beats a bass drum for the Crusaders) and making sure there’s always enough stuff in the refrigerator to quell the growling of his stomach.

What is it about school, by the way, that makes teenaged boys even hungrier than usual?

So, we’re back in the academic swing, being ruled once more by its rhythmic pulse … and I still can’t help but feel like we’re doing all of this too soon. By two weeks, at least. Hillsborough County public schools opened last week, dragging some private schools along with them. In Pasco, the school board — demonstrating admirable restraint — waited until Monday to ring the opening bell.

In short, the first day of school has crept, once again and to my dismay, into the first half of August. Labor Day, once the great anchor to which the start of the school year was chained, has been pulverized for the convenience of Big Education, becoming just another long weekend in our academic marathon.

Others once ferociously committed to keeping August, or most of it anyway, reserved for low-key road trips, family reunions or summer camp, appear to have succumbed. An Internet check of the “Save Our Summers” state groups — mostly alarmed parents supported by tourist-sensitive business operators — returns, mostly, defunct web pages.

After all, they’d essentially carried the day, successfully lobbying legislatures to link the first day of school to Labor Day, beating back opening days that had, in some states, crept into the first week of August. In some states the link was a week. In Florida it was 14 days, with limited exemptions for high-performing districts.

Superintendents, school boards and, especially, teachers’ unions groused, to no avail. Until last spring, that is, when representatives of Big Ed hit upon this year’s late Labor Day (Sept. 7) as the perfect wedge argument.

Waiting until Aug. 24 to open schools meant it would be impossible to squeeze in a full semester before the Christmas — er, winter — break, leaving students to carry the burden of midterm exams through their holiday. School lobbyists argued successfully that this disjointedness was no way to run an academic schedule.

That certainly sounds reasonable. But the argument really hinges on what we’d like our schools to achieve. If it’s packing all the assignments and exams into a compressed, tidy timeframe, then, bravo. Starting in the first half of August is the ticket.

If, on the other hand, we’d like students to retain what they’ve been taught, postponing exams until after the break is the superior strategy.

I readily confess, I like the contrarian argument, because, as — apparently — one of the last bitter clingers in the save-our-summers camp, it boosts my argument. But, the studies are real.

Investigators call the two methods “binge and purge” and “the spacing effect.”

In the first, students learn at a breakneck pace (the binge), then dump it on their exams (the purge). The result is rapidly dissipating knowledge.

In the second, gaps are inserted between teaching/learning and testing. And the results, dating back decades, are astonishing.

In an article on “spaced education” in the November-December 2009 edition of Harvard magazine, sociologist/editor Craig Lambert identified, “More than 10 rigorous studies on medical students and residents using randomized trials have shown its efficacy: it can increase knowledge by up to 50 percent, and strengthen retention for up to two years.”

There was even a study published at the height of the Save Our Summers frenzy entitled, “Why Taking Exams After Winter Break Is Best For Students: What the Experts Say,” which wrapped the entire argument for longer summers and gap-enhanced testing in a rather flamboyant and unmistakable bow.

Not that I expect to persuade anybody at this point. Conventional wisdom is so deeply baked into the earlier-start rubric you couldn’t dig it out with a melon baller.

Heck, I even have the heir apparent and his mom working against me. Both seem happy to have gotten on with it.

Me, I’m still with “Auntie Mame” Dennis, who, reminded in the closing scene that she needs to have her grandnephew back from India in time for the start of school — the day after Labor Day — answers exquisitely, “Naturally. Of course. Labor Day. That’s sometime in November, isn’t it?”

Tom Jackson, a resident of New Tampa, is interested in your ideas. To reach him, email .

Published August 17, 2016

Area fall football preview: Hillsborough County

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The 2016 high school football season is just around the corner, and several teams in The Laker/Lutz News’ Hillsborough County coverage area enter the year with intriguing storylines, standout players and must-see matchups.

Carrollwood Patriots
Coach: Lane McLaughlin (10th year)
2015 record: 7-4
Spring Game result: 14-7 loss to Victory Christian

Freedom Patriots
Coach: Floyd Graham (1st year)
2015 record: 3-7
Spring Game result: 7-0 win over King High

Gaither Cowboys
Coach: Jason Stokes (6th year)
2015 record: 4-6
Spring Game result: 7-0 win over Sickles High

Steinbrenner Warriors
Coach: Andres Perez-Reinaldo (5th year)
2015 record: 9-2
Spring Game result: 18-0 loss to Alonso High

Wharton Wildcats
Coach: David Mitchell (12th year)
2015 record: 8-2
Spring Game result: 14-0 loss to Hillsborough High

Three teams to watch:

 

The Carrollwood Day School Patriots are loaded with talented playmakers on offense. (Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School)
The Carrollwood Day School Patriots are loaded with talented playmakers on offense.
(Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School)

Carrollwood Patriots
The Patriots, coming off a 7-4 season, appear to be one of the more interesting teams in Tampa this year. Despite being a smaller school, their youthful talent rivals many of the area’s larger schools. Armed with a bevy of playmakers on offense — quarterback Raymond Woodie III, tailback Yahsin Wooten, and receivers Nazir Achecar and Markeis Colvin — the Patriots are likely to rack up a lot of yards and touchdowns against foes. But, in order to take the next step forward, the Patriots must find a few pass-rushers on defense that can pressure opposing quarterbacks and generate sacks, due to the departures of Zac Watson-Parcels (team-leading 11 sacks), Devon Connors (10 sacks) and Corey Shamley (seven sacks).

 

The Gaither High Cowboys are looking for a bounce-back season in 2016. (File Photo)
The Gaither High Cowboys are looking for a bounce-back season in 2016.
(File Photo)

Gaither Cowboys
Despite coming off a disappointing 4-6 season, the Cowboys should have plenty to be excited about in 2016. After ending the 2015 campaign on a three-game win streak, the Cowboys return several impact players, including senior running backs Alex Rodriguez (805 yards, five touchdowns) and TJ Williams (391 yards, three touchdowns), and senior linebackers Decalon Brooks (114 tackles, five sacks) and Estefano Feliciano (73 tackles, six sacks). Though the team has several experienced playmakers on both sides of the ball, Gaither’s success may be determined by quarterback play — which must become more efficient. Gavin Deboer, the team’s incumbent quarterback from last season, struggled at times as a sophomore (48 percent rate, 10 interceptions.) If he can improve his touchdown-to-interception ratio and find a few reliable pass-catchers, Gaither may be in store for a winning season.

Steinbrenner High’s Warriors look to build off their stellar 9-2 mark in 2015. (Courtesy of Steinbrenner High football)
Steinbrenner High’s Warriors look to build off their stellar 9-2 mark in 2015.
(Courtesy of Steinbrenner High football)

Steinbrenner Warriors
Coming off a breakout 9-2 season, the Warriors are looking to keep the upward momentum going in the 2016 campaign. With holes to fill on offense and defense, Coach Andres Perez-Reinaldo will need several players to step up this season. Gone are the team’s top two offensive skill players — running back Jay Dantley (1,269 yards, 13 touchdowns) and wide receiver Justin Moffatt (41 receptions, 641 yards, 8 touchdowns) — and the team’s top four leading tacklers from last season. On a positive note, junior quarterback Colin Wray looks to build off his stellar sophomore season (56 percent completion rate, 1,634 yards, 13 touchdowns) with a few reliable targets at his disposal in seniors Brett Bitter (35 receptions, 600 yards) and Carson Kaleo (34 receptions, 277 yards). Helping the Warriors immediately is the addition of hybrid linebacker Devon Connors (53 tackles, 10 sacks), a 6-foot-3, 234-pound senior transfer from Carrollwood Day School.

Three players to watch:
Gaither senior linebacker Decalon Brooks
Decalon Brooks, the son of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer great and NFL Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks, is quickly making a name for himself. Brooks, who led the Cowboys in tackles (114) in 2015, holds several Division I offers, most notably from Florida State University and the University of Louisville. An inside linebacker at Gaither, the undersized Brooks (5-foot-10, 197-pounds) figures to transition to the safety position in college. Brooks, a consensus three-star recruit, is lauded by scouting services for his “aggressiveness, agility, athleticism and blitzing ability.”

Carrollwood sophomore quarterback Raymond Woodie III
Raymond Woodie III, the son of University of South Florida defensive coordinator Raymond Woodie Jr., will be a name to remember for the next several years. Just a sophomore, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound dual-threat quarterback already has seven Division I offers, highlighted by the University of Southern California. In 2015, Woodie III put together a stellar season (1289 yards, 11 touchdowns.) More refined, he’ll likely raise his completion percentage (53 percent) and cut down on turnovers (nine interceptions) in 2016. Recruiting services praise the young quarterback for his “strong arm” and “ability to extend plays with his feet.”

Steinbrenner senior kicker Noah Ruggles
It’s not often a kicker makes a player-to-watch list, but Noah Ruggles is a rare case, considering he’s one of the top prep kickers in the nation. According to KohlsKicking.com, Ruggles is ranked No. 5 for the class of 2017, and holds an offer from Vanderbilt University. The 6-foot-3, 175-pound senior is known for his “leg speed and athletic frame.” Last season, Ruggles made 37-of-38 extra-point attempts and 8-of-13 field goals with a long of 51 yards for Steinbrenner. Kicking runs in the family — Ruggles’ older brother, Michael, earned a scholarship as a punter for the University of Texas at El Paso in 2013.

Three games to watch:
Sickles High at Steinbrenner High, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Two teams coming off terrific 2015 seasons face off in a Week 1 rivalry game. Steinbrenner has the benefit of not having to matchup against former Sickles quarterback Chris Oladokun (1,390 yards, 15 touchdowns), who recently graduated. The last time these teams met was in 2014 — Steinbrenner won 15-7.

Tampa Catholic High at Gaither High, Aug. 19, 7:30 p.m.
Gaither appears to be overmatched in this contest, but fans will get to see a lot of Division I talent on the field for both sides. If Gaither can play a ball-control game, leaving the prodigious Tampa Catholic offense on the sidelines, they have a chance to keep it close.

Carrollwood Day School at Cambridge Christian School, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m.
With ample experience on offense, Carrollwood will look to avenge last season’s 21-12 defeat to Cambridge Christian School. It won’t be easy, considering Cambridge returns most of their impact players from its 12-1 team in 2015. Also of note, Cambridge was undefeated (8-0) at home last season. Nevertheless, expect to see a lot of big plays and offensive highlights in this contest.

Published August 17, 2016

Carroll vaults to top spot in Sullivan Award competition

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As a champion gymnast and pole-vaulter, Nikki Carroll relies on her superior balance. But when she found out that she won the Amateur Athletic Union High School Sullivan Award, she became uncharacteristically shaky on her feet.

Nikki Carroll was a little unsteady after hearing she won the AAU's High School Sullivan Award, but she earned it through her extraordinary balance and skill in pole vaulting and gymnastics. (Photos courtesy of Nikki Carroll)
Nikki Carroll was a little unsteady after hearing she won the AAU’s High School Sullivan Award, but she earned it through her extraordinary balance and skill in pole vaulting and gymnastics.
(Photos courtesy of Nikki Carroll)

“I was just so shocked. I couldn’t even believe what she was saying,” Carroll recalled about the phone call confirming she won the award. “I had to hold onto the table that was next to me. I almost fell on the floor.”

While the AAU hands out the award to four male and four female athletes around the country, just one of each wins the top prize of $10,000 in scholarship money. Carroll, who lives in Land O’ Lakes, beat out hundreds of applicants around the country to take the top female athlete prize.

Her athletic accomplishments are impressive – she’s a two-time high school state pole vaulting champion, and she took the top all-around position for gymnastics at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

But, it takes more than physical skill to win the top Sullivan prize. In addition to participating in at least one AAU sport, athletes are also judged on academics, leadership and character, and had to prepare essay responses on the application.

In those areas, Carroll also compared favorably to her peers. She maintained a 3.7 grade point average in high school, coached younger athletes over the summer and volunteered at Feeding America Tampa Bay, where she sorted food and distributed it to the needy.

She won’t win any medals by volunteering, but Carroll said the result is rewarding just the same.

“It’s such a great feeling, being able to help other people,” she said.

Nikki Carroll is ready to put away her medals and focus on competing for the University of South Florida, where she earned a full scholarship for her pole-vaulting skills.
Nikki Carroll is ready to put away her medals and focus on competing for the University of South Florida, where she earned a full scholarship for her pole-vaulting skills.

Helping young athletes learn new skills was particularly rewarding, Carroll said. Perhaps that’s because she used to be one of those young athletes herself. She’s been doing gymnastics since she was around 5 years old, and her dedication to two sports has required much of her limited free time. At Tampa Catholic High School, Carroll spent several hours a day after school on gymnastics, whether it was beam, bars, floor or vault work. Weekends meant a trip to Merritt Island to practice pole vaulting at Pole Vault City.

And that doesn’t count the out-of-state traveling. As an AAU participant, Carroll travels to places like Iowa and New York to compete in gymnastics and pole vaulting events. She’s been to the Big Apple several times just this year, she said.

She has enjoyed competing against athletes from different states.

She also has had the chance to meet coaches, too, who have provided valuable advice and critiques on her form. She’s even planning to attend a camp run by a coach she met at a competition.

Now that she’s graduated high school, Carroll’s schedule will change.

But it won’t get easier.

She’ll miss gymnastics, but pole vaulting will become a priority, since it earned her a full scholarship to the University of South Florida.

Her academic studies will focus on integrative biology in pursuit of a career in either trauma medicine or forensics.

And the $10,000 in scholarship money won’t hurt, either.

While the monetary prize and the state champion accolades are nice, Carroll is most proud of not just being named a Sullivan winner, but in taking the top female spot out of all eligible high school athletes.

“This is on a whole other level than everything else that I’ve done,” Carroll said.

Published July 15, 2015

Back to back: Nikki Carroll repeats as state pole vaulting champ

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When you’re an athlete in your junior year of high school, there are few titles better than “state champion.”

But “two-time state champion” is one of them.

Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll won her second state pole vault title as a junior by clearing 12 feet — her personal best. She’s already eyeing a shot at a third title next year. (Courtesy of Carol Carroll)
Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll won her second state pole vault title as a junior by clearing 12 feet — her personal best. She’s already eyeing a shot at a third title next year.
(Courtesy of Carol Carroll)

Land O’ Lakes resident Nikki Carroll earned that designation by claiming her second straight Class 2A pole vaulting title earlier this month at the state meet, on the University of North Florida campus in Jacksonville. She cleared an even 12 feet to best her closest competition by six inches.

“It feels amazing doing it twice,” Carroll said. “I really wanted to win it again and I knew that a lot of people were expecting me to win. It was definitely my goal to win again and to jump 12 feet.”

That mark — a full foot better than last year’s winning height — not only gave the Tampa Catholic High School junior a second state title, but a new personal best as well.

While it was the perfect ending to another year of track and field for Carroll, it didn’t happen under perfect circumstances. Pole vaulting, is the kind of competition where the weather can make or break an athlete’s day. Since participants are using a long pole to propel themselves above and beyond a set bar, anything that makes it harder to run, set and grip can mean the end of the competition.

So when it was raining on the day of the meet, and didn’t stop when she had to perform, Carroll had every right to be concerned. But her coach told her that holding the pole lower makes it less likely that an athlete will slip, and Carroll naturally has a lower grip than many pole vaulters.

While it wouldn’t help in good weather, she said the lower grip might have helped succeed in the rain.

But Carroll had to overcome her own miscues as well, and the pressure that came with them. A pole vaulter has three chances to clear each height. After the third miss, they’re out of the competition — and, in this case, the running for the state title.

Twice in Jacksonville, Carroll found herself down to her last try.

“I was on my third attempt at 10 feet, 6 inches and at 11 feet, so that definitely freaked me out a little bit because I was almost out,” she said.

But Carroll was able to stay focused, keep her grip and clear the hurdle both times to stay alive in the competition and eventually claim the title.

Successfully clearing a certain height and being successful at pole vaulting in general is harder than it looks, Carroll said. On television, such as during the Olympic Games, the athletes make it look easy. But it takes a lot of training and practice to get it right.

As a state champion, Carroll definitely puts in the time to be the best. She does gymnastics every day (a sport she’s been doing for several years) except Sundays, and said the skills she hones at those practices are a natural fit with pole vaulting.

But Sundays aren’t a day of rest. She travels across the state to Melbourne, where she practices at Pole Vault City to stay prepared for the actual competitions.

Bobby Haeck, co-owner and head instructor of Pole Vault City, said Carroll’s skills give her an immediate advantage over the competition.

“It’s speed and tremendous gymnastics,” he said. “If you put those two things together, you get a really good pole vaulter.”

Height also can be important for an athlete, he said. While Carroll isn’t tall, her quickness and ability to clear the bar more than compensates for a lack of height.

Haeck, who has trained pole vaulters for nearly 15 years, was there to see Carroll defend her title, and he was impressed with her ability to succeed in the rain and convert her third attempts. He believes she has a bright future continuing the sport in college.

Carroll said she’d like to continue pole vaulting after she graduates high school, and will pursue a pre-med course load in college in order to become a doctor. But before any of that happens, she still has her senior year ahead of her. And that means another chance to defend her title.

“Not a lot of people can win it back-to-back, and then even less can win it three times,” she said. “I’m definitely going to go for three.”

Published May 14, 2014