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Elli Black

Sunlake boys finish third at state cross-country championships

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The Sunlake High School varsity boys cross-country team continued to show itself as among the state’s elite distance running programs and tops in Pasco County, and in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The Seahawks finished in third place out of 32 schools in Class 3A at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) State Cross Country Championships at Apalachee Regional Park, in Tallahassee.

The Sunlake High School varsity boys cross-country team finished third in the Class 3A state championship meet, representing the best finish among all local schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. From left: Nathan Lee, Cason Meyer, Cade Culpepper, Alex Pena, Colby Robbins, Maximillian Goserud and Cody Smith. (Courtesy of Randal Reeves)

The 3A team crown went to Miami’s Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, which tallied 42 points after its top five runners went second, ninth, 10th, 14th and 17th place, respectively. It represents that private school’s fifth-consecutive state title and 13th all-time.

Second place went to Fort Myers High School, who tallied 132 points after its top-five finished seventh, 22nd, 37th, 44th and 50th.

Sunlake wasn’t far behind.

They tallied 151 points, as its fleet went third, 16th, 23rd, 58th, and 76th in the 3.1-mile course on Nov. 12.

Rounding out the top five team finishers were Fort Lauderdale’s St. Thomas Aquinas High School (201 points) and Naples High School (235 points), respectively.

Junior Alex Pena — who paced Sunlake with a third-place individual finish — broke the 16-minute mark by clocking a 15:46.8, a 5:04 per mile pace.

The lone runners in the 3A meet who finished ahead of Pena were Leon High School sophomore Patrick Koon (first place, 15:23.8) and Belen Jesuit sophomore Joshua Ruiz (second, 15:37.4).

Following Pena for Sunlake were seniors Colby Robbins (16:21.3) and Cason Meyer (16:21.3); freshman Cade Culpepper (17:03.1); and, senior Maximillian Goserud (17:16.9).

The Seahawks sixth and seventh varsity runners — whose scores aren’t tallied in the results — were junior Nathan Lee (17:47.7) and senior Cody Smith (18:16.7).
The timed average for the Sunlake boys was 16:36, equating to an average pace of 5:21 per mile. There was just a 1:31 gap between its No. 1 through No. 5 runners.

The Seahawks, coached by Randal Reeves, racked up a number of other accolades during the season — altogether sweeping conference, district and regional team titles.

Robbins took individual crowns at each of those three meets. This included recording the fastest time in county history (and setting a new Sunlake record) with a 15:14 mark on the school’s 5K home course at the Sunshine Athletic Conference (SAC) meet on Oct. 20.

The 2021 (FHSAA) Florida High School Athletic Association State Cross Country Championships was held Nov. 12 at Apalachee Regional Park, in Tallahassee.
(Courtesy of Florida High School Athletic Association)

Other individuals from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area also fared well in the 3A boys meet.

Cypress Creek High School junior Zack Poekert finished sixth overall, timing 16:05.

Zephyrhills High School sophomore William Poe took 26th, clocking 16:35.

The meet featured 234 runners.

Several local teams and individuals exhibited solid showings at the state finals across other classifications, too.

The Wharton High School varsity girls yielded the next best local team showing — finishing 10th in the Class 4A meet.

The Wildcats were paced by senior Brooke Reif — a University of Richmond signee — who finished fourth among all individual 4A girls, after running an 18:49.2, an average pace of 6:03 per mile.

The Sunlake girls went 14th in the 3A meet, while the Land O’ Lakes High School girls collected a 26th place finish.
The Steinbrenner High School boys program went 24th in the 4A contest.F
Land O’ Lakes native Elli Black — a home-schooled seventh-grader who runs for Tampa Cambridge Christian School — finished state third overall in the 1A girls meet, posting 18:26.4. The other state qualifying girls individual was Wiregrass Ranch freshman Ava Schmitt (48th, 20:27.3, 4A girls).

Roundup of local teams and individuals at the 2021 FHSAA Cross Country State Championships:

Boys

4A
Steinbrenner (24th)

Ronald Aeschleman, senior (57th, 16:52)

Sawyer Raveling, senior (111th, 17:37.1)

Jaden Simpson, senior (124th, 17:46.0)

Jacob Smith, junior (169th, 18:25.4)

Joaquin Abanses, freshman (170th, 18:26.3)

Brady Peifer, freshman (172nd, 18:28.3)

Eion McDarby, senior (212th, 19:49.7)

3A
Sunlake (third)
Alex Pena, junior (third, 15:46.8)

Colby Robbins, senior (16th, 16:21.3)

Cason Meyer, senior (23rd, 16:31.8)

Cade Culpepper, freshman (58th, 17:03.1)

Maximillian Goserud, senior (76th, 17:16.9)

Nathan Lee, junior (110th, 17:47.7)

Cody Smith, senior (148th, 18:16.7)

Indvidual(s)

Cypress Creek: Zack Poekert, junior (sixth, 16:05)

Zephyrhills: William Poe, sophomore (26th, 16:35.5)

 2A

No local teams or individual runners

 1A
No local teams or individual runners

 Girls

Class 4A
Wharton (10th)

Brooke Reif, senior (fourth, 18:49.2)

Alexi Amer, senior (51st, 20:30.8)

Alexandria Frye, senior (81st, 20:56.5)

Olivia Hammill, junior (109th, 21:18.3)

Aubrey Raile, junior (127th, 21:46.6)

Keira Moody, freshman (191st, 23:27.7)

Dana Robinson, senior (209th, 24:22.9)

 Individual(s)

Wiregrass Ranch: Ava Schmitt, freshman (48th, 20:27.3)

3A
Sunlake (14th)

Sara Ellingson, senior (54th, 20:15.7)

Shelby Viseur, senior (77th, 20:39.9)

Avery Pham, sophomore (78th, 20:41.1)

Abigail Williams, sophomore (89th, 20:49.8)

Jaiden Wickert, junior (128th, 21:35.8)

Emma Burleson, senior (145th, 21:57.8)

Ally Moyer, sophomore (165th, 22:22.6)

Land O’ Lakes (26th)

Maranda Hildebrand, senior (88th, 20:48.9)

Sara Ashley, senior (133th, 21:39.2)

Aileen Castillo, sophomore (152nd, 22:04.0)

Dixie Blessing, freshman (169th, 22:43.5)

Ava Adriana, sophomore (171st, 22:47.0)

Grace Connoy, sophomore (200th, 23:38.6)

Alli Laffler, freshman (202nd, 23:40.9)

 1A
Individual (s)

Elli Black, Cambridge Christian (Land O’ Lakes resident), eighth grade (third, 18:26.4)

Published Nov. 24, 2021

Fall season offers exciting local sports action

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The fall sports season is here, and there’s plenty of action on tap across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Here’s a closer look at some notable storylines, events and other local happenings these next few months.

The Gaither Cowboys are poised to be one of the Tampa Bay area’s top football teams this year. (Courtesy of Gaither High School Athletics Department)

Which area prep football program will reign supreme?
Fall is synonymous with football — particularly the Friday night lights variety in many communities and small towns. There are about 15 high schools in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Several of those football programs are expected to have successful, winning campaigns in 2021.

Deciding which program is best is difficult, considering varying school sizes and classifications. However, it might be wise to pay close attention to the Gaither Cowboys (7A), Wiregrass Ranch Bulls (7A), Zephyrhills Bulldogs (5A) and Zephyrhills Christian Warriors (2A).

By year’s end, one or more of these programs could be showing gaudy records and an appearance in the state series for its respective classification.

Of course, winning an FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) 11-man football title is extremely elusive. The last local program to do so was the Pasco Pirates some three decades ago — back in 1992 when they downed Tampa Jesuit 28-16 in the 3A state championship at the University of Florida’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

If you can catch just one regular-season game in person this season, check out the 64th edition of the 9-Mile War between rivals Pasco and Zephyrhills. This year’s contest is set for Nov. 5, at Bulldog Stadium at Zephyrhills High School. Pasco leads the all-time series, 41-22.

The Bishop McLaughlin Hurricanes varsity volleyball program has had an incredible three-year run. All that eludes them is a state title. (Courtesy of Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School Athletics Department)

Bishop McLaughlin volleyball expects to remain elite
The Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School varsity girls volleyball program has enjoyed one of the more dominant runs across any area sports program over the last three years — going 24-3 in 2020, 25-4 in 2019, and 30-1 in 2018, respectively.

The Hurricanes should again remain very competitive in the FHSAA’s Class 3A ranks, under longtime coach Doug Chinchar.

Despite the graduation of Florida Dairy Famers 3A state volleyball player of the year Audrey Koenig —now a freshman at Florida State University — the team returns several other All-State performers and Division I prospects. This includes junior outside hitter Maddie Snider (Florida State University verbal commit) and junior outside hitter Ali Waldon (Mercer University), among others.

What eludes the Hurricanes is a state crown. The program reached the state semifinals in 2020, the regional semifinals in 2019 and was state runner-up in 2018.

Will this be the year the Hurricanes are the last team standing in its class?

The Sunlake High boys cross country team finished state runner-up at last year’s Class 3A meet. (File)

Sunlake High cross-country keeps pushing the pace
The Sunlake High cross-country program looks to remain top dog among area schools.

The Seahawks boys squad finished second in the 3A state meet last season — representing the all-time best mark ever achieved by any Pasco County prep cross-country program.

The school’s girls squad performed well, too, posting a 10th-place finish at the state 2020 meet.

And, a majority of Sunlake’s top distance runners are expected to return.

Last season, there was only one senior among the boys team’s top seven runners and two seniors among the girls team’s top seven.

The Seahawks haven’t been complacent in the offseason, either. Athletes participated in a running camp at University of North Carolina-Asheville — which featured lots of challenging hills work.

Speaking of high school cross-country, pay attention to Land O’ Lakes resident Elli Black — a home-schooled student who runs for Tampa Cambridge Christian School. Black is coming off a second-place finish in the 1A girls state meet, posting 18:28.5, as a seventh-grader. She’s shaved several seconds off that mark since then.

Former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell is leading the Pasco-Hernando State College’s upstart women’s soccer program. (File)

PHSC women’s soccer kicks off inaugural season
Pasco-Hernando State College launched a women’s soccer program earlier this summer, and will kick off its inaugural season in September.

The program is led by former Tampa Bay Rowdies head coach Stuart Campbell, a familiar face and widely known figure in the soccer ranks. The English-born Campbell played professional soccer from 1996 to 2013, before serving as the assistant coach for the Rowdies from 2014 to 2015 and head coach from 2015 to 2018.

Women’s soccer marks PHSC’s first new sport since 2005 — when it brought on women’s cross-country, under head coach Jackie Wachtel.

PHSC joins four other NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) women’s soccer programs in the state — Polk State, Daytona State, Eastern Florida State, and Asa College.

The upstart program had open tryouts in late June at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, in Wesley Chapel.

As for the style of play, players and fans can expect lots of action and high-scoring affairs, under Campbell’s tutelage.

Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Gabriel Fortier is expected to highlight the 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase at AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel. (Courtesy of Tampa Bay Lightning media relations)

AdventHealth Center Ice to host 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase
Local hockey fans will get a taste of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) next generation of top-end talent later this month — in Pasco County no less.

AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel is the site of the 2021 NHL Prospect Showcase, to be held Sept. 18 through Sept. 21.

Hosted by the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, the event will welcome prospect teams from the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators and Florida Panthers.

All four teams will play each other once over the four-day showcase.

Any skater or goaltender in each of the four organizations on an entry-level contract (or less), provided they are 24 years old or younger and have less than 20 games of NHL experience, are eligible to participate in the showcase.

Teams will dress 18 skaters and two goaltenders for each contest. Games are regulation length with three 20-minute periods. A five-minute, three-on-three overtime period will determine a winner if games are tied after regulation. Games will conclude with a five-player-per-team shootout regardless of the final score.

The Lightning roster will include a number of the organization’s top prospects, including 2018 second-round draft pick Gabriel Fortier, who recorded six goals and 10 points in 30 games last season for the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate.

Also participating for the Bolts is a pair of 2020 second-round draft selections in forwards Jack Finley and Gage Goncalves, who each made their professional hockey debut with Syracuse last season.

Meanwhile, three of Tampa Bay’s selections from the 2021 NHL Draft in July will be in attendance as well — defenseman Roman Schmidt (third round, No. 96 overall), forward Cameron MacDonald (fifth round, No. 160 overall) and forward Niko Huuhtanen (seventh round, No. 224 overall).

The contests will be open to the public. They’ll also be streamed live on TampaBayLightning.com.

Published September 01, 2021

Locals shine at state track championships

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The Sunlake track and field program had several representatives and put forth a strong showing at the 3A state championships in Jacksonville. (Courtesy of Sunlake High School Athletics)

Like all other spring sports during 2020, track and field athletes didn’t get an opportunity to showcase their abilities against Florida’s best as competitions abruptly shut down in mid-March last season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

But, local performers and schools made up for lost time during the 2021 Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) state track and field championships, at the University of North Florida’s Hodges Stadium in Jacksonville.

More than two dozen boy and girl athletes from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area ran, jumped and tossed their way to podium honors, or top-eight finishes, across all classifications at the state meet, on May 7 and May 8. (Several others earned top 16 overall finishes in the finals, as well.)

Land O’ Lakes senior Isaac Tavo earned a pair of individual state titles in the 3A boys discus and shot put. (Courtesy of Land O’ Lakes High School Athletics)

The performances included a handful of individual and relay gold medalists.

Land O’ Lakes senior Isaac Tavo showed his pure strength, taking first-place crowns in both the 3A boys shot put (57-7) and discus (154-0). Tavo bested Tallahassee Rickards sophomore La’Darion Dudley in the shot put (55-1.5) and Milton senior Dominic Lucas in the shot put (151-5), respectively.

Gaither senior Elizabeth Lydon claimed first in the 3A girls pole vault, clearing 11-9.75, narrowly edging Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy sophomore Sydney Nicholson, who cleared the same height but lost on fewer misses.

Sunlake senior Daniella Vance earned top crown in the 3A girls javelin, tossing 119-6, to beat the event’s second-place finisher, Harmony junior Thora Gaston (117-11).

Gaither senior Elizabeth Lydon won gold in the 3A girls pole vault, clearing 11-9.75. (Courtesy of Gaither High School Athletics)

Land O’ Lakes resident Elli Black — a seventh grade home-school student who competes for Tampa Cambridge Christian School — anchored her school’s 4×800 relay team that took first in the 1A event, clocking 9:26.12. Others on the winning relay squad included juniors Caroline Lehman, Moriah Friedman and Mary Ellen Eudaly.

Black also took silver in the 1A 1,600-meter run, posting 5:01.75. She was second to the older Eudaly, who timed 4:52.93.

There were other notable showings throughout the meet, including several athletes making multiple podium appearances throughout the competition.

Carrollwood Day junior Camila Garanton claimed silver in the 1A 300 hurdles, clocking 44.63. (Courtesy of Carrollwood Day School Athletics)

Wharton junior Brooke Reif established herself as one of the state’s top distance runners, taking third place in both the 4A girls 1,600 (4:57.58) and 3,200 (10:49.47).

Zephyrhills junior Maguire Neal took sixth in the 3A boys 300 hurdles (39.09) and anchored the Bulldogs seventh-place 4×100 relay team, which also featured juniors Willie Queen and Timothy Jackson, and senior Clayton Cornelius, together clocking 42.39.

Sunlake senior Cade Whitfield went fifth in the Class 3A boys 800-meter run (1:56.52) and paced the Seahawks’ third-place 4×800-meter relay, which also featured sophomore Alex Pena and juniors Cason Meyer and Colby Robbins, together timing 8:00.34.

Bishop McLaughlin junior Dontrevius Jackson positioned himself as one of the state’s best small-school sprinters, placing fourth in the 1A 200-meter dash (22.19) and fifth in the 100-meter (10.83).

Others went home with exclusive hardware, too.

Land O’ Lakes resident Elli Black competes on Tampa Cambridge Christian School’s varsity girls track and field team. The seventh-grader took silver in the 1A 1,600 meter run (5:01.75) and was a leg on the gold medalist 4×800 team (9:26.12). (File)

Cypress Creek senior Carlos Lacosta took bronze in the 2A boys discus (143-9), finishing behind Boynton Beach Somerset Canyon senior Tremain Robinson (153-0) and Sarasota Cardinal Mooney senior Max Middleton (150-9).

Carrollwood Day junior Camila Garanton took silver in the 1A 300 hurdles (44.63), narrowly behind Naples Community School senior Loren Brown (44.45)

Local schools that earned points in the state meet for their respective classification included Bishop McLaughlin, Carrollwood Day, Cypress Creek, Gaither, Land O’ Lakes, Steinbrenner, Sunlake, Wesley Chapel, Wharton, Wiregrass Ranch and Zephyrhills.
The Land O’ Lakes boys tied for eighth place in 3A, tops among all local teams. Next best among area schools was the Wharton girls, who tied for 14th place in the 4A meet.

Class 4A
Boys-Teams
Wharton (Four points, tied-45th)
Steinbrenner (2.5 points, tied-56th)

100 — Tavis Wilson, Wharton, senior (ninth place, 11.07)
1,600 — Jared Hammill, Wharton, senior (fifth, 4:16.97)
High jump — Justin Boyles, Steinbrenner, senior (sixth, 6-3.5)
Pole vault —Illya Jackson, Wharton, senior (11th, 12-9.5)

Girls-Teams
Wharton (12 points, tied-14th)
Steinbrenner (Four points, tied-33rd)

400 — Serenity Brazell, Wharton, sophomore (11th place, 58.32)
1,600 — Brooke Reif, Wharton, junior (third, 4:57.58); Jacquelyn Abanses, Steinbrenner, senior (seventh, 5:03.59)
3,200 — Brooke Reif, Wharton, junior (third, 10:49.47); Jacquelyn Abanses, Steinbrenner, senior (seventh, 10:58.93)
110 hurdles —Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (ninth, 15.13)
300 hurdles — Kat Fleming, Wiregrass Ranch, junior (ninth, 45.07)
4×800 relay — Wharton: Brazell, sophomore; Alexandria Frye, junior; Olivia Hammill, sophomore; Brooke Reif, junior (10th, 9:37.38)

Class 3A
Boys-Teams
Land O’ Lakes (22 points, tied-eighth)
Sunlake (10 points, tied-19th)
Zephyrhills (Five points, tied-39th)

100 — Maguire Neal, Zephyrhills, junior (12th place, 10.86)
200 — Jacoreyus Demps, Gaither, junior (15th, 22.77)
400 — Jaylon Gardiner, Gaither, senior (10th, 49.98)
800 — Cade Whitfield, Sunlake, senior (fifth, 1:56.52)
3,200 — Colby Robbins, Sunlake, junior (ninth, 9:33.47); Cason Meyer, Sunlake, junior (15th, 10:01.66)
110 hurdles — Maguire Neal, Zephyrhills, junior (16th, 29.83)
300 hurdles — Maguire Neal, Zephyrhills, junior (sixth, 39.09)
4×100 relay — Zephyrhills: Willie Queen, junior; Timothy Jackson, junior; Clayton Cornelius, senior; Maguire Neal, junior (seventh, 42.39)
4×400 relay — Gaither: Jacoreyus Demps, junior; Jacob Choe, senior; Tyler Summers, junior; Jaylon Gardiner, senior (14th 3:26.47)
4×800 relay — Sunlake: Cade Whitfield, senior; Alex Pena, sophomore; Cason Meyer, junior; Colby Robbins, junior (third, 8:00.34)
Triple jump — Mychael Tucker, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore (seventh, 45-3.75); Darrien Smith, Pasco, junior (14th, 41-3.75)
Shot put — Isaac Tavo, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first, 57-7); Aidan Marsh, Land O’ Lakes, sophomore (10th, 49-6.25)
Discus — Isaac Tavo, Land O’ Lakes, senior (first, 154-0)

Girls-Teams
Gaither (10 points, tied-20th)
Sunlake (10 points, tied-20th)

4×800 relay — Sunlake: Caitlyn Culpepper, junior; Shelby Viseur, junior; Ashley Spires, senior; Cathryne Newport, senior (12th, 10:16.80)
High jump — Maya Llanes, Zephyrhills, junior (15th, 4-9.75)
Pole vault — Elizabeth Lydon, Gaither, senior (first, 11-9.75); Lizzie Epps, Sunlake, junior (11th, 9-10)
Javelin — Daniella Vance, Sunlake, senior (first, 119-6)

Class 2A
Boys-Teams
Cypress Creek (Six points, tied-33rd)
Wesley Chapel (Three points, tied-48th)

100 — Davian Worrels, Wesley Chapel, senior (12th place, 10.86)
400 — Davian Worrels, Wesley Chapel, senior (eighth, 49.63)
1,600 — John Rowsell, Cypress Creek, senior (10th, 4:27.69)
High jump — Isaiah Burns, Wesley Chapel, senior (seventh, 6-3.5)
Discus — Carlos Lacosta, Cypress Creek, senior (third, 143-9)
Javelin — Carlos Lacosta, Cypress Creek, senior (12th, 139-11)

Girls—No local teams placed

300 hurdles — Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, senior (14th place, 49.27)
4×100 relay — Wesley Chapel: America Christopher, senior; Remiyah Harris, junior; Annalyse Rogers, junior; LaTia Dove, junior (12th, 50.92)
Long jump — Ashleigh Lacey, Cypress Creek, senior (16th, 14-10.75)

Class 1A
Boys-Teams
Bishop McLaughlin (Nine points, tied-31st)

100 — Dontrevius Jackson, Bishop McLaughlin, junior (fifth place, 10.83)
200 — Dontrevius Jackson, Bishop McLaughlin, junior (fourth, 22.19)
300 hurdles — Devin Chernin, Carrollwood Day, senior (13th, 43.39)
Triple jump — Gregory Smith, Carrollwood Day, freshman (11th, 41-5)
Javelin — Joseph Yann, Academy at the Lakes, senior (16th, 120-11)

Girls-Teams
Carrollwood Day (Thirteen points, tied-19th)

100 — Camila Garanton, Carrollwood Day, junior (ninth place, 12.62)
200 — Camila Garanton, Carrollwood Day, junior (ninth place, 26.20)
1,600 — Land O’ Lakes resident Elli Black, Cambridge Christian, seventh grade (second, 5:01.75)
300 hurdles — Camila Garanton, Carrollwood Day, junior (second, 44.63)
4×800 relay — Cambridge Christian: Caroline Lehman, junior; Moriah Friedman, junior; Mary Ellen Eudaly, junior; Elli Black, seventh grade (first, 9:26.12)
Long jump — Ariana Davis, Carrollwood Day, freshman (15th, 13-6.75)
Discus — Leighann Hanley, Carrollwood Day, freshman (fourth, 103-4)

Published May 19, 2021

2020 had shining moments in sports, despite COVID-19

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New recreation facilities opened, prep teams competed for state titles and local athletes accomplished memorable achievements, despite challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Here is a look at some of the top moments in sports, from across Pasco and Hillsborough counties, in The Laker/Lutz News coverage area. (This is part one of a two-part series.)

Upon winning the Gasparilla Classic 8K women’s race, 11-year-old Elli Black poses for a photo with long-distance Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. (File)

Land O’ Lakes youth sets race record
Land O’ Lakes Elli Black didn’t just win the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K women’s race on Feb. 21, she became the youngest winner in the event’s 40-plus year history, at just 11 years old.

Black clocked 30:57 in the 4.97-mile course to best more than 2,200 female participants in the popular annual race on Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard. The second-place female finisher, St. Petersburg’s Mary Beth Layfield, 37, timed 32:23.

On becoming race champion and making history, Black said: “It’s a really big accomplishment and I’m really proud of myself, and I just know that I’ve been very blessed with a God-given talent, and I’m just really happy to be able to use it to the fullest.”

Previously, the event’s youngest winner was 13-year-old Ellie Pleune, who won the race in 2017, with a time of 31:13.

A home-schooled student, Black runs for Cambridge Christian School’s varsity girls cross-country and track teams.

The Sunlake High varsity girls weightlifting won its second consecutive state crown at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A State Weightlifting Championships in Panama City Beach.

Sunlake girls weightlifting repeat at states
For the second straight year, the Sunlake High School varsity girls weightlifting program cemented itself as the state’s top dog at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 2A State Weightlifting Championships in Panama City Beach.

Coached by Denise Garcia, the Seahawks tallied 28 points to edge second-place finisher Navarre High School (26) and third place Winter Springs High School (24) — to become back-to-back state champions on Feb. 15.

The Seahawks program experienced another milestone — as two weightlifters earned individual state titles in the same year: Seniors Gianna Levy (139 pounds) and Juliette Pacheco (169 pounds) took first place in their respective weight classes. Pacheco also set a state record 225-pound bench press in her weight class.

All told, five of Sunlake’s seven state lifters earned points with top-six finishes in the bench press and clean-and-jerk aggregate lifts.

  • Madison Guincho, junior — second place, 119-pound (180-160 — 340)
  • Gianna Levy, senior — first place, 139-pound (175-180 — 355)
  • Juliette Pacheco, senior — first place, 169-pound (225-185 — 410)
  • Brianna Caban, senior — third place, 183-pound (200-170—370)
  • Antoinette Farmer, senior—second place, 199-pound (210-190 — 400)
Land O’ Lakes High varsity boys basketball coach Dave Puhalski

Land O’ Lakes hoops coach retires after 31 years
Land O’ Lakes High School varsity boys basketball coach Dave Puhalski was finally ready for a timeout.

After 31 years roaming the Gators sidelines, barking orders, drawing up plays, and molding boys into young men, the longtime coach announced his retirement following the 2019-2020 season, which ended Feb. 25.

Puhalski’s swan song was a memorable one — sending off eight seniors to the tune of a 21-6 mark, a 5A-7 district title and an appearance in the 5A regional semifinals.

He exited as one of the longest-tenured and among the most-decorated coaches in Pasco County sports history.

Puhalski compiled a 479-349 career record since taking over the Gators program in 1988.
The coach frequently emphasized “rebounding the ball, taking care of the ball and defending the ball.”
He was particularly well-regarded for his defense-first mentality — a philosophy that centered heavily on the man-to-man variety, with little regard for zone defenses.

“We play man to man,” Puhalski once told The Laker/Lutz News. “In 31 years (at Land O’ Lakes), we’ve probably played a minute worth of zone.”

In total, Puhalski spent more than 35 years coaching hoops.

Before taking over at Land O’ Lakes, Puhalski was an assistant at state champion Ocala Vanguard for three seasons and an assistant at University of Tampa for a year.

He put the meaning of his retirement into perspective: “After 35 years, I’ve never had a Christmas vacation, (or) a Thanksgiving vacation; the month of June is all summer league, kids playing, so really, it’s just time.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all FHSAA-affiliated events, including the state series and championships events, for spring sports.

Spring sports axed amid COVID-19
There was a glimmer of hope the 2020 Florida high school spring sports season would resume following its mid-March postponement, even through coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

But, optimism vanished when the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) on April 20 announced it would cancel all affiliated events for the remainder of the school year.

The cancellations included the state series and championships events, for all spring sports.

Affected FHSAA-sanctioned spring sports included baseball, flag football, lacrosse, softball, tennis, track & field, boys volleyball, water polo and boys weightlifting.

The statewide sports organization also then announced no additional eligibility would be granted for spring sport athletes, including seniors, “under the guidance of the Florida Department of Education regarding grade level retention, and upon review of Florida Statutes and FHSAA Bylaws.”

Just like that, high school senior athletic careers abruptly came to a close.

Several local athletes weighed in on the decision with The Laker/Lutz News, like Land O’ Lakes senior tennis standout Courtney Piltaver, a two-time Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Tennis Player of the Year who was poised to shine in her final high school tennis season.

“I was pretty upset because it was my senior year, and it really sucks that I didn’t get to enjoy the full season with my team and my coaches, and kind of just close out,” said Piltaver, who had signed a college scholarship with NCAA Division II University of Montevallo in Alabama.

Back on March 31, the FHSAA issued a statement that left open the possibility of a spring sports season, saying they could run from as soon as May 3 through June 30.

The FHSAA also indicated if a spring sports season is canceled altogether, it was working on a solution to create additional athletics eligibility for students who were unable to participate.
However, as days and weeks pressed on, many saw the writing on the wall that spring sports would not return this year, due to the pandemic.

A trio of locals were taken in the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) Draft, broadcast nationally on June 10 and June 11.

Locals taken in 2020 MLB Draft
Childhood dreams of playing professional baseball became a reality for a couple athletes with ties to The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The Major League Baseball (MLB)’s 2020 first-year player draft was shortened to five rounds and 160 picks, from the usual 40 rounds in previous years, due to COVID-19.

The consolidated draft, however, didn’t stop some locals from hearing their name called — and seeing their bank accounts richen significantly  —  on Day 2 of the nationally televised draft on June 11.

  • The highest-drafted local was Steinbrenner High/Florida State product CJ Van Eyk, taken by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round, at pick No. 42 overall. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound right-hander signed with the Blue Jays for $1.8 million.
  • Trinity native/Mitchell High catcher Jackson Miller was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the third round (65th overall). The 6-foot, 195-pound lefty signed with the Reds for $1.29 million.
  • The Philadelphia Phillies selected Wesley Chapel native/Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High/University of South Florida product Carson Ragsdale in the fourth round (116th overall). The 6-foot-8, 225 pound right-handed pitcher signed with the Phillies for $225,000.

All three players are expected to begin their pro careers in the minor league ranks come 2021.

Swimming & diving was one of six fall high school sports allowed to return to action on Aug. 24, following an FHSAA board decision to resume athletics, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Florida high school sports make fall return
After months of inactivity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, high school sports practices and games returned to action when Florida High School Athletic Association’s board members (FHSAA) voted 11-5 to allow member schools to begin fall sports on Aug. 24.

It signaled a long time coming, as prep sports had been in a sort of holding pattern since mid-March or so.

The FHSAA decision to all but immediately ramp up fall sports was far from easy — taking more than two hours of heated dialogue among board members during an Aug. 14 meeting at the Best Western Grand in Gainesville.

The contentious meeting was live-streamed for public viewing.

The organization’s decision contradicted a unanimous recommendation from the FHSAA’s 14-member Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC). That committee strongly advised sports not begin in any part of the state until the coronavirus is controlled, and declining in state and local regions. They also wanted to be able to study the impact of reopening schools on the COVID-19 infection rate, for at least a few weeks.

A majority of board members, however, voted in favor of bringing sports back for the fall, citing an overwhelming amount of support from student-athletes, parents, and even sport officials and school superintendents, from their respective district.

That point was emphasized when Jamie and Tami Kent spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.

As parents of a Tampa Cambridge Christian High School football player, they created an online petition titled “Let Us Play” attracting over 40,000 signatures urging the FHSAA to begin the fall sports season this month.

Those voices were heard, by the end of the day.

FHSAA executive director George Tomyn perhaps best summed up the board’s decision, which came at his recommendation.

“I’ve always thought of what can we do for our member schools, not what we cannot or will not be able to do,” Tomyn said at the meeting.

“I’m a firm believer in flexibility, especially in this challenging, challenging time that we’re in. I’m a firm believer in parental choice, and I’m a firm believer in local decision-making.”

Published December 23, 2020

Sunlake boys cross-country finishes state runner up

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The year 2020 will live on in infamy for many.

For the Sunlake High School boys cross-country team, it will be viewed in a more positive lens — it will be remembered, as the year the Seahawks became the most decorated group of prep runners in Pasco County history.

The Sunlake High boys cross-country team finished in second place at the FHSAA’s 3A state championships last month. It marks the highest such finish in Pasco County preps history. (Courtesy of Florida High School Athletics Association)

The team has achieved many accomplishments and created lasting moments in becoming one of the area’s most dominant forces over the past couple seasons, under the guidance of head distance coach Randal Reeves. For one thing, it finished in fifth place at the 2019 state meet.

But, last month, the program accomplished something it has never done: A second-place overall finish at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) 3A state championships.

The event was held Nov. 14 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, and Sunlake’s runner-up finish represents the all-time best mark ever achieved by any Pasco County prep cross-country program.

The 3A state title went to Miami’s Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, which tallied 30 points after its top five runners went first, second, seventh, eighth and 18th place, respectively. It represents that private school’s fourth state title and 12th all-time.

Meanwhile, Sunlake tallied 123 points, as its fleet went ninth, 12th, 42nd, 46th and 48th.

Third place went to Ponte Vedra High School (143), whose runners went 11th, 31st, 35th, 47th and 54th.

Put another way: Sunlake can lay claim as the best public school distance program in 3A.

Junior Colby Robbins, who paced the Seahawks, broke the 16-minute mark by clocking 15:58.2, which equates to a 5:08 per mile pace.

Following Robbins were sophomore Alejandro Pena (16:02.7); juniors Andres Alfonso (16:52.3) and Cason Meyer (16:55.6); and, senior Cade Whitfield (16:55.6).

The team’s sixth and seventh varsity runners — whose scores aren’t tallied in the results — were junior Max Goserud (17:10.7) and sophomore Nathan Lee (17:45.8)

The timed average for Sunlake boys was 16:33, equating to an average of 5:20 per mile. There was just a 58-second gap between its number one through number five runners.

The pinnacle state showing concludes a banner campaign for the Sunlake team, which also  swept its conference, district and regional championship meets along the way. This all happened after the team was quarantined for nearly two weeks between September and October — as a result of a positive COVID-19 test.

Making the feat even more impressive is the team’s small roster size compared to other top-flight 3A programs that often boast 50 to 100 athletes.

For instance, Sunlake’s 15-boy roster paled in comparison to Belen Jesuit’s 53-person crew.

In addition to Sunlake, several other local teams and individuals exhibited solid showings at the state finals, including the Sunlake girls team, which finished 10th in their meet.

Elsewhere on the team front, the Steinbrenner High boys program garnered a 10th-place finish at the 4A meet — a year after they claimed its first state crown.

Meanwhile, a pair of the six other individual qualifiers from The Laker/Lutz News coverage area garnered top-three finishes in their respective classifications.

Wharton High senior Jared Hamill earned a third-place finish in the 4A meet, turning in a 15:51.9 — the quickest time among all local runners from every classification, respectively.

Land O’ Lakes native Elli Black — a home-schooled seventh-grader who runs for Cambridge Christian School — finished state runner-up in the 1A girls meet, posting 18:28.5.

Other state qualifying individuals included Steinbrenner senior Jacquelyn Abansas (eighth place, 19:08.0, 4A girls); Wharton junior Brooke Reif (31st, 20:04.2, 4A girls); Land O’ Lakes junior Maranda Hildebrand (74th, 21:09.7, 3A girls); and, Gaither senior Lorenzo Martinez (89th, 17:39, 3A boys).

Roundup of local teams and individuals at the 2020 FHSAA cross country state championships:

Boys
4A
Steinbrenner (10th place)
Ethan Bhatt senior (52nd, 17:02.3)
Ryan Campbell, senior (55th, 17:06.6)
Zachary Harrigan, senior (61st, 17:13.4)
Sohan Khanvilkar, senior (66th, 17.19.8)
Jaden Simpson, junior (73rd, 17:23.9)
Bryce Krueger, senior (93rd, 17:55.4)
Ronald Aeschleman, junior (99th, 18:04.3)

Individual(s)
Wharton: Jared Hammill, senior (third, 15:51.9)

3A
Sunlake (Second)
Colby Robbins, junior (15:58.2)
Alejandro Pena, sophomore (16:02.7)
Andres Alfonso, junior (16:52.3)
Cason Meyer, junior (16:55.6)
Cade Whitfield, senior (16:55.6)
Max Goserud, junior (17:10.7)
Nathan Lee, sophomore (17:45.8)

Indvidual(s)
Gaither: Lorenzo Martinez, senior (89th, 17:39)

2A
No local teams or individual runners

1A
No local teams or individual runners

Girls
4A
Individual(s)
Steinbrenner: Jacquelyn Abanses, senior (eighth 19:08.0)
Wharton: Brooke Reif, junior (31st, 20:04.2)

3A
Sunlake (10th)
Shannon Gordy, senior (40th, 20:23.4)
Shelby Viseur, junior (47th, 20:29.5)
Sara Ellington, junior (50th, 20:37.2)
Ashley Spires, senior (55th, 20:42.7)
Caitlyn Culpepper, junior (82nd, 21:23.8)
Annie Winborn, sophomore (84th, 21:28.4)
Alanta Lofton, sophomore (94th, 21:59.5)

Individual(s)
Maranda Hildebrand, Land O’ Lakes junior (74th, 21:09.7)

2A
No local teams or individual runners

1A
Elli Black, Cambridge Christian (Land O’ Lakes resident), seventh grade (second, 18:28.5)

Published December 02, 2020

Land O’ Lakes youth runner setting new records

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Elli Black didn’t just win the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic 8K women’s race last month, she also set a major milestone — becoming the youngest winner in the event’s 40-plus year history, at just 11 years old.

The Land O’ Lakes youth clocked 30:57 in the 4.97-mile course to best more than 2,200 female participants in the popular annual race on Tampa’s Bayshore Boulevard. The second-place female finisher, St. Petersburg’s Mary Beth Layfield, 37, timed 32:23.

After winning the Gasparilla Classic 8K women’s race, 11-year-old Elli Black poses for a photo with long-distance Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Meb Keflezighi. (Courtesy of Jacqueline Black)

On becoming race champion and making history, Black said: “It’s a really big accomplishment and I’m really proud of myself, and I just know that I’ve been very blessed with a God-given talent, and I’m just really happy to be able to use it to the fullest.”

Previously, the event’s youngest winner was 13-year-old Ellie Pleune, who won the race in 2017, with a time of 31:13.

Black had good performances in previous years, too. She placed fifth and seventh female overall the prior two years, respectively.

Her goal this year was to win, of course, and to at least break 32 minutes. Besides just naturally growing stronger and upping her training of late, Black also credited the “perfect” weather conditions, compared to the past couple years when “it was really, really hot.”

The Gasparilla Race award isn’t Black’s only piece of distinguished hardware, and it surely won’t be her last.

The home-schooled sixth-grader recently completed her first year running on the Cambridge Christian high school cross-country team, where she collected All-State honors after winning an individual regional title and placing third overall at the FHSAA (Florida High School Athletic Association) Class 1A state girls’ cross-country championships. For the record, her 5K personal best sits at 18:19, set at December’s Jingle Bell Run in Tampa — a race she also won.

Black said her first year running high school cross-country “was actually really fun,” despite competing regularly against much older girls.

Said Black: “Like the girls on my team are basically all high schoolers, but they were really nice and most of the high school girls that I ran against were nice, so it was overall, a really nice experience.”

Black now has her eyes set on the high school track season, where she wants to eclipse the 11-minute mark in the 2-mile. Her current personal record sits at about 11:30.

Elli Black is now gearing up for her first high school track season. She hopes to break the 11-minute mark in the 2-miler.

She also has much bigger long-term goals in sight: “I do want to run in college, and my goal is to run in the 2024 Paris Olympics,” she said.

Cambridge Christian School distance coach Ray Friedman sees the immense potential.

“We may be looking at someone that may one day be on the Olympic stage,” Friedman said of Black, in a recent telephone interview. “I don’t say that lightly, I’m telling ya. She ain’t normal.”

Friedman noted Black’s running style resembles that of some of the world’s greatest runners that come from the East African country Kenya.

“It’s bizarre, but her body and her stride is very Kenyan-like, and I don’t say that flippantly,” the coach explained.

Friedman is no stranger to working with elite-level talents. He’s coached University of Florida distance runner Trevor Foley and Riverview High’s Alyssa Hendrix, the Gatorade State Runner of the Year who’s signed to North Carolina State University, among others. Friedman himself set multiple school records at Gaither High School and La Salle University, and went on to make to the U.S. Triathlon world team.

In the young runner, Friedman simply sees tools that can be molded into future greatness. Friedman observed, “She is extremely determined. She’s very disciplined, and of course, obviously very talented. She has the ‘it’ factor. You can’t learn it. It has to be born.”

Black got an early head start in the endurance sport, compared to most of her similarly aged peers.

Black first started running at just 4 years old, where she would accompany her parents on 1-mile or 2-mile jogs around their former Columbus, Ohio neighborhood. At 6 years old, she competed in her first 5K.

“We’ve always been active runners, so she would always want to run with us,” said Black’s mother, Jacqueline.

The passion for running has stuck with the youth ever since.

Today, Black runs roughly 25 miles per week. She generally runs five days a week, with a cross-training bike or swim workout mixed in, too.

“It’s just really fun,” Black said of running. “It  just makes me really happy to be able to use one of my talents.”

Besides a dedicating training routine, Black comes from an athletic family background.

Her father was a Division I basketball player at Bowling Green State University who went on to play professionally overseas. Her mother played three sports in high school, though none of them track or cross-country.

“We’re obviously very proud of her,” Black’s mother said. “Everybody always tells us how special she is, and we know that’s more than just running. We’re very faith-based, and we know that God has given her this talent…so we’re just extremely proud of all of her accomplishments.”

Published March 4, 2020