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Tyler Finn

Cancellation of spring sports leaves many dejected

April 28, 2020 By Kevin Weiss

There was at least a glimmer of hope the 2020 Florida high school spring sports season would resume, even amid concerns about coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).

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

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

Due to the coronavirus disease-2019 (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. (File)

The statewide sports organization also announced no additional eligibility will 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.”

And, just like that, high school senior athletic careers have come to an end.

It happened months sooner than expected, with no clue for athletes that a game, match or meet around mid-March would officially be their last.

The reality has left many local senior athletes feeling dejected, including Sunlake High’s Gianna Levy.

“It was really hard on me,” said Levy. “I cried. To be honest, I cried a lot.”

The prep track and field season offered Levy a final chance to boost her stats and times, to get on the radar of NCAA Division I college programs, as a heptathlete. She’s still holding out hope of being able to compete on the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) circuit this summer to get those college looks, but even that’s no guarantee.

“It definitely is really taking a really big toll on me,” Levy said. “This was a lot of people’s out ticket (to college) and now we don’t have that out ticket.”

Levy was only able participate in a couple track events before the varsity season came to a screeching halt. She was nursing a hip injury, which arose in February after she won a state title in girls weightlifting.

Though she’d already been a three-time state track and field qualifier and holds the school’s 400-meter dash record, Levy was dogged to put forth a banner senior campaign. “I just had so many goals in mind,” she said.

Other seniors had similar ambitions for their high school swan song.

Land O’ Lakes High senior Courtney Piltaver is a two-time Sunshine Athletic Conference East Girls Tennis Player of the Year. She was poised again to shine in her final high school tennis season, coming off a district title and state finalist.

From left: Wiregrass Ranch High softball seniors Kailey Riddlesworth, Cassidy Eason, Lexi Gaiefsky and Loryn Finn. These athletes only played nine games of a 27-game regular season schedule, due to the coronavirus pandemic. (Courtesy of Tyler Finn)

“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’s signed with NCAA Division II University of Montevallo in Alabama.

The tennis standout added that not having the typical ceremonial senior night celebration, “was kind of heartbreaking, because that was something I was really looking forward to since my freshman year.”

Senior infielder Loryn Finn was in the midst of her best hitting season on the Wiregrass Ranch High softball team, sporting a .360/.467/.440 slash line through nine games.

The team captain also was chasing the 100 career hit milestone — a possibility with 18 regular season games remaining on the schedule, until athletics activities were scrapped.

Finn won’t be playing college ball. She hasn’t quite come to grips that a March 11 loss to Wesley Chapel High is perhaps the final time she’ll pick up a bat, ball and glove competitively.

“It’s definitely hard. I’m kind of in shock,” Finn said, bluntly.

Aside from game action, Finn still longs for those last few “bus rides to games, and just jamming to music with players and teammates.”

With a tinge of despair in her voice, Finn labeled her four-year softball experience as “just always been fun.”

Wiregrass Ranch assistant softball coach Tyler Finn feels for his senior daughter and the many other players on the team: “It’s really just not the seniors, it’s freshmen, it’s everybody. It’s tough on them, too. It affects every player, all of them; their season was cut short.”

He also observed his daughter’s high school athletics career coming to an abrupt halt.

Besides softball, Finn was a three-time All-Conference golfer: “She’s gotten to the point where she just wants to get into college and get the education going. She had a really good high school softball career and golf career. …She’s going to miss those kids that she played with since she was little — that’s the hard part.”

Though the traditional season is done, the assistant coach is looking for some way to hold a final showcase in the summer that would bring together various senior high school softball players countywide, assuming restrictions on parks and gatherings are lifted.

“The kids deserve it,” he said.

‘I knew it was coming’
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 had 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.

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

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.

Sunlake High senior track and field standout Gianna Levy was looking to get on the radar of Division I college athletics programs before the spring season was cut short. (Courtesy of Gianna Levy)

“I knew it was coming. I didn’t want to admit it to myself, I didn’t want to accept it, but I knew it was coming,” said Academy at the Lakes (AATL) varsity baseball coach Ken Akins.

“Once the FHSAA said, ‘OK, we’re thinking about extending it into summer and deep into June,’ there was a little bit of hope there, but once you get into June you start messing with all the travel sports — baseball and softball are huge in the summertime.”

Academy at the Lakes athletic director Tom Haslam offered a similar take on the FHSAA’s decision: “We kind of knew this was coming, but we hated to hear the actual directive.”

He added: “It’s understandable, they have to do it, so we don’t disagree with it, we expected it.”

The directive came at a time when multiple AATL programs were hitting their stride.

The AATL baseball team was on its best start in program history, already matching its win total from 2019  —  thanks to contributions from four seniors.

The school’s boys tennis team, meanwhile, was expected to contend for a state championship, like the prior season.

Of course, the FHSAA’s salvo wiped out the Land O’ Lakes-based private school’s softball, track and field, and boys weightlifting teams.

All told, there were 17 seniors among those five teams.

“It affects everybody’s season,” Haslam said, “but the seniors, you really feel for it.”

He added, “It’s not just athletic seniors, but seniors in anything. You’re talking about proms and special events that just aren’t going to happen. It’s just sad. Sad’s the best word I have for it.”

Though much attention has been brought to how this year’s seniors are affected, and rightly so, the longtime athletic director also believes the canceled spring season could have major ripple effects for juniors looking to get recruited by various college programs.

Haslam put it like this: “It hurts a lot of the juniors, because not only are they putting stats on paper, but they’re also missing workout time, and it’s going to be hard to develop their skills as normal, because they can’t get in the cages and gyms, and there’s no spring ball, and there may not even be travel ball in the summer.

“It’s pretty far-reaching, so it doesn’t just affect seniors on that level. You can’t even go out in a park and shoot hoops,” he said.

Published April 29, 2020

Standout catcher paces Wiregrass Ranch softball

March 9, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

From her powerful bat to her leadership behind the plate, Kameron Aitken’s talent is evident the moment she steps on the Wiregrass Ranch softball field.

So evident, in fact, that several major in-state universities—South Florida, Central Florida, Florida Gulf Coast and North Florida — showed interest in the junior catcher last season.

Aitken opted to verbally commit to Florida International University (FIU) in Miami on Dec. 1, 2015 — after visiting the campus on an unofficial visit and quickly realizing the school “just felt like home.”

Wiregrass Ranch junior catcher Kameron Aitken is one of the top players in Pasco County. She has a verbal commit to play softball at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami after she graduates in 2017. (Courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch Softball)
Wiregrass Ranch junior catcher Kameron Aitken is one of the top players in Pasco County. She has a verbal commit to play softball at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami after she graduates in 2017.
(Photos courtesy of Wiregrass Ranch Softball)

“I felt like I could go to the team and be welcomed right away,” Aitken said about choosing FIU, a Division I school. “I had been looking at it for two years. The coaches made me feel like that’s where I wanted to be.”

A varsity softball player at Wiregrass Ranch since her freshman year, Aitken broke out as a sophomore, batting .379 with 17 doubles and 39 RBIs.

“I’m a lot stronger player now than I was my freshman year,” Aitken said about her development. “I’ve learned to recognize pitches better.”

Through 10 games this year, the slugger is picking up right where she left off, batting .379 with a team-leading two home runs and 13 RBIs.

“She’s a big, strong girl. A very intelligent player,” said Tyler Finn, assistant coach for Wiregrass Ranch. “Thank God we’re going to get her for another year.”

Teammates describe Aitken, who bats cleanup, as a player that provides vocal leadership and contributes in critical moments of games.

“Her offense is a big key. She really comes through in big situations,” said senior third baseman Tylah Remaley.

“She is a clutch hitter, and gets those hits that you need that help you out in the end of games,” said junior second baseman Alexis Ridolph.

“She pushes others. If you’re struggling, she’ll say, ‘Hey, keep your head up, and just keep going,’” junior Samantha Hiley said.

In addition to her hitting ability, Aitken provides a calming influence as a catcher, where she works closely with a young pitching staff that includes three freshmen.

“She has great leadership and is always communicating with her teammates,” said Wiregrass Ranach head coach Yamani Vazquez. “She’s a catcher, so she’s the brains of the operation. She’s what you would expect from a catcher, basically.”

Coach Finn echoes Vazquez’s sentiment, calling Aitken a “tremendous, tremendous catcher.”

Kameron Aitken’s production at the plate skyrocketed as a sophomore, when she batted .379 with 17 doubles and 39 RBIs. Aitken is picking up right where she left off this season with a .379 batting average through 10 games.
Kameron Aitken’s production at the plate skyrocketed as a sophomore, when she batted .379 with 17 doubles and 39 RBIs. Aitken is picking up right where she left off this season with a .379 batting average through 10 games.

“She’s been a catcher her whole life. She’s a leader behind the plate. She’s got a rocket arm that’s accurate,” the Wiregrass assistant explained. “She’s going to play Division I (softball) for a reason.”

While Aitken is a natural playing softball, she is always trying to improve — even during the course of a ballgame.

According to Vazquez, in a recent game, Aitken struggled in her first at-bat, and had her mother record the plate appearance so she could analyze her swing mechanics for her next time up to hit.

As it turned out, Aitken figured out the problem. She had “dropped her shoulder” during her swing path.

“I’ve never seen that — just trying to better yourself in the same game,” her head coach said.

Aitken’s willingness to correct mistakes on her own—and handle it with a positive attitude—is what makes her special, Vazquez added.

“She has that drive. She has that intrinsic drive that you can’t really teach,” he explained. “It comes from just knowing what you want and knowing your goals. And that’s what she has going on. She has that intrinsic drive to get better more than anyone else on this team, I would say.”

Published March 9, 2016

New coaching staff leads Wiregrass Ranch softball

March 2, 2016 By Kevin Weiss

Wiregrass Ranch High made a coaching change for its softball team at the end of its last season, following complaints from parents and players about the “loosey-goosey” structure of the team.

The new head coach, Yamani Vazquez, and assistant coach, Tyler Finn, have spent the past several years coaching rec league and travel softball in Wesley Chapel.

The first-time high school coaches are using their respective military and law enforcement backgrounds to implement a culture change—better organization, more positivity and more discipline.

The Wiregrass Ranch softball team has two first-time high school coaches in Yamani Vazquez, left, and Tyler Finn. They have spent the past several years coaching rec league and travel softball in Wesley Chapel. (Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)
The Wiregrass Ranch softball team has two first-time high school coaches in Yamani Vazquez, left, and Tyler Finn. They have spent the past several years coaching rec league and travel softball in Wesley Chapel.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photo)

Coach Vazquez said he’s incorporated “little things,” such as having players do more fieldwork, having players hustle in between practice drills, and ensuring players remove their headgear before shaking hands with opposing teams at the end of games.

“I have to say they’ve been very receptive and welcoming of our system,” said Vazquez, an eight-year military veteran who currently teaches science at John Long Middle School in Wesley Chapel. “It’s definitely a change from last year.

“One of the things (Wiregrass Ranch principal) Robyn White mentioned was the amount of (negative) emails she got from the softball side more than any other sport, and we were like, ‘Okay, we’re going to change that.’ It was a great opportunity for us, because we knew the state of the program and how it was left, so we felt we could get it back up, and change a few things.”

Junior Samantha Hiley, one of the Bulls’ top hitters, said the new coaching staff is paying more attention to details, such as making sure the team’s uniforms are clean, the field is maintained better and team is better equipped.

Junior catcher and Florida International University softball commit Kameron Aitken said the new coaches “have done everything to make our experience better.”

“They’re great coaches,” Aitken said. “They work well with us.”

While the team “practices a lot more,”—five days a week—than prior years, Bulls players enjoy the new staff’s willingness to listen, and value their input on team matters.

“These coaches listen to our opinions and they take into consideration some of the things we say,” junior second baseman Alexis Ridolph said. “They are much friendlier.”

“I really like how they’re open to letting us play how we want to. It’s not, ‘You must do this, this and this,’” said senior third baseman Tylah Remaley, a Florida Tech softball commit.

Junior centerfielder Jaime Valenta noted the new coaches are “really nice and funny” and “listen to us a lot more.”

Finn, a retired New York state trooper and former Saint Leo University baseball player, said taking over the program and working alongside Coach Vazquez has been a “thrill” and a “dream.”

“The great thing for me is I’ve coached almost every one of these kids since they were little,” said Finn, who has two daughters, Karlye and Taryn, on the roster.

“When you get to the high school level, especially with the talent here, you’re not doing a heck of a lot of coaching.

“These kids are seasoned players. We just sit there and guide them, and call the offensive plays when they get up. …These girls are extremely talented, and very bright athletes,” he said.

With a 3-5 record as of Feb. 28, the team is not off to the start they expected.

One reason for the slow start can be attributed to the departures of ace pitcher Lindsey Snyder and three of the top four run producers from last year’s lineup.

With the loss of Snyder, the new coaches have been forced to use three freshmen in the pitching circle, with shaky results.

“We’ve tried out a bunch of young pitchers that are being tested a little bit,” Finn said. “We had no experienced pitchers. Lindsey was a workhorse; we don’t have that right now.”

Alexis Ridolph added the youthful pitching staff is trying to “get into a rhythm.”

“I know the pitchers are working really hard,” the second baseman said. “It’s just the fact they’re young and aren’t as experienced in high school situations. But, I think they’ll be better by the end of the year.”

As the Bulls go through some early season growing pains with the green pitching rotation, they’ll be forced to rely on their hitting prowess to pick up the slack.

Six players currently sport averages of .300 or better, including sophomores Kacie Lemanski (.471), and Keanna Harris (.417). Hiley (.458), Aitken (.364), Remaley (.348) and Ridolph (.304) are the others.

“Hitting is our fine point. There’s no doubt about it,” Finn said.

As the pitching staff gets more comfortable, the team feels they have a legitimate shot to win their conference and district.

“I know the girls believe it. We’re not going to settle for being a .500 team,” Finn said. “We see good things in the future,” Finn said.

Published March 2, 2016

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