Posted on Wed, May. 28, 2008

Athletes from more than 50 schools were represented Tuesday at the All-Dade Awards Ceremony at Jungle Island. Presented by BankUnited and also sponsored by the Miami Museum of Science, the event honored the county's elite athletes for their excellence on the court and on the field.

But Krop and Gulliver got to leave with the top honors, winning the coveted All-Sports Award in their respective classifications.

Krop, a fledgling program in its 10th year, earned the 6A-5A trophy for the fourth time. The Lightning had tremendous success in a multitude of sports, racking up 10 district titles.

In addition to winning three Greater Miami Athletic Conference titles, Krop also had two regional finalists. The Lightning culminated their amazing year with a state title in girls' tennis.

''It starts with having the right coaches and a great group of kids,'' Lightning athletic director Lori Nelson said. ``There aren't any big superstars, but a bunch of kids that put in a lot of effort.''

The Lightning athletic program was especially busy in the spring. Both the boys' and girls' tennis teams, along with the boys' and girls' water polo teams, clinched district titles.

Brittany and Taylor Dubins won the doubles division at the Class 4A state tennis tournament to lead the Lightning to a second consecutive team title. Brittany, a multisport star, was an Athlete of the Year finalist.

''The whole school is involved,'' Nelson said. ``There are a lot of people behind the scenes that support us. When you put them all together, you get a championship season like we had.''

The 4A-1A All-Sports Award was presented to Gulliver, a school that has found success in major and minor sports.

The Raiders girls' water polo team has an astounding, 222-game winning streak intact after winning yet another state title. The boys' tennis team brought home a 1A state championship, and the Raiders had 10 athletes win Player of the Year awards.

''We didn't have a tremendous amount of teams at state, but a bunch of teams that went deep in the playoffs,'' Gulliver athletic director Mark Schusterman said. ``Everyone gets equal support. It's not just about football.''

Out of the 10 Player of the Year awards that Gulliver athletes received, seven will be returning. Nicole Carpio, the cross-country runner of the year, is an eighth-grader. Alyssa Baron (basketball), Sara Buchholz (softball), Nicolas Rodriguez-Fraile (soccer) and Andrew Koff (bowling) are sophomores. Kristen Davis (soccer) and Chris Jackman (tennis), both juniors, also will be back as they attempt to keep Gulliver in the hunt for the All-Sports Award in 2009.

Although Schusterman, Gulliver's first-year athletic director, credits the development of young athletes for the program's success, he also notes the tremendous student-body involvement.

''The numbers of kids who participate in athletics is probably higher than any school in Dade,'' Schusterman said. ``More than 50 percent of the kids participate. The kids are very goal-oriented. They know you have to work for what you get. They work to get better, and they really care about their teams.''