Gulliver Prep bowling, Florida Christian volleyball, Deerfield Beach wrestling and more
Yary Roman is in her 14th season coaching bowling at Gulliver Prep in Pinecrest.
She not only coaches the boys’ and girls’ bowling teams, but she is involved in helping the community.
Last season Covid limited the Gulliver bowling program to three matches, but this season the boys are set to compete 10 times and the girls nine times.
Junior Hadley Bowen, a Miami Herald All-Dade first team bowler last season who placed second at districts, leads the Gulliver Prep 2021 girls’ bowling team.
Junior Connor Gebhart and sophomore Nicolas Perez top the boys’ squad.
Girls’ district favorite Ferguson opted not to bowl last season because of Covid. Archbishop McCarthy won the district title, and Gulliver Prep was the runner-up. Belen won the boys’ district title.
This season the districts are realigned, and more teams should be participating.
More about Coach Roman
Roman played volleyball, soccer and swam for Miami Springs High School, graduating in 1993. She made Miami Herald All-Dade second team in soccer.
Roman then played one season of college soccer as a defender/midfielder for St. Thomas University in Miami, before transferring to FIU, where she majored in athletic training/sports medicine. She continued her academia by earning a Master’s degree in health and physical education from Virginia Tech.
As a physical education teacher, she took an interest in coaching bowling.
Prior, she was an assistant coach in girls’ soccer at her alma mater Miami Springs HS.
Growing up in Puerto Rico, Rowan competed in swimming and volleyball. At age 12, her family moved to South Florida.
Giving back
She loves sports, competing and coaching. She also likes to fish, but most importantly, Roman is very passionate about giving back to the community.
“I sponsor events for families with children within the Autism Spectrum, age 2-17,” she noted.
Get Out And Love Soccer for Autism was established by two former Gulliver Prep soccer players 15 years ago.
“They needed a club sponsor,” Roman said, “and I continue to promote it, raise money.”
She added: “I am also an advocate for raising awareness about childhood cancer and the lack of funding in pediatric cancer. I started spreading awareness after one of my closest childhood friends and teammates, Tammy Curtis, lost her youngest son to a rare form of pediatric cancer called DIPG.”
Tammy Curtis formed the ChadTough Foundation. For more info, visit https://chadtough.org/about-us/about-the-foundation/.
Football
The McDougle Technical Institute Preparatory Bison Football teams will play 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 at DRV PNK Stadium, 1350 NW 55th St., Fort Lauderdale.
MTI Prep Gainesville with Coach Chris Morant and MTI Prep Pompano with Coach Arturo Freeman will play each other for the first time. This will be the first home game for MTI Pompano and the inaugural game for MTI Prep Gainesville. Game tickets are available for sale at the stadium, or fans can view the live stream at www.mtiprep.org/live.
Freeman brings more than 20 years of football experience with six years as a defensive back for the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots.
Morant brings more than 21 years of football experience. Prior to being named the head coach of the newly launched Gainesville team, he served as the assistant defensive coordinator at MTI Prep Pompano.
NFL alum and South Florida native Stockar McDougle and his wife Octavia McDougle launched McDougle Technical Institute Preparatory (MTI Prep) in 2019 in Pompano Beach and expanded the program to Gainesville in April 2021. They have assembled a team of sports veterans including retired professional football players and college coaches.
McDougle, who was born in Pompano Beach, graduated from Deerfield Beach High School and played football at the University of Oklahoma. His NFL career included the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
New wrestling coach at Deerfield
Mark Gadson is the new head wrestling coach at Deerfield Beach High School.
He was promoted from assistant coach (2016-21). He will take over for Jim Forbes, who will be the assistant coach.
Gadson, a 2011 Deerfield Beach HS grad, was a two-time district runner-up and three-time regional qualifier. He wrestled collegiately at William Penn University in Osklaloosa, Iowa, where he graduated with a degree in Physical Education (and an emphasis on Strength and Conditioning).
Gadson, a behavioral technician at the school, will continue to coach JV football and girls’ flag football.
New AD at Divine Savior
Matt Willems is the new athletic director at Divine Savior Academy in Doral.
Willems, who was the assistant athletic director, replaces Brian Kasten.Willems will remain the school’s volleyball coach, too.
Robbie Schmidt is the new assistant athletic director. He will also be the assistant golf coach.
New AD at West Broward
Edgar Lopez is the new athletic director at West Broward High School in Pembroke Pines.
Lopez is a sports broadcaster for NBC Sports / Telemundo Deportes. He replaces James Darr, who remains a teacher and department chair of physical education at the school.
Volleyball
Florida Christian d. Miami Country Day 25-18, 15-25, 15-12: Mikaela King 6 kills, 9 digs, 7 points, 1 block; Briley Wellinghoff 11 digs, 7 points, 1 ace; Andrea Amador 3 kills, 4 points, 1 ace, 1 block.
Miami Herald Fall Sports Preview Forms
Broward and Miami Dade varsity high school coaches of Fall sports, preview forms were sent via email last week to athletic directors.
Bowling, cross-country, football, golf, swimming and volleyball.
If you received one from your AD, fill it out the best you can and return it to the person listed on the form by the designated deadline date.
If you did not receive the preview form to highlight your team, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
New coaches and award winners
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have new hires, or coaches and athletes who won special awards (local, state, regional, national), email hssports@miamiherald.com. Varsity only.
Submit Fall sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results, top performers and stats for this column, email hssports<code_dp>@<code_dp>miami<code_dp>herald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
This story was originally published August 24, 2021 at 11:40 PM.
