More regional boys’ volleyball & softball. Plus Delta Psi Kappa scholars & Pine Crest academics
In a five-set thriller, the Mater Lakes Academy boys’ volleyball team came from behind to edge third seeded Cypress Bay 25-27, 26-24, 17-25, 28-26, 20-18 for a region championship.
Trailing two games to one, the Bears rallied to win the next two games in close fashion, needing extra play/points, 28-26 and 20-18. The fifth game requires 15 points for victory, but a team must win by two.
Yeison Gonzalez and J.R. Rivera led that region’s top seeded Bears as they improved to 22-3 and advanced to the state quarterfinals, where they play Southwest (22-7) on Friday at Polk State College in Winter Haven.
Third seeded Southwest won a region championship by beating top seeded St. Brendan 25-18, 25-15, 25-16. The Wolverines finished the season 23-6.
In more region finals, top seeded Cardinal Gibbons rallied to edge third seeded Boca Raton 24-26, 23-25, 25-19, 25-16, 15-8, and top seeded Miami High easily beat third seeded Hialeah 25-13, 25-18, 25-13. The Chiefs lost their first two games, closely, and then won the next three for the title. Hialeah ended its season at 20-6 and Boca Raton at 13-9.
Cardinal Gibbons (17-12) competes against Miami High (28-1) in another state quarterfinal on Friday at Polk State College.
Region Championship: Mater Lakes Academy d. Cypress Bay 25-27, 26-24, 17-25, 28-26, 20-18: Yeison Gonzalez 36 kills, 24 digs; J.R. Rivera 61 assists, 15 digs; Frank Hernandez 38 digs; Kevin Llerena 15 kills, 10 digs; Ernesto Mustelier 5 kills, 4 blocks, 17 digs. MLA 22-3, CB 18-6.
Region softball
The St. Brendan softball team won in walk-off fashion over Key West in a Region 4-4A quarterfinal.
Tied at three in the bottom of the seventh, Erin Perez scored the postseason winner on a Maddison Llerandi RBI squeeze bunt.
Region 4-4A Quarterfinal: St. Brendan 4, Key West 3: WP Julia Miranda 7 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 7 K; Marley Neilson 1-3, 2B, BB, R; Maddison Llerandi 1-4, RBI; Coral Latshaw 1-3, RBI; Leah Lorenzo 1-2, BB; Rachel Rodriguez RBI. Julia Miranda 1-2, RBI. StB 13-11, KW 6-15.
With winning pitcher Mallory Wheeler whirling a no-hitter, Jensen Beach eliminated St. Brendan 4-0 in a region semifinal. The Falcons (17-8) scored once in the bottom of the first and later put the game away with three more in the sixth. Wheeler, a senior, struck out 13 and walked none. Only one St. Brendan batter reach base (on an error). The Sabres season came to a close at 13-12.
Jensen Beach plays American Heritage-Plantation for the Region 4-4A title on Friday. The Patriots (17-10) shut out Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines 12-0 in a region semifinal. The Panthers season ended at 11-13.
Region 4-4A Semifinal: American Heritage-Plantation 12, Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines 0: AHP: WP Koda Travers 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K; Emma Griffith 3-3, HR, R, 2 RBI; Bria Villano 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI; Arianna Reynolds 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 R, RBI; Tyalor Knochel 2-3, R; Analie Diaz 2-3, 2 R, 3 RBI; Mia West 2-2, BB, 2 R, 2 RBI; Koda Travers 0-0, 2 BB, SAC, RBI. Som: Keira Carbone 1-2 AHP 17-10, Som 11-13.
State academic honors
Pine Crest is a big winner academically in the state for the 2023-34 school term.
Spring sports in Florida under the FHSAA banner completed the academic process.
So the FHSAA Academic Team Champions for the state for spring sports have been announced, and the final classification standings for the 2023-24 campaign (fall, winter, spring sports) have been calculated as well.
Congratulations to Tampa-Plant (7A), Stuart-South Fork (6A), Daytona Beach-Seabreeze (5A), Pine Crest (4A), Tampa-Berkeley Prep (3A), Vero Beach-St. Edwards (2A) and Bristol-Liberty County (1A) for being overall classification winners.
In spring sports, Belen Jesuit was first in Class 5A baseball and first in Class 3A boys’ track & field. Coral Reef finished first in Class 4A boys’ track & field and first in Class 4A girls’ track & field. Ransom Everglades first in Class 3A baseball. St. Thomas Aquinas was first in Class 2A boys’ lacrosse. Miami Country Day first in Class 1A girls’ lacrosse.
Overall: Class 7A: 3. Coral Reef; 29. Columbus; 30. Cypress Bay; 39. Braddock. Class 6A: 6. St. Thomas Aquinas. Class 5A: 2. Belen Jesuit; 23. Archbishop McCarthy. Class 4A: 1. Pine Crest; 11. North Broward Prep; 21. Cardinal Gibbons. Class 3A: 6. Ransom Everglades; 15. Miami Country Day; 16. Carrollton; 20. NSU University School; 22. Westminster Academy. Class 2A: 17. Colonial Christian.
STATE TEAM RESULTS in SPRING SPORTS
(Broward and Miami-Dade team placings)
Baseball: Class 7A: 9. Coral Reef (3.362 GPA); 24. Cypress Bay (3.136). Class 6A: 7. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.4). Class 5A: 1. Belen Jesuit (3.665). Class 4A: 5. Pompano Beach (3.395). Class 3A: 1. Ransom Everglades (3.649); 5. NSU University School (3.525); 11. North Broward Prep (3.371).
Softball: Class 7A: 7. Coral Reef (3.563); 18. Cypress Bay (3.409); 25. Braddock (3.329). Class 6A: 11. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.414). Class 4A: 6. Pompano Beach (3.548). Class 3A: 3. Ransom Everglades (3.686); 4. Carrollton (3.667). Class 2A: 4. Miami Country Day (3.592); 7. Westminster Academy (3.477).
Flag football: Class 2A: 7. Braddock (3.571); 8. Coral Reef (3.538); 16. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.48); 20. Cypress Bay (3.452).
Boys’ lacrosse: Class 2A: 1. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.619); 16. Coral Reef (3.292). Class 1A: 2. Belen Jesuit (3.599); 6. Miami Country Day (3.516); 8. Ransom Everglades (3.489); 10. NSU University School (3.483); 12. Westminster Academy (3.447).
Girls’ lacrosse: Class 2A: 9. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.615); 10. Coral Reef (3.609). Class 1A: 1. Miami Country Day (3.81); 16. Ransom Everglades (3.609); 17. NSU University School (3.607).
Boys’ tennis: Class 4A: 8. Coral Reef (3.729); 20. Cypress Bay (3.593); 36. Braddock (3.368). Class 3A: 8. Belen Jesuit (3.76); 16. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.63). Class 2A: 11. North Broward Prep (3.699); 15. Pompano Beach (3.607). Class 1A: 8. Ransom Everglades (3.719); 13. NSU University School (3.647); 17. Westminster Academy (3.572); 22. Miami Country Day (3.532).
Girls’ tennis: Class 4A: 6. Coral Reef (3.797); 31. Cypress Bay (3.542); 36. Braddock (3.422). Class 3A: 18. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.696). Class 2A: 20. North Broward Prep (3.619); 24. Pompano Beach (3.585). Class 1A: 16. Ransom Everglades (3.731); 19. NSU University School (3.697); 20. Miami Country Day (3.677); 26. Carrollton (3.578).
Boys’ track & field: Class 4A: 1. Coral Reef (3.623); 9. Cypress Bay (3.333); 21. Braddock (3.195); 33. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.097). Class 3A: 1. Belen Jesuit (3.627). Class 2A: 4. Ransom Everglades (3.628); 13. NSU University School (3.417); 14, North Broward Prep (3.414); 15, Pompano Beach (3.406). Class 1A: 14. Westminster Academy (3.212).
Girls’ track & field: Class 4A: 1. Coral Reef (3.728); 14. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.465); 22. Braddock (3.401); 32. Cypress Bay (3.34). Class 2A: 3. Ransom Everglades (3.748); 11. Carrollton (3.631); 18. Pompano Beach (3.502); 20. North Broward Prep (3.428). Class 1A: 7. Westminster Academy (3.522).
Boys’ volleyball: 2. Ransom Everglades (3.707); 7. Belen Jesuit (3.567); 8. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.558); 12. Coral Reef (3.484); 28. Pompano Beach (3.27); 34. Braddock (3.168); 45, Colonial Christian (3.033); 46. Cypress Bay (3.005).
Beach volleyball: 36. Carrollton (3.584); 44. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.541); 46. North Broward Prep (3.533); 49. Cypress Bay (3.522); 54. Pompano Beach (3.502).
Boys’ water polo: 5. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.548); 6. Ransom Everglades (3.535); 9. Belen Jesuit (3.497); 10. Miami Country Day (3.489); 13. Cypress Bay (3.447); 19. Westminster Academy (3.311).
Girls’ water polo: 2. Westminster Academy (3.744); 6. Ransom Everglades (3.687); 7. Pompano Beach (3.65); 8. St. Thomas Aquinas (3.628); 14. Cypress Bay (3.543); 15. Miami Country Day (3.504).
Local academic honors
Delta Psi Kappa recently announced its scholar athletes for Miami-Dade County public schools.
Miami Coral Park’s Ashley Merein and Goleman’s Lydia Kentis were awarded Mary Mahan scholarships. FIU student Anais Beatriz Valladares was awarded the Alleine Swain Scholarship.
Other scholar athletes were - Mourning: Valerie Yagudaev; American: Jazmyn T. Young; Booker T.: Samanta Soto Ortiz; Coral Gables: Catalina Quinteros; Coral Reef: Alyssa Mederos; Cutler Bay: Cai Lizarraga; Krop: Sagine Atis; Varela: Marielys Moreno; Braddock: Joyleen Vidal; Hialeah Gardens: Casey Perezalvarez; Hialeah: Meilys Garcia; Hialeah-Miami Lakes: Natalie Alguera; Homestead: Faith Jones; Ferguson: Mia Gonzalez; MAST Academy: Jessica Engel; Miami Beach: Olivia Moore; Miami Carol City: Christina McDermott; Miami Central: Charisse Martin; Miami Edison: Jahzara Johanna Silvera; Miami High: Maria Gamboa; Miami Jackson: Fiorela Norori; Miami Killian: Leila Nua; Miami Norland: Shania Swan; Miami Northwestern: Torri Sanai Johnson; Miami Palmetto: Sami Anes; Miami Southridge: Quentasia Mills; Miami Springs: Destiny Harvin; Miami Sunset: Hailey Knott; North Miami Beach: Sara Leo; North Miami: Schena Jean Pierre; Reagan/Doral: Perla Fanduiz; South Dade: Brianna Bonilla; South Miami: Kelly Fernandez; Southwest: Sandra Mangano; TERRA: Camila Espinosa; Westland Hialeah: Ashlee Chang.
Weightlifting honors
Michael Ziss, a junior from St. Cloud High School, was selected the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Weightlifting state winner.
Ziss won the 119-pound Class 3A state titles in both Traditional and Olympic style competition for the second straight year, setting state records of 460 pounds combined in Traditional and 480 pounds in Olympic.
Dan Marsee of Suwannee High School was named the 2024 Boys’ Weightlifting Coach of the Year after leading his squad to Class 1A state titles in both Traditional (53 points) and Olympic (43), with the highest point totals among all three state classes.
The Florida Dairy Farmers High School Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 32nd year of these unique awards as they honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in FHSAA sanctioned sports. The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Submit sports info
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.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.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published May 17, 2024 at 6:56 AM.
