Pametto sweeps GMAC tennis titles. Plus Belen, Riviera Prep track, McArthur baseball and more
Miami Palmetto swept the GMAC titles in boys’ and girls’ tennis at Crandon Park in Key Biscayne.
The Panthers girls’ team beat South Dade 5-0 in the semifinals and MAST Academy 4-0 in the finals. Singles winners were Camille Chellas, Alessia Franco, Mariangel Pernia, Pearlyn Chewatugugul, and Brooke Goldberg.
The Panthers boys’ team defeated Columbus 4-0 in the semifinals and ATM 4-0 in the finals. Singles winners were Beau Gibson, Austin Siddens Taco, Xander Cruz, Hanno Niemeier, and Leon Conejeros.
Palmetto is undefeated at 11-0 (including wins over ATM, Lourdes and MAST Academy) in the girls’ division. The boys are also undefeated at 13-0 including wins over ATM, Belen Jesuit, Columbus, and MAST Academy.
This marked the eighth consecutive GMAC title for the girls and second consecutive for the boys. Palmetto is coached by Kelly Gibson.
More tennis
The Carrollton girls’ tennis team defeated Lourdes 6-1 and Westminster Christian 5-2, but then the Cyclones (4-8) lost to TERRA 5-2.
Track & field
For the second consecutive season, the Belen Jesuit boys’ track & field team won the FSU Relays in Tallahassee.
The Wolverines, coached by Victor Arrieta, scored 56 points to finish ahead of Niceville with 44 points, Catholic (Louisiana) 39 points, DeMatha Catholic (Maryland) 37 points and 65 other schools from throughout the country.
Leading the Wolverines was Marcelo Mantecon, who scored a double with individual wins in the 3200m in 8:50.26 and 1600m in 4:04.83. He was also the anchor of the winning 4x800m relay in 7:50.75 with Nicholas Veloso, Jack Michalak and Armando Cruz. The times for the 1600m run and 4x800m relay were meet records.
Also coming in first place individually was Jack Michalak in the 800m in 1:51.19. Helping score points were Armando Cruz, who was fourth in the 3200m at 8:58.29 and the 1600m at 4:16.65.
Jaime Saavedra took fourth in the javelin at (56.22m) 184-5. The 4x400m relay with Carlos Benitez, Carlos Rodriguez-Novoa, DJ Saumell and Michalak was eighth to add a point.
Mantecon was named the Most Outstanding Male Athlete of the Meet.
More results: Braylen Bennett of American Heritage-Plantation was runner-up in the 100 at 10.14 seconds and third in the 200 in 20.82. Columbus’s Alec Cruz was fourth in the 100 in 10.35 and sixth in the 200 in 21.5. He also helped the 4x400 relay team (Oscar Braynon, Jaden Glasper, Zamarion Lawson, Cruz) place fifth in 3:18.82 and the 4x100 team (Tony Brown, Oscar Braynon, Zamarion Lawson, Cruz) do the same in 41.26. Norland (Kovens Bernard, Jalan Sullivan, Ishmael McNichols, Reginald Owens) was 10th in 3:21.6.53 in the 4x400.
Columbus (Lundin Steven, Lucas Gonzalez, Alexander Lopez, Xander Muchallah) was sixth in the 4x800 relay in 8:05.37. Andres Oropesa of Southridge was fourth in the 800 in 1:53.47. Jayden Jones, also of Southridge, was seventh in the triple jump in 45-6.5. McArthur’s Stone Stroking was ninth in the 400 hurdles in 56.96 and 11th in 110 hurdles in 14.72. Joshua Williams of Westminster Academy was third in the high jump at 6-6.75. Liam Marley of Calvary Christian was sixth in the shotput at 56-0 and in the discus at 174-6. Teammate David Diez was fourth in the discus in 156-8. Jack Norman of Columbus was seventh at 178-10, and Isaiah Drake of Florida Christian was 10th at 171-11.
In the consolation finals, Victor Pedreira of Doral Academy was fourth in the 1600 in 4:29.65, and Columbus’s Jeremiah Elington was runner-up in the 3200 in 9:40.69.
More track & field
March was a busy month for the Riviera Prep track & field program.
Miami-Dade County Youth Fair Track & Field Championships: 1600m: Steven Brooks - PR 4:43 (1st place consolation race, 9 seconds better than his PR and a school record). Camille Rodriguez - PR 6:18 (cut 2 seconds off her PR and shaved almost 10 seconds from her last 1600m race). Michael Martinez - 4:51. Sabrina Martinez - personal season best 5.32.
3200m: Sabrina Martinez - 12:22. 800m: Jacob Raymat - PR 2:28 (cut 9 seconds off his PR). Michael Martinez – PR 2:05 (cut 0.15 of a second off his PR). 400m: Shayna Lindsey - 1:17. Steven Brooks - 56.73. 200m: Finn Heise - PR 23.14 (cut 0.64 seconds off his PR). Shayna Lindsey - 32.33. 100m: Finn Heise - PR 11:43 (cut 0.23 seconds off his PR). Kassie Hidalgo - 14.70.
Calvary Christian Race Recap: Riviera Prep had another exciting 800m race between Michael Martinez and Steven Brooks. Martinez delivered a PR 2:05.86, with Brooks finishing close behind at 2:12.30. Sabrina Martinez ran a strong 800m race as well, finishing at 2:27, just three seconds off her PR.
Brady Feldman competed in the 100m/200m races with determination and held his ground even when assigned to heats with runners who were faster. That kind of mindset is exactly what builds superior athletes, according to Coach Nathalie Kanzki.
Palmer Trinity Race Recap: Kassie Hidalgo - ran a 14.60 - that’s 25 seconds from her PR of 14.35.
Camille Rodriguez - came back from a week of shadowing, set a goal for herself, followed the plan and delivered a solid performance at 2:52 in the 800 and 6:28 in the 1600m - she is inching closer to her PRs in both events with every race - 2:42 and 6:16, respectively.
Sabrina Martinez - 1st place in the 800m and 2nd in the 1600m, medaling in both events. Michael Martinez - competed fiercely in the 800m and in the 1600m, taking 3rd in the 1600m. Steven Brooks - PR in the 800m and a season best in the 1600m.
Baseball
The Doral Academy baseball team won its 20th game of the season, and McArthur beat Everglades behind a solid complete game pitching effort and also hitting performance by Eliecer Rodriguez.
Doral Academy 3 Hialeah High 0: WP Christopher Vasallo 6 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 10 K; Save Matthew Paze 1 IP, 0 R, 2 K; Fabian Olivares 1-2, RBI; Kobe Carrion 1-3, R; Bryan Ravelo 2 RBI. Dor 20-2.
Doral Academy 7, South Plantation 2: Louis Prieto 1-3, HR, 4 RBI; Tyler Rodriguez 1-2, 2 R; Anthony Velasquez 1-1, R; WP Esteban Delaunez 4 IP. Dor 19-2.
McArthur 7, Everglades 2: Leading 4-2, the Mustangs scored one in the sixth and two in the seventh to put the game away. McA: WP Eliecer Rodriguez 7 IP, CG, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 H, 10 K; Derek Rodriguez 2-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI; Anthony Miracola 2-3, RBI; Eliecer Rodriguez 2-4, 2B, RBI. Evg: Marley John 1-3, R. McA 8-11, Evg 6-13.
Southwest 5, Miami Beach 1: The Eagles won their fifth consecutive behind the pitching of Julian Tejeda (4 IP, 0 ER, win) and Lionel Lee, Jr. (3 IP, save). Southwest got two hits each from Tyler Villamor, Anthony Reyes and Dylan Duarte. SW 10-6.
Weightlifting
Flagler Palm Coast junior Nya Williams was selected the 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Weightlifting.
She dominated the Class 3A 119-pound division, winning the Traditional (365 pounds combined lifts) and Olympic-style (365 pounds) competitions. She set a state record with her 210-pound lift in clean-and-jerk. She was a three-time gold medalist at the 2025 USAW national championships and is a member of USA Weightlifting’s national team program.
Mike Degennaro of River Ridge earned Coach of the Year honors after leading his squad to the Class 2A state title in the Traditional division and adding a runner-up finish in the Olympic-style competition.
Lacrosse
GIRLS: Archbishop McCarthy 9, Key West 6: AM: Ava Valdivieso 7 goals, 9 groundballs, 6 caused turnovers, 9 draw control; Sofia Rawda 1 goal, 3 assists, 2 groundballs, 4 draw control; Francesca Lagarde 1 goal; Gabby Laffler 1 assist; Josephine Mens 3 saves. KW: Taylor Gibson 3 goals, 2 draw control; Adriana Dall 1 goal, 4 groundballs, 2 draw control; Mavis Bishop 1 goal, 2 groundballs, 3 caused turnovers, 2 draw control. AM 3-6, KW 3-5.
GIRLS: Cardinal Gibbons 12, Archbishop McCarthy 6: AM: Sofia Rawda 4 goals, 3 draw control; Ava Valdivieso 2 goals, 3 assists, 12 draw control; Josephine Mens 8 saves. CG 6-8, AM 3-7.
GIRLS: Archbishop McCarthy 6, Wellington 4: Ava Valdivieso 4 goals, 2 assists, 10 groundballs, 4 caused turnovers; Sofia Rawda 1 goal, 1 assist; Gabby Laffler 1 goal, 1 assist; Josephine Mens 6 saves. AM 4-8.
Boys’ volleyball
Belen d. LaSalle 25-12, 25-14 25-9: Billy Essig 8 kills, 4 digs; Justin Garcia 8 kills, 8 digs, 3 aces; Jake Mendoza 12 digs, 2 aces. Bel 14-5.
Beach volleyball
GIRLS: Carrollton 3, LaSalle 2: Carr: Team No.2 Morris/Petricola won 2-1; Team No.3 Halpern/Rodriguez won 2-1; Team No.4 Cuervo/Jimenez-Maydon won 2-0. Carr 4-3.
Send sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear. Also, some will be considered athlete of the week nominations.
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Compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published April 2, 2026 at 2:24 PM.
