Mantecon, Puppo, Riva, Thews win top state awards in track, tennis, volleyball. Plus baseball honors
Senior outside hitter Lucas Riva of Christopher Columbus High School is the Florida Dairy Farmers 2026 Mr. Volleyball, and Columbus coach Daniel Thews was selected the 2026 Boys’ Volleyball Coach of the Year in voting by a panel of Florida high school boys’ volleyball coaches.
Riva led Columbus to the Class 3A state title by recording 265 kills, 169 digs and 38 aces. He also led the Explorers with 13 kills in their three-set sweep of Horizon in the state-title match. He has committed to New York University.
Thews coached Columbus to a 27-5 record and the Class 3A state championship. The Explorers won 14 consecutive matches to close the season on their way to the school’s first state title in boys’ volleyball.
State track honors
Marcelo Mantecon, a junior at Belen Jesuit Prep, and J’nia Simpson, a senior at Tampa Catholic High School, are the 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. and Miss Track, respectively, following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Mantecon, a two-time Florida Mr. Cross-Country award winner, swept the Class 3A 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter titles and was also a member of the state-title winning 4x800 relay team.
In the final voting, Mantecon finished ahead of Class 4A winner Preston Sangely of Boca Raton Spanish River, Class 2A winner Kedric Wright Jr. of Palatka and Class 1A track athlete of the year Evan Spreitzer of Melbourne Holy Trinity.
Mantecon was the state’s Class 3A winner, making him eligible for Mr. Track honors.
Simpson swept the Class 2A shot put and discus state titles for the third consecutive season and finished her high school career with seven state titles (four consecutive in the shot put.) She signed with the University of Texas.
In the final voting, Simpson finished ahead of Class 4A track athlete-of-the-year Nia Armstrong of Tampa Sickles, Class 3A award winner Journee Belcher of Tallahassee Rickards and Class 1A award winner Eliana Black of St. Petersburg Northside Christian.
Ricky Fields of St. Johns Creekside High School and Steven Bellamy of Jacksonville Raines High School have been named the 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers Girls’ and Boys’ Track Coaches of the Year, respectively, following a final round of voting by a panel of state high school track and field coaches and media representatives.
Fields, the Class 4A Girls’ Coach of the Year, led his team to its second state championship in the past three years with a 47-45 point margin over runner-up St. Thomas Aquinas by winning the 4x400 relay in the meet’s closing event.
Other class winners were 3A Coach of the Year Davidson Gill of Dillard, 2A COY Tony Ryan of The Bolles School in Jacksonville and 1A COY Barrett Saunders of The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach.
Bellamy, the Class 2A Coach of the Year, led his boys’ team to the program’s first state championship in 28 years with 83 points. The 49-point victory margin over co-runners-up Calvary Christian and Palatka was the second-largest in state meet history.
Bellamy finished ahead of Class 4A Coach of the Year Jaysha Carter of Flanagan, Class 3A COY Todd Brigman of Niceville and Class 1A COY Marcus Bailey of Melbourne Holy Trinity.
State tennis honors
Doral Academy’s Justin Puppo is the 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers State Boys’ Tennis Coach of the Year in voting by a statewide panel of prep tennis coaches.
Puppo, also the Florida Class 4A Boys’ Coach of the Year, won the state’s overall top boys’ coaching honor for the second time (2021) after leading his squad to the Class 4A title.
Class 3A COY Dave Wilson of Wesley Chapel Wiregrass Ranch, Class 2A COY Brian Schleifer of American Heritage-Delray and Class 1A COY Reid Rafter of Boca Raton St. Andrew’s were the other finalists for the state’s top boys’ tennis coaching award.
Brian Schleifer of American Heritage School in Delray was named the state’s Girls’ Tennis Coach of the Year. Schleifer led his team to the Class 2A state title, earning him the overall girls’ Coach of the Year honor for the second time (2024) as well.
The other finalists for the top girls’ coaching award included Class 4A COY Tom Beard of Orlando Lake Nona, Class 3A COY Mike Kypriss of Ponte Vedra Beach Nease and Class 1A COY Reid Rafter of Boca Raton Saint Andrew’s.
Naples High School senior Te’Anna Mata was named 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Tennis, and junior Rafael Bote of Boca Raton St. Andrew’s School was named Mr. Tennis in that voting by a statewide panel of prep tennis coaches.
Mata won the Class 3A overall singles championship this season. She has signed to play college tennis at Babson College.
Other finalists included Class 4A POY Ashley Narath of Orlando Lake Nona, Class 2A POY Sophie Zakrzewski of Naples Aubrey Rogers and Class 1A POY Noor El Sawy of Tampa Brooks Debartolo.
Bote helped his team win the Class 1A state championship and added the overall singles and doubles championships.
Other finalists included Class 4A POY Brayden Amey of West Boca Raton, Class 3A POY Luca Torres-Sigler of Riverview Spoto and repeat Class 2A POY William Freshwater of Naples Barron Collier.
The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 34th year of these unique awards honoring the state’s top athletes and coaches in sanctioned FHSAA 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.
State baseball class winners
The eight individual class finalists for the 2026 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Baseball and Baseball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school baseball coaches and prep media representatives.
Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in his classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in his class. The two overall winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
State class winners eligible for Mr. Baseball consideration include locals:
Gio Rojas, Senior, Pitcher, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Player of the Year: Led his squad to the state title with an 11-1 record. Posted an 0.58 ERA in 73 innings pitched with 124 strikeouts and 17 walks. Had a .312 batting average with 5 home runs and 25 runs batted in. Signed with the University of Miami.
Nicolas Sabatino, Senior, Outfielder, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Player of the Year: Helped his team to the Class 6A title by hitting .512 with 9 doubles, 5 home runs, 43 runs scored and 26 runs batted in. Signed with Appalachian State.
State class winners eligible for Baseball Coach of the Year consideration include locals:
Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas, Class 7A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 28-6 record and a record sixth straight state title. In 15 years at the school he has posted a 330-68 record with seven state titles. His career record is 580-134 with another state title at American Heritage (2008).
Joe Wardlow, St. Thomas Aquinas, Class 6A Coach of the Year: Led his squad to a 28-6 record and the school’s second consecutive state title. Has posted a 136-44 record in seven years at Aquinas.
Other locals who placed in the classification voting:
5A: 3. Yodelkis Quevedo (Mater Academy); 3. Coach Humberto Bencomo (Mater Academy). 4A: 3. Jon Mora (Somerset Academy-Pembroke Pines). 3A: 2. Jacob Lombard (Gulliver Prep); 2. Coach Brian Campbell (North Broward Prep); 3. Coach Corey Estrada (Miami Springs). 2A: 2. Jordan Martinez (Palmer Trinity); 2. Coach Adrian Nieto (True North Classical).
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Compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 12:09 PM.
