Prep roundup (Oct. 24-30) Bradenton Christian qualifies 11 regional swimmers

SATURDAY

SWIMMING

Class 1A-District 8

Bradenton Christian girls 6th, boys 7th

Bradenton Christian, Boys 200 yard medley relay team of Jack Freed, Riggs Klika, Kuyper Johnson and Jack Sallee third, Teagan Stermer second, personal best time girls 100 yard butterfly, Adrianna Galliano third, personal best time girls 100 backstroke, Jack Freed first in boys 100 backstroke personal best of 57.59 seconds.

Of note: 11 Bradenton Christian swimmers advance to swim at the Region 3 meet Saturday where they will swim 4 relay events and 12 individual events. Members are Jack Freed, Kuyper Johnson, Jack Sallee, Riggs Klika, Kenny Ordonez, Teagan Stermer, Chloe Huth, Adrianna Galliano, Ellie Dalman, Elaine Velasquez and Makayla Muneio.

VOLLEYBALL

Venice 3, Winter Haven 0

25-13, 25-18, 25-17

VENICE – On a volleyball team with impressively interchangeable parts, Leah Bartlett screams one word from every corner of the Venice High gymnasium.

Energy.

It was that spark, as usual, that helped Venice (19-4) move one step closer to a sixth state championship Saturday, as the hosts dispatched Winter Haven in a Class 7A-Region 3 semifinal.

Wednesday’s 7 p.m. final against Tampa Plant, which could bring Brian Wheatley’s program’s a 14th regional title and its seventh in 10 seasons, will mark the first time in his 29-year career that the trophy is awarded at home on a weeknight.

Venice never trailed by more than two points in any game, using a 15-2 explosion to pull away in the opening set and surviving a tight third set that featured 10 ties, the last at 14-all.

“I love the way our mindset is right now,” Wheatley said. “I love our focus at practices. Everything is just going the way it’s supposed to.”

Summer Kohler (17 kills) and Charley Goberville (12) were only two of five players with at least five finishes, and five had at least at least six digs, led by Kyla Freddolino’s nine. All are sophomores.

“We know we can really put almost anyone in and they can step up and make a big difference,” Goberville said.

Added Kohler: “Our team is blessed to have multiple players who can play different positions. Our setter can set the ball to whoever, and we can put it down anywhere on the court. Even the back-row players can hit from the front row or the back.”

But at the center of it all – on the court, the bench or even as the school’s recently crowned Homecoming queen – is Bartlett, a 5-foot-10 middle hitter and one of only three seniors on the roster. She had seven of Venice’s 50 kills, which also meant 50 assists for solo setter Ashley Reynolds.

“She’s the heartbeat of our team, a pretty intense kid,” Wheatley said. “She’s always been that way. She gets after it. I love those types of players.

“I’m all about the heart. Leah digs in and she’s going to help the team out any way she can. You can be doing that on the floor, on the bench, setting up the gym or filling up the water bottles.”

Bartlett had a finishing smash and a block within a three-point span during the first-set onslaught that turned a 4-all tie into a 19-6 advantage. Her kill off a “slide,” a backset by Reynolds, followed a Winter Haven timeout and gave the hosts an 11-7 cushion in the second game and another slap to the left side kept Venice locked in at 8-all in the third.

Two thundering winners by Goberville broke the 14-all tie and began an 11-3 run to end the match. Carli Waggoner’s back-to-back aces helped fend off the afternoon’s biggest threat, after the Blue Devils (18-9) had rallied within 17-16 in the second.

Bartlett, a three-year varsity starter, often departs when libero Brighton Ferguson subs in to play the back row. But her “energy” never subsides, especially during Venice’s pre-game hype video.

“She’s one of our captains, really passionate and a leader of our team,” Goberville said. “It’s super important. When we have a ton of energy, we’re usually playing really well.”

Bartlett readily admits to “always having a smile” on her face. “I love smiling, I love being happy, not just for myself but for the team. Having a lot of energy really brings up our team’s energy. … My little spark can affect everybody. It really just brings us together.”

Venice, which has won 13 of its last 14 matches, also got sparks from juniors Jayda Lanham and Hilary Hupp (seven kills apiece). Lanham and Kohler were a perfect 22-of-22 on serve receptions.

“It’s such a big difference from last year,” Wheatley said. “We had only a couple weapons then, but now we’ve got a lot more receivers on the sideline we can throw to.”

– Donnie Wilkie, correspondent

Class 6A-Region 3

Mitchell 3, Charlotte 0

25-19, 25-23, 25-21

Class 5A-Region 3

Seminole Osceola 3, Braden River 2

22-25, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 16-14

SWIMMING

Class 4A-Region 3

Girls

Team standings: 1. Riverview 517, Palm Harbor 206, Steinbrenner 204, 9. Sarasota 97

Sarasota, Sydney Brann 4th in 200 Freestyle, 500 Freestyle, Natalia Strezenicky finished 9th 200 Freestyle, 6th 500 Freestyle

Next: 4A state meet Nov. 5, Sailfish Park, Stuart

Boys

Team standings: 1. Sarasota 407, 2. Venice 317, 3 Palm Harbor 203

Sarasota, Won the 200 Medley and 200 Freestyle Relay, Evan Keogh 3rd in 200 Freestyle, 4th in the 100 Backstroke; Liam Heary 2nd in the 100 Butterfly, won the 100 Breaststroke; Victor Izquierdo 3rd 50 Freestyle, 2nd in 100 Freestyle

Record: Sarasota 6-0

Next: 4A state meet Nov. 5, Sailfish Park, Stuart

CROSS COUNTRY

Class 4A-Region 2

At: North Port High

Boys

Team standings: 1. Sunlake 67, 2. Plant 103, 3. Newsome 115, 4. Palmetto Ridge 124, 5. Sarasota 149, 6. Steinbrenner 183, 7. Wiregrass Ranch 216, 8. Bloomingdale 239, 11. Riverview 277, 13. North Port 285, 15. Venice 310

Sarasota, 3. Alec Miller 15:22, 7. William Hartvigsen 15:22,  30. Owen Pulfer 16:32, 53. Homer Cole 16:57, 57. Austin Biller 17:01

Individuals, 4. Evan Crane, North Port 15:29, 16. Benjamin Tary 16:11

Girls

Team standings: 1. Newsome 70, 2. Sunlake 105, 3. Sarasota 107, 4. Plant 141, 5. George Jenkins 187, 6. Wiregrass Ranch 196, 7. Land O’Lakes 200, 8. Lakewood Ranch 238, 14. Riverview 324, 15. Venice 325, 16. North Port 400

Sarasota, 5. Indy Grajalez 18:52, 6. Ella Menke 18:55, 17. Aubri Antczak 19:59, 27. Flavia Almeida 20:24, 63. Tori Belcher 21:33

Lakewood Ranch, 8. Olivia Spiegel 19:19, 21. Addison Shea 20:07, 50. Skyler Quigley 21:10, 80. Kyleigh Halloran 22:19, 97. Sophia Malbran 22:52

Individuals, 2. Malia Hambrick, North Port 18:29

FRIDAY

VOLLEYBALL

Class 3A-District 3

Cardinal Mooney 3, Calvary Christian 1

25-22, 28-26, 14-25, 25-22

At: Calvary Christian, Clearwater

Top players: CM, Jordyn Byrd 34 kills, 11 digs, 4 aces, Madeline Carson 8 kills, 3 blocks; Sawyer DeYoung 17 digs, 2 aces, Helena Hebda 49 assists, 10 digs, Riley Greene 10 kills, 4 blocks, Katie Powers 18 digs, Gracie Page 3 kills, 2 blocks, 11 service points, 6 aces, Kate Montesano 11 digs, Izzy Russell 4 kills, 2 digs, Madi Robinson  7 digs

Record: Cardinal Mooney 18-9

Of note: Cardinal Mooney advances to the Elite 8 defeating the defending 3A State Champions

Next: Regional Final, Cardinal Mooney at Clearwater Central Catholic, 7 p.m. Tuesday

Chad Davis on the victory:  "So incredibly proud of my girls and my coaching staff. It took an incredible effort to beat the defending State Champions on their home court. The girls did an amazing job following the game plan and the toughness they showed when the score was tied 22-22 to pull out the match was inspiring. Every girl contributed tonight and Jordyn was incredible lifting our offense. Everyone is looking forward to Tuesday night."

Class 4A-Region 3

Lemon Bay 3, Robinson 2

16-25, 25-21, 25-21, 16-25, 15-12

At: Tampa

Next: Regional final, Lemon Bay at Academy of the Holy Names, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Tampa

THURSDAY

CROSS COUNTRY

Class 2A-Region 3

Boys

Team standings: 1. Berkeley Prep 73, Calvary Christian 74, Bishop Verot 75, McKeel Academy 160, 5. Cardinal Mooney 185, 6. Frostproof 195, 7. Lemon Bay 200, 8. Estero 203

Cardinal Mooney, 10. Gage Hassler 17:14, 20. Christian Kline 17:57, 46. Paul Svilokos 19:15, 58. Dax Weigand 19:52, 67. Riccardo Baretta 20:01

Lemon Bay, 5. Sean Perry 16:52, 41. Justin Brady 18:59, 48. Ron Marquette 19:19, 62. Brandon Van Buren 19:56, 64. William Bliss 19:58

Girls

Team standings: 1. Berkeley Prep 61, 2. Calvary Christian 90, 3. Robinson 114, 4. Oasis 131, 5. Academy of the Holy Names 138, 6. Cardinal Mooney 175, 7. McKeel Academy 180, 8. Lemon Bay 203, 12. Sarasota Military Academy 311

Cardinal Mooney, 1. Addison Dempsey 18:08, 5. Kate Ruona 19:26, 56. Ellie Runnels 23:49, 59. Chloe Harpsoe 23:59, 65. Kate Kochis 24:14

Lemon Bay, 14. Mackenzie Martin 21:02, 43. Charlotte Carley 22:50, 48. Erin Carley 23:28, 53. Maliaya Long 23:39, 54. Jameson Dufer 23:46

Class 3A-Region 3

Boys

Team standings: 1. Fort Myers 47, 2. Cape Coral 83, 3. Naples 111, 4. Tampa Jesuit 145, 5. Immokalee 151, 6. Barron Collier 183, 7. St. Petersburg 207, 8. King 227, 10. Charlotte 245

Girls

Team standings:1. Osceola 19, 2. Naples 66, 3. Fort Myers 103, 4. Charlotte 135, 5. Barron Collier 160, 6. St. Petersburg 166, 7. Lely 214, 8. Parrish Community 217

Charlotte, 12. Ava Taylor 20:40, 20. Iris Harrison 21:21, 31. Hanna Martin 22:30, 33. Ambrea Hobbs 22:32, 59. Lilliana Carlson 24:04

Parrish Community, 21. Jennifer Swenson 21:38, 42. Rebecca Jackson 22:58, 49. Emmie Backman 23:26, 60. Melanie Carlson 24:10, 67. Sullivan Morris 24:27

Class 1A-Region 3

Boys

Team standings: 1. Indian Rocks Christian 71, 2. Cambridge Christian 82, 3. Southwest Florida Christian Academy 89, 4. Community School of Naples 124, 5. Admiral Farragut 148, 6. Out-of-Door Academy 151, 7. Canterbury School 193, 8. Seffner Christian 195, 14. Saint Stephen’s 380

Out-of-Door, 5. Declan Fiorucci 16:45, 18. Ian Strang 17:18, 44. Owen Eakle 18:41, 46. Isidro Iturralde 18:51, 51. Jacob Douglas 19:02

Girls

Team standings: 1. Cambridge Christian 33, 2. Community School of Naples 113, 3. Lakeland Christian 157, 4. First Baptist Academy 158, 5. Southwest Florida Christian Academy 167, 6. Village School of Naples 174, 7. Out-of-Door 192, 8. Canterbury School 192

Out-of-Door, 16. Maria Shaw 20:52, 36. Bailey Fulk 22:24, 42. Emerson Miller 22:42, 50. Julia Dillingham 23:05, 65. Alice Vieira 23:52

GiRLS GOLF

Class 3A-District 12

Team standings: 1. Gulf Coast 303, 2. Riverview 306, 3. Venice 378, 4. Charlotte 445, 5. North Port 449, 6. Sarasota 511

Riverview, Aida Benko 82, Alexandra Zawrotny 90, Audrey DeLuca 92, Stefani Cannon 96

Venice, Hayli Snear 85, Jenna Sttylos 90, Lilly Lapczynski 92, Riley Pruitt 111

Individual, Taylor Stice, North Port 103

WEDNESDAY

VOLLEYBALL

Braden River 3, Naples 0

25-7, 25-13, 25-11

BRADENTON - The Braden River High volleyball team had an easy time with Naples High on Wednesday night.

The Pirates' next opponent will be considerably tougher.

In a Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal match, the host Pirates (16-7) had little trouble with the sixth-seed Golden Eagles (11-12), winning 3-0 (25-7, 25-13, 25-21) to advance to Saturday's semifinal round, where they will face No. 2 seed Osceola (20-7), which defeated Seminole 3-0 on Wednesday in another 5A-3 quarterfinal match.

The victory over Naples was the Pirates' third-straight three-set victory, and head coach Matt McElhiney said his team is trending upward. Braden River has never made it past the semifinal round, and the way it played Wednesday night should give McElhiney and his players confidence when they travel to Osceola for Saturday's match.

Naples wasn't expected to give the Pirates a whole lot of trouble, and it didn't. The closest the Golden Eagles got in any of the three games was 11-9 in the third. But Braden River reestablished itself and pulled away for the four-point win.

The Pirate players filled up the box score. Brynna Sands had 13 kills, 29 assists and five digs; Rylee Hinkle five kills and 12 assists; Aryanna Spainhower 10 kills, 19 assists and 18 digs, Courtney Kawcak 14 digs; and Rylee Buckner 10 assists and four digs.

– Doug Fernandes, columnist

Venice 3, Steinbrenner 0

25-9, 25-14, 25-12

VENICE – If this edition of Venice High volleyball is to bring home a sixth state championship, the dancing will come after the details.

Brian Wheatley’s squad, seeking its 14th regional title since 1994, showed flashes of the “old Venice” Wednesday night in a 25-9, 25-14, 25-11 rout of visiting Lutz Steinbrenner in a Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal. A 12-0 run allowed Venice (18-4) to take control early in a match that lasted barely an hour.

“We pay attention to detail,” Wheatley said. “Defensively, the girls go to exactly where they’re supposed to be and they run exactly the plays we want them to run.

“I think we’re playing our best volleyball of the year right now and that’s what we want to do.”

As usual, solo setter Ashley Reynolds was in the middle of it all, handing out 42 assists and adding five aces. Not surprisingly, she was serving during the 12-point explosion, and her back-to-back aces made it 11-3 after Steinbrenner (8-19) had taken an early 3-1 advantage.

“We’re very disciplined,” said the 5-foot-10 senior. “That’s what we’ve focused on from the beginning of the season, being in the right spot every time. That makes the game so much easier.”

Venice, the region’s top seed, will host fourth-seeded Winter Haven at 7 p.m. Saturday in the 7A-3 semifinals.

It has won 12 of 13 matches since three consecutive losses at the Nike TOC national showcase on Sept. 3 in Wesley Chapel. Just a day earlier, Venice’s precision was on display in wins over nationally ranked Spain Park (Alabama) and Buford (Georgia).

“This team, a lot of things have to line up the right way,” Wheatley said. “But I love this team because they always accept a challenge from me. Most of my teams are maybe a little bit scared of me at times. Not this team.”

The hosts closed out the first game with a 9-2 spurt, then slowly overwhelmed the Warriors in the second.

Junior outside hitter Jayda Lanham (10 digs) finished off the first with a putaway off Steinbrenner’s block from the right side. Two delicate taps by Summer Kohler (18 kills, seven digs) helped Venice build a 10-3 cushion in the second.

The 5-10 sophomore added three more finishers that pushed the third game to match point, before junior Hilary Hupp and Lanham combined on a clinching block.

“I think (Wheatley’s) pretty happy with us tonight,” Reynolds said. “I think we played a really clean game. We didn’t let (Steinbrenner) get a lot of points. We were very efficient.

“This team, we’re so well bonded together. We want to win for each other, and that’s something I haven’t really experienced in past years. We all want to win, not for ourselves, but for each other.”

Sophomore libero Brighton Ferguson had 10 digs for Venice. Senior Leah Bartlett and sophomore Charley Goberville added six kills apiece.

– Donnie Wilkie, correspondent

Charlotte 3, Wharton 2

23-25, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 16-14

Next: Mitchell at Charlotte, 7 p.m. Saturday

BOYS GOLF

Class 2A-District 12

At: River Wilderness Country Club

Team standings:  1. Parrish Community 337, 2. Sebring 342, 3. DeSoto County 347, 4. Lemon Bay 348, 5. Port Charlotte 353, 6. Braden River 356, 7. Hardee County 363

Parrish Community, Alex Angelo 79, Ethan Patterson 80, Eli Dannehl 86, Cole Edson 92

Individuals: Torey Miccio, Lemon Bay 78, Caleb Campos, Port Charlotte 79, Caden Ganczak, Port Charlotte 82

GIRLS GOLF

Class 3A-District 11

At: Cypress Creek Golf Club

Team standings: 1. Lakewood Ranch 346, 2. Newsome 412, 3. Lennard 421, 4. Bloomingdale 435, 5. Palmetto 486, 6. Manatee 486

Lakewood Ranch, Lauren Hosier 78 (medalist), Jessica Kobetitsch 86, Emily Storm 88, Sierra Yeomans 94

VOLLEYBALL

Cardinal Mooney 3, Canterbury 2

25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 31-33, 15-13

SARASOTA – It seems nearly impossible at Cardinal Mooney to look past All-American Jordyn Byrd, the reigning Gatorade Florida Player of the Year who has re-written her school's record books and is headed to the University of Texas.

But Tuesday’s Class 3A-Region 3 volleyball quarterfinal against visiting Fort Myers Canterbury came down to a simple question: Who else did the Cougars have?

The answer was a deep supporting cast and 6-foot sophomore understudy Riley Greene, who fueled a 10-2 run that helped the hosts win the third game, then teamed with the 6-5 Byrd to rally Mooney (17-9) from an 11-8 deficit in the decisive fifth and capture a nerve-wracking 25-14, 21-25, 25-17, 31-33, 15-13 victory in front of a good crowd.

“I’m very proud of her,” Byrd said of Greene. “At first, she didn’t seem that confident in her swing or her blocking. But I think now she’s realizing that she has to step up. We need her to be able to win some of these games.”

Greene’s 12 kills and five blocks barely scratched the surface. It was her block – alongside junior setter Helena Hebda – that gave Mooney a 12-10 lead in the pivotal third game, quickly followed by a save and an ace that helped make it 16-10.

After the wild fourth game that featured 15 ties but forced an all-or-nothing race to 15 points, it was Greene’s ace – the 219th point of the night – that finally sent everyone home after more than two hours.

“Obviously, Jordyn carries an immense load,” Cardinal Mooney coach Chad Davis said. “She’s a great player. But Madeline Carson (10 kills, five blocks) and Riley stepped up. Anyone who thinks we’re all about one player, that’s when we really get them, because we’re starting to play some great volleyball.”

The victorious Cougars (both teams share the same mascot) advance to a 3A-3 semifinal at top-seeded Clearwater Calvary Christian on Friday, a chance for Mooney to avenge a three-game loss on Aug. 30.

Hebda handed out 57 assists and had 19 digs, while sophomore libero Katie Powers added 22 digs. But Byrd, as usual, led the way with 37 kills, nine digs and four blocks, including a free-ball putaway that evened the fifth game at 13-all and a smash down the line that set up Greene’s clinching ace.

“Once she’s gone, I know I’m going to have to step up as a player and put more balls down,” Greene said.

Cardinal Mooney squandered four match points in the fourth game and also fought off four, before Addison Platt’s diving save of a Byrd spike allowed Canterbury (14-6) to finally convert at 32-31.

The visitors played without one of their best players, junior Madison Hammermeister, who suffered a strained MCL in last Thursday’s 3A-District 12 win over Naples First Baptist.

- Donnie Wilkie, correspondent

Lemon Bay 3 Anclote 0

25-11, 25-16, 25-13

Next: Lemon Bay at Robinson, 6 p.m. Friday, Tampa

Calvary Christian 3, Bradenton Christian 0

25-23, 25-13, 25-16

GOLF

DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS

(top 3 teams and top 3 individuals not on those teams advance to the regionals)

Class 1A-District 11

At: Meadows Country Club

Boys 

Team scoring: 1. Saint Stephen’s 288, 2. Cardinal Mooney 302, 3. Out-of-Door 321, 4. Bradenton Christian 328, 7. Sarasota Military Academy, 8. Gulf Coast HEAT 432

Saint Stephen’s, Alex Long 70 (medalist), Eddie Gu 71, Leo Li 73, Beni Long 74

Cardinal Mooney, Nicolas Bencomo 73, Tommy Tyler 73, Joseph Antonelli-Pike 77, Finally Murphy 79

Out-of-Door, Zachary Fox 79, Will Becker 79, Connor Clark 79, Gage Fisher 84

Individuals, Grant McCall, Bradenton Christian, 75, Colson Kragt, Bradenton Christian 83

Class 1A-District 11

At: Meadows Country Club

Girls

Team scoring: 1. Out-of-Door 375, 2. Saint Stephen’s 394, 3. Cardinal Mooney 452

Out-of-Door, Madeline Crosby 80, Julianna Whittemore 96, Brooklyn Cullen 99, Daisy Quintal 100

Saint Stephen’s, Tiffanie Tran 77 (medalist), Reagan Sisler 88, Bella Rosa 114, Reese Williams 115

Cardinal Mooney, Kaitlyn Galvin 97, Mallory DeBlauw 109, Grace Smith 115, Abby Duplissey 131

Class 2A-District 12

At: River Wilderness Golf and Country Club

Girls

Team scoring: 1. Sebring 373, 2. Parrish Community 401, 3. Lemon Bay 420, 4, Southeast 431, 6. Port Charlotte 507

Parrish Community, Marissa Krone, 87, Maya Krone 95, Siana Wanner 108, Kaylani Pusateri 111

Lemon Bay, Haley Hall 100, Rachel Gillis 101, Madison Hanson 101, Alaina Maday 118

Individuals, Taryn Nguyen, Braden River 80 (medalist), Alexa Dziubek, Braden River 95, Allison Steiner, Southeast 96

Class 3A-District 11

Boys

At: Summerfield Crossing Golf Club

Boys

Team scoring: 1. Lakewood Ranch 285, 2. Newsome 313, 3. Tampa Riverview 335, 4. Manatee 353, 5. Palmetto 355

Lakewood Ranch, Parker Severs 70, Henry Burbee 70, Preston Severs 71, Josh Orgen 74

Individuals, Sean O’Reilly, Manatee 73, Baden Wallace, Palmetto 80

Class 3A-District 12

At. Heron Creek Golf and Country Club

Boys

Team scoring: 1. Gulf Coast 291, 2. Riverview 300, 3. Venice 315

Riverview, Justin Zullin 69 (t-medalist), Kyle Souchak 74, Aksel Moe 75, Jonas Moe 82

Venice, Anthony Lohbauer 78, Chapin Smith 78, Harrison Adams 79, Kevin Mellen 80

Individuals, CJ Kemple, North Port 73, Jake Macdonald, Sarasota 75,

Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing. 

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Prep roundup includes cross country regionals, volleyball regional semis