VIN'S PEOPLE: Manatee County JROTC teams win 5 titles at Florida State Raider Challenge

A salute to the JROTC teams at Palmetto High, Manatee, Braden River and Lakewood Ranch that earned not one or two, but five state championships at the recent 2022 Florida State JROTC Raider Challenge in Lake Wales.

Palmetto’s male and female teams each won titles in the Tier 1 division – the largest JROTC programs (over 250 cadets) – and it was the sixth straight for the boys.

Manatee won the male title and Braden River won the mixed team title at Tier 2 (medium-sized programs) and Manatee’s girls were runners-up.

Lakewood Ranch won the female title at Tier 3 (less than 150 cadets) and Bayshore was the male runner-up.

Teams from roughly 80 schools competed in events such as a 5K run, a 100-meter tire flip, a one-mile litter carry, an 800-meter obstacle course and building and crossing a rope bridge.

Palmetto’s male state champions are Alfonzo Aguillar, Dominic Barrera, Alexander Carlos-Baza, Brian Corona-Ochoa, Julian Garcia, Alvarez Gomez, Mendez Lemus, Sonny Noel, Luis Resendez, Landon Shepard, Javier Trejo and Avyon Williams.

Palmetto’s female state champions are Daniella Alvarez, Yvette Carranza, Briseyda Garcia, Danae Hilario, Jenny Martinez, Dulce Mazariegos Lopez, Stephanie Quintero, Faith Ramirez, Allyson Resendiz, Bakayla Williams, Ninette Valdez and Nina Velasquez.

Manatee’s male state champions are Alvaro Avilla, Izael Garcia, Brian Guerra, Juan Gutierrez, Brody Hall, Noah Heilman, Rocco Mendoza, Jonathan Marquez, Caleb McKeaver, Roger Miley, Jose Portillo, Alex Rivera and Chris Winchell.

Braden River’s mixed team state champions are Sebastian Auer, Elijah Bazo, Israel Clark, Matt Gerardo, Karina Gutezez, Alexis Hine, Brinlee Johnson, Stewart Macaulay, Cristal Trejo, Nathan Volner, Nathan Walmsley, Rachel Walmsley and Nick Zigmount.

The Lakewood Ranch female state champions are Ana Abreu, Alyssa Bell, Skylar Cox, Sophia D’Orozio, Merily Gomez-Garcia, Esmerelda Hernandez Ortiz, Faith Miller, Samantha Rees, Ingrid Pope, Karen Tinoco, Jeanne Tovar and Audrey Weeks.

Manatee’s female runners-up are Ansley Alexander, Evelyn Antonio, Karen Balbuena, Katsy Camargo, Camila Godinez, Melissa Liberato, Kimberly Marquez, Austin Marquis, Layla Munoz, Johanna Palma, Erin Perez, Jesselyn Sosa and Pilar Vargas.

And Bayshore’s male runners-up are Michael Adkins, Ernesto Febles, Leandro Guerrero, Orlando Madrid, Yosel Munos, Greyson Pelletier, Raif Peterson, Jayden Salazar, Anthonye Serrano, Owen Smith, Aiden Templeton and Jackson Vassar.

∙ Mona Jain Middle principal Angela Lindsay has retired after 35 years with the Manatee School District.

∙ The Debutante Program of Sarasota and Manatee Counties celebrates its 41st year Jan. 7 with its 2022 Debutantes and Ball at the Circus Arts Conservatory. The 17 young women include Lakewood Ranch High’s Lilly Claudia Lynch and Tierney Noelle Thornhill, Southeast High’s Holliston Olivia Shepard, Pine View School’s Lauren Grace Brotherton, Rosario Mai Calleja, Gabrielle Lauren Cannon, Iris Celeste Dahlborg, Hana Faith Han, Alexandra Jo James, Lily Anne Maglio, Isabella Patricia Nebel and Abigail Kristine Sweitzer, Riverview High’s Olivia Reese Fontaine, Emily Josephine O'Neill and Lilly Mae Stewart, Cardinal Mooney’s Abigail Monaco Duplissey and Laurel Springs School’s Isabella Amalia Iannuzzi.

The event benefits the Sarasota Orchestra’s youth programming.

∙ And Lauren Pierce is 28.

∙ Big ups to Nick Zec.

When North Central College (Ill.) won its second NCAA Division III football national championship in three years last weekend, the former Cardinal wideout and kick returner was there for the game in Annapolis, Md.

“Proud and happy,” he said.

∙ Well done to Southeast senior Andrew Kyrwko and sophomore Chloe Billaut, who each took first in their respective congressional debate chambers at Lithia Newsome High’s speech competition, and senior Lynn Yun, who took second in oral interpretation.

∙ The one-and-only Kelly Hillman is 39. Again.

∙ So is Sherry Reed.

∙ The new corrections deputies for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office are Jiamonte Boyd, Kyle Burrow, Christopher Chavez, Allison Daniello, Hayden Davis, Jonathan Davis, Christopher Mateo, Laura Miller, Omar Olvera, Shardwick Senatus, Joshua Smolko, Adam Sokalsky and Dale Thomas.

∙ Lastly, Manatee Tech Police Academy Director Jay Romine checked off a bucket list item, attending last Monday night’s Packer game in sub-freezing Green Bay.

His daughter, Ashley, went, too.

But not his wife, Jayne.

“You couldn’t PAY me enough!” the Florida girl joked.

Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944. Twitter: @vinmannix.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN MANNIX: Manatee County JROTC teams win 5 titles at Raider Challenge