Area athletes took to the track for the first big meet of March, competing in Pensacola Saturday at the Steve Garst Wildcat Invitational at Washington.
Several athletes placed in the top 10 in their respective events. Gavin Schulte took home a pair of firsts in the 400 and 800, clocking in with times of 49.83 and 1:59.87, respectively.
Hallie Ueberroth crushes a two-run home run to center that trims the Milton deficit to one in the fifth inning. Macee Graber smacks a base hit into the outfield that drives in the game-tying run an inning later.
Those are among the moments that highlight the Panthers’ will to battle back no matter the situation they are facing in a game.
A roster of experienced and talented players is what the Milton girls lacrosse team has working in its favor this season.
That group includes seven seniors.
Haley Dunckel never stopped bringing the pressure against Pine Forest last Wednesday night in Pace’s flag football season opener.
Play after play, Dunckel was on the move, forcing the quarterback into uncomfortable situations that led to pulled flags, incomplete passes or plays that went for little gain.
Take the third inning of Monday night’s game against W.S. Neal as the one that highlights the power and ability of the Pace softball team from an offensive standpoint.
Fifteen batters. Eleven runs. That was the gasoline the Patriots poured onto the fire during a breakout inning in a 15-1 win over the Eagles.
The value of the preseason cannot be underestimated. Pace’s flag football team knows that as well as anyone.
And this weekend, the Patriots are headed to Tampa to play in a tournament at the Bucs’ practice facility.
Briana Dunsford returned to state as a senior two weeks ago and took a lot of pride in having the opportunity to compete at the 1A weightlifting meet one final time.
It was on a little bigger stage this time around, with the RP Funding Center in Lakeland hosting the meet.
Tristan Watson came out of the game with 56.8 seconds to go after picking up his fifth foul. He made his way to the end of the bench and crouched down on the floor.
One of his teammates came over and sat next to him, putting his hand on his back in an effort to console the senior, who was just starting to begin to face the gut-wrenching reality that this game, this special season, as well as a stellar high school career at Jay, were about to come to an end.
Lily Priddy got a little emotional talking about the end of her high school weightlifting career late Saturday night at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Priddy had hoped to be crowned a 3A state champion in the 119-pound weight class at the end of a long day of competition.
When Pace last played a softball game that counted, it ended in heartbreak. The Patriots walked off the field stinging from a 1-0 extra-inning loss to Melbourne in the 6A state final four.
Most of those players are back, including Division I commits Jayden Heavener (LSU) and Shelby McKenzie (Florida State), and they are hungry.
