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Building a Dynasty

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Building a Dynasty

Since conversations about this development began, the project originally referred to as the Ocoee Regional Sports Complex has been a highly-anticipated and welcomed idea by both local residents and community leaders for myriad reasons. “It’s completely inclusive to local residents,” he  said. “There’s no charge for anybody … to come enjoy the complex at any time … to come and feel a part of something. … We’ve (also) made it to where any time there’s not a big event going on, the city of Ocoee is going to have access to the fields and they’re going to have access to the indoor space … we want to make sure the city of Ocoee truly takes advantage of this situation and benefits greatly from it.”According to Montierre’s projections, the impact of the development of this facility is expected to contribute more than 0 million to the local economy and generate roughly 10,000 short-term construction jobs and 5,000 permanent jobs. At the core of The Dynasty’s business model, and the answer to the question about this being a viable business, is this simple pitch to the families that make up the youth sports industry: Families can combine their children’s athletic competitions with a family vacation at The Dynasty’s conveniently located facility near the tourist capital of the world’s top attractions. On paper, The Dynasty | Ocoee is a youth sports complex. In reality, the project’s developer, Montierre Development, is building a 159-acre revolution-in-the-making within the youth sports and sports tourism sectors.


What is The Dynasty | Ocoee?

“Every industry experiences a revolutionary turning point that paves the way for a sustainable future; this is that moment for youth sports,” Jaime Douglas said. “The Dynasty experience will bring convenience, connection and affordability to youth sporting events across the nation, addressing a critical need in the industry. As participation costs and time demands rise, families often face the dilemma of choosing between a family vacation or attending a large-scale sporting event for their child. The Dynasty | Ocoee eliminates this choice by providing an all-in-one experience for the entire family.”“The vision for The Dynasty | Ocoee is to create a haven where every guest is engaged and embraced in an environment that fosters an appreciation for family, sports, science and fun,” Ocoee City Manager Craig Shadrix said. “Not only will this project create meaningful economic impact for Ocoee and the surrounding areas, but it will also offer health, wellness and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors of Central Florida.”Considering the litany of positives The Dynasty promises to bring to Ocoee — from the impact on the local economy to the access the city will have to the facilities and added entertainment, retail and dining options, to name a few — it’s understandable why folks are excited.The Dynasty’s concept of combining sports event-hosting facilities with other revenue-generating businesses like retail, food and lodging isn’t a new one; just look at Patriot Place, L.A. Live and the upcoming Westcourt development in downtown Orlando, next to the home of the Orlando Magic, the Kia Center. The aspect of this project as a business that needs to be understood is that The Dynasty is the sports and entertainment district concept that focuses on the youth sports and sports tourism markets. Along with this massive impact on the local area’s economy, this facility provides locals with a new and incredible recreation option right in their backyard and, according to Jaime Douglas, the city will have access to the athletic facilities when available.The experience The Dynasty offers is a dream for youth sports families who have traveled hundreds of miles from home to week-long tournaments in random cities with limited entertainment options. Instead of settling for spending an off-day wandering the local outlet mall and having dinner at a chain restaurant, families have the opportunity to attend their children’s games in the morning, spend the afternoon enjoying theme parks and end their night at one of Central Florida’s almost endless options of restaurants. The other reason brings us to the experiential portion of capturing what’s actually coming to Ocoee, and that is The Dynasty’s target audience: Youth sports, emphasis on the youth.“I think that the public at large (is) highly anticipating this project,” Ocoee Commissioner George Oliver III said. “The feedback that I’ve been receiving over the past few years is that we’re waiting on this and we are excited … (for) this project.”Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, Mickey Mantle’s New York Yankees, Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers and the Montreal Canadiens in the 1950s, 60s and 70s all have at least this one thing in common: They are, inarguably, dynasties in their respective sports.“We anticipate The Dynasty | Ocoee will contribute significantly to the … global sports tourism market,” said Jaime Douglas, Founder and CEO of The Dynasty and Montierre Development. “Our goal is to capture a substantial portion of this growth while providing an exceptional experience for athletes and families alike.”


The local impact

“The work you (all) have done with the city, the community you guys have built … it brings people here,” Jaime Douglas said. “We love it here, and it’s just such a blessing that we have the opportunity to bring this to you (all).”As part of The Dynasty’s commitment to the Ocoee community, Montierre will dedicate an inclusive playground and the 17th Avenue extension to the city for public use.All together, the construction of this massive, high-end sports, entertainment and lodging complex is estimated to cost billion. After considering the cost and the massive infrastructure undertaking, a natural question arises: Is this going to be a profitable business? That’s why considering The Dynasty as a strategic business decision is vital to understanding it wholly.To achieve this level of dominance, these organizations — from the players to coaches, administrators and even the janitors — had to push themselves beyond what the competition was doing. There needed to be a vision that saw what they were doing day to day was building something special, a legacy that would be remembered decades later. As a collection of physical buildings and spaces, which will be situated on the southeast corner of Ocoee-Apopka and Fullers Cross roads, The Dynasty will first and foremost be the home to a plethora of sports fields and a state-of-the-art indoor facility that aims to predominantly host youth sports tournaments and other athletic events; think ESPN’s Wide World of Sports complex. Stretching alongside the fields of play, running parallel to Ocoee-Apopka Road, will be a comprehensive mixed-use pedestrian riverwalk lined with several restaurant, retail and entertainment spaces, which will be open to the public; think Universal’s CityWalk. On the north end of the property, serving as one of the bookends to the sports fields, there will be the larger of two hotels, while the smaller boutique hotel is set to be on the south end of the pedestrian riverwalk. In total, the two hotels will have more than 1,100 rooms.“This project represents more than just a sports complex,” Montierre President Anne-Marie Douglas said. “It’s a testament to our commitment to innovation, engagement of today’s youth, an enhanced family-driven experience, a focus on health and wellness, (and) Ocoee’s legacy, inclusivity, accessibility and community development. We’re building fields and courts that will craft memories, shape futures and redefine what it means to experience sports as a family. The ultimate goal is to create an environment where young athletes thrive, develop resilience, and cultivate a lifelong love for the game.”There are two reasons this helps define this development. First is the projected growth of the sector. According to Montierre Development, the sports tourism industry is on the rise — citing projections by Grand View Research that say by 2030, the market could see a compound annual growth rate of 17.5% and its global market value reach more than trillion.To fully capture the scope of The Dynasty, you need to consider it in three ways: As a physical facility, as a strategic business decision and — similar to theme parks — as an experience. Combining these three concepts is what makes this development such an exciting proposition for the group behind it, Ocoee officials and residents of West Orange. In November 2021, the building blocks of a new sports dynasty began to come together, but this one wasn’t a sports team; in fact, what this concept is goes beyond how to categorize it traditionally. 

Sports

Craig Announces 2025-26 Track & Field Schedule

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ROCK HILL, S.C. — Winthrop Track & Field Head Coach Raffael Craig has unveiled the Eagles 2025-26 indoor and outdoor schedule on Friday, outlining a slate that begins in early December and runs through the end of May. 

“I’m proud of the work they have all put in,” said Craig. “This first meet will be a good opportunity to see where we are at heading into the holiday season.” 

The Eagles open the indoor season on Dec. 7 at the Visit Winston-Salem College Kick-Off in Winston-Salem, N.C. Winthrop continues at the Gamecock Opener on Jan. 10 in Columbia, S.C., followed by three meets in Tryon, the Tryon International Classic (Jan. 16-17), the Tryon College Banked Invitational – East Coast Elite (Jan. 30), and the Tryon Mid-Winter Collegiate Invite (Feb. 13-14). 

The Big South Conference Indoor Championship is scheduled for Feb. 27-28 in Tryon. 

Outdoor competition begins with the Big South vs. Southern Conference Challenge on Mar. 20-21 in Asheville, N.C. Winthrop will also compete at the Raleigh Relays (Mar. 26-27) and the VertKlasse Meeting (Apr. 2-3) in High Point, N.C. 

The program will host the annual Winthrop Invitational on Apr. 17-18 at the Irwin Belk Complex. The regular season concludes at the Lenoir-Rhyne Open on Apr. 25 in Hickory, N.C. 

The Big South Conference Outdoor Championship is set for May 11-13 in High Point, N.C. Qualifiers will advance to the NCAA Championships East First Round, held on May 27-30 in Lexington, Ky. 



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Broncos Produce Strong Results in Season-Opening Meet

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ALLENDALE, Mich. — Despite having just four student-athletes in action, the Western Michigan track and field team was able to post some strong results at the GVSU Holiday Open earlier today. 

Laurine Elisa Marimon stole the show, earning the sixth best triple jump mark in program history. She finished the meet with a top leap of 12.07 meters. The meet was her first in the Brown and Gold. 

Sierra Sommers also impressed in her college debut, competing in both the shot put and weight throw. She opened the meet with a weight throw mark of 12.87 meters. She followed that up with a throw of 14.14 meters in the shot put. That was good enough to win the event and just missed a top-10 mark in program history. 

Mickaliliah Vassell made her WMU debut by racing in both the 60-meter dash and 60-meter hurdles. She crossed the finish line in a time of 7.89 in the 60m and earned a time of 9.19 in the 60m hurdles. 

To conclude the meet, Shannon Gillahan was great in her season debut. She was able to produce a time of 11:07.28 in the 3000-meter run. 

UP NEXT

The Broncos will be off until the start of the new year. WMU will be back in action at the Wolverine Invite on Jan. 10. 

 



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Track & Field Releases 2026 Indoor Schedule

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HONOLULU – The Hawai’i track and field team announced its schedule for the 2026 indoor season Friday, starting with a trio of meets in Seattle and ending with the MPSF and NCAA Championships in March.
 
UH begins the season at the UW Preview, Jan. 16-17 in Seattle before returning to the Pacific Northwest for the UW Invite, Jan. 30-31. The Rainbow Wahine then have a split-squad weekend, Feb. 13-14, sending athletes to both the Husky Classic in Seattle and the Battle Born Classic in Reno, Nev.
 
Hawai’i then begins postseason action with the MPSF Championships, Mar. 1-2 before sending any qualifiers to the NCAA Championships, Mar. 13-14 in Fayettevile, Ark.
 
The Rainbow Wahine are coming off of a fourth-place finish at last year’s MPSF Championships, and return a pair of individual conference champions from a year ago in Lilian Turban (high jump) and Tara Wyllie (triple jump).
 
The ‘Bows also welcome back last season’s pentathlon bronze medalist Catherine Touchette, who also sits in third all-time at UH in the event. Lucy Milliner also returns for her sophomore season after setting the school indoor mile record and moving into second in school history in the indoor 800m.
 



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Volleyball’s historic season wraps up in NCAAs Thursday night

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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – The Wright State volleyball team fell to Purdue in three sets on Thursday night inside Holloway Gymnasium in the opening round of the NCAA Championship. The postseason loss ends Wright State’s season at 21-11 with the Raiders’ fifth trip to the NCAA Championship in the last seven seasons.
 
Wright State dropped the opening set 25-13 before a pair of tight sets, falling 25-21 in set two and 25-19 in the final set to wrap up the season.
 
Mya Ayro finished with 11 kills to lead Wright State, who also got double-digit kills from Reilly Zegunis with 10. Taylor Bransfield added four kills and a block in her final collegiate match, with three kills from Katie Sowko and two from senior Elena Dubuc. Lauren Yacobucci passed out 27 of Wright State’s 28 assists, while defensively Ella Gaona notched nine digs, Sowko collected eight digs and Taygan Corstange added six digs.
 
Wright State grabbed five overall honors on Nov. 20 when the 2025 Horizon League Volleyball Awards were announced, led by first team recognition from Lauren Yacobucci and Reilly Zegunis. Mya Ayro and Katie Sowko each earned second team honors and Elena Dubuc was a Sportsmanship Award finalist. This marked the second-straight first team honors for Yacobucci and Zegunis, while Sowko adds the second team recognition to her All-Freshman nod from a season ago. Dubuc has been a Sportsmanship Award finalist the last two seasons.
 
 
 



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Indoor season begins for Vikings on Saturday

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VALLEY CITY, N.D. – The Valley City State Vikings men’s and women’s Track and Field teams will open then 2025-2026 indoor season on Saturday, December 6th at the Mike Thorson Invite in at the University of Mary Fieldhouse in Bismarck.

Coming into the season, the Vikings have 18 men and nine women returning.

Leading the way on the men’s side is four-time All-Conference selection Cameron Champagnie. In 2024-2025, he won conference titles in the triple jump and in the long jump. Zeke Barnick took second in the high jump last season to earn All-Conference status. Jordan Mount won the conference title in the 400-meter, and he was third in the 200-meter. Tayshaun Robinson was second in the 60-meter hurdles to earn All-Conference.

For the women, Emma Muggli was third in the long jump to earn All-Conference honors for the third time in her career and first time in the long jump.

The Vikings have eight indoor meets scheduled leading up to then Frontier Conference indoor championships in Brookings, South Dakota February 14th and 15th.

The outdoor season will begin March 21st also in Bismarck at the Marauders Outdoor Opener at the University of Mary.

 

 

 



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No. 24 Colorado Sweeps American in NCAA First Round

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The 24th-ranked and fifth-seeded Colorado volleyball team (23-8, 12-6 Big 12) defeated American (24-5, 15-1 Patriot League) in three sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-16) at Wilkinson Hall on Thursday, Dec. 4, in the NCAA First Round.
 
The Buffaloes started their run in the NCAA tournament with a first-round sweep of the Eagles. The Buffs established early leads in each set, going up by as many as 11 in the third. Although American went on a couple of late runs, the Black and Gold held off the Eagles and advanced to the second round for just the 12th time in program history.
 
“That’s a really good team, and [American] played well,” head coach Jesse Mahoney said. “I’m really proud of our team for playing that match at the level that we can play. We prepped well – we knew American was going to challenge us, and I’m happy for how we responded.”
 
The Buffaloes had more kills (44-31), assists (41-29), digs (43-40), blocks (11-5) and aces (6-2) than American. Colorado held the Eagles to .111 hitting in the match, and to .088 in the third set.
 
KEY PLAYERS:

  • Jr. PIN Sydney Jordan led the match in kills with 15, hitting .500 (2e, 26att). She also had five digs, three blocks, including two solo blocks to match her career-high, two aces and one assist.
  • So. MB Maria Splawska tallied eight kills, hitting .667 (0e, 12att), six blocks, two of which were solo, and three digs.
  • Sr. DS/L Sarah Morton led the match with 16 digs. She also had four assists.
  • Jr. PIN Ana Burilovic saw nine kills, five digs, two blocks, two aces and one assist.
  • Sr. S Rian Finley led the match in assists with 33. She also had seven digs
  • Jr. MB Cayla Payne recorded six kills and three blocks, including one solo.
  • Jr. PIN Lily Dwinell had six kills, hitting .455 (1e, 11att), three blocks and one dig.
  • Fr. PIN Inés Losada tallied two aces, one dig and one assist.
  • Jr. DS/L Peyton Neal had five digs, and So. DS/L/S Katie Salonga saw one assist.
  • For the Eagles, Salme Adeele Hollas recorded 10 kills, and Bella Marrero had 13 digs.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • The Buffaloes opened the first set with a 3-0 run, seeing kills from Burilovic and Splawska, as well as a Splawska-Dwinell block (3-0, CU). Another run saw the Buffs ahead by as many as five from Payne, Dwinell and Burilovic kills (7-2, CU). After a Payne-Jordan block and errors from American, the Eagles called their first timeout (10-3, CU). A kill from Jordan and an ace from Losada increased the Colorado lead to eight (12-4, CU). The Eagles tried to go on a run, but a kill from Jordan ended their momentum (13-6, CU). Ahead by nine from Dwinell and Burilovic kills, as well as a Jordan ace, the Buffaloes forced American to call its second timeout (17-8, CU). A kill from Jordan put the Buffs ahead by 10 as kills from Burilovic and Dwinell continued the momentum for Colorado (24-14, CU). With a final kill from Jordan, assisted by Salonga, Colorado took the first set (25-16, CU).
  • The Black and Gold carried the energy into the second set to start with kills from Splawska and Burilovic, as well as a solo block from Payne (3-1, CU). The Eagles took their only lead of the match after four unanswered points (5-3, AU). Colorado responded with a 4-0 run of their own from two Jordan solo blocks, and an ace and kill from Burilovic to send American into a timeout (7-5, CU). The Eagles called their second timeout amidst a five-point run from a Losada ace and a kill from Jordan (12-6, CU). American ended the run, but Colorado went on a 6-0 run, led by Jordan’s four consecutive kills, a solo block from Splawska and a kill from Dwinell (18-7, CU). The Buffs and the Eagles traded points from Splawska and Dwinell kills (21-11, CU). American went on two runs near the end of the set, but Jordan, Payne, Splawska and Burilovic continued to score, ending the second set (25-19, CU).
  • American was forced to call an early timeout after a 6-0 run from the Buffaloes, including an ace from Jordan, as well as blocks and kills from Burilovic, Dwinell and Splawska (6-0, CU). After a short trade of points from Splawska and Payne kills, the Buffs went on a 3-0 run, including a pair of kills from Payne and Jordan, and a Burilovic ace (12-4, CU). The Eagles called a timeout and returned to score twice, but Colorado extended their lead to nine from three Jordan kills (15-6, CU). Three points from American were returned with three from the Buffs, with a Splawska-Dwinell block and a Jordan kill putting Colorado at double the points of the Eagles (18-9, CU). A solo block and kill from Splawska extended the lead to 11 (21-10, CU). The Black and Gold called a timeout after three American points, but two kills from Payne, assisted by Finley, ended the third set, 25-16, CU).

 
UP NEXT

  • No. 24 Colorado will take on 15th-ranked fourth-seeded host Indiana tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 5, at Wilkinson Hall in Bloomington, Ind., at 4 p.m. MT (6 p.m. ET). The match will be streamed on ESPN+, and fans can follow along via live stats links on CUBuffs.com.
  • This is the 12th second-round appearance for the Buffs all-time. Colorado is 4-7 all-time in the NCAA Second Round.
  • CU is 2-2 when playing matches on Dec. 5.

 
MATCH NOTES:

  • The Buffs move to 3-0 versus the Eagles and Patriot League opponents all-time.
  • In its first postseason tournament appearance since 2022 and the 22nd tournament appearance in program history, Colorado dominated in a 3-0 victory.
  • CU is 4-0 when playing on Dec. 4.
  • In program history, the Buffs move to 14-21 in the NCAA tournament and 10-10 in first-round matches.
  • The Buffs are now 8-9 in three-set NCAA matches.
  • The Buffaloes got their 11th 3-0 win of the season and are 11-3 in three-set matches.

 
For more information on the Colorado women’s volleyball team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsVB.
 



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