Seniors Elaina Avila and Kate Guarneri have played volleyball together since their youth days.

As seniors at Jupiter, they helped the Warriors win their school’s 10th state title overall, and first girls state beach volleyball championship as they rallied to defeat Neptune Beach Fletcher 3-2 in the 3A state final to finish 19-1 and ranked No. 5 nationally.

Avila and Guarneri, and three additional seniors, were members of the team when coach Lilly Fink started the team. There were 45 girls that tried out for that squad, only one had ever played beach volleyball. The remaining players were all indoor players.

“They are solid girls and solid players,” said Fink, whose team dispatched six-time state finalist St. Thomas Aquinas in the semifinals 3-0. “They really rose to the occasion after losing the first set of their match in the finals.”

Avila and Guarneri lost the first set of their match 21-18 to Fletcher’s Karsyn Smith and Lisa Waite before rallying to take the next set 21-14 and then the match-clincher 15-9. The Jupiter duo has only lost three matches in the past two years and finished 16-0 this year.

“Coach Fink gave us some inspirational words after the first set, and I just decided that this was my last match ever, so just go out and have fun,” Avila said. “After we won, everyone ran out on the court to celebrate, and it was so surreal. We were crying, and I was crying happy tears, and I have never cried happy tears before.”

Guarneri said the fact that they won the state title is starting to sink in. The school honored the team with a Wall of Fame ceremony a few days after they returned home. They hang a photo of district, regional, and state champions in the school’s gymnasium.

“I was looking back at pictures and videos from the season and said, ‘wow, we really did that,’” Guarneri said. “Since we won all three, we get special recognition for it.

“On Friday, when we first got there, we were all nervous and then we had that (long) weather delay,” Guarneri said. “I think that really helped us because it allowed us to gather our thoughts. We said we know how to play, and we will play like we do at our home courts. We got in the right mindset, and we really wanted to win.”

Honorable mention: Archbishop McCarthy: Fabiana Castro, Brianna Masarrachio, Valerie Morales, Emma Pierce; Benjamin: Riley McCaughey, Sailor Plasman; Boca Raton: Lia Ray, Bella Troncale; Boca Raton Christian: Natalia Marciante, Hannah VanZwieten, Mackenzi VanZwieten; Calvary Christian: Vivi Belfort, Bradee Boyd; Cardinal Newman: Ava Castro, Adrianna Hinds; Cypress Bay: Julia Diaz, Anya Noya; Dr. Joaquin Gacia: Lyla Buser, Kadance Roach; Dwyer: Corrine Cabrera, Samantha Homberger, Drew Lotz; Jupiter: Sophie Katz, Islie Lounsbury, Macy McAmis, Bianca Starz; Jupiter Christian: Gabriella Brodner, Ella Murray; King’s Academy: Valeria Diaz, Gabby Fernandez, Miranda Knoll, Sophia Studley; Lake Worth Christian: Alex Krabs, Sophia Tomlinson; Park Vista: Ava Love, Aolani Paula; St. Thomas Aquinas: Emma Bear, Madeline Meltz, Leah Novatne, Alexa Raymond; Wellington: Brielle Dorish, Madeline Lee.

FIRST TEAM

Christopher Bennett, utility, Westminster Academy junior: Recorded 61 goals, 53 assists and 62 steals; scored 15 goals in a game; helped lead team to 24 wins and state championship; USA Water Polo 18U Youth Futures National Team selection.

Samuel Eastaugh, utility, St. Thomas Aquinas junior: Team captain; registered 67 goals, 59 assists and 51 steals; scored seven goals in regional semifinal win; scored 16 goals in four playoff games; USA Water Polo Academic All-American Outstanding Honors recipient.

Dane Fox, driver, Westminster Academy junior: Recorded 103 goals, 51 assists and 39 steals; scored winning goal in overtime in state semifinal; scored six goals in regional final win; had 10 goals in a game.

Lev Konnikov, utility, St. Thomas Aquinas junior: Team captain and led Raiders to 20 wins and state semifinal appearance; recorded 131 goals, 27 assists and 53 steals; scored 11 goals in a game; had five goals in regional semifinal win and four goals in regional final victory.

Juan Lopez, utility, Stoneman Douglas junior: Recorded 108 goals, 50 assists and 16 steals; scored 18 goals with eight assists in a game; led team to regional quarterfinal appearance.

Marcell Varhalmi, goalie, St. Thomas Aquinas sophomore: Finished with 223 saves, 23 assists, 40 steals and two goals scored; registered 19 saves in a game; USA Water Polo ODP 18U Youth National Team selection; competed at senior nationals; trained in Serbia and Italy.

Toni Vlasic, center defender, Cooper City senior: Led team to 17 wins, district title and regional semifinal appearance; registered 114 goals and 41 assists; previously played with USA Water Polo ODP Men’s Cadet National Team and in Junior Olympics.

SECOND TEAM

Sebastian Garcia, utility, Westminster Academy senior

Connor Geskus, driver, Pembroke Pines Charter sophomore

Holden Harkins, utility, St. Thomas Aquinas junior

Andreas Lajko, utility, St. Thomas Aquinas freshman

David Maxson, goalie, Westminster Academy senior

Ethan McPeek, attacker, Cooper City senior

Shane Whitaker, utility, South Broward senior

HONORABLE MENTION

Cardinal Gibbons: Travis Jenkins, Alex Petros

Cooper City: Adrien Goodman, Henry Guerrero, Thomas Moya

Flanagan: Ben Liss

Fort Lauderdale: Daniel Brinkworth, Aiden Carey, Jake Wadlow

Northeast: Magnus Warywoda, Diesel Warywoda

Nova: Matthew Orsini, Xavier Suarez

Pembroke Pines Charter: Joseph Koch, Abraham Penaloza, Tiago Vitale

South Broward: Michael Berbeci

Stoneman Douglas: Marcell Chafloque, Christian Nichols

Westminster Academy: Albie Karaj, Lucas Linares, Christian Clark

COACH OF THE YEAR

Daniel Cercols, Westminster Academy: Guided the Lions to a 24-2 record, district title, regional title and first state championship for boys water polo in school history. “We were so solid all season. We have players who were very hungry to win a state title. Hard work, dedication, discipline and teamwork made this possible.”

SPORTS

Six Hope College student-athletes have been chosen for the 2025 Academic All-District® Men’s At-Large teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, including five from men’s lacrosse: Jack Balmforth, David Brace, Caden Brainard, Jackson Early and Will Jewell; and one from men’s golf: Jack Guerrera.

The program recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes at-large honorees in four divisions: NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.

Academic All-District® honorees were considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. Student-athletes selected as CSC Academic All-America® finalists will advance to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members and announced later this summer.

Balmforth (Livonia, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central HS) is a business major. The junior goalkeeper claimed All-MIAA Second Team honors this season, recording a 9.38 goals-against average in 15 games for the MIAA regular-season champion Flying Dutchmen.

Brace (Plymouth, Michigan / Plymouth) was a business major. The senior midfielder collected 10 goals and 13 ground balls in 15 games this season.

Brainard (Muskegon, Michigan / Reeths-Puffer) was a mechanical engineering major. The senior face-off get-off specialist earned All-MIAA honors for the third time this season, including his second as a first-team selection, recording a career-best .612 faceoff percentage while contributing four goals and five assists.

Early (East Lansing, Michigan / East Lansing) is a public accounting major. The junior midfielder claimed his second All-MIAA accolade this season, earning second-team distinction, while scoring a career-high 28 goals in 15 games.

Guerrera (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) was an accounting major. The senior competed at the NCAA Division III Championships for the MIAA-champion Flying Dutchmen and averaged 77.75 over four rounds in MIAA play this season.

Jewell (Northville, Michigan / Detroit Catholic Central) is a public accounting major. The junior defender received All-MIAA Second Team honors this season, totaling a career-best 25 caused turnovers in 15 games.

The Division III CSC Academic All-America® program is partially financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2024-25 Division III Academic All-America® programs. 

 

For more information about the CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.

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TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Sun is not the only team to restore the “Champa Bay” slogan to this part of Florida. The USF men’s 4×400 meter relay team won a national championship at last weekend’s NCAA meet in Eugene, OR. The race itself was filled with drama when Gabriel Moronta, the Bulls’ final runner, was in third place for most of the last lap.

“I felt that if Gabe was close, it was going to be interesting. And he made it very interesting,” USF head coach Erik Jenkins said calmly. That’s an understatement. Moronta passed runners from Florida and Texas A&M over the final 50 meters to cross the line first.

“As soon as I gave him the stick, I knew [we were going to win],” Corey Ottey said with a smile. It was Ottey who handed the baton to Moronta on the final exchange. “I knew he was in great shape, but seeing it happen in real time, I’m like ‘Whoa, the moment is finally here.’ I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s like… thank God.”

WATCH: USF Bulls track and field adds to ‘Champa Bay’ legacy

USF Bulls track and field adds to ‘Champa Bay’ legacy

Less than an hour before the relay, Moronta was disqualified from the individual 400 meters for taking two steps out of his assigned lane, stripping him of a silver medal.

USF Athletics

“It was a lot of emotions before that, in the warm-up,” Gabriel said when describing how he rebounded from the earlier disappointment. “I just stopped thinking about myself, and I just thought about my teammates and what I have to do. I have to get the job done for them, as well. It’s not just about me. So I was just thinking of what I had to do to prepare and get the job done.”

Moronta’s teammates felt like it was their job to get Gabriel to the top of the medal podium.

“We knew we had to go out there and give him something to go back home with. “Outside of the 400 that would’ve been his last shot. So we knew we actually had to come together, do exactly what we need to do,” said second-leg runner Alexavier Monfries. “I’m watching him the whole way around. I’m like “Catch him, Gabe. Catch him, Gabe.” He actually went out there and he did it. I always say to him, out everybody, we’re really proud of him. Because he actually deserved this a lot.”

“Going into the meet, I was just like, this is my last year, and I just have to go out with a bang and I gotta give it my all,” Moronta, a transfer from Mississippi State, added.

The national profile of the USF track and field program continues to rise. A top-15 national finish for the men’s team makes a nice addition to the AAC indoor and outdoor championships the team won in 2024 and 2025.

“I think they continue to set the standard at which we want to compete at,” Coach Jenkins said frankly. “We hope that in years to come there will be people that will come in here and run faster than they did. And hopefully we’ll get a few more national champions in the future.”

A new high school girls volleyball event is coming to the Civic Arena, a venue where teams invited could find themselves hoisting a state championship trophy not long after.

On Wednesday, the St. Joseph Sports Commission announced the dates for the Inaugural Pony Express Girls State High School Volleyball Tournament at the Civic Arena beginning Aug. 29 and ending Aug. 30. The Civic Arena will be the home of the Missouri State High School Activities Association girls high school volleyball state championships for the upcoming season, and 16 schools invited to this new tournament this August will get a taste of what the venue has to offer for the sport of high school girls volleyball.

Teams from St Joseph and the surrounding area invited as part of the 16-team field were Mid-Buchanan, Bishop LeBlond, Savannah, Central, Plattsburg and Maryville. In a release from the St. Joseph Sports Commission, the Civic will be separated into three courts for the two-day event with 32 games expected to be played in total. 

“We are honored and extremely excited to get the opportunity to host the MSHSAA Girls Volleyball State Championship this coming November and in our continuing effort to create/attract events that fill fit and niche locally but also can engage participants, regionally, statewide and nationally, the creation of this event was an obvious fit and we are excited to see some high level volleyball the first weekend of the season in downtown St. Joseph,” Brett Esely, Executive Director of the St. Joseph Sports Commission said in a release Wednesday.

Different levels of success from last season will enter the Civic Arena for the tournament, including three state semifinal teams and six district champions from 2024. 

St. Pius Festus and Bishop LeBlond will enter as the only teams that have appeared consecutively in the state semifinals of their respective classes over the last two seasons. St. Pius Festus was the Class 4 state champion in 2024.