The 2025 Southwest Florida Sports Awards rolled out the red carpet on May 29 for more than 1,000 area high school athletes, coaches, administrators, their families, and friends.

First Baptist Academy’s Zara Stewart and Fort Myers High’s Madrid Tucker earned the marquee honors at the show, held at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. The pair was crowned the Girls and Boys Athletes of the Year by The News-Press and Naples Daily News. In all, 39 awards were handed out for the 2024-25 school year.

Stewart, who will play volleyball at San Diego State, carried the Lions to the Class 2A Final Four. On the basketball court, she led FBA to the regional finals. Stewart ended her prep volleyball career with 1,231 kills and 1,927 digs, while on the hardwood, she finished with 1,288 career points and 445 rebounds.

“It’s so special to me,” Stewart said. “I just love my teams and this wouldn’t be possible without my teammates and the coaching staffs, and my family, and all the sacrifices everybody makes for me.”

The other Girls Athlete of the Year finalists were Gateway’s V’Davrielle Stewart and Gulf Coast’s Ciara McCloskey.

Tucker, a finalist for the Boys Athlete of the Year award last year, was the leading receiver on Fort Myers’ district championship football team and top hitter on the Green Wave’s regional championship baseball team. He also contributed to the school’s 4×100 relay team that placed fifth at the state track and field championships.

The other Boys Athlete of the Year finalists were Mariner’s Maximus Brady and First Baptist’s Jayden Petit.

The Barron Collier soccer team won the Boys Team of the Year Award. The Cougars won their school’s first state title in boys soccer after defeating Mater Lakes 4-2 for the Class 4A championship. Led by an experienced senior class and head coach John Damasco, the team set a program record with 20 wins.

Winning four consecutive state championships places a team in rarified air, which is why Seacrest volleyball earned Girls Team of the Year honors. The Stingrays defeated Boca Raton Christian in the title game for the third straight year as first-year head coach Andy Wimmer helped deliver yet another trophy for Seacrest.

The Team of the Year awards were presented by East West Sports Cards & Custom Card Lab.

The Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award, named after the late Estero High cross country and track mentor, has been presented annually to the Southwest Florida coach who not only succeeds in the athletic arena, but also best exemplifies the 3Ds that Sommer championed — Discipline, Desire, and Dedication. This year’s recipient was Canterbury baseball coach Frank Turco.

Turco was inducted into the LCAC Hall of Fame, and capped his year by leading the Cougars to the Class 1A state championship. It was the fourth state championship for the coach at Canterbury, including three in a row from 2016-18. Turco has an overall career record of 533-191-1 between Estero from 2001-14 and with Canterbury starting in 2015, when he took over as baseball coach and athletic director. He won his 500th career game against Bonita Springs on April 11, 2024.“This is the best award I could win,” an emotional Turco said. “This means more to me than anything. I didn’t expect to win this may be until I retired.”All the hard work and dedication (Jeff) put in and the friendship we had, how he molded kids and how he treated everybody, he was just great. Nobody will ever match what he’s done for this area.”Fort Myers baseball coach Brad Crone, Barron Collier boys soccer coach John Damasco and First Baptist volleyball coach Marci Walker were finalists for the Jeff Sommer Award.Unified Sports, a division of Special Olympics, is continuing to grow in Southwest Florida. Immokalee’s Eduardo Pablo Campos was honored as the Special Olympics Athlete of the Year.

Eduardo excelled on the football field, basketball court, and track. Doubling as a defensive back and wide receiver on Immokalee’s Unified flag football team, Eduardo led the team in touchdowns, winning the 2024 FHSAA State Championship and the SOFL Unified Flag Football Division 1 Senior Level State Championship. As Center on the Unified basketball team, Eduardo averaged double digits in points and rebounds, leading Immokalee to the 2025 FHSAA Unified Basketball State Championship. He also earned three silver medals with the Unified Track & Field Team.

The other finalists for the award were Lehigh’s Yasef Carbon, Lely’s Nicholas Harrigan, and Cape Coral’s Sol Rosas.Mike Lowell, who played 13 Major League Baseball seasons and won World Series championships with the Marlins (2003) and Red Sox (2007), was the show’s special guest speaker. The 51-year-old Lowell, a four-time All-Star is currently an analyst for the MLB Network.Lowell shared a piece of advice he received from a mentor with the assembled athletes.”It sounds cliche, but just enjoy every step of the way,” he said. “Things go by so fast that sometimes the journey is going to be one I’m not sure everybody’s going to enjoy it throughout.”No matter what level you get to, there are a lot of things that are going to happen that were good and I don’t think everyone stops and celebrates the good things.”

Celebrated for her academic achievements as well as her athletic ones, Gulf Coast’s Ciara McCloskey received the Southwest Florida Scholar-Athlete Award.

McCloskey, who had a 5.2 weighted GPA and scored 1470 on the SAT, plans on majoring in computer science at Notre Dame. She was involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Government, Model UN, Student Athletics Leadership Team (SALT), and National Honor Society. McCloskey is a National Center for Women and Technology (NCWIT) Aspirations in Computing Southwest Florida Affiliate Winner, an AP Scholar with Distinction, she founded the Underclassmen Honors Society, and was Mindset Matters president.

Athletically, McCloskey earned Southwest Florida All-Region honors in cross country, lacrosse, and track. She placed 47th at the state cross country meet and won the Class 3A gold medal in the 3,200 as a senior. She was also a four-year lacrosse letter winner.”I think this kind of shows all the hard work and dedication I put into all aspects, not just athletics,” she said. “I’m just completely honored to win this award. It means so much.”The other finalists were Fort Myers’ Masha Dorofeev and Cypress Lake’s Ezekial Dube-Garrett.The Courage Award is annually presented to an athlete who overcomes long odds to succeed in the sporting arena. This year’s winner was Estero’s Lily Jason.Jason lost her 41-year-old father Steven unexpectedly on December 30. Steven Jason always supported and encouraged his daughter in her athletic endeavors. As her soccer team and the Estero community rallied around her, Lily helped lead the Wildcats to their first regional final since 2020.

Here’s a complete rundown of all of this year’s award winners.

Premier Awards

Male Athlete of the Year

Madrid Tucker, Fort Myers

Female Athlete of the Year

Zara Stewart, First Baptist

Courage Award Recipients

Lily Jason, Estero

Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year

Frank Turco, Canterbury

Scholar-Athlete of the YearCiara McCloskey, Gulf CoastSpecial Olympics Athlete of the YearEduardo Pablo Campos, ImmokaleeUSA Today Studio Title IX TrailblazerMargaret Sirianni, Fort MyersBarron Collier soccerSeacrest volleyballPlayer of the Year AwardsBaseball Player of the YearJoey Lawson, Bishop VerotBoys Bowler of the YearDaniel Lynn, Cape CoralGirls Bowler of the YearBrooke Pabst, Cape CoralSpencer Clayton, Barron CollierNalah Smith, Evangelical ChristianBeach Volleyball Players of the YearGabby Dywer and Ashlee Tenkley, Fort MyersBoys Cross Country Runner of the YearAngel Cruz, MarinerGirls Cross Country Runner of the YearMasha Dorofeev, Fort MyersDefensive Football Player of the YearKhari Bendolph, NaplesOffensive Football Player of the YearDeshon Jenkins, Bishop VerotFlag Football Player of the YearLila Dinkel, Bishop VerotBoys Golfer of the YearSpencer Ives, Community School of NaplesGirls Golfer of the YearEva Lye, First BaptistBoys Lacrosse Player of the Year, Presented by OrthoPedia by Arthrex

Michael Slusar, Community School of Naples

Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year, Presented by OrthoPedia by Arthrex

Stella Lynch, Community School of Naples

Softball Player of the Year

Abby Hynes, North Fort Myers

Boys Soccer Player of the Year, Presented by Zak’s Jewelry

Emerson LaOrden, Barron Collier

Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Presented by Zak’s Jewelry

Hannah Busenbark, North Fort Myers

Boys Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year

Nick Fabian, Community School of Naples

Girls Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year

Madison Bates, Naples

Boys Tennis Player of the Year

William Freshwater, Barron Collier

Girls Tennis Player of the Year

Chelsea Casapu, Barron Collier

Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year

Ryan Peterson, Bishop Verot

Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year

Ava Heskett, Gulf Coast

Volleyball Player of the Year

Zara Stewart, First Baptist

Boys Weightlifter of the Year

Nick Bloomston, Fort Myers

Girls Weightlifter of the Year

Imani Greaves, LaBelle

Boys Wrestler of the Year

Maximus Brady, Mariner

Girls Wrestler of the Year

Kiera Partello, Barron Collier

Emerson LaOrden Barron Collier

CIF San Diego Section Softball Championships

When: Friday

Where: SDSU Softball Stadium, on campus at San Diego State

Tickets: $17 for adults, $10 for students and seniors. Available on Gofan.co.

Division 2: (2) West Hills (20-9-1) vs. (1) Point Loma (24-6-1), 4 p.m.

Preview: Gianna Burgin (11-2, 1.83 ERA) is West Hills’ ace. Four players hit .316 or higher — Katy Spargo (.547, 41 RBIs); Kristina Deal (.429); freshman Kiara Rabaya (.326); and Burgin (.316).  … Freshman Ella Poulin (11-4, 2.38 ERA) gets the start in the circle for the Pointers. Point Loma averages 5.8 runs per game. Seven players hit .322 or higher: Avery MacPherson (.411), Annika Isaacson (.403), Nanako Schroth (.380), Siena Balistreri (.372), Ryoko Schroth (.362), Leyton MacPherson (.353), and Poulin (.322). The Pointers’ JV and varsity coaches are all Point Loma graduates. …  Point Loma, which began playing softball in 1974, is playing in its first section championship game. West Hills has hung one championship banner, winning the Division 1 title in 1999.

Division 1: (8) Rancho Bernardo (13-13-1) vs. (2) Eastlake (19-11-1), 7:30 p.m.

Preview:  RB has gotten hot at the right time, running off four playoff wins by a combined score of 29-6. The Broncos came into the playoffs having lost six of seven. Center fielder Ellery Housand is batting .537 with 25 RBIs. Three other starters are hitting .301 or higher. Junior Zoey Meadows and freshman Charlotte Savarese share the pitching load. … Mackenzie Olshenskie leads Eastlake, hitting .461 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs. Kaili Balajadia hits .357 and Bri Ayap .350. Balajadia (2.51 ERA) and Addison Suriano (2.91 ERA) divide the pitching. … Rancho Bernardo has won four section championships, the last in 2018 (D1). Eastlake is looking for its first section title.

— DON NORCROSS

Originally Published: May 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM PDT

The Pine Bluff School District met Tuesday for their regular monthly meeting and District Superintendent Jennifer Barbaree talked about what happened at the meeting when she appeared on the Oldies1013 Morning Show.

Morning Show host Greg Horne asked Barbaree if she thought the Capturing Kids Hearts program has had a positive effect and she answered this way.

S-GI Girls Lacrosse

The Springville-Griffith girls lacrosse team had its season end after a 13-4 playoff loss at Gowanda on May 19.

Madison Hilliker scooped three groundballs in playoff action last week.

Springville finished its season 5-11 overall and 3-4 in the conference, where the team was fourth among eight teams in Conference 4. Gowanda finished tied-second with a 4-3 record (13-4 overall) with Amherst in Conference 3.

The Griffins trailed 5-1 after the first quarter and 8-2 after two quarters. The second half was closer with Gowanda holding a 5-2 scoring edge.

Meg Rosenswie finished with two goals for the Griffs, while Sydney Moran also finished with a pair of points with one goal and one assist. Rounding out the goal scoring for S-GI was Sophia Lightcap.

Sage Baranowski had a team-best two draw controls to go with two ground balls. Madison Hilliker scooped three ground balls, while Amiee Rosenswie finished with two. 

Defensively, Ella Uhteg finished with two caused turnovers and Talia Eckam registered 12 saves in goal.

“Although our overall record doesn’t reflect it, I believe we had a very successful season. Our team, which consists of a majority of freshmen who have never played at the varsity level, improved tremendously throughout the season. Our skill, drive and determination were exemplified more and more each game throughout the season,” Springville first-year varsity girls lacrosse head coach Laura Nerber said.

“That being said, we had a few players that really stood out and accomplished some impressive accolades this season. Midfielder Meghan Rosenswie had a career-high 75 points this season with 68 goals and seven assists and 46 ground balls. Defender Ella Uhteg led the team in both ground balls (58) and caused turnovers (41). Attacker Sydney Moran led the team with 36 assists this year. Sophomore Brooke Ruzycki worked hard on attack with 26 goals and 15 assists.”

“Although we are losing four tremendous seniors, I am looking forward to continuing to build on what we started this season.”

Nerber acknowledged the statistics of up-and-comers that included, “Emma Benz, who led the team in draw controls with 31. She also added 28 ground balls and nine caused turnovers. Maddison Hilliker, who added six goals, five assists, 36 ground balls and 15 draw controls. Amiee Rosenswie, who tailed 18 draw controls, 21 ground balls and five caused turnovers, and goalie Taila Eckam, who was a powerhouse in net with 161 saves this year and a 50% save percentage.”

S-GI Softball

The Springville-Griffith softball team’s season came to an end after a 5-1 home playoff loss to visiting Eden on May 20.

Erin Baker was one of four Griffs to register a hit against Eden in last week’s playoff game.

The teams were nearly mirror images of one another during the season after finishing tied-second with each other in ECIC IV with 8-4 records. In head-to-head regular season competition, each team won once on their home field. Run differential between the two teams was just a single run after the Griffs finished plus-73 to Eden’s plus-72.

In the playoff loss, Springville held a 1-0 lead after the first inning before Eden scored single runs in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings to take the contest.

Grace Ricci scored Springville’s run and was also one of four Griffs with hits along with Lily Enser, Mia Rogers and Erin Baker, with the latter plating a double.

Rogers also had a run batted-in. Carmin Wikman got the start from the circle and allowed seven hits and three earned runs in 4.1 innings of work, while Olivia Mesch allowed five hits and two earned runs with one strikeout in 2.2 innings.

S-GI Baseball

The Springville-Griffith baseball team’s season came to an end after a 12-8 playoff loss to Alden on a neutral site at Sweet Home on May 24. Alden was designated the home team and batted at the bottom of each inning.

Springville finished fifth in ECIC III with a 5-7 division record and with a 10-8 overall record.

The teams traded runs in the first two innings before Springville took a 4-1 lead midway through the third inning. The Bulldogs responded with five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 6-4 lead. S-GI retook the lead 7-6 after four innings and padded its lead by two after the fifth before Alden scored six runs in its last at-bat to take the contest.

Grant Michalski had a solid week with five hits and five runs over three games.

Brodie Glass had a team-best three hits with one run batted-in and got the start on the mound. From the hill, the senior allowed 13 hits and seven earned runs with two strikeouts while throwing all but the final out.

Two runs each were scored by Carson Glass, Drew Reynolds and Grant Michalski, with the latter throwing the final out. Single runs were scored by Alex Brown and Ross Michalski.

Jayden Crone had a pair of hits and two RBI. Solo hits came from Carson Glass, Reynolds, Brown, Grant Michalski and Landon Roy, with the latter two finishing with doubles. Solo runs batted-in came from Brown, Grant Michalski and Roy.

Prior to the playoffs, Springville ended its regular season with a pair of wins against Cheektowaga in a home-and-home series with a 9-0 win on the road on May 19 and a 10-2 home win on May 20.

In the shutout road Cheektowaga win, the Griffs were led by Rob Moriarty with three hits, three runs and two RBI. Not far behind was Carson Glass with two hits, two runs and one run batted-in.

Grant Michalski had the win from the mound and allowed two hits with six strikeouts in five innings of work, while also registering one hit and one run.

Solo hits came from Reynolds and Jack Delaney, with the latter scoring one run and the former adding a run batted-in. Rounding out the scoring with one run each were David Janora and Nick Jablonski, while solo runs batted-in came from Trey Zittel and Brown, who threw the final two innings with six strikeouts.

In the Griffin home Cheektowaga win, Springville’s three runs in the first inning were enough to cruise to victory.

Grant Michalski led the way with three hits, two runs and two RBI. From the mound, Springville allowed no earned runs in the first six innings after Brodie Glass got the start and Carson Glass came in relief. The siblings combined for one hit allowed with nine strikeouts with Carson Glass adding one hit and one run batted-in.

Finishing with a solo hit and single run batted-in were Moriarty, Jablonski and Janora, with the latter throwing the final inning and allowing one hit. Brown finished with one run and one run batted-in, while Delaney brought two runners home with a solo hit.

Rounding out the scoring was Crone with two runs, while single runs were scored by Reynolds and Zittel.

Documentary ‘Steel Links’ will show at the Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley on June 8.

As Oakmont Country Club prepares for the 2025 U.S. Open, all eyes in the golf world are on Southwestern Pennsylvania. WQED has produced new documentary, “Steel Links,” to bring together Pittsburgh’s industrial history, its legacy of golf and some of the city’s most iconic faces.

Brad Turkel, the creator and executive producer of “Steel Links,” has a history with combining sports with local storytelling.

“I’ve been creating and producing documentaries for several years, and I’ve always had a special interest in sports docs,” he said.

Last year, he produced a documentary about Pinehurst Resort, the North Carolina golf course where the U.S. Open was held.

“That was my first documentary that used a major sporting event as kind of a jumping-off point to discuss and to get into other subjects,” he said. “I really enjoyed that because it wasn’t just a ‘sports doc.’”

The success of this first project, which aired last year on PBS, was a template for future projects of its kind. “Steel Links” will premiere on WQED on June 10 — and will show at the Lindsay Theater on Sunday, June 8 and Monday, June 9.

“Steel Links” examines the connections between Oakmont, Pittsburgh, the steel industry and sports. The film includes former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, former Steeler Charlie Batch, rapper Wiz Khalifa, native Pittsburgher and former Pittsburgh Pirate Neil Walker and more. Walker will be at the screening at The Lindsay on June 8 for a post-show Q&A.

“If you’re interested in golf, there’s enough golf in there where it will be compelling to you,” Turkel said. “But I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the other direction it goes in. I think that for the broader audience, they’ll learn a little about golf that they might not have known, but they’re really going to be excited to discover the other stories that we unveil.”

Many of those stories revolve around Pittsburgh’s most famous industry.

“Kind of my North Star when I was developing the idea was I would look at the steel,” he said.

While Turkel is from Connecticut, his wife was born and raised in the region, a connection that remains strong wherever they go.

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“I have been to Pittsburgh several times over the years. I feel very connected to Pittsburgh, and frankly, this is the first time that people in her family are finally interested in what I’m doing,” he laughed.

They filmed the documentary at Oakmont Country Club, where the U.S. Open will begin on June 12.

“The folks at Oakmont were very supportive of it,” he said. “And everyone that we dealt with — and I think it really speaks to how people feel about Pittsburgh — when they heard what we were doing, wanted to jump on board. And that’s unusual. I think that speaks to the city itself and the people from Pittsburgh, even if they moved away, you can’t take the Pittsburgh out of it.”

When you’re talking golf and Western Pennsylvania, you have to talk about golf legend Arnold Palmer. Turkel did say that Palmer’s story shows up in the doc, especially in segments with fellow golfer and Western Pennsylvanian Rocco Mediate.

“Steel Links” also includes conversation with Carol Semple Thompson, a Sewickley native and well-known golfer in her own right.

“We are thrilled to host the public premiere of WQED’s Steel Links. The film pays homage to this region’s industrial legacy, while also highlighting Pittsburgh’s rapidly growing profile as a tech-forward city with passions for culture and sports. Its particular focus on golf’s deep roots in Pittsburgh make it an ideal tailgating opportunity prior to the U.S. Open in Oakmont,” said Carolina Pais-Barreto Thor, CEO of The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center.

After WQED posted a trailer for the new documentary, Turkel said that engagement online was overwhelming. “I think it really hit a nerve,” Turkel said.

“Steel Links” will show at The Lindsay Theater and Cultural Center in Sewickley on June 8 at 5 p.m. and June 9 at 7 p.m. For tickets and information, visit thelindsaytheater.org.

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Benet Academy boys lacrosse takes on Saint Charles East in the Sectional Semifinals at Geneva High School. A spot in the final against Wheaton Academy is on the line. Both teams come off 8-4 wins in the previous round—Benet taking down Naperville North, while the Saints beat St. Francis. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.

Benet boys lacrosse opens the IHSA Sectional Semifinal with a 5-0 lead in the second

The Redwings strike first—Tommy Bartenhagen gets the scoring started with his first goal of the night, putting Benet up 1-0 early in the first quarter.

Next up, Patrick Carr joins in on the fun—he finds the back of the net to extend the lead to two.

Benet’s defense makes its presence known. Goalie Zack Gorman comes up with a big save on Duncan Cooper to preserve the shutout.

Back on offense, Riley Butas gets in on the scoring as Benet builds a 3-0 lead.

The Redwings keep it rolling—Luke Mazurek scores to push the lead to 5-0 in the second quarter.

The Saints go marching in –  Wilko Ryan makes it a game for St. Charles East boys lacrosse

The Saints begin to respond. Wilko Ryan finally gets them on the board with their first goal of the game.

And he’s not done—Ryan strikes again just five minutes later to cut the deficit to three.

Saint Charles East keeps chipping away—Isacson Chase scores to make it a two-goal game. Benet leads 5-3 at the half.

Bartenhagen opens the second half with his second goal of the night, stopping the Saints’ momentum.

Then Billy Tierney adds one of his own to give Benet a 7-3 cushion.

Gorman comes up with another big save for the Redwings!

But the Saints aren’t going quietly— Ryan scores his third of the game to complete the hat trick and keep his team within striking distance.

Hermann Dallas scores shortly after, cutting the Redwings’ lead to two heading into the fourth.

Zack Gorman comes up clutch for the Redwings

But Bartenhagen steps up again—he nets his fourth goal of the night to give Benet some breathing room. It’s 8-6 Redwings with under two minutes to play.

Saint Charles East answers—Nicholas Gabe scores with just a minute left to make it a one-goal game!

With under 30 seconds to go, the Saints get one last chance, but Gorman slams the door shut with a clutch defensive stand. He makes two great stops to help lift the Redwings past the Saints!

Benet holds on for the 8-7 win and punches its ticket to the sectional final against Wheaton Academy.