Eight Flagler Palm Coast High school athletes participated in the Bulldogs’ final college signing ceremony of the school year on Tuesday, May 27.

In all, 27 FPC graduating seniors signed letters of intent this year to play collegiate sports.

Mikhail Zysek, the Bulldogs’ career receiving leader, became the seventh FPC football player to sign with a university. Zysek will play for NAIA school Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens. One of Zysek’s high school teammates, Corinthians “RJ” Watson, will play for Florida Memorial’s cross-town rival, St. Thomas University.

The others who celebrated their signings on May 27 were girls wrestlers Ana Vilar and Tiana Fries; boys wrestler T.J. McLean; boys soccer players Jace Zecca, Noah Daily and Felipe DeCampos; and girls basketball player Alexandra Perez.

Fries and McLean will both wrestle at NAIA program Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, Georgia. 

Vilar will wrestle at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, which is also an NAIA school. William Penn has a competitive program, finishing fourth at NAIA nationals this year.

“They have a lot of solid girls,” said Vilar, who placed second at the state girls wrestling championships in the 135-pound weight class.

“I’m strong and fast, but I want to work on my technique,” Vilar said.

Vilar and Fries joined FPC teammates Mariah Mills (West Liberty University), Christina Borgmann (Felician University) and Kendall Bibla (Lindsey Wilson College) to sign with college women’s wrestling programs. The five seniors helped the Bulldogs win the state championship this year with Borgmann and Bibla each winning a state title for the second time.

Daily signed with Trinity Baptist College of Jacksonville, which competes in the National Christian College Athletic Association. Zecca signed with the University of Fort Lauderdale, which also competes in the NCCAA. De Campos signed with Word of Life Bible Institute of Pottersville, New York, which competes in the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association.

Daily, Zecca and De Campos join teammates Jack Moberly and Evan Papadakos in signing to play college soccer.

Perez signed a women’s basketball letter of intent with Trinity Baptist College.

FPC 2025 COLLEGE ATHLETIC SIGNEES

Christina Borgmann, Women’s Wrestling, Felician University (New Jersey)

Tiana Fries, Women’s Wrestling, Brewton-Parker College (Georgia)

Ana Vilar, Women’s Wrestling, William Penn University (Iowa)

Kendall Bibla, Women’s Wrestling, Lindsey Wilson College (Kentucky)

Mariah Mills, Women’s Wrestling, West Liberty University (West Virginia)

TJ McLean, Men’s Wrestling, Brewton Parker College (Georgia)

Alexandra Perez, Girls Basketball, Trinity Baptist University (Jacksonville)

Marcus Mitchell, Football, Missouri Valley College (Missouri)

Carson Kato, Football, Webber International University (Babson Park)

Mikhail Zysek, Football, Florida Memorial University (Miami Gardens)

Colby Cronk, Football, North Carolina State University

Roman Caliendo, Football, Shorter University (Georgia)

Corinthians Watson, Football, St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens)

Jemon Little, Football, Anna Maria College (Massachusetts)

Skylar Ludovici, Softball, Montreat College (North Carolina)

Ashleigh Pigeon, Softball, Flagler College (St. Augustine)

Sadie Schell, Softball, Keiser University (West Palm Beach)

Jack Moberly, Men’s Soccer, Toccoa Falls College (Georgia)

Evan Papadakos, Men’s Soccer, Toccoa Falls College (Georgia)

Noah Daily, Men’s Soccer, Trinity Baptist College (Jacksonville)

Felipe De Campos, Men’s Soccer, Word of Life Bible Institute (New York State)

Jace Zecca, Men’s Soccer, University of Fort Lauderdale (Lauderhill)

Brenin Striplin, Baseball, Pennsylvania Western Clarion University

Nathan Pertoso, Baseball, Mitchell College (Connecticut)

Logan Shudy, Baseball, Lesley University (Massachusetts)

Alana Throne, Women’s Lacrosse, St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens)

Ashley McPhail, Women’s Lacrosse, Coker University (South Carolina)

Not long ago, Joshua Kyei-Baffour had dreams of glory on the soccer pitch. Now a senior at Rochester Century, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound all-around athlete has been playing soccer for a long time, and on a soccer recruiting website a while back, Joshua wrote in part, “I have been in love with sports since kindergarten. I tried football and basketball but soccer was the one sport that I fell in love with when I reached middle school. Since then I’ve developed an ambition to play college soccer because I want to play at that high level.”

Oh how things can change. A member of the Century track and field team – as well as the soccer team — throughout his high school years, Kyei-Baffour has made a name for himself as one of the state’s best hurdlers. And he solidified that fact by setting an all-time Minnesota high school record on Saturday.

Kyei-Baffour won the 110-meter high hurdles at the Section 1AAA championships with a blazing time of 13.58 seconds. That bested the previous state record of 13.66 by St. Croix Lutheran’s Jon Tollefson in 2015.

“It’s amazing,” he said a few minutes after crossing the finish line on a sunny, warm day at Lakeville South. “At the beginning of the season my coaches were like, ‘Let’s put our name in the record books.’ I just kind of shrugged my shoulders and said, ‘OK.’ But I didn’t expect I was going to get to this moment. I’m super happy and grateful.”

Those dreams of playing college soccer have been replaced; Kyei-Baffour will join the track and field program at North Dakota State later this year.

“My joy for track and field has gone up 100 percent,” Kyei-Baffour told the Rochester Post Bulletin’s Pat Ruff earlier this spring. “It was competing at high levels that did it for me. When I went to visit NDSU, (hurdles and sprints coach) Reece Vega hooked me right away. I also loved the campus, the coaches and the guys on the team. I’ll be putting down my cleats and putting on my spikes next year.”

One of his Bison track teammates, as well as his roommate, will be current St. Charles senior Christopher Hilton. In Class A, Hilton qualified for state in the 110 hurdles, 300 hurdles, 200 meters and triple jump. (Read about Hilton by clicking here: https://shorturl.at/hVI1t)

“We’re going to hang out soon, but we text here and there and encourage each other,” Joshua said of his friendship with Hilton.

Kyei-Baffour’s evolution as a hurdler has been steady. He ran a time of 15.22 as a sophomore and got down to 14.13 last season. He finished fourth at the Class 3A state championships in 2024 with a time of 14.28, and will return to chase a championship when the state meet is held June 10-12 at St. Michael-Albertville.

“I’m keeping my head down, staying humble, just preparing mentally and physically for the next week,” Joshua said.

He also ran the 300-meter low hurdles Saturday and was a member of Century’s 4×200 relay team; in both events the Panthers came up short of qualifying for state.

In Thursday’s section preliminaries, Kyei-Baffour had a first-place finish of 14.23 seconds. Knocking that time down to 13.58 two days later, and setting a state record in the process, was a mixture of preparation, focus, speed and power.

Earlier Saturday, Joshua said he told his friends, “I can feel the all-time record being mine.”

Afterwards, he said, “I just kind of remembered, ‘Get out of the box fast, stay clean, and it’ll all connect.’ ”

He came off the start ahead of the pack and was clean over every hurdle. As he reached the finish line he dipped his head and threw his arms back. After crossing the line he lifted his head and put his right hand over his heart in appreciation.

“This was perfect weather, a perfect day,” he said with a big smile.

Indeed. Everything was perfect.

–MSHSL staff member John Millea has been the leading voice of Minnesota high school activities for decades. Follow him on Bluesky at johnmilleamn and listen to “Preps Today with John Millea” wherever you get podcasts. Contact John at [email protected] or [email protected] 

ALAJUELA, Costa Rica – The U.S. U-20 Women’s National Team opened Group A play at the Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship with a convincing 8-0 win over Guyana.

Forward Izzy Engle led the team with four goals, becoming the eighth player in team history to score four goals in a U-20 Concacaf Championship match. Midfielder Kennedy Fuller also had a standout performance, converting a penalty kick and providing three assists.

The USA will now face Puerto Rico (June 1 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1) and Costa Rica (April 3 at 4 p.m. ET on FS2) with two more wins guaranteeing the USA a spot in the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.

The USA wasted little time getting on the score sheet. In the fifth minute, defender Aven Alvarez, the only player on the U.S. side with U-20caps coming into the match, slipped a pass to Fuller, who juked around her defender into open space five yards outside the penalty box and ripped a shot that smacked the right post. The rebound fell right to Engle, who easily converted the first goal of the match.

(+READ: U-20 USWNT to hold training camp with roster full of 2005 birth year players)

Fuller would get her goal in the 13th minute after converting a penalty kick. Engle drew the foul in the box when her defender slid across her body and took her down while fighting for the ball in the box.

Then came the first of two Fuller-to-Engle connections. In the 24th minute, Fuller sent an in-swinging cross toward the back post and found the head of Engle, who calmly redirected the ball past the diving ‘keeper to make it 3-0.

One minute after the Engle set piece goal, midfielder Linda Ullmark drove down the left channel, then cut around her defender toward the box before sending a centering pass into the middle. Midfielder Sealey Strawn got to the end of the pass and snuck the ball inside the left post on her first touch to make it 4-0.

Ullmark then made it 5-0 in the 37th minute. After receiving a pass from Fuller on the left side of the box, Ullmar kturned and fired a right-footed strike from about ten yards away to beat the ‘keeper into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Engle bookended the six-goal first half in the 41st minute. With the ball at her feet and between two defenders, Engle danced around her opponents to give herself space at the top of the box and then stung a shot into the top right corner of the net to close the half with three goals and a 6-0 lead.

Just two minutes into the second half, Engle notched her fourth goal of the match. Fuller assisted her for the second time of the match, slipping a pass through the defender to get Engle who was charging into the box. The forward cut her shot across her body and placed the ball inside the far-right post to make it 7-0.

Midfielder Emma Johnson finished off the USA scoring in the 78th minute. Defender Kate Scott ripped a shot from just outside of the top of the box and forced the Guyanese ‘keeper into a diving save. But the rebound fell right to Johnson, who calmly finished to give the U.S. the 8-0 lead.

The USA outshot Guyana 34-2 and did not allow a shot on goal.

Additional Notes:

• Fifteen players earned their first U-20 international caps: Bella Ayscue, Edra Bello, Izzy Engle, Emma Johnson, Kennedy Fuller, Sonoma Kasica, Peyton McGovern, Abby Mills, Leena Powell, Ashlyn Puerta, Grace Restovich, Kate Scott, Sealey Strawn, Mya Townes and Linda Ullmark.
• Bello, Fuller, Powell, Scott and Townes all had caps at the U-17 international level.
• Aven Alverez earned her third U-20 international cap.
• Five players scored their first U-20 international goals: Engle, Johnson, Fuller, Strawn and Ullmark.
• Engle became the eighth player in U.S. U-20 history to score four goals in a World Cup qualifying match. The last player to score four goals in a match was Avery Patterson in a 7-0 win over Puerto Rico in 2022.
• Kasica picked up the shutout in goal for the USA, but did not face a shot on goal.
• Midfielder Grace Restovich, who hails from St. Louis, captained the U.S. U-20s for the first time.

-U.S. UNDER-20 WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team vs. Guyana
Date: May 30, 2025
Competition: 2025 Concacaf Women’s U-20 Championship
Venue: Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto; Alajuela, Costa Rica
Attendance: 76
Kickoff: 11 a.m. local (1 p.m. ET)
Weather: 80 degrees, cloudy

Lineups:

USA:21-Sonoma Kasica; 15-Leena Powell (14- Emma Johnson, 72), 17-Edra Bello, 4-Abby Mills (5-Bella Ayscue, 46), 3-Aven Alvarez; 6-Grace Restovich (Capt.), 8-Kennedy Fuller (13-Peyton McGovern, 60), 10-Linda Ullmark (18-Ashlyn Puerta, 46); 11-Sealey Strawn, 9-Izzy Engle, 20-Mya Townes (2-Kate Scott, 46).

Substitutes Not Used: 1-Caroline Birkel, 7-Chloe Ricketts, 12-Kealey Titmuss, 16-Kennedy Ring, 19-Mary Long

Head Coach: Carrie Kveton

GUY: 1-Kymora Chung (18-Alexix Mars, 46); 3-Heike Clarke (Capt.), 4-Jaida Tucker, 5-Sarah Dasilva (19-Sydney Glean, 31), 14-Liyah Menilek; 8-Naomi Benjamin, 10-Alexis Bayley, 12-Anya Joseph; 7-Myanne Fernandes, 17-Jayda Schoburgh (13-Devi Sookdeo, 32; 6-Maliya Gangadin, 46; 16-Shareina Langevine, 79), 20-Se-hanna Mars

Substitutes Not Used: 2-Akeelah Vancooten, 9-Nydel Nelson, 11-Allia Henry, 15-Kimora Edwards, 19-Sydney Glean, 21-Deena Fredericks

Head Coach: Paul Deabreu

Stats Summary: USA / GUY
Shots: 34 / 2
Shots on Goal: 20 / 0
Saves: 0 / 7
Corner Kicks: 8 / 0
Fouls: 3 / 12
Offside: 4 / 0

Misconduct Summary:
None

Officials:
Referee: Amairany Garcia (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: Mayra Mora (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: Aranza Quero (MEX)
Fourth Official: Shandor Wilkinson (SKN)

By Scott Nickerson

Elmore Autauga News

The Prattville Lions soccer team finished the 2025 season with a record of 18-4-1. They were ranked #3 in Class 7A in the final post-season poll. The Lions defeated Hoover in the 1st round of the Class 7A playoffs and fell on the road to nationally ranked Oak Mountain in the Elite 8.

The Lions had a record eight players to sign college scholarships on signing day.

Porter Sutton, Ben Green, Adam Green, and Bryce Espinola all signed with Southern Union Community College

Ben Green was recently named 1st Team Super All-State, made up from teams of all classifications. Adam Green was named to Class 7A 1st Team.

Sutton and Espinola explained why they chose Southern Union and discussed their goals.

“I picked Southern Union because it felt welcoming and a good fit for my future soccer desires,” said Sutton. “After Southern Union, I plan to transfer to a four-year college to continue my soccer career in the NCAA level and get a degree in project management.”

“I chose Southern Union for multiple reasons,” said Espinola. “I think JUCO is a great opportunity to get college level experience on the field. I really like the Auburn/Opelika area. The SU coach put in the effort to stay in touch with me during recruitment, and I have several teammates who will be going as well. My goal for college is to maintain a good GPA and put in the work and effort to ultimately move on to a four-year university.”

Levi Smith and Isaiah Mayers signed with Earlham College in Indiana

“I chose Earlham College because it was a smaller school with a very personal feeling and a high emphasis on making sure I can be the best student and athlete I can,” said Smith. “My college goals are to graduate with a degree in environmental science and make a big impact while I play for Earlham’s soccer team.”

Smith was named Class 7A 2nd Team All-State.

Richard Byard signed with Dean College in Massachusetts

“I chose Dean because of the coaching staff and their sports business connections in the city of Boston,” said Byard. “They’ve just appointed a new coach and I love the idea of being a part of a rebuild for the program. My goal as a freshman is to earn a starting spot on the team. With my work ethic and discipline, I know it’s achievable.”

Byard was named Class 7A Honorable Mention All-State.

Devin Woods signed with Pensacola Christian College

“I chose my college because it allows me to be closer with my dad, play in my home state, and be closer with God,” said Woods. “My college goals are to be a great student-athlete and learn to become a successful CNC programmer.”