Prep notebook: Group of seven players, coaches up for state honor

Three local players and four area coaches were nominated for annual basketball awards, the Florida Dairy Farmers’ Association announced Monday.

Bozeman senior Kevin Swinney (Class 2A), Bay’s Jay Wade (Class 4A) and Rutherford’s Darron Austin (5A) were nominated for Mr. Basketball in their respective classes.

Bozeman’s Cas Gant (Class 2A), Marianna’s Travis Blanton (Class 3A), Arnold’s James Baxley (Class 4A) and Rutherford’s Rhondie Ross (Class 5A) were nominated for the coach of the year in their respective classes.

Each player and coach face more than 12 competitors in their divisions. Statewide media members vote on the winner in each class and then vote for an all-class Mr. Basketball and coach of the year.

PCST results: Three Panama City Swim Team members will move on to the Sectional Championships March 6-9 following their performances in the Southeastern Swimming Championships last weekend in Nashville, Tenn.

Elvira Chiccarelli (100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 100 backstroke), Richard O’Donnell (100 butterfly) and Cody Bronnenberg (100, 200 backstroke) will represent the Tsunamis. Other PCST swimmers who qualified for the Sectional Championships are Kyle Olstad, Lauren Delaney, Sara Evans, Kevin Faulhaber.

PCST sent 14 swimmers to compete in the Southeastern against the fastest swimmers in the Tennessee, Alabama and Florida Panhandle region. Out of 53 teams, PCST finished 31st overall.

Notable Performances:

True Sweetser (10-under Boys) dropped 49 seconds in the 500 freestyle to move from 11th to third overall with a 6:08.76. He also scored points with a seventh in the 200 freestyle (2:20.92). True broke PCST team records in the 200 freestyle, 500 freestyle and 100 butterfly.

Kyle Olstad (13-14 Girls) managed to beat her previous lifetime best 100 breaststroke with a 1:10.09 to finish fifth overall. Chiccarelli (Senior Girls) placed eighth in the 100 butterfly with a 58.75 to miss qualifying for Junior Nationals by 0.26. She also scored points in the 200 butterfly by getting 14th with a 2:11.20, breaking a 7-year-old PCST team record.

Mary McDermott (Senior Girls) broke team records in one swim in her 1650 freestyle to finish 10th overall with a time of 18:23.47. Her split time at the 1000 mark was the other record.

Richard O’Donnell (Senior Boys) broke Beau Brothers record in the 100 butterfly with a time of 52.04 to finish 14th. He missed making the championship finals by 0.04 and missed qualifying for the Junior Nationals by 0.15. He finished 16th in the 100 breaststroke to score points with a time of 1:02.77.

Victoria Hove (13-14 Girls) managed broke four team records in the 1000 freestyle, 1650 freestyle, 200 backstroke and 400 IM. She also finished in the Top 16 in two events (400 IM 14th in 4:51.83, 1650 freestyle 12th in 18:49.76).

Troy VonBlankenburg (13-14 Boys) finished in the Top 16 in two events (500 freestyle 14th 5:14.11, 1650 freestyle 10th 18:17.05).

Sammy Reyes (13-14 boys) finished in the Top 16 in the 50 freestyle (13th, 24.51).

Other swimmers who competed were Cody Bronnenberg, Drew Bronnenberg, Nicole Gazia, Lauren Delaney, John Kob and Chet Seaman.

Junior golf: Mosley High School seniors Zach Primavera and Jordan Massey were among 83 junior golfers who teed it up over the weekend at Southwood Golf Club in Tallahassee.

The two-day Golfweek Magazine and Junior Golf Scoreboard ranked event was hosted by The Florida Junior Tour.

Primavera and Massey were tied with four other players for second place after opening-round 73s. They were paired together in the final round, but neither could make a move. Primavera shot even-par 72 Sunday and finished tied for fifth. Massey struggled with his putter and carded a 6-over 78 to tie for 16th.

Wrestling: Bay Haven fifth-grader Brock Carlan placed third in the 13-and-under division in the 80-pound weight class recently at the South Georgia State Championship in Valdosta, Ga. He had seven wins, including three pins, and two losses.