Forty students in Volusia County have graduated from the 34th annual Tomorrow’s Leaders Program, which develops young leaders for our community. The graduation was co-sponsored by Florida Power & Light and FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools.
These students were challenged to expand their awareness of the interrelationships and complexities of our community and the businesses that thrive here. They attended lectures, discussions and tours of various businesses and governmental operations.
These are the 20 Tomorrow’s Leaders students who graduated from West Volusia high schools: Charles Blair, Riley Garrison, Emmy Miles, Bailey Newcomb and Reed Wilgers, DeLand High School; Kaitlyn Morin, Carson Nichols, Mason Ortiz, Daniel Radu and Anneliz Romero, Deltona High; Daniel Coursen and Jazmin Garcia, Pine Ridge High in Deltona; Damian Arreola, Linda Aviles, Arnulfo Cabrera Lopez, Alexandra Castaneda and Mikayla Taylor, Taylor Middle-High in Pierson; and Andreas Schulz, Ally Spiroff and Gavin Spiroff, University High in Orange City.
Partners of the program included AdventHealth Sports Marketing, Anthony’s East Coast Pizza, Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR, the Daytona Tortugas at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the Museum of Art – DeLand, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Halifax Health Medical Center, Halifax Urban Ministries and Hope Place, Houligan’s Spirited Sports Grille, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), the Museum of Arts and Sciences, Quantum Electrical Contractors, 7th Judicial Circuit Judge Dawn D. Nichols, SMA Healthcare’s Residential Adolescent Program, Thompson Pump and Manufacturing Co., Dr. Rosaria Upchurch, Ph.D., LMFT, the Volusia County Council and the County of Volusia, the Volusia County School Board and School District, Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Lisa Lewis and her team, the Volusia Manufacturers Association (VMA) and the West Volusia Historical Society.
The seminar and lunch sponsors included Fairwinds Credit Union, Halifax Health Medical Center, Houligan’s Spirited Sports Grille, Jersey Mike’s Daytona, and Dr. Rosaria Upchurch, Ph.D., LMFT.
Food Brings Hope volunteers put together 120 bags of hams and all the trimmings, which were distributed to TeenZone and KidsZone families for the Easter weekend. Each bag contained a ham, traditional Easter sides to make a delicious meal, and chocolate bunnies for dessert.
Food Brings Hope delivers holiday meals several times a year to ensure familygatherings are complete. This outreach helps FBH enhance their mission to nurture the mind, body and spirit of students enrolled in an FBH program.
Food Brings Hope is grateful to its volunteers, who adjusted their schedules to pack the 120 family food bags and help with distribution to the families at 10 FBH schools and to the Adult Literacy Program in Pierson.
Woodward Avenue Elementary School
On Tuesday, May 24, Woodward Avenue Elementary School in DeLand will host a Senior Walk for members of the DeLand High School graduating class who attended Woodward Avenue during their elementary years. DHS seniors are asked to wear their cap and gown, and to check in at Woodward Avenue Elementary School office by 10 a.m. May 24.
Woodward Avenue wants to recognize the graduating seniors’ hard work and to give current elementary-school students motivation to look toward their own graduation from high school in future years.
Snacks will be supplied, and the program should last about 90 minutes. Students are asked to park in the east loop parking lot at Woodward Avenue Elementary.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Bulldog baseball team recently went 1-2, including a win over Flagler Palm Coast, 10-1. In that game, Lamar Edwards hit a home run and accounted for three RBIs, and Anthony Ruocco and Elliot Sande each tripled. The Bulldogs lost to Lake Brantley, 2-0, and to University, 5-3.
The Lady Bulldog softball team was stopped by Matanzas, 5-2, Lake Mary, 15-5, and Lake Howell, 6-1. In the Lake Mary game, Emily Lamay hit a triple.
Deltona High School
Deltona High School seniors will have their senior breakfast at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, at The Center at Deltona. Graduation rehearsal will be at 2 p.m. Monday, May 23, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. Seniors are required to arrive by 1 p.m. This is mandatory if they plan to walk at graduation, which is at 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 24, at the Ocean Center. Students are required to arrive for graduation by 2 p.m.
At the FHSAA 3A-District 6 track meet, the Deltona Wolves found Carlos Cerrud advancing to the regional meet in the 1600-meter run with a 4:39.62 clocking, and Chandler Mitzo in the javelin with a 45.41-meter toss. Cerrud took second place, and Mitzo took third. Others who scored points at the district meet were Lincoln Davis, Noah Watkins (2) and Kenny Farmer (2).
Deltona Trinity Christian Academy
Daven Woulard of the Deltona Trinity Christian Academy track team advanced to the regional meet in the triple jump by placing fourth with a hop, skip and jump of 40 feet, 6.75 inches.
Raylynn Adcock took third in two events: the 100-meter hurdles at 18.05, and the 300-meter hurdles at 53.03.
Emma Stites also grabbed two third places to advance: in the shot put, at 24 feet, 6.75 inches, and in the javelin at 77 feet, 8 inches.
Adcock also placed fifth in the triple jump, while Woulard scored points in the long jump, and Jakin Hawkins scored in the triple jump.
Pine Ridge High School
The Senior Breakfast for seniors of Pine Ridge High School in Deltona will be Tuesday, May 17, at sunrise on the school’s football field. Senior Awards Night will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19, in the school auditorium. This is an invitational-only event.
Graduation rehearsal is at 5 p.m. Monday, May 23, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, with all graduates arriving by 4:15 p.m. Graduation is at the Ocean Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 25, with all graduates arriving by 6:30 p.m.
The Pine Ridge track team competed in the district meet for 2A District 2 schools. Those advancing to the regional meet were Grayson New, in the 110 hurdles at 18.01; Marc Dessources, in the 300 hurdles at 44.37; Jalon Brown, in the shot put at 40 feet, 0.75 inches, and in the discus at 99 feet, 4 inches; Maya Heard, in the 300 hurdles at 50.47; Janiah Massey, in the 300 at 51.17, and in the high jump at 4 feet, 6 inches; and Chelsea Hunt, in the triple jump at 32 feet, 6 inches.
The girls’ 4×100 and 4×400 relay teams also qualified, with times of 52.44 and 4:25.94, respectively.
Scoring points at their meet but not advancing were New, William Steinebach, Ricky Brenay, Kheron Duprat (2), Christian Rose (2), Heard, Jamila Santana, Nancy Peters, Hunt and Kristen Desmond, and the boys’ 4×400 and 4×800 relay teams scored points.
Taylor Middle-High School
The DeLeon Springs Community Association Inc. presented the 2022 DSCA Inc. Merit Scholarship to Yamileth Fuentes, a student at Taylor Middle-High School in Pierson and a resident of DeLeon Springs. Fuentes received a $1,000 scholarship, which she will use at the University of North Florida, where she intends to pursue a degree in sociology.
The Pierson Garden Club had a successful plant/bake sale April 23, with the profits earmarked for scholarshipsat Taylor Middle-High. The funds raised will also go to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch in Barberville, and toward the Pierson Fourth of July fireworks.
The Garden Club meets at the clubhouse on U.S. Highway 17 in Pierson in the morning on the second Wednesday of the month September through May.
Senior Scholarship Night is at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, in the Taylor Middle-High auditorium. Senior Service Day is at 8 a.m. Friday, May 20. at Pierson Town Hall.
Graduation rehearsal will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 26, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach, and graduation will be at 7 p.m. Friday, May 27, at the Ocean Center.
University High School
University High School in Orange City will have Senior Awards at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, in the school auditorium. Seniors are to wear their caps and gowns.
The Senior Countdown and Lunch will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, May 19, in the auditorium; they must be in Volusia County Schools dress-code attire during the event.
Graduation rehearsal is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 25, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. Students are to park in the south parking lot, and should not wear their caps and gowns, but must wear appropriate attire for school.
Graduation is at 12:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, at the Ocean Center. Students should arrive by 11 a.m., and the graduation ceremony is at 12:30 p.m.
University seniors will have four Senior Walks, at the elementary schools they attended, and they need to wear their cap and gown. The Manatee Cove Elementary Senior Walk is at 8 a.m. Friday, May 20; the Orange City Elementary Senior Walk at 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 23; the DeBary Elementary Senior Walk at 8 a.m. Wednesday, May 18; and the Deltona LakesElementary Senior Walk at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 2.
FHSAA District Flag Football
Taylor Middle-High School of Pierson won their first game in the district playoffs for flag football over Dunnellon, 13-12. Pine Ridge of Deltona downed Deltona, 6-0. Both of those winning schools, however, lost in the second round, with Ocala Trinity Catholic stopping Taylor, 27-7, and Jones downing Pine Ridge, 21-2.
DeLand was stopped by Fleming Island, 7-0, and Mandarin defeated University of Orange City, 19-9.
Stetson University Athletics
Shae Henson and Kylie Neuschaeferova of Stetson University have been named Second Team All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association for Beach Volleyball.
The Lady Hat ter beach-volleyball team defeated Florida Gulf Coast to earn the ASUN championship.
The Lady Hatter tennis team defeated Liberty, 4-2, to claim the ASUN championship, the first since 1989.
The Lady Hatter lacrosse team was topped by Coastal Carolina, 23- 13, with Maria Snee scoring three goals, and Saige Roe, Jacklyn Lavoie and Samantha Paglino each scoring two.
The Hatter baseball team defeated third-ranked Miami, 12-14, on 19 hits. Christian Pregent hit a home run with three RBIs, and Kyle Ball tripled with four RBIs. Stetson lost to Liberty in 15 innings, 2-1.
The Stetson softball team stopped Nor th Florida, 5-4, with Lizzie Shubert hitting a grand slam home run, her second, accounting for four RBIs. Stetson lost to ninth-ranked Florida, 5-0, and to Kennesaw State, 8-0 and 7-2. In the second game with Kennesaw State, Brianna Clary collected her 100th career hit as a Hatter.
The Hatter baseball team will play at USF at 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 17, and will host Jacksonville at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 20, and at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 21.
May 25-28, the Hatter baseball team will be competing in the ASUN tournament at FGCU in Fort Myers.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
