Volusia County middle schools’ cross-country meets have started once again. This year, sixth- through eighth-graders will have four regular-season meets, with a championship meet at DeLand Middle School Saturday, Oct. 22.
The regular-season meets will be Saturday, Oct. 1, at Creekside Middle School in Port Orange; Saturday, Oct. 8, at Ivy Hawn Charter School in Lake Helen; and Saturday, Oct. 15, at Ormond Beach Middle School.
Early on, there was a meet at Galaxy Middle in Deltona on Sept. 17, and there is an optional meet as part of the Mohney Invitational held at Spruce Creek High School on Sept. 24. Running times for the two divisions, boys and girls, are 9 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Take Stock in Children, which is a statewide scholarship and mentoring program facilitated locally through FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools, is seeking volunteer mentors for students at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, Deltona High School, Taylor Middle-High School in Pierson, DeLand High School, and University High School in Orange City.
TSIC students are paired with a mentor, who meets with them for 30 minutes each week on the school campus. These students must maintain a weighted cumulative GPA of 3.0 and maintain good citizenship (no drug, alcohol, crime or gang activity).
Upon achieving these goals and graduating from high school, they are awarded a Florida prepaid college-tuition scholarship.
To become a mentor or to learn more about TSIC, email Executive Director Shimene Shepard at sashepa1@volusia.k12.fl.us or call 386-255-6475, ext. 50730.
McInnis Elementary School
Under the direction of three teachers, McInnis Elementary School in DeLeon Springs last year started the school’s first running club. The McInnis Running Club is for fourth- and fifth-grade students. The experience of being part of this club has had an incredible effect on the students, which has resonated throughout the entire school.
The goal for the 2022-23 school year is to keep the program running by providing kids with healthful snacks, proper running clothes, race registration for local races, and progress-tracking materials used each week at practice.
Those teachers in charge are seeking support for the club by looking for sponsorships. They have three levels of sponsorships: Bronze, with a $100 donation, which places a small company logo on the team T-shirt; Silver, with a $250 donation, which places a medium company logo on the team T-shirts and your company logo on all printed material; and Gold, with a $500 donation, which places a large company logo on the team T-shirt, your company logo on all printed material, and your company logo on McInnis social-media access.
Those wishing to donate or needing more information should email Emily Naghdi at ejnaghdi@volusia.k12.fl.us.
DeLand High School
DeLand High School student Ai Hancock has been named a 2022 Coca-Cola Leader of Promise Scholar. She will receive a $1,000 scholarship. Hancock’s selection was based on scholastic achievement, community service and leadership potential.
More than 900 applications were received for this award.
On Wednesday, Oct. 12, all DHS students will be participating in PSAT/NMSQT/SAT testing.
Deltona High School
Deltona High School congratulates Kristy Michelle Garthwaite, who teaches in the English department, for being selected as the school’s Teacher of the Year.
Pine Ridge High School
Seniors at Pine Ridge High School in Deltona are reminded that Monday, Sept. 26, is the last chance to have their senior yearbook photos taken on campus. Seniors need to make an appointment with Leonard’s Photography online at www.leonards.com, click book appointment, or call customer service at 888-224-5045.
Stetson University
The new Hal S. Marchman Chair of Civic and Social Responsibility at Stetson University is Jeremy Posadas, Ph.D. This chairmanship was established in 2005 to help better the lives of marginalized populations.
Stetson University has been named one of the best undergraduate institutions in the nation and the Southeast by The Princeton Review for the eighth year in a row.
West Volusia high-school football
The third week of the 2022 season finds only Deltona High School undefeated, while all schools but one have won at least one game.
Deltona, on Sept. 9, defeated Matanzas, 26-7, while Orange City University picked up its first win by downing Seabreeze, 28-9. Lake City Columbia defeated DeLand, 21-16; Cocoa Beach shut out Pierson Taylor, 49-0; and St. Augustine Menendez stopped Pine Ridge of Deltona, 40-0. All scores were found on MaxPreps.
On Friday, Sept. 23, DeLand travels to Seabreeze, Deltona greets Kissimmee Liberty, Pine Ridge of Deltona plays host to Lake Howell, Deltona Trinity Christian goes to St. Petersburg Keswick Christian, and Orange City University travels to Flagler Palm Coast. Pierson Taylor has an open week. All games are at 7 p.m.
The following week, on Thursday, Sept. 29, Pine Ridge of Deltona goes to Mainland. On Friday, Sept. 30, DeLand welcomes Spruce Creek, Deltona goes to Seabreeze, Pierson Taylor is at Crescent City, Deltona Trinity Christian is at Jacksonville Eagle’s View, and Orange City University greets New Smyrna Beach for Homecoming.
West Volusia high-school cross-country
DeLand, Deltona, Pine Ridge of Deltona, and Pierson Taylor competed in the New Smyrna Beach Coach Joe McKinney Classic. The boys’ competition found the DeLand High School
Bulldogs taking fifth out of 12 schools, while the Deltona High School Wolves were eighth and the Pine Ridge Panthers were 10th. The Taylor team did not have enough runners to have a team score.
The DeLand girls took sixth, while Pierson Taylor was eighth, with the other two schools not having full teams.
Deltona High’s Carlos Cerrud was 10th overall and the top West Volusia runner, with a time of 17:42.20. In 11th place was DeLand’s Riley Garrison, with a time of 17:45.50. Pine Ridge’s William Steinebach was 21st at 18:26.30.
The top West Volusia girl was DeLand Lady Bulldog Sydney Bordeaux at 23:06.40, while Pierson Taylor’s Linda Aviles was 30th at 24:02.90.
The Orange City University Titan squads went to the Buchholz Bobcat Classic in Gainesville, with both the University boys and girls taking sixth out of 19 schools. The top Lady Titan was Morgan Harvill, who finished 15th out of 151 runners with a 21:30.5 time for the 5K course. Chase Penna was 14th out of 148 runners, with a clocking of 18:21.10.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Lady Bulldogs volleyball team has improved to 7-3 in matches at the time of this writing. The Lady Bulldogs downed Flagler Palm Coast, 3-0, with game scores of 25-6, 25-9 and 24-6, while also defeating Seabreeze, 3-0, with game scores of 25-17, 15-18 and 25-18.
On Saturday, Sept. 24, the DeLand cross-country team goes north to Jacksonville for an evening run in the Katie Caples Meet at Bishop Kenny.
Monday, Sept. 26, sends the boys’ golf team to the Greater Halifax Invitational on the Riviera course at 9:30 a.m., and the Lady Bulldog golf team goes to the Volusia/Flagler 18-Hole Tournament at the Daytona Beach Municipal Course at 10 a.m.
On Tuesday, Sept. 27, the volleyball team heads to New Smyrna Beach to play at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
On Wednesday, Sept. 28, the swimmers are in New Smyrna Beach at the Aqua Park Pool at 4 p.m. That same day, the Bulldog golfers are at Flagler Palm Coast at 4 p.m., the Lady Bulldog golfers compete at Spruce Creek at 4 p.m., and the bowling teams host Flagler Palm Coast at 3:45 p.m.
On Thursday, Sept. 29, the DeLand volleyball team travels to Lake Mary for 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. matches, and the junior-varsity football team plays in New Smyrna Beach at 6 p.m.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter golf team placed second in the Turning Stone Intercollegiate Golf Tournament sponsored by the University of Missouri in Verona, New York. The Stetson squad scored 6 under 858 behind Missouri, who was 17 under with a 847 score. Delaware was third at 8 over, with eight other teams competing. Stetson’s Matt Gauntlett was low medalist with 67, 69, 67.
The Stetson Hatter football team moved to 2-0 with a win over Louisiana Christian University, 45-14. Quarterback Brady Meitz was named the Pioneer Football League Offensive Player of the Week for his play in this game, while linebacker Majeste’ Hansberry was the league’s Defensive Player of the Week.
The week earlier, Rassie Littlejohn was named Defensive Player of the Week for his play against Concordia.
The Hatters will play Morehead State at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.
The Lady Hatter volleyball team went 3-0 in the Stetson Invitational Tournament to claim the tourney crown. They won all three games, 3-0, by defeating Southern Illinois 25- 20, 25-16, 25-13; Bethune- Cookman 25-18, 25-18, 25- 6; and Mercer 25-21, 25-15, 25-23.
The Stetson women’s soccer team defeated Alabama State, 2-0, with Chloe Washington and Jillian Therrien kicking goals. The team then stopped The Citadel, 2-1, with Kyleigh Thelen and Telma Sif Buadottir scoring goals. The team was stopped by Coastal Carolina, 1-0.
The Stetson men’s soccer team defeated Embry-Riddle, 3-1, with Miguel Romero, Kelvin Zinck and Gabriel Toro finding the net. The Hats then went to California, where they knotted the score at 1-1 against California-Riverside, with Gio Rodriguez scoring the Hatter goal. This was followed by another tie in California against California State Fullerton, 2-2, with Luis Lara Delgado and Sheldon Sackey kicking the ball into the net.
The Stetson women’s cross-country team traveled to Jacksonville to compete in the North Florida Invitational. The Stetson squad was third overall, with Cheyenne Durda placing fourth with a 18:12.8 clocking, while Madison Niederriter was fifth with a time of 18:17.6.
Stetson home competition this week has the women’s soccer team hosting North Florida at 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, and the volleyball team greeting Florida Gulf Coast at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
