Last week, this column mentioned that a group of students from West Volusia participated in the Florida State Fair. One of the areas represented was Pierson.
Tinley Davis of Pierson Elementary School exhibited in the swine show at the fair. Those from Taylor Middle-High School in Pierson included Kayden Duncan, Savannah Grisham, Trista Layfield, Taryn Leverett, Shannon Minger and Charity Tola exhibiting in the swine show.
Also from Taylor Middle-High were LeAira Dixon exhibiting in the beef show, Sarah Morris showing in the sheep show, Emma Clay exhibiting in the pygmy goat show, and K. Duncan showing in the rabbit show.
T. Leverett received first place in senior showmanship and was named the winner of the Susan Harrell Memorial Award, with K. Duncan taking second place in the senior Champion of Champions.
Also earning awards was K. Duncan with the Best of Breed and Best Meat Pen awards; first place in the senior Champion of Champions for rabbits; and second overall in the Champion of Champions contest. She will serve as a Champion Youth Ambassador through the 2024 Florida State Fair.
S. Morris received Grand and Reserve champion Katahdin ewe, and Grand Champion Katahdin ram, in the sheep show.
E. Clay gained a Reserve Champion Wether Award in the pygmy goat show. K. Duncan, Ty Davis, Autumn Johnson and D. Tola competed in the 2023 Florida FFA State Poultry Evaluation CDE and placed 16th in the state.
Shannon Minger, T. Leverett, T. Davis and K. Duncan were in the FFA livestock judging and advanced to the state finals in April, while K. Duncan, T. Davis and D. Tola were in the FFA meats judging contest and will also advance to the state finals.
The Stetson University Athletic Department has announced the 2023 Hatter football schedule. The 11-game schedule has six home dates and five road trips, with the longest being to Montana.
The home-game schedule has the season-opener when the Hatters play host to St. Thomas University of Florida in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 2. The other home games are Sept. 9 against Webber International University at 7 p.m.; Sept. 23 against Butler University at 1 p.m.; Oct. 21 against the University of St. Thomas from Minnesota at 1 p.m.; Nov. 4 against Davidson College at 1 p.m.; and Nov. 18 against the University of San Diego at 1 p.m.
Road trips for the Hatter football team send the Hats out to Bozeman, Montana, on Sept. 16 against Montana State University, with starting time to be announced; to Poughkeepsie, New York, Sept. 30 to face Marist College at 1 p.m.; to Clinton, South Carolina, for a game with Presbyterian College on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.; on Oct. 28 with a trip to Des Moines, Iowa, to meet Drake University at 1 p.m.; and Nov. 11 to Valparaiso, Indiana, to match up with Valparaiso University at 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, April 11, the Monthly Empowerment Series for Special Kids, Special Families, offered by Easterseals of Northeast Central Florida, will host a session at 5:30 p.m., titled “Understanding and Applying for Help From the Government.” This is to help families understand the public benefit acronym soup, including SSI, SSDI, APD, ABLE, DD Waiver, HCBS Medicaid and more.
This series is a community networking and educational opportunity for families raising children with special needs.
The monthly meetings take place at the Easterseals office at 125 N. Ridgewood Ave. in Daytona Beach. Email Donna Dwyer at ddwyer@esnecfl.org.
Volusia County Schools is not affiliated with these events/programs in any manner, nor does it endorse or assume any responsibility for any activities which may occur in connection with them.
Lyonia Environmental Center is offering another program for home-schoolers at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 12. This session is “Composting,” and is for first-grade through ninth-grade home-schooled students. The fee is $8 per student, and registration is required.
Lyonia Environmental Center is at 2150 Eustace Ave. in Deltona. Call Shari Smith at 386-789-7207, ext. 21026, to register or for more information.
The DeLand High Bulldog Golf Tournament starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, April 15, on the LPGA course. To date, Boulevard Tire, Duke Energy, Vanacore Homes, ICI Homes, Senez Roofing, Senez Aluminum, Mainstreet Community Bank and Crystal Tractor are sponsors of the tournament.
Register or become a sponsor by visiting www.delandfootball.org, or call 386-804-0881 or 386-804-2557.
At the Volusia County Foreign Language Festival, there were a multitude of West Volusia students who gained first place in numerous contests listed last week. The first-place finishers from Deltona Middle School were Julissa Falcon and Kire Mendez, while the winners from Deltona High School were Richard Cueto, Jeinalys Andujar, Miguel Bayron, Kamilia Berrios-Velazquez, Karina Berrios-Velazquez,Camila Colon, Jayla Garduno, Zobeida Lopez-Soto, Laysha Montes, Jaquan Pierre and Soraya Touokzi.
The winners from Pine Ridge High School in Deltona were Lyla Harper and Swiyyah Jackson.
The Volusia Online winners were Annika Vera Konarek, Allison Cox, Heaven Kleinschmidt and Aaron Prince.
DeLand Middle School
DeLand Middle School students planning on going on the Gradventure need to make their payment by Friday, April 14.
DeLand High School Athletics
The DeLand High School Bulldog baseball team topped New Smyrna Beach twice during the Spring Holiday, 10-1 and 5-2. In the first game, Nathan Ricko tripled with three RBIs, and in the second game, Lamar Edwards doubled.
The DeLand High beach-volleyball team opened its inaugural season with a loss to Spruce Creek, 5-0, but bounced back with five wins, with one avenging their loss to Spruce Creek, 4-1. The other wins, all with a 4-1 score, were over Seabreeze twice, Atlantic and Matanzas.
The DHS sports calendar fills up now that Spring Holiday is over. Be sure to check on these games, as calendars do change.
On Saturday, April 1, the tennis teams host Deltona at 4:15 p.m.
On Monday, April 3, the JV-B baseball team plays at Pine Ridge at 4 p.m., the softball team plays at Father Lopez at 4:15 p.m., and the flag-football team greets Trinity Christian at 6 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4, sends JV-B baseball to East River at 4 p.m., and the flag-football team to Crescent City at 6 p.m., and the baseball team meets East River at 7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 5, has the beach-volleyball team at New Smyrna Beach at 3 p.m., and the softball team playing at Atlantic at 4:30 p.m.
On Thursday, April 6, the boys’ weightlifting team competes in the regional tournament. That same day, the JV-A baseball team is at University at 4 p.m., and the softball team plays host to Orlando Christian Prep at 4:30 p.m.
On Friday, April 7, the track team is at the Seminole Invitational at 3 p.m., and the baseball team greets Spruce Creek at 7 p.m. on Conrad Field.
DeLand Lightning Bolts Track Club
The DeLand Lightning Bolts Track Club has been in several meets, making a strong showing at the Central Florida Track Clubs Invitational at Spruce Creek High School.
Those 7- and 8-year-olds with a first-place finish were Delise Johnson, Sydnee Simpson, Alan Allen, Chance Thomas and Cornelius Dunn Jr.
The lone 9-year-old to win was Majour Etheridge, while the 10-year-old winners were Jacob Kinnan and Lincoln Stabler.
The 11-year-old winners were Kalyn Bland and Carter Adams.
The one 12-year-old with a win was Amir Allen, while the 13-year-old winner was Marvin Walker Jr., twice.
Nalin Rogers and Lane Roberts won in the 14-year-old category. Kheron Duprat won twice in the 17-18-year-old division, with Fabian McKnight taking two wins in the 19-year-old division.
The team also had six second-place finishes and eight thirds.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter baseball team recently topped Wichita State, 3-1, and Fairfield, 7-5. In the latter game, Jayden Hylton hit a home run. However, in another game, Fairfield came back with an 11-1 win.
The Hatters downed Kennesaw State, 14-9 and 6-5, with Cameron Hill and Andrew Estrella hitting homers in the first win.
The Lady Hatter lacrosse team squeaked by St. Francis, 14-13, with Samantha Paglino scoring five points for Stetson.
Pitcher Hannah Marien of the Stetson softball team threw a no-hitter against Queens for a 1-0 win. Marien went all seven innings with no hits, six strikeouts and one walk for her third shutout this season.
Queens won the other two games, 2-1 and 5-2, with Evette Morgan hitting a home run for the Lady Hats.
On Friday, March 31, the baseball team meets North Alabama at 6:30 p.m. and again on Saturday, April 1, at the same time. They play at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 2.
The baseball team will meet FIU on Conrad Field at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 4, and the softball team hosts FSU at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 5.
Thursday, April 6, has the women’s tennis team hosting Liberty at 10 a.m., and the men playing at 3 p.m.
College honors
Cade Montgomery, a student at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been named to the dean’s list for academic excellence for the 2022 fall semester. Cade is the son of Edwin Montgomery of Deltona.
Guillermo Alicea, of Deltona, has earned a Master of Science in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
