A former local athlete has been named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for his outstanding performance. Blake Hinson, who played high-school basketball at Deltona High and now plays for the University of Pittsburgh, earned this honor Feb. 20.
The numbers tell the story, as Hinson for the week averaged 34 points per game in Pitt’s wins over No. 21 Virginia and Louisville. During that time, he made 14 3-pointers, while Pitt extended their winning streak to five games.
He is the second Pitt player to earn this honor, following Tray Woodall in 2012. He is also the first ACC player to score 40 points since 2018. Those watching TV on Feb. 24 saw Hinson and his Pitt teammates defeat Virginia Tech. After the game, there was a live interview with Hinson.
Those interested in dual enrollment need to look no further than Daytona State College. The application, seeing an adviser and testing will take place through Wednesday, April 3.
Students in grades six-12 are eligible if they have completed at least one high-school course and have met the minimum GPA and placement scores, discussed their college readiness with their school counselor and their parent/guardian, and then completed the DSC admissions application.
Go to DaytonaState.edu/DE or DualEnrollment@DaytonaState.edu for additional information and forms.
Eligible programs at Daytona State include associate of arts (A.A.) degrees, associate of science (A.S.) degrees, as well as certificate and degrees for vocational certificates and bachelor’s degrees.
Thursday, April 4, begins registration for the 2024 summer and fall programs. Monday, May 6, is the deadline for summer registration, and Friday, May 31, is the deadline for fall registration.
The University of Florida also has a dual-enrollment program, with the following requirements: It is open to high-school juniors and seniors; and students must have a 3.6 cumulative unweighted high-school GPA and one of the following test scores (SAT 1,100 composite, PSAT 1,130 composite, or ACT 22 composite).
Applications are available at dualenrollment.dce.ufl.edu. Call 352-273-4155 or email dual-enrollment@dce.ufl.edu for more information.
FUTURES Foundation for Volusia County Schools will be hosting its annual fundraiser “Cruisin’ to the Caribbean Party” Friday, March 22, at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach. There are opportunities available to join the group as a sponsor or attendee.
Through the generosity of sponsors, attendees, auction donors, winning bidders and Take Stock in Children, scholarship donors’ proceeds will benefit all of FUTURES Foundation’s programs. Go to futuresfoundation@volusia.k12.fl.us for more information and tickets.
The Harold V. Lucas Jr. Foundation Inc. will be awarding a $1,000 scholarship to six high-school seniors in Volusia County for the fourth year. Two scholarships will be awarded in each of the following categories: scholastic, athletic and citizenship.
Applicants will be required to submit a personal essay and have a college-acceptance letter, transcripts, and a teacher-recommendation letter. Applications are due by Friday, April 26.
The scholarships will be distributed at an invitation-only HVL Foundation scholarship-awards event at the Lucas Center in Daytona Beach. For scholarship criteria and application details, visit hylucas.org/scholarships.
Volusia County Schools is offering a Superintendent’s Spring Reading Challenge sponsored by Daytona Lagoon. The challenge started Friday, March 1, and will extend through Sunday, March 31.
Read for 400 through 599 minutes and earn a $20 Fun Card, or read more than 600 minutes and earn one water-park pass and a companion ticket.
To log minutes, sign up at the VPortal with student’s VCS login, locate Beanstack on VPortal under Library Resources, find the Spring Reading Challenge on Beanstack, and begin logging your minutes. Contact your media specialist for help.
Friday, March 22, is a student holiday and a Teacher Duty Day. Spring Holiday begins on the following Monday, March 25; students return to school Monday, April 1.
Citrus Grove Elementary School
Citrus Grove Elementary School in DeLand will have a general membership meeting of the PTA at 6:30 p.m. Monday, March 18, in the media center.
McInnis Elementary School
McInnis Elementary School in DeLeon Springs saw the DeLeon Springs Community Association Inc. deliver dozens of brand-new shoes to the school for students in need of shoes.
Starke Elementary School
There will be a groundbreaking ceremony at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 8, for the new Edith I. Starke Elementary School in DeLand. The school will be rebuilt at its current location.
The design of the new school will incorporate a new media center, administrative office spaces, art and music classrooms, and bus and parent pickup and drop-off driveways. The new school will provide space for 650 students in an immersive 21st-century learning environment with new technology and enhanced security systems.
The architect for the new Starke Elementary is Song + Associates Inc., and the contractor is Wharton-Smith Inc.
The groundbreaking ceremony will include a golden-shovel ceremony and speeches from district and community leaders. Be sure to have a picture ID if you want to attend.
Ivy Hawn Charter School
The track program of Ivy Hawn Charter School of the Arts in Lake Helen participated in a meet held at Mount Dora Christian Academy Feb. 25. Adrian Isaac won the boys discus with a 106-foot-3-inch throw, while Mateo Isaac won the triple jump and the high jump with efforts of 33 feet, 9.50 inches, and 4 feet, 8 inches, respectively.
Pine Ridge High School
For the seniors of Pine Ridge High School in Deltona, cap and gown pictures will be taken Thursday, March 21, by appointment only. Cap and gown pickup will be Wednesday, April 3, and Thursday, April 4, during lunch in the archway.
The Pine Ridge volleyball team will be holding a Boys Volleyball Tournament on Wednesday, March 20, after school. All Pine Ridge boys are invited to create a team of six for the tournament.
Pine Ridge visual-arts students’ artwork will be on display at the annual Volusia Students Create exhibits at Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens through Sunday, March 10.
Pine Ridge parents are invited to the Spring Title I Parent Meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 11. The monthly School Advisory Council meeting will follow this meeting at 6 p.m.
DeLand High School Athletics
Chance Tressler, the son of DeLand High School grad Barry Tressler, is a track-and-field athlete at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He placed second in the weight throw as well as the shot put, with respective throws of 45 feet, 6 inches, and 47 feet, 8 inches, in the Peach Belt Indoor Conference Championships in Gainesville. Chance Tressler was named the Men’s Indoor Outstanding Field Athlete, as well as the Freshman Indoor Field Athlete of the Year.
The DeLand High Bulldog baseball team officially opened its 2024 season with a win over Seabreeze, 2-1, and over Pine Ridge, 11-2, while the Lady Bulldog softball team topped South Sumter, 11-10, tied Trinity Catholic, 1-1, and lost to Ocala Forest, 10-6.
The boys and girls tennis teams lost to Seabreeze, with matching scores of 7-0.
The DeLand High flag-football team opened with a 6-0 win over Spruce Creek and a 6-0 loss to New Smyrna Beach.
In the Spruce Creek win, sophomore Kenna Harkness went seven of 13 in passing for 110 yards and one TD, while sophomore Tashia Williams had eight rushing carries for 30 yards and one catch for 65 yards, which ended with a TD. Senior Alicia Robinson had four solo flags during the game.
On Saturday, March 9, the flag-football team enters the 5 Star Conference Tournament, On Monday, March 11, the team goes to Crescent City for 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. games, and the baseball team plays host to Pedro Menendez at 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 12, sends the baseball team to University at 4:30 p.m., while the softball team goes to Mainland at 4:30 p.m.
The boys weightlifting team will take part in the JV 5 Star Tournament, and on Wednesday, March 13, the varsity weightlifters go to the 5 Star Tournament at Spruce Creek.
Also, on March 13, the beach volleyball team plays at New Smyrna Beach at 4 p.m., and the flag-football team greets Deltona at 6 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 14, finds the Lady Bulldog beach volleyball team at home against Matanzas at 4:30 p.m., while the tennis teams go to New Smyrna Beach, with the JV baseball team hosting Apopka at 4:30 p.m.
The Bulldog baseball team plays at Spruce Creek at 7 p.m. Friday, March 15, while the softball team also competes at Spruce Creek at 7 p.m. and the JV at 5 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, is the running for the Big D Relays on the Bulldog track starting at 9 a.m. This track meet has been taking place for 62 years.
Stetson University
Deana Lowry has been named the new director of wellness and recreation at Stetson University. She had been the assistant director since 2021.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University Hatter men’s basketball team lost to Queens, 83- 75, but came back to defeat Kennesaw State, 84-72.
In the Queens game, Stephan Swenson scored 29 points while blocking two shots. Jalen Blackmon had 14 points, and Alec Oglesby added 12.
Swenson’s 29 points pushed him over the 1,000-point plateau as a Stetson player.
In the Kennesaw State win, Blackmon scored 28 points, Swenson made 19 points with seven rebounds, Aubin Gateretse scored 12 points while collecting eight rebounds, and Treyton Thompson added 10 points, with three blocked shots.
The Lady Hatter women’s basketball team was stopped by Florida Gulf Coast, 68-52, with Jamiya Turner scoring 21 points and pulling down nine rebounds, while Khamya McNeal added 16 points.
The Stetson men’s golf team won the World Golf Village Collegiate Championship in St . Augustine with a 16 under score for the tournament. Dominic Clemons placed third overall with a 204 score. Stetson was three strokes ahead of Jacksonville State in the 18-team tournament.
The Stetson softball team lost to Washington, 2-1, and to Oklahoma State, 11-6, which saw Stetson’s Kami Eppley homering while Addison Foster went 3 for 4 at home plate. They then beat Long Island University, 3-2 and 6-2, with Foster homering in the first game with Long Island. The softball team also scored in the bottom of the seventh to break a 3-3 tie to defeat Green Bay, 4-3.
The Hatter baseball team stopped West Virginia, 5-4, but lost to them, 7-5, with Yohann Dessureault hitting a home run in the second game. The team also beat Maine, 13-2, with Evan Griffis and Kyle Jones homering, but lost to Army, 13-8, with Jayden Hylton, Mike Handal and Dessureault hitting home runs.
The beach volleyball team had a great weekend by defeating Mercer, 5-0; Eckerd, 5-0; Southern Mississippi, 5-0; and FGCU, 4-1.
The Stetson lacrosse team lost to Davison, 18- 6, while the men’s tennis team outscored Mercer, 5-2.
The minor-sports home calendar for Stetson brings the Hatter Rowing Invitational to DeLand at 9 a.m. Saturday, March 9, and the lacrosse team greets Iona at noon.
On Sunday, March 10, the men’s tennis team plays East Tennessee State at 2 p.m., while the women on Monday, March 11, face Rhode Island at 10 a.m.
On Tuesday, March 12, the lacrosse team greets Gardner-Webb at noon, followed by a game with Niagara at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14.
The beach volleyball team on Friday, March 15, faces North Carolina- Wilmington at 8 a.m. and JU at noon, while the men’s and women’s tennis teams host North Alabama, with the women playing at 10 a.m. and the men at 2 p.m.
The softball team greets Robert Morris University at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday, March 9, and again at noon Sunday, March 10. On Wednesday, March 13, the team travels to Gainesville to face Florida at 6 p.m.
The Hatter baseball team Friday-Sunday, March 8-10, greets Bradley University at 6:30 p.m., 2 p.m. and 1 p.m., respectively. Then on Wednesday, March 13, they play at UCF at 7 p.m.
Friday-Sunday, March 15- 17, the team is at JU at 7 p.m. for the first two games and at 1 p.m. for the final match on Sunday.
College honors
Emily Wilder, of Deltona, was recently initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the nation’s oldest and most-selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Wilder was initiated at Florida State University in Tallahassee.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.
