The western portion of Volusia County had three female high-school track-and-field athletes competing in the prestigious Florida Relays on the Percy Beard Track at the University of Florida. Minimum entry standards resulted in only the best of the event athletes being invited to compete.

The three, who are juniors, are Kylie Neira and Emily Lamb of DeLand High School and Hannah Judge of University High in Orange City.

Neira, the defending high-school FHSAA 4A state champion in the pole vault, claimed first place at the Florida Relays while setting the meet and track record for the high-school portion of the event. She cleared 13 feet, 1/2 inch, winning by 9 inches, while setting the new record; the old record, 12 feet, 6 inches, was set back in 2015.

Earlier this season, Neira vaulted 12 feet, 7 inches, at the Big D Relays, which extended her lead as the top female high-school pole vaulter in Florida.

Lamb was invited to compete in the javelin throw, in which she placed in the state meet last spring. She placed sixth overall with a 120-foot-7-inch throw.

Judge was the only one of the three to compete in two events. She placed 11th in the 3,200 meters at 11:23.81 and 15th in the 1,600 at 5:17.45.

Owen York of DeLand High and Morgan Harvill of University were also extended invitations to compete, but were unable to do so this year.

Volusia County Schools hosted a Language Festival earlier this year, with more than 600 students winning places in over a dozen areas of competition.

The winners from the classes of Mariella Castellanos at Citrus Grove Elementary in DeLand were Robert Hayden, Rylee Deloach, Brealyn Evans, Chloe Fink, Evie Fitzsimmons, Emaline French, Chloe Gallegos, Jackson Gaytan, Yalina Islam, Lydia Ivy, Addyson Johnson, Corbin Juliano, Sadie Kelmer, Luke Lundell, Anastasia Manchester, Kendall Messenger, Amaya Molina, Angelise Perez, Karielys Rivera, Joseiann Scott, Zoe Stumbo and Ameir Williams.

The winners from Julie Wilson’s Volusia Online classes were Alexa Pustejovsky and Kayla Garcia. The winners from the classes of Elizabeth Maldonado-Martinez at University High in Orange City were Khaliah Chase, Jaciel Cipariano, Neveah Luongo, Robert Mazzocchi and Lorin Short.

Citrus Grove Elementary School

Spring Portrait Day at Citrus Grove Elementary School in DeLand will be Thursday, April 18.

DeLand Middle School

The final payment day for DeLand Middle School’s eighth-grade Terrier Gradventure is Friday, April 19. The full payment is $120 for the Saturday, May 11, event.

DeLand High School

The next and final meeting for this school year of DeLand High’s School Advisory Council will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, in the media center.

The Volusia United Educators’ Solidarity Report for the week of March 18 had DeLand High teacher Melissa Lundell as its spotlighted Teacher of the Week. There is a long list of the many things she does at DeLand High besides teaching for 21 years in Volusia County. Currently she is working as a support facilitator for English and social studies, while serving as co-sponsor for the SGA and Interclub Council.

Lundell was the founder of the DeLand High Mental Health Club, and facilitated the development of the Wellness Lounge, while being the DHS Wellness Support contact. Thank you for your support, Ms. Lundell.

Pine Ridge High School

Pine Ridge High School in Deltona will have its Grad Bash Friday, April 19. Tickets had to be purchased in January.

University High School

University High School in Orange City had 12 students participating in the 2024 Northeast Florida Scholastic Art Affiliate Awards and Exhibitions in Jacksonville. Those 12 students are Sarah Banh, Leahana Cipriano, Mikayla Jefts (2), Cailin Kerkow, Lillian Logan, Sara Mercado, Cassidy Money, Jessica Nguyen, AnaCamila Ortiz, Linda Pierce, Haven Strickland (2) and Emma Turner.

West Volusia high-school boys weightlifting

The FHSAA District Boys Weightlifting Tournaments took place during Spring Holiday for most of the Volusia County high schools. Weightlifters competed in two different categories, Olympic and Traditional.

In the 3A-District 4 tournament, the Orange City University squad took first place in the Traditional and Olympic divisions, while DeLand High placed fourth in Traditional and second in Olympic.

The lifters for DeLand found Camden Jackson taking two firsts, while Vincent Chen took one first. Jonathan Baker earned a second.

Those taking firsts for University were Liam Valle, Ethan Fournier, Nick Cleavenger (2), Peyton McKenzie, Nathan Thomas, Francis Hipolito and Carlito Betancourt. Those earning a second-place finish were Hipolito, Angel Pagan, Betancourt, Austen Rosser (2), Javier Figueroa, Ethan Hernke, Gavin Garner, Jacob Weaton, Navin Olway and Thomas.

In the division in which Deltona and Pine Ridge high schools competed, Deltona took fourth in Traditional and fifth in Olympic, while Pine Ridge finished third in both. Ed Mendez of Pine Ridge and Cannon Heylon of Deltona were the only lifters from the two schools to claim a victory. Those taking second from Pine Ridge were Rylan Stroyer (2), Heylon, Billy Faulk and Will Fodrie, while the Deltona lifters to earn a second were Josiah DeJesus and Thomas Berrios.

DeLand High School Athletics

The only other sport besides track and field to compete during the Spring Holiday at DeLand High was the baseball team. They were stopped by Windermere, 3-1.

Those who are interested in purchasing a DeLand High sponsorship banner, which hangs on the fence in front of the school on Hill Avenue, should get in touch with Steve Davenport at DeLand High at 386-822-6909.

The banner for the 2024-25 school year costs $1,000, which also allows you to be a sponsor of a team or organization. The exposure is 3,000-4,000 cars daily.

Monday, April 15, has the tennis teams heading to Flagler Palm Coast High School for the FHSAA District Tournament, while the JV baseball team greets Deltona at 4:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, April 16, the baseball team enters the Five Star Conference Tournament, with the JV team playing in the Beach Bash at Spruce Creek High at 6 p.m.

On Thursday, April 18, the softball team greets Trinity Christian Academy at 4:30 p.m., while the beach volleyball team has Senior Night at 4:30 p.m.

Stetson University

The Stetson University School of Business Administration won the Florida CFA Research Championship, while the Centurion Sales Competing Team won the National Collegiate Sales Competition.

The Stetson School of Music had its second annual concert at Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall in New York City. Stetson had 20 students participate in the sold-out concert.

Stetson University Athletics

The Stetson University Hatter baseball team won three games over Lipscomb, 9-8, 7-6 and 7-6, while claiming three more wins over Eastern Kentucky, 11-3, 14-3 and 13-9.

In those six games, the following Hatters had home runs: Logan Hughes (2), Daniel Labrador, Mike Handal, Yohann Dessureault, Jayden Hylton and Lorenzo Meola.

The Lady Hatter softball team lost to Bellarmine, 3-2, but won, 8-0 and 12-4, while going into extra innings before being defeated by FAU, 3-2. The team then lost three to Central Arkansas, 9-1, 5-0 and 9-7.

The lacrosse team stopped Jacksonville, 13-11, with JU making a comeback effort with 6 points in the fourth quarter. Kaitlin Pani had four goals, and Sam King had three. The team lost to Liberty, 18-11, with Jordyn Humphrey scoring four goals.

The Stetson beach volleyball team is ranked 18th nationally and made a tour of Arizona, defeating Arizona State, 4-1; 16th-ranked Grand Canyon, 3-2; and 19th-ranked Arizona, 3-2.

The Hatter men’s tennis team stopped Bellarmine, 5-2, but lost to North Florida, 5-2, while the women stopped Bellarmine, 5-1, and North Florida, 5-2.

Ervin Haris Eminefendic and Cheri Darley were named ASUN Players of the Week.

The Stetson women’s golf team won the Babs Steffens Invitational at DeBary Golf Club over nine other schools. Lady Hatter Wendy Hsiao placed second overall.

The men’s golf team placed second out of 16 schools at the Seahawk Collegiate in North Carolina. Auburn won the tournament. Dominic Clemons finished third overall at 4 under.

The minor-sport home calendar for Stetson has the women’s tennis team hosting Central Arkansas at 10 a.m. Friday, April 12, while on Saturday, April 13, the men’s tennis team greets Florida Gulf Coast at 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 14, sends the women golfers to the ASUN Tournament in Huntsville, Alabama.

The softball calendar has Stetson on Saturday, April 13, hosting Jacksonville at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. and on Sunday, April 14, at 1 p.m.

Friday-Sunday, April 12-14, has the baseball team hosting Florida Gulf Coast at 6:30 p.m. for the first two dates and at 1 p.m. for the final game. On Tuesday, April 16, the Hatters go to Daytona Beach to play Bethune-Cookman at 6:30 p.m.

College honors

Nicole Keyes, of DeLand, has been named to the 2023 fall trimester dean’s list at Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Florida Campus in Port Orange.

Jacqulyn Kepple, of Orange City, a student at Florida State University, and Michael Sullivan, of Deltona, a student at West Virginia University, were recently initiated into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.