
Stetson University Athletics has released its 2024 football schedule, with six home games and six road games. The first two games of the 2024 season will be home games, with the Hatters meeting Ave Maria for the season-opener at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in Spec Martin Memorial Stadium. The following week, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7, the Hats are home against Warner.
The other home games are Valparaiso, Oct. 12; Presbyterian, Oct. 26 (Homecoming); Marist, Nov. 9; and Drake for the end-of-the-season game Nov. 23. All of these games will be played at 1 p.m.
Stetson will play road games against Furman, Sept. 21; Harvard, Sept. 21; St. Thomas, Oct. 5; Davidson, Oct. 19; Butler, Nov. 2; and San Diego Nov. 16. All these games are at 1 p.m., except that the times of the games with Furman and Harvard are yet to be determined.
The games with St. Thomas, Valparaiso, Davidson, Butler, Marist, San Diego and Drake are part of the Pioneer Football League.
Graduation season has arrived. All Volusia County graduations will take place at the Ocean Center at 101 N. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach. In years past, guests of students graduating needed to purchase tickets to attend; check with your child’s school as early as possible about this.
The graduation times and dates for schools on the west side of the county are as follows: DeLand High at 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 21; Volusia Online Learning at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 23; Deltona High at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, May 25; Pine Ridge High at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 25; University High at noon Sunday, May 26, and Taylor Middle-High at 4 p.m. Sunday, May 26.
CATALYST Global Youth Initiatives Inc. is presenting the 2024 Summer Literacy & Leadership Academy 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 10-July 18, with no academy July 4 and 5.
This free program for youth ages 10-14 includes breakfast and lunch, five weekly trips, a T-shirt and six books. It will take place at DeLand High School, Deltona High School and Mainland High School.
Complete an application by going to CATALYST2010.org/summer2024. For questions, call or text program Director Sharon Brown at 386-265-3291.
The Volusia County Schools calendar for the 2023-24 school year is running out of dates. On Monday, May 27, there will be no school so all can observe Memorial Day.
Friday, May 31, marks the last day of school for students, while teachers’ last day of school will be Tuesday, June 4.
World Languages Festival winners
The final list of winners at the Volusia County World Languages Festival comes from the classes of Jeanne Jendrzejewski at DeLand High School. Those taking first-place honors are Elena Stoner (2), Alexandra Beakman, Gavin Brown, Shreya Chandna, Fidha Chowdhury, Faith Duncan, Fe Duncan, Scott Gagnon, Ella Gannon, Grace Green, Mark Higbee, Puja Patel (2), Mercado Lopez, Ricci Rizzo, Jackie Rodriguez, Benito Rosario, Isaias Salmeron, Zachary Schrager (2), Alexander Smith and Adrinna Taylor.
DeLand High School
DeLand High School graduation rehearsal is at 10 a.m. Monday, May 20, at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. Students are instructed to arrive one hour early, at 9 a.m.
Chance Tressler, the son of DeLand High School grad Barry Tressler, is a track-and-field athlete at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and has been honored for the second time this year by being named, this time, the Outdoor Field Athlete for the Peach Belt Conference. Chance placed second in the shot put, third in the hammer throw, and fifth in the discus.
Deltona High School
Seniors at Deltona High School will have graduation rehearsal at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 23. Once again, students are instructed to arrive at 9:30 a.m. This rehearsal is mandatory if you are walking at graduation.
Graduation tickets cost $3, with parking costing $5. Currently there are no restrictions on tickets per family, but this is subject to change.
Cambridge International Education, which is offered at Deltona High, is pleased to honor Kevin Nguyen, who received the highest mark in the U.S. and placed sixth in the world-rank category in English literature.
Long Live Coach Deke
The DeLand Lightning Bolts Track Club recently hosted the Long Live Coach Deke Track Meet on the DeLand High oval. Coach Deke Harris, who formed the club, passed away several years ago. Those taking firsts for the Lightning Bolts in the meet were Haedyn Bennett, Kadren Chisholm, Saleigh Simpson, Tyshalee Pagan, Jhene Broughton, Amir Allen, Tysin Willacy (2), Rayniah Byrd and Aidan Pierre Louis.
Those gaining seconds in this very large meet were Broughton, Jae’la Berryhill, Jazaria Williams, Kaylani Tooley, Sydnce Simpson, Kalyn Brand, Markayla Dixon, Kaden Martin, Delise Johnson and Byrd. Thirds were claimed by Johnson, Willacy, Sy Simpson, Brand, Pagan, Devaughn McMillon, Berryhill and Broughton.
FHSAA district softball
All the West Volusia teams participated in district elimination toward the state title, and the only one to claim district championship was Deltona High, who first defeated New Smyrna Beach, 15-2, and then stopped Matanzas, 5-3, for the 5A-District 4 title.
Pine Ridge played in the same division, and was eliminated by Matanzas, 15-1, to close out their season with a 2-15 mark.
In the 7A-District 2 elimination rounds, DeLand stopped West Port, 21-12, and then lost to Spruce Creek, 10-0, to close out the year with a 12-11 record.
Orange City University also played in this division, winning first against Flagler Palm Coast, 14-4, and then losing to Spruce Creek, 9-0, to finish the season with a 14-11-1 record.
Deltona Trinity Christian Academy topped Legacy Charter, 17-2, to advance, but lost to Mount Dora Christian Academy, 6-3, to finish at 11-9 in the 2A-District 5 section.
Pierson Taylor Middle-High outscored Interlachen, 13-12, to advance to the district final against Keystone Heights, only to lose, 7-1, in the 3A-District 3 tournament. The Wildcats finished 6-14.
Both Deltona and University high schools advanced to FHSAA regional play. Deltona faced Gainesville, while University faced Lake Brantley May 9. The winners of these games advance toward the state title.
FHSAA district baseball
Once again, all the West Volusia teams competed, and again Deltona High was the only one to be crowned as district champ. Deltona first topped Seabreeze, 9-0, and then beat Pine Ridge for the crown, 17-2, to win the 5A-District 5 title.
Pine Ridge beat Matanzas, 5-1, to advance against Deltona, and finished at 15-11.
DeLand High and Orange City University competed in the 7A-District 2 tournament. DeLand beat West Port, 10-0, while University lost to Seminole, 7-6, to finish 9-14. DeLand then faced Lake Mary, who won, 11-1, closing out DeLand at 15-11.
In the 3A-District 4 rounds, Pierson Taylor lost to Keystone Heights to close the season at 9-16.
In 2A-District 6, Deltona Trinity lost to Master’s Academy, 5-3, to close out their 14-9 season.
Deltona and Pine Ridge earned the right to advance to the FHSAA regional competition, with Deltona traveling to Sebring and Pine Ridge to Wesley Chapel. Both games were slated to be played May 7. If either team is victorious, it would advance in the state-playoff system.
DeLand High School Athletics
As noted above, the DeLand High School softball team was halted in the district tournament. In the game they won against West Port, Payton Mathis homered while going five for 55 at the plate, recording four RBIs. Teagan Squires stole three bases.
In the other game, Brianne Yocum doubled, recording the only hit DeLand had in the game.
Stetson University
The Stetson University Business Ethics Case Competition Team won four first-place trophies at the International Business Ethics Case Competition in Boston. This feat of winning four trophies has never been done before in the 27-year history of the event.
Stetson is looking for nominations for the annual University and Alumni Awards. These awards would include the Distinguished Alumni Award, Outstanding Young Alumni Award, Distinguished Service Award, the Doyle E. Carlton Award, and the George and Mary Hood Award. Criteria for these awards can be found on the University Awards Nomination Form, which is due by Friday, May 31.
Contact the Office of Alumni Engagement for information at 800-688-HATS or alumni@stetson.edu.
Stetson University Athletics
The Stetson University women’s tennis team earned the right to compete in the NCAA tournament. Their first round of play was against the University of Florida during the weekend of May 4, losing 4-0.
The Hatter men’s golf team also earned the right to compete in the NCAA Regional Tournament, to be played Monday, May 13, hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana. The Hatters are seeded 10th in the 13-team tourney.
The Hatter baseball team lost to North Florida, 2-0, topped USF, 5-2, and outscored Austin Peay, 12-8, with Lorenzo Meola hitting a four-bagger.
On Friday, May 17, the Hatters play host to Central Arkansas at 6:30 p.m. and again at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 18. They then compete in the ASUN tournament starting Tuesday, May 21.
The softball team lost to Queens, 4-3, which saw Lady Hatter Lath Freeman homering. The Lady Hats then beat North Florida by scoring two in the bottom of the seventh inning for the win. Kami Eppley went three for three in this game. The team then lost to North Florida, 2-0.
College honors
Abigaile Endiryas, of Deltona, has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Biola University in La Mirada, California.
Grace Bishop, of DeLand, a criminology major at Flagler College in St. Augustine, and her team members on Flagler’s newly reactivated chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Management, were recently awarded second place in a collegiate case-analysis competition.
The following students recently graduated from Flagler College in St. Augustine: Grace Bishop, of DeLand, with a bachelor’s degree in criminology; Cornelius Oostwouder, of DeBary, with a bachelor’s degree in public history; Wesley Franks, of DeLand, with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems and a mathematics departmental award; and Mariah Torres, of Deltona, with a bachelor’s degree in fine art and art history.
Savannah Rodgers, of Lake Helen, was named to the spring 2024 semester dean’s list at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama.
Cadet William Penney, of DeBary, received the Harold B. and William M. McEver Scholarship at the March Military Awards Ceremony at the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega.
— Send school news to Tony Tussing via email: at flacoach43@hotmail.com.