Stetson University has announced that D1 Baseball has projected that the Hatters are slated to win the ASUN Conference as they did in 2024. D1 Baseball stated that the Hatters’ strength would be a veteran infielder. Also mentioned was star power, with James Hays (right-handed pitcher), Lorenzo Meola (shortstop), Landon Moran (on first base) and Yohann Dessureault (on second base).

The Stetson squad opens the 2025 season with a trip to Puerto Rice, where they will play UConn, Penn State, Missouri and Michigan Friday-Sunday, Feb. 14-16. The Hats will open at home at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, against the University of Maryland – Bay County in Conrad Park.

An interesting event for both children and adults is the annual Mardi Gras Dog Parade and Festival in DeLand, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 22. Animals and people will be dressed in costumes.

Another upcoming event is the annual presentation of the Crystal Apple Awards for teachers in West Volusia by the DeLand & Greater West Volusia Chamber of Commerce. This will take place at 7:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28, at The Center at Deltona. For tickets, call 386-734-4331.

Volusia County Schools

Volusia County Schools has announced the winners of the Sheriff’s Youth Foundation Awareness Contest “Safely Rolling to My Destination,” with first place going to Ankie Shi of Deltona Middle, second to Caroline Janania of Manatee Cove Elementary in Orange City, and third being presented to Kyra Clayton of Deltona High.

The Safety Awareness Contest – Public Service Announcements went to the following students from University High School in Orange City: Kristine Gleim, Haley Beck, Julianna Santana and Sophia Nguyen.

VCS reminds everyone that safety and security are of most importance in schools. VCS reminds everyone of pedestrian and bicycle safety, and of the FortifyFL app, which allows users to anonymously submit tips regarding school-related suspicious activity. Such tips are immediately relayed to the appropriate law-enforcement agencies and school officials, and House Bill 1473 states that all doors and gates on school campuses must be closed and locked; only designated entrances and exits should be used; and staff and employees must wear and visibly display identification badges on campus.

Friendship Elementary School

Friendship Elementary School in Deltona has named Haleigh Booth as its current Teacher of the Month. She is a first-year teacher, who has built strong, positive relationships with her students, showing them empathy and grace while maintaining high expectations.

Pine Ridge High School

Pine Ridge High School in Deltona congratulates Kristen Desmond for being the Superintendent Reading Challenge winner by logging almost 9,000 minutes of reading.

Pine Ridge also congratulates Noah Stoops for being named a Deltona Superstar.

The Pine Ridge chorus will be performing at the Orlando Magic game at 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23, when the Magic play the Wizards.

Taylor Middle-High School

Taylor Middle-High School in Pierson has announced that Kermit Quisenberry has been selected as its Career and Technology Teacher of the Year. He leads the Health Science Academy, which prepares students for a career in the medical industry.

The school is also selling Spirit Shirts through preorder sale only, which are due by Monday, Feb. 24. The cost is $15 for sizes XS through XL; anything larger adds $3. The shirt is short-sleeved in heather red, and is soft wash. Payment can be made online through FOCUS, or send to Mrs. Berger with name, method of payment and size. Email questions and orders to kjberger@volusia.k12.fl.us.

University High School

University High School in Orange City announces that Michael Hippo has been selected as its Career and Technology Teacher of the Year.

The Class of 2025 at University High can order Senior Graduation Banners, with the last of orders being accepted Friday, Feb. 21. The banners will be displayed on the fence on Rhode Island Avenue in Orange City by the student-parking lot for the month of May. The banner is 2 feet by 3 feet and costs $35.

Students will have their yearbook picture displayed on the banner, and can claim their banners Monday, June 2. The banners can be paid for with exact cash, credit card (online only) or by check made out to University High School.

Five Star Basketball

The basketball champions of the Five Star Conference are Mainland for the boys and New Smyrna Beach for the girls. DeLand High scores in the tournament for the boys were DeLand 69, Flagler Palm Coast 51, and Atlantic 51, DeLand 42.

The girls’ scores were DeLand 52, Deltona 39; Spruce Creek 64, DeLand 47; and DeLand 52, Mainland 37, for third place. In that game, DeLand trailed by 10 points at the end of the first quarter, 15-5, but had taken a 25-22 lead at halftime going on for the 15-point victory. Mi’Yauna Ross scored 14 points for the winners, while Kaylin Spor added another 13 points.

FHSAA district soccer

It is win and retire time in soccer district play. DeLand, in District 7A-2, downed University, 4-1, and Spruce Creek, 3-1, before losing to Seminole, 4-0, to finish the season at 9-10-3.

The Lady Bulldogs lost in the first round, 5-0, to Sanford to finish with a 13-11-1 season mark.

University played in the same district as DeLand, with the loss to DeLand ending their season with a 4-13-3 mark.

The Lady Titans downed West Port, 1-0, before losing to Spruce Creek, 3-1, to finish the year at 14-7-1.

Deltona High lost to Mainland, 3-0, in 5A-6 District play to finish with a 5-13-3 record.

The Lady Wolves lost to Mainland, 2-1, to finish at 5-12-1. 

Pine Ridge played in the same district as Deltona.

The Panther boys lost to Seabreeze, 6-1, to finish out the year at 8-9-2, while the girls lost to Seabreeze, 6-2, to finish with a solid mark of 16-7-1.

Taylor Middle-High played in the 2A-5 District, with the boys losing to Trinity Prep, 2-1, for a season mark of 9-8-2, while the Lady Wildcats topped Father Lopez, 3-2, and lost to Trinity Prep, 8-3, to finish the year at 4-12.

Weightlifting

The girls’ teams have completed competition in both FHSAA district and regional tournaments, while the boys have just started their season for the high-school lifters.

The Lady Bulldogs of DeLand will be sending Addison Ruocco and Elena Cruz to state, with both of them earning to compete in the Olympic Division.

At the regional meet, Ruocco finished fourth in the Olympic 129-pound division, while Cruz finished fourth in Olympic and sixth in traditional style in the 154-pound classification. Sarah Lamay was ninth in Olympic.

The DeLand boys opened their 2025 season at home against Matanzas and New Smyrna Beach, winning both the Olympic lifts and traditional lifts. Those taking a first-place finish for DeLand included Noah Isaacson (2), Noah Hatcher, Wyatt Dunne (2), Eric Copeland, Sam Trivett, Jaxson Van Horn, Xavier Caraballo, Mo Knio and Luke Patterson. Lifting to second place were Johan Rodriguez (2), Van Horn, Tyler Boyer, Johnatan Baker, Patterson, Jordan Ferrell and Jason Galindo. Earning thirds were Elijah Laureno, Ayden Molina and Trivett.

DeLand High School Athletics

DeLand boys basketball stopped Flagler Palm Coast, 69-51, with Justin Suarez scoring 35 points, but the DeLand Bulldogs were stopped by Atlantic, 51-42, and Winter Springs, 61-48.

The Lady Bulldogs stopped Deltona, 52-39, but lost to Spruce Creek, 64-47.

The winter sports calendar has only the girls weightlifting team and wrestling still competing. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15, sends two Lady Bulldog weightlifters to state in Lakeland. The wrestlers go to district during the week of Feb. 15, while regionals will be at Lake Mary during the week of Feb. 22. The state meet is Thursday-Saturday, March 6-8, at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee.

The spring sports calendar, with baseball, softball, track and field, flag football, boys weightlifting and tennis, now fills the dates. 

Friday, Feb. 14, sends the Bulldog track teams to the Lake Mary Open Classic at 3 p.m., while the baseball team goes to Jacksonville to face Bishop Kenny at 6 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, has the softball team at Orlando Innovation at 6 p.m., while the baseball team is in Bunnell to face Flagler Palm Coast at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

On Wednesday, Feb. 19, the boy weightlifters go to Atlantic at 4:30 p.m., with the flag-football team at Bishop Moore at 7 p.m. The boy and girl tennis players host University at 4 p.m., with the JV baseball team at Pine Ridge at 4 p.m.

Thursday, Feb. 20, has the flag-football team greeting Deltona Trinity Christian at 5 p.m. on the field at Sperling Sports Complex.

The softball team goes to The Villages Friday, Feb. 21, to compete in The Villages Tournament against South Sumter at 5 p.m. and Ocala Trinity Catholic at 7:30 p.m. and, Saturday, Feb. 22, they play against The Villages at noon and Lecanto at 2:30 p.m.

Also on Feb. 21, the track teams are off to Flagler Palm Coast to compete in the East Coast Classic at 1 p.m. The JV baseball team is at New Smyrna Beach at 4 p.m., and the baseball team travels to Venice Feb. 21 and 22, playing at 7 p.m. both days.

Stetson University basketball

The Stetson University Hatter men lost to North Florida in overtime, 101-100, after knotting the score at 86 at the end of regulation play. Jordan Wood scored 26 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds and two steals. Josh Massey dropped 22 points, Jamie Phillips Jr. made 17 points, Mehki Ellison added 14 points with eight rebounds and two steals, and Abramo Canka finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. The team then was stopped by Florida Gulf Coast, 82-56, with Massey collecting 19 points, five rebounds and one block, while Ellison scored 13 points.

The Lady Hatters topped Austin Peay, 79-63, with Cameron Thomas scoring 19 points with seven rebounds and one block. Mary McMillan added 17 points, Promise Keshi dropped in 13 points, and Quentarra Mitchell scored 11 points and two blocks. The team also defeated Lipscomb, 74-70, with Thomas scoring 26 points, as Shelby Calhoun added 13 points with seven rebounds and two steals.

Saturday, Feb. 15, sends the men to Austin Peay, while the women go to FGCU at 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Feb. 18, has the men at home against North Florida at 7 p.m. in a game sponsored by Culver’s, while Thursday, Feb. 20, the men are at home against FGCU at 7 p.m. and the women travel to West Georgia to play at 5:30 p.m.

Stetson University softball

The Stetson University softball team greets Wofford at 3 p.m. and Bethune-Cookman at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, while on Sunday, Feb. 16, they host Bethune-Cookman at 12:30 p.m.

On Friday, Feb. 21, the team greets FAU at 3 p.m. and Marist at 5:30 p.m., while on Saturday, Feb. 22, they face Long Island at 3 p.m. and Marist at 5:30 p.m.

Stetson University Athletics

The Stetson University Hatter men’s tennis team beat Gardner-Webb, 4-3, with Christian Kuehne, Sami Ozzor and Xavier Sarda Marti winning single matches. The Lady Hatters stopped USF, 4-1, with Cheri Darley, Katsiaryna Tuliakova, Alanna DiFrancesco, Clelia Lombardi and Anastasija Adeikyte winning single matches.

The Stetson lacrosse team won an exhibition game with Lynn, 10-6.

The Lady Hatters golf team competed in the Sea Best Intercollegiate at Jacksonville University, placing seventh out of 15 teams. UF won the tournament with an 857, while Stetson had a three-round score of 884. Isaki Sakashita tied for fourth with rounds of 75-72-66.

Saturday, Feb. 15, sends the men’s tennis team to Jacksonville State in Statesboro, Georgia, while on Sunday, Feb. 16, they face Georgia Southern.

The lacrosse team travels to play Clemson at noon Feb. 16.

Wednesday, Feb. 19, has the Lady Hatter tennis players at FAU at 2 p.m., while Friday, Feb. 21, the men’s tennis team is at UCF at 10 a.m., while the beach-volleyball team faces Mercer at home at 10 a.m. and Nebraska at 1 p.m.

College honors

Meagan Schachter, of DeLand, has been named to the Mississippi State University fall 2024 President’s List.

Bailey Carlisle, of DeLand, has been named to the Deans’ Honor Roll for the fall 2024 semester at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas.

Marissa Rae Lemus, of Deltona, has earned an Associate of Arts degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus. Holly Winbigler, of DeLand, has earned a Master of Science in biotechnology: bioinformatics from the University of Maryland Global Campus.

Larissa Silva, of DeLand, has been named to the fall 2024 dean’s list at The State University of New York at Albany, where she is majoring in business administration.