Achievers
By Times Staff Writer
Published March 29, 2006
The 18th annual Gifted Math Meet for fourth- and fifth-graders, created in 1989 to spark elementary students' interest in math, was held Thursday and Friday with the following results:
South County Gifted Math Meet winners
Fourth grade individual competition:
First: Ben Engwall, Area III Gifted Center.
Second: Nyssa Hartman, Bay Point Elementary.
Third: Brett Buchert, Pasadena Fundamental Elementary.
Fourth: Celine Viravong, Azalea Elementary.
Fourth grade team competition:
First: Bay Point Elementary - Brian Cook, Nyssa Hartman, Stephen Bridges, Jamie Kane.Second: Bay Vista Fundamental - Sam Goodis, Anthony Johns, Lance Smith, Drew Kearney.
Third: Azalea Elementary - Sarah Barney, James Picker, Monica Suarez, Celine Viravong.
Fourth: Area III Gifted Center - Aaron Haughton, Ben Engwall, Amani Holder, Reba Potter.
Fifth grade individual competition:
First: Eric Mulligan, Area III Gifted Center.Second: Ted Kursevicius, Azalea Gifted Center.
Third: Tiffney Kitiratanasumpun, Bay Point Elementary.
Fourth: Mick Kracht, Bay Point Elementary.
Fifth grade team competition:
First: Bay Point Elementary - Allie Paddock, Mick Kracht, Solomon Howard, Tiffney Kitiratanasumpun.Second: Pasadena Elementary - Andrew Vaidila, Joey Sinibaldi, Alexis Swan, Chris Leonard.
Third: Bay Vista Fundamental - Brent Begany, Ian Smith, Ben Hudson, Bradley Engert.
Fourth: Lakeview Fundamental - Jesse Wood, Morgan Rhodes, Elena Barbieri, Cassidy Conover.
Mid County Gifted Math Meet winners
Fourth grade individual competition:
First: Alyssa Sanders, Leila G. Davis Elementary.Second: Mohamed Nuh, Ridgecrest Elementary.
Third: Samuel Lobo, Ridgecrest Elementary.
Fourth: Michael Harms, McMullen-Booth Elementary.
Fourth grade team competition:
First: McMullen-Booth Elementary - Michael Harms, Marcus Atherholdt, Sarah Ford, Sara Landis.
Second: Ridgecrest Elementary - Mohamed Nuh, Tiffany Ahn, Zaydi Javeed, Samuel Lobo.
Third: Bauder Elementary - Julia Sessa, Claire Jennings, Laren Nease, Kaylyn Fox.
Fourth: Sandy Lane Elementary - Sophia Benzarti, Brandon Bess, Kyle Brittain, Stephen Bingham.
Fifth grade individual competition:
First: Tristan Southerland, Bauder Gifted Center.
Second: Max Mazzoni, McMullen-Booth Elementary.
Third: Jhordan Bautisa, Skycrest Gifted Center.
Fourth: Jacob Crist, Leila G. Davis Elementary.
Fifth grade team competition:
First: Seminole Elementary Gifted Center - Gloria Gauger, Joshua Le Borious, T.J. Sharkey, Vienna Quattry.
Second: Bauder Gifted Center - Jonathen Settle, Travis Andrews, Kenneth Matthews, Tristan Southerland.
Third: Skycrest Gifted Center - Clarissa Alvarez, Jhordan Bautisa, Joel Tunceren, Cyrus Tahmorutour.
Fourth: Ridgecrest Elementary - Katharine Rygiel, Jessie Sinocchiaro, Megan Feldman, Pearl Shi
North County Gifted Math Meet winners
Fourth grade individual competition:
First: Emma Freeman, Sutherland Elementary.
Second (tie): Mackinzie Hayes, Highland Lakes Elementary, and Lisa McConnell, Curlew Creek Elementary.
Third: Phillip Mackie, Brooker Creek Elementary.
Fourth: Jimmie Messmore, Sutherland Elementary.
Fourth grade team competition:
First: Sutherland Elementary - Emma Freeman, Garrett Grassman, Jimmie Messmore, Konrad Pabjan.
Second: Brooker Creek Elementary - Phillip Mackie, Samantha Siegel, Chase Mallory, Sam Wilton.
Third: Tarpon Springs Elementary and Tarpon Springs Fundamental - Melissa Loscalzo, Sara Crain, Ross Fleming, Crystal Wang.
Fourth: Highland Lakes Elementary - Nicole Larsen, Matthew Whitlock, William Cronin, Mackinzie Hayes.
Fifth grade individual competition:
First: Zachary LaPlante, Brooker Creek Elementary.
Second: Alex Karras, Southerland Elementary.
Third: Andrew Godwin, Highland Lakes Elementary.
Fourth: Sarah Hou, Forest Lakes Elementary.
Fifth grade team competition:
First: Brooker Creek Elementary - Jesse Faylo, Jimmy Hickman, Zachary LaPlante, Daniel Singleton.
Second: Cypress Woods Elementary - Andrew Tremblay, Jeffery Burns, Chelsi Mackin, Jessica Mraovich.
Third: Curlew Creek Elementary - Will Moore, Mike Flory, Kaitlyn Lystad, Natalie Rumak.
Fourth place: Highland Lakes Elementary - Joshua Preisig, Ben Hurley, Andrew Godwin, Morgan Cribbin.
Sam Roper, head football coach and driver education teacher at Seminole High School, is one of two high school coaches in the country to receive this year's President Gerald R. Ford All-American high school coach award.
Roper, who became Seminole's head coach in 1985, is the first Pinellas coach to receive the award. It was presented March 11 at the All-American Football Foundation's 77th Banquet of Champions in Tampa.
Roper founded the Pinellas All-Star Football Classic and was head coach of the U.S. team in the Global Junior championships, held annually in conjunction with the Super Bowl.
He was chairman of the Florida High School Athletic Asociation Football Advisory Board and has received the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach of the week award.
The National Association of Independent Schools and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education has honored Shorecrest Preparatory School with a national award of excellence for E-Bytes, a weekly online newsletter.
Shorecrest was the only secondary school selected in the electronic newsletters and tabloid category.
Additionally, the school's Web site received a gold award in the secondary category from the Admissions Marketing Report in the 21st annual admissions advertising awards.
Students from two Pinellas high schools took top honors in the Florida Gulf Coast Catholic Forensic League grand national tournament. The contest determines which students will qualify to attend the National Catholic Forensic League national tournament in Chicago.
Camillle York of Northeast High won in the declamation category. Seeta Rani Nath of Lakewood High also won for declamation.
The team of Rachel Rolfe and John Correa from Lakewood High won for policy debate. The team of Erik Johanson and Michael Flegiel, also from Lakewood, won for interpretation of literature.
Additionally, Lakewood students Chris Estoch and Rob Meister advanced to the semifinals in the public forum debate event at the Florida Forensic League state varsity tournament.
Pinellas County Schools' office of library media/technology congratulates these students who are this year's Bookarama district winners in the middle school division:
Zachary Hogue, Southside Fundamental Middle School, first; Madina Behori, Osceola Middle School, second; Elizabeth Boone, Coachman Fundamental Middle School, third; and Arljinda Ismajli, Riviera Middle School, fourth.
These students, both from Tarpon Springs High, are winners in the high school division:
Erin Finnegan, first, and Christine Koerte, second.
Ten winners have been selected in the 2006 Outstanding School Volunteer competition.
These volunteers were selected for their unique contributions and dedication to quality education and highest student achievement in the youth, adult, senior and workforce development categories:
Youth: Heena Patel, Bauder Elementary; Monica Blair, Starkey Elementary; Moira Kiernan, Palm Harbor University High.
Adult: Mark Keyser, McMullen-Booth Elementary; Charles Derexson, Pinellas Central Elementary; James Feazell, Largo High.
Senior: Ralph Burson, Tarpon Springs Fundamental Elementary; Florine Handler, Blanton Elementary; Nathan Middleton, Dunedin High.
Workforce development: Mahdyyah C. Abdul-Kareem, Tomlinson Adult Center.