No borders

Scott Crespo has many passions, from economics to soccer to judo.

By DAVID MURPHY
Published July 22, 2007

Scott Crespo plans to study applied economics at Cornell. He aspires to become a player in the international business world. He dabbles in judo.

In other words, when the Times set out to find the best student-athletes in Hernando County, Crespo was exactly what it had in mind.

"When he does something, he does it all the way," Hernando soccer coach Anthony Miziko said.

For that reason, we will not fault him for taking his sophomore and junior years off from soccer (after all, he was focusing on academics and participating in an internship with Hernando County's accounting department).

And we will not fault him for not scoring more than one goal during his senior season (after all, he was a defensive center-midfielder).

Crespo was an integral part of Miziko's Hernando team. And, more importantly, he was a future salutatorian aiming for a place in the Ivy League.

"I'm ready to expand my horizons," Crespo said.

Not that his horizons are narrow to begin with.

His father, Carlos, who emigrated from Cuba soon after the Castro revolution, ran a company that builds airports around the world. Carlos was a member of the Indiana University judo team when he met future wife Lynn, now a faculty member at the University of South Florida.

Some fathers and sons spend quality time over baseball mitts in the backyard. Carlos and Scott occasionally square off in a friendly match of judo.

"That's how we bond," said Scott, who tallied 28 on his ACT.

Scott speaks a little Spanish, but would like to learn more. His goal is to spend a year studying abroad in Spain. His older brother, Daniel, is a student at Cornell and spends his summers playing professional polo (the Crespos own a horse farm, raising Arabian horses).

Scott's goal, he says, is to become something of a renaissance man: see the world, experience everything it has to offer.

Those who know him best have no doubt that will happen.

"He's just dedicated and competitive and obsessive compulsive," his father, Carlos, said.

"He's never had a B in his life, and I don't know what he would do if he did."

Miziko, who coached Crespo for one year, said, "he's just an impressive kid."

We couldn't agree more.

Fast Facts:

Scott Crespo's statistics

School: Hernando Sport: Soccer

ACT score: 28 Class rank: Salutatorian

Academic bonus: Spent two years in high school completing an accounting internship.

College plans: Plans to study applied economics at Cornell.

[Last modified July 21, 2007, 22:03:55]