Community

Tropic Shores Realty wins basketball division

By Mike Camunas, Times Correspondent
Published February 15, 2008

While the rest of the Hernando Youth League basketball divisions will be crowning league champions Saturday, the Rookie Division 6- through 8-year-olds decided its champion at season's end more than two weeks ago.

League officials had originally planned on having a playoff format to decide the championship, but after some conjecture, the team leading the standings at the end of the regular season was awarded the first-place trophy.

"The Rookie Division was for instructional purposes at first," league director Mike Bennett said. "Things started to get a little too competitive toward the end of the season, so we decided to cancel the playoffs and keep things a little more fun."

Tropic Shores Realty (4-0) was crowned league champs after sweeping its division, including two shutouts victories over Coney Island and Looper Sports.

The runner-up trophy was decided in hindsight with a 9-7 win by Home Mortgage Corporation of America (2-2) over Looper Sports (2-2) in December.

Spring Hill Wrestling Dominates: At the Citrus USA Youth Wrestling Tournament on Feb. 3, Spring Hill Wrestling youth competitors were able to win four weight classes and eight other grapplers were able to place in the tournament.

Cody Ross, a 130-pound eighth-grader, was the headliner after his victory.

He was joined by his brother Conor Ross, a 100-pound fifth-grader, at the top of the podium. Fifth-graders Dante Hamilton (65 pounds) and Matt Landgraff (80) also came home with gold medals.

One other notable competitor placed in second for Spring Hill.

Pre-K wrestler Cael Swensen, the son of Springstead wrestling coach Eric Swensen, was the runner-up at 40 pounds in the tournament.

Lee Kicks Off Race Schedule: After a runner-up finish last season in the Novice Division points race, Weeki Wachee resident Carter Lee has moved up to the Purple Junior Sportsman Division for the 2008 campaign at the Florida Dirt Devils Speedway in Land O'Lakes.

On Feb. 2 at Dirt Devils Speedway, Lee competed in the first World Karting Association Florida Divisional Dirt Series race of the season in the Junior Sportsman Heavy Division, placing 10th of 11 drivers entered.

There are five other races in this series for Lee before season's end.

The next such race is March 1 at Crossroads Speedway in Jasper.

Hernando Juniors Soaring: One Hernando Juniors Volleyball Club team succeeded above the rest two weekends ago while competing at a talent-laden tournament.

The 15-and-under squad was able to take home gold medals while competing at the Power Volleyball Academy Tournament on Feb. 3 at Stetson University in DeLand.

Hernando was able to finish ahead of three separate club teams from the Power Academy along with teams from Volusia, New Smyrna Beach and Lake County.

The 15-and-under lineup is led by coach Paul Schillinger and assistant Teri Russo. On the 10-player roster, there are only two current high school players, Christie Bretagna from Nature Coast and Kelsie Heckman from Springstead.

Submit info, feedback to communitysports@tampabay.com.

[Last modified February 14, 2008, 20:27:35]