The spring signing period for high school seniors to align themselves with college athlete programs began this week, and several Brevard County high school competitors took advantage of it.
Rockledge’s Kaira Simmons (seated, center) signed with Ole Miss track & field on Wednesday
Five players from the Rockledge High girls lacrosse team, set to begin its FHSAA playoff run on Friday, gathered in the school’s auditorium, while classmate Kaira Simmons signed in the cafeteria to attend and compete for Ole Miss. Simmons was last year’s FLORIDA TODAY Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year.
Simmons holds the best performances among Brevard County high schools girls this year in the 200 meters, at 24.5 seconds; and the long jump, at 19 feet, 5 1/2 inches. The latter leads the state of Florida.
Ali Clemente, Maggie Johnson, Janey Johnson, Sage Hicks-Fredenburg and Aleena McCoy were the exception to the rule as five signees from the same team. Both Johnsons headed to Montevallo of Alabama, while Clemente signed with Concordia University of Illinois, Hicks-Fredenburg with the Merchant Marine Academy and McCoy with Erskin College of South Carolina.
Viera girls soccer No. 1 in national poll
Holy Trinity sisters Shelby and Sydney Smith committed themselves to the University of Chicago for cross country and track and field. Ryan Bastien signed with John Carroll for baseball, Noel Whitlock with the University of the South for diving and Audrey Wilson with UCF crew.
At Melbourne, two players from the Class 7A state semifinalist Bulldogs basketball team signed with Eastern Florida State: Noah Horchler and Logan Folsom. Mya Jackson signed with Florida Memorial women’s basketball.
Merritt Island girls win track title
Merritt Island’s girls team outscored host Sebastian River, 191.5-146, winning the District 13-3A track and field title on Wednesday.
Macie Monborne won the 100-meter hurdles in 16.86 seconds and the 300 hurdles (38.10). She also won the high jump, clearing 5-0.
Viera won the boys title, 184-135 over the Mustangs. Hawks event winners were Tre Nixon in the 100 meters (11.04 seconds), Jay Boyd (5-10 high jump), Nick Bandos with a season best pole vault of 14-6 and the 4×100 relay squad.
Belaya, Go advance in state tennis
Sasha Belaya of Viera won quarterfinal matches on Wednesday at the FHSAA state tennis tournament and will compete again Thursday when the tournament resumes at 8 a.m.
Belaya, the No. 1 seed in 3A individual girls singles, defeated Katherine Jakeway of Ponta Vedra Nease, 6-1, 6-1 in Altamonte Springs. She will meet Bin Zhing of Miami Doral in the semifinal round. Belaya is also teamed with Izzie Diaz in individual doubles, advancing to the semifinal round with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Pensacola Washington’s Emily Dawson and Abigail Lipnicky.
Go, the defending state champion and second seed in boys individual singles, beat Jacob Kennard of Tampa Hillsborough, 6-1, 6-0. He and Kevin Taylor also won in doubles, eliminating Land O’ Lakes’ Maxwell Keenan and Albert Xing, 6-1, 6-1.
Vote for this week’s Athlete of the Week
In Class 1A play in Sanford, Holy Trinity’s Hunter Morris was eliminated from individual singles by William Font of Boca Raton St. Andrews, 6-1, 6-0. Edgewood’s Courtney Copeland was defeated by Olivia Jablonski of Tampa Citrus Park Christian by the same score. Morris and doubles partner Matt Ryan fell to Ivan Esguerra and Brandon Stewart of Gainesville P.K. Yonge, also 6-1, 6-0. Ashleigh Kutryb and Morgan McCarthy were scheduled to represent Holy Trinity in girls individual doubles but will complete their match Thursday.
Rockledge holds third in overall state rankings
Rockledge High’s baseball team remained in third in the overall state poll produced by The Prep Zone this week, and the Raiders held the No. 2 spot in 6A. Merritt Island was No. 6 in the class.
Viera was third in 7A, while Melbourne received votes but did not crack the top 10 there. In 5A, Melbourne Central Catholic was No. 3.
According to the Miracle Sports statewide softball rankings, Viera was No. 5 in all classes and second in 7A. Rockledge High softball was sixth in the Class 6A poll. Both Astronaut and MCC received votes in 5A, and Covenant Christian held on to 10th in 2A.
Contact McCallum at 321-242-3698 or bmccallum@floridatoday.com. Follow him @Brian_McCallum and at facebook.com/FLtoday.brianmccallum.
High school sports | floridatoday.com/sports/high-school-sports/
District 13-3A track and field
At Sebastian River
Girls
Team scoring: 1. Merritt Island 191.5; 2. Sebastian River 146; 3. Palm Bay 85; 4. Viera 74.5; 5. Heritage 64; 6. Eau Gallie 36; 7. West Shore 31; 8. Bayside 18.
Individual Brevard winners: 100H – Macie Monborne (MI) 16.86; 300H – Monborne (MI) 38.10; 4×100 – Palm Bay 51.49; 4×800 – Merritt Island 10:30.57; 800 – Erin McCarthy (MI) 2:36.42; Disc – Kaitlyn Jensen (V) 109-7; Shot – Jensen (V) 39-7 1/2; HJ – Monborne (MI) 5-0; LJ – Desirae Mills (PB) 17-0; Pole – Julianna Chaput (MI) 10-0; TJ – Mills (PB) 33-8 1/2.
Boys
Team scoring: 1. Viera 184; 2. Merritt Island 135; 3. Heritage 107.5; 4. Sebastian River 93; 5. West Shore 61; 6. Eau Gallie 39; 7. Palm Bay 28; 8. Bayside 9.5.
Individual Brevard winners: 100 – Tre Nixon (V) 11.04; 110H – Jimmy Batch (MI) 14.43; 1600 – Steven Cross (MI) 4:26.55; 200 – Alex Cabrera (V) 22.83; Joshua Ramirez (H) 39.51; 3200 – Cross (MI) 9:47.94; 400 – Zamari Walton (EG) 52.17; 4×100 – Viera 42.48; 4×800 – Merritt Island 8:16.53; 800 – Jared Hayes 2:00.10 (WS); HJ – Jay Boyd (V) 5-10; Pole – Nick Bandos (V) 14-6.