The Southwest Florida Sports Awards returns for its 16th straight go-around on Wednesday, May 27.
The one thing about the annual event held by The News-Press and Naples Daily News that honors the area’s top high school athletes is that it is always changing.
New venues. New sports. New awards. Global pandemics.
Through it all, the night has brought together the area’s high school stars for a community celebration, and for many, a final sendoff from stellar high school athletic careers. For some, it’s a beacon for what they can yet accomplish.
As we prepare for the 16th Annual Southwest Florida High School Sports Awards event, which will be in a new home at Alico Arena on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, it seems fitting to look back at the last 15 years.
There is another significant change to this year’s show. We’re going back to how we started. Unlike in recent years where we selected finalists for the Player of the Year awards and announced the winner at the show, this year’s Player of the Year winners will all be notified pre-show and are invited to come and be celebrated. We will announce our overall Male and Female Athlete of the Year at the show, so there still are some surprises.
Here are highlights from our past events, how they evolved year-to-year, who were the big winners, and why the last 15 years were so special.
2011: Where it all began
The first show was held on a hot May evening at the former spring training home of the Boston Red Sox, City of Palms Park. The event was called the All-Area Sports Awards and just included The News-Press, which it did for several years.
Estero High swimmer Molly DuBrasky was named the first Female Athlete of the Year, and South Fort Myers football standout Dallas Crawford took the Male Athlete of the Year prize.
DuBrasky was coming off a prep career where she became the first Wildcat to win state gold as she finished with a streak of three-straight 500-yard freestyle state titles and two straight 200 freestyle crowns. She went on to graduate from UF in 2015 with a degree in Family, Youth, and Community Sciences.
When later asked about that night, she told The News-Press, “The only thing I can really remember is having to walk up on stage all nervous in front of 100 people,” she recalled. “It’s one of those things where you just walk up there and smile. You haven’t even had enough time to process what happened. I remember it didn’t even really hit me until I was getting in the car with my parents to leave. It was so special.”
In 2011, Crawford was a front-runner for the inaugural Male Athlete of the Year award after winning Football Defensive Player of the Year honors following a season where he intercepted nine passes and also threw for 2,647 yards and 26 touchdowns, totaling 3,074 yards of offense with 35 scores. He graduated as Lee County’s all-time leading passer and went to play at the University of Miami, where he was a jack-of-all-trades.
“Winning this, it shows me that my city’s behind me. They’re rooting for me,” Crawford said that night.
“I’m just honored to have won this. I mean, I’m honored to just be here, so to have won this — that’s big. It means a lot.”
The event had two guest speakers, FGCU women’s basketball coach Karl Smesko and Port Charlotte High grad and New Orleans Saints Super Bowl champion Anthony Hargrove.
The 2012 All-Area Awards Winners
Girls Cross Country: Kacy Smith, Estero
Boys Cross Country: Caleb Baker, LaBelle
Football Offense: Sammy Watkins, South Fort Myers
Football Defense: Dallas Crawford, South Fort Myers
Boys Golf: Jack Hernandez, Bishop Verot
Girls Golf: Georgia Price, Fort Myers
Boys Swimming: Kyle Snew, Estero
Girls Swimming: Molly DuBrasky, Estero
Volleyball: Brittany Brinson, Fort Myers
Boys Basketball: Evin Graham, Fort Myers
Girls Basketball: Taylor Kramer, Bishop Verot
Boys Soccer: Andrew Palumbo, Bishop Verot
Girls Soccer: Haley Emerson, Fort Myers
Wrestling: Dalton Langford, Riverdale
Baseball: Hudson Boyd, Bishop Verot
Boys Tennis: Kap Owens, Bishop Verot
Girls Tennis: Hailey Grillo, Fort Myers
Boys Track: Sammy Watkins, South Fort Myers
Girls Track: Jokira Jiles, Cape Coral
Softball: Maddy Peres, Ida Baker
2012: Ballers reign at the All-Area Stars Banquet
The News-Press held its second annual All-Area Stars Banquet at JetBlue Park on May 21, 2012. Nearly 250 attendees gathered to honor our players of the year in 24 varsity sports as bowling and lacrosse were added to the awards.
Basketball players ruled the day as Dunbar girls basketball freshman Kiara Desamours was named the Female Athlete of the Year while Mariner boys basketball senior Kendric Ferrara was named the male Athlete of the Year.
The Dunbar tri-captain posted her 16th double-double of the season, scoring 17 points and pulling down 13 rebounds to lead her team to a 50-41 victory over Jacksonville Ribault, earning the Tigers the first girls basketball state title in Lee County history. Along the way, Desamours led Dunbar in scoring (14.8 points per game), field goal shooting (67 percent) and rebounding (9.7).
“My freshman year, I did not expect to come into high school and do all these great things,” said Desamours, who graduated in 2015 and went on to play at Lamar University, after the 2012 banquet. “All these things just happened. I did not expect them at all. But the bar can never be set too high. I just have to keep working and working in hopes of coming back here next year for this event.”
Ferrara set three single-season school records for the Tritons – most blocks (158), most blocks in a game (11) and best field-goal shooting (62 percent). In addition, he led the team in scoring (16.9 points per game) and rebounding (10.9), catapulting Mariner (24-7) to its first district championship and state regional final appearance since 2003. Ferrara was busy off the court, volunteering as a tutor, front-office aide, member of student government and at the afterschool program at Hector A. Cafferata Elementary School.
“My resume is pretty hefty,” said Ferrara, who went on to play at Furman “I didn’t realize that I put that much stuff on there. But when they were calling it out, it was like, wow, that is a lot of stuff.”
A pair of Olympians shared the stage as guest speakers with legendary long jumper and 1968 gold medalist Bob Beamon and U.S. pairs figure skater Amanda Evora both taking part.
The 2012 All-Area Awards Winners
Girls cross country: Kacy Smith, Estero
Boys cross country: Aaron Rojas, Estero
Football offense: Tshumbi Johnson, Immokalee
Football defense: Ta’Jarvis Fuller, Dunbar
Girls golf: Kaitie Cross, Riverdale
Boys golf: Jake Sherwin, Evangelical Christian School
Girls swimming: Olivia Langford, Cape Coral
Boys swimming: Michael Messuri, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Jessica Wagner, North Fort Myers
Girls bowling: Jessica Davies, Island Coast
Boys bowling: Austin Brewer, North Fort Myers
Girls basketball: Kiara Desamours, Dunbar
Boys basketball: Kendrec Ferrara, Mariner
Wrestling: Chuckie Kerkesner, Cypress Lake
Girls soccer: Amanda Kopale, Ida Baker
Boys soccer: Andrew Albright, Evangelical Christian School
Baseball: Kyle Miller, Estero
Softball: Maddy Peres, Ida Baker
Boys lacrosse: James Renner, Estero
Girls lacrosse: Joanna Russell, Cape Coral
Boys tennis: Parker Woodall, Cypress Lake
Girls tennis: Thandiwe Kangwa, Fort Myers
Boys Track & Field: Ben Bocio, Ida Baker
Girls Track & Field: Sarah Candiano, Evangelical Christian School
2013: Rain can’t douse the All-Area Stars Banquet
The News-Press held its third annual All-Area Stars Banquet at JetBlue Park on May 29, 2013. The top athletes from 24 varsity sports gathered to be honored, but due to rain, the awards were held in the stadium’s concourse instead of on the field.
Fort Myers sophomore tennis player Thandiwe Kangwa was named the Female Athlete of the Year while Mariner senior boys soccer player Joshua Teeter took home the Male Athlete of the Year award.
“I had no idea it was going to be me, honestly,” Kangwa said at the time. “I was so surprised. It means a lot to win this award especially with all the amazing athletes here and everything they have done. It meant a lot to be recognized.”
Kangwa, who went on to play at Seton Hall, won her second consecutive LCAC and District 3A-13 titles and was the Class 3A individual doubles state champion as a sophomore. Outside of tennis, she spent her time volunteering with the Lee County Community Tennis Association, the Health Park Children’s Rehabilitation Center and Harlem Heights Improvement Association food pantry. She also maintained a cumulative 3.8 GPA as a student at Edison Collegiate High School.
Teeter was Mariner soccer’s ironman, never missing a game his senior season on his way to being named first-team All-State and to the All-State All-Star team. Teeter completed more than 300 hours of community service at the CCMI soup kitchen, Road Cleanup, STEM Robotic Competition and National Honor Society Induction.
“It’s great to be recognized for this,“ Teeter said at the event. “All my work has been recognized. I’m so proud and happy. I had a lot of support from family, guidance counselors and coaches. They all helped me push myself. It’s fun to help people and reach out to the community
Then new FGCU men’s basketball coach Joe Dooley made his first public appearance in Southwest Florida as the event’s guest speaker.
The 2013 All-Area Awards Winners
Girls cross country: Emily Edwards, Fort Myers
Boys cross country: Tyler Bennett, Fort Myers
Football offense: Manny Morgan, Naples
Football defense: Jayron Kearse, South Fort Myers
Girls golf: Lurrel Wise, Estero
Boys golf: Landon Weber, Fort Myers
Girls swimming: Kendall Brent, Fort Myers
Boys swimming: Logan Samuelson, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Shelby Joslin, Evangelical Christian
Girls bowling: Jessica Davies, Island Coast
Boys bowling: Tim Sipper, Island Coast
Girls bowling: Keri Jewett, Dunbar
Boys bowling: Mason Taylor, Bishop Verot
Wrestling: Brandon Gacad, Ida Baker
Girls soccer: Haley Pigott, Evangelical Christian
Boys soccer: Joshua Teeter, Mariner
Baseball: Sean Brady, Ida Baker
Softball: Annette Castaldo, Bishop Verot
Girls lacrosse: Hallie Stufano, Fort Myers
Boys lacrosse: Max Margolin, Fort Myers
Boys tennis: Zach Blythe, Cypress Lake
Girls tennis: Thandiwe Kangwa, Fort Myers
Boys track & field: Tyrell Johnson, Island Coast
Girls track & field: Emily Edwards, Fort Myers
2014: Moving indoors and adding more suspense
The 2013-14 All-Area Stars Banquet saw a big change from its previous three years. Three finalists for Player of the Year in each sport were named for the first time with the winner being announced at the awards show. Previously, Players of the Year were named at the end of each season, and the winners knew who they were beforehand.
This show was held indoors for the first time, at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, on May 20, 2014. Nearly 70 of the area’s best athletes from 19 high schools were among the 500 people in attendance.
It was a great night for Greenies as Fort Myers High seniors Emily Edwards and Logan Samuelson were named the Female and Male Athletes of the Year.
“It’s such an honor to win this award,” said Edwards after the show. “I was surprised because there are a lot of great athletes here. Not only are they great athletes, but they are great people.”
Edwards won the LCAC, District 3A-11 and Region 3A-3 titles and topped it all off with a Class 3A cross country state championship. She was named the Gatorade Florida Cross Country Runner of the Year, had a 5.3-grade point average and also was nominated for girls track and field athlete of the year. She signed with Alabama and ran for the Crimson Tide before transferring to Florida State where she finished her college career.
Samuelson, the Florida Dairy Farms Class 3A swimmer of the year, had a 4.03-grade point average. He won two events in the Class 3A state meet, the 200-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle. He signed with Auburn out of high school but finished college at Iowa.
“This is truly an honor,” Samuelson said after the event. “It’s a blessing. One of my goals was to win the two state titles. I knew that would help my case.”
Three-time Stanley Cup champion and two-time Olympian Brian Rafalski was the event’s guest speaker.
The 2014 All-Area Awards Winners
Football defense: D’Ronzjiah Matthews, South Fort Myers
Football offense: J.C. Jackson, Immokalee
Girls cross country: Emily Edwards, Fort Myers
Boys cross country: Tyler Bennett, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Sydney Ferguson, Evangelical Christian Schoo
Boys swimming: Logan Samuelson, Fort Myers
Girls swimming: Kendall Brent, Fort Myers
Boys golf: Landon Weber, Fort Myers
Girls golf: Brooke Ciccone, Cape Coral
Boys bowling: Tim Sipper, Island Coast
Girls bowling: Jessica Davies, Island Coast
Girls soccer: Katie Sullivan, Bishop Verot
Boys soccer: Tyler Yergens, Bishop Verot
Girls basketball: Keri Jewett, Dunbar
Boys basketball: Ricky Doyle, Bishop Verot
Wrestling: Alejandro Lopez, Mariner
Boys lacrosse: Michael Payson, Canterbury
Girls lacrosse: Kelly Reynolds, Bishop Verot
Girls tennis: Thandiwe Kangwa, Fort Myers
Boys tennis: John Carlin, Fort Myers
Boys track and field: Drew McMichael, ECS
Girls track and field: Katie Slater, Estero
Softball: Makenzie Buss, Cape Coral
Baseball: Evan Dougherty, Bishop Verot
2015: Celebrating amid grief as community suffers a shocking loss
Just a month before the 2015 All-Area Stars Banquet at Hammond Stadium, the Southwest Florida sports community suffered a terrible loss. Longtime Estero High cross country and track coach and athletic director Jeff Sommer collapsed and died at the state track meet in Jacksonville.
It was under that cloud that area athletes, friends, and family gathered at Hammond Stadium for the fifth annual awards event on Wednesday, June 3. To honor Sommer, The News-Press founded the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award and presented the first to its namesake’s family.
“When I think back over the years with all the kids he had a special impact on, and when you have three decades of that, you really kind of see that in perspective with how many kids lives were changed because of him,” Sue Sommer said at the event.
Sommer’s son, Adam, a graduate of Estero, accepted the award on his family’s behalf.
“I’m very honored and blessed to receive this award in honor of my dad today,” Adam Sommer said. “I know he was loved by many of you out there tonight, and I want to thank everybody again for coming out.”
Evangelical Christian’s Sara Chandiano capped an outstanding senior season in which she was named the girls cross country and track and field athlete of the year with the Female Athlete of the Year Award. Naples football standout Michael Walker joined her on stage as the Male Athlete of the Year.
“It’s just a great way to end my senior year,” Candiano, a Florida State recruit, said. “I’m really happy to go off like this.”
Candiano won a combined three Class A state titles in track — mile and 2-mile — and cross country her senior year and five in her prep career. In addition, she posted a 4.57 grade-point average, was selected to the National Honor Society and volunteered at her church to raise funds for mission trips.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Walker rushed for 907 yards and 21 touchdowns while passing for 613 yards and seven touchdowns. The Boston College signee who now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars boasted an impressive resume off the field with a 4.9 GPA. He helped co-found the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of the Sun Coast chapter and serves as its president. On top of that, he took a trip to Nicaragua to help build homes for the impoverished.
“My mom has a big impact,” Walker said. “She’s all about community service. We adopted a few kids. We’re all about helping out the community. We want to be a better community.”
The 2015 All-Area Awards winners
Football offense: Michael Walker, Naples
Football defense: Antwan Dixon, South Fort Myers
Girls bowling: Lindsey Conn, Island Coast
Boys bowling: Tyler Altmann, Ida Baker
Girls golf: Kayla Poff, Cape Coral
Boys golf: Ross Lally, Ida Baker
Girls swimming: Kendall Brent, Fort Myers
Boys swimming: Santiago Corredor, Bishop Verot
Girls cross country: Sarah Candiano, ECS
Boys cross country: Dean McGregor, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Larra Bickelhaupt, Oasis
Girls basketball: Keri Jewett, Dunbar
Boys basketball: Mark Matthews, Fort Myers
Girls soccer: Syniah Clark, Ida Baker
Boys Soccer: Austen Hopson, Mariner
Wrestling: Corey Kerkesner, Cypress Lake
Boys lacrosse: Dalton Ackely, Estero
Girls lacrosse: CeCe Barnes, Canterbury
Boys tennis: John Carlin, Fort Myers
Girls tennis: Thandiwe Kangwa, Fort Myers
Boys track and field: Drew McMichael, ECS
Girls track and field: Sarah Candiano, ECS
Baseball: Thaddeus Ward, Bishop Verot
Softball: Josey Mayer, Fort Myers
Coach of the Year: Jeff Sommer, Estero
2016: Back indoors with more sophistication
The 2016 All-Area Stars Sports Awards had a change of venue and feel. The event went from being at a baseball stadium to going inside at Germain (now Hertz) Arena and moved closer to being an upscale award show in appearance and stage presence. It allowed for more screens, graphics, and a sit-down meal in air conditioning.
We also brought in NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith to join the program on May 31, 2016, as guest speaker.
Despite the changes, the focus was still on the area’s top high school athletes, and Cape Coral diver Megan Galbreath and Fort Myers runner Josh Kennedy were named Female and Male Athlete of the Year award winners.
Galbreath won the Class 2A state diving title while also carrying a 5.48 GPA, and scored a 33 on the ACT and 2200 on the SAT. She signed to compete at Harvard.
“There’s just so many amazing athletes out there,” Galbreath said. “It’s been a tough year. It’s been an amazing year. I’d never thought it’d happen.”
Kennedy also blended athletic and academic achievement as he combined a solid cross country season with a perfect SAT score of 2400 and piled up numerous local and national academic awards.
“I’m just thrilled,” Kennedy said after winning the award. “I’d really like to thank my parents. My mom, first of all, for pushing me academically and athletically and for driving me to practice for two years. I’d also like to thank coach (Yancey) Palmer because without his excellent coaching I wouldn’t even have been a finalist.”
Dunbar girls basketball coach Dwayne Donnell won the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award after leading the Tigers to a 26-5 record and a state final four appearance.
“Anything that I’ve accomplished to this point, to be mentored by Jeff and to know people think my career compares to Jeff, if it’s even close to what Jeff has done, that’s special,” he said. “It’s wonderful. It’s a wonderful recognition. This means a lot.”
The 2016 All-Area Awards Winners
Football Offense: Carlin Fils-aime, Naples
Football Defense: Tyler Byrd, Naples
Girls Bowler: Kyndall Snyder, Island Coast
Boys Bowler: Tyler Altmann, Ida Baker
Girls Golfer: Brittany Shin, Ida Baker
Boys Golfer: Landon Weber, Fort Myers
Girls Swimmer: Kendall Brent, Fort Myers
Boys Swimmer: Santiago Corredor, Bishop Verot
Girls Cross Country: Krissy Gear, Fort Myers
Boys Cross Country: Evan Babatz, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Alayna Ryan, Fort Myers
Girls Basketball: Destanni Henderson, Fort Myers
Boys Basketball: Jacob Tracey, Riverdale
Girls Soccer: Taylor Hatch, Estero
Boys Soccer: Erick Rivera, Mariner
Wrestler of the Year: Mike Delago, Fort Myers
Girls Lacrosse: Arianna Endelmann, Estero
Boys Lacrosse: Joey Cerniglia, Bishop Verot
Girls Tennis: Emily Javedan, Canterbury School
Boys Tennis: John Carlin, Fort Myers
Girls Track: Krissy Gear, Fort Myers
Boys Track: Evan Babatz, Fort Myers
Softball: MacKenzie Peterson, North Fort Myers
Baseball: Michael Richey, Bishop Verot
Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year: Dwayne Donnell
2017: The News-Press and Naples Daily News combine forces
After six years of being called the All-Area Stars Awards, The News-Press’ high school sports awards enjoyed a full remodel in 2017.
The show’s name was changed to the Southwest Florida Sports Awards. The format was changed to an ESPY-like event that was no longer a banquet but a theatre show, moving to the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall. And, best of all, the Naples Daily News joined the program, making it a true Southwest Florida event.
Krissy Gear of Fort Myers High School and Cole Schneider of Riverdale were crowned The News-Press Female and Male Athletes of the Year, while Community School of Naples senior football player Joe Lang and Gulf Coast sophomore basketball player Yasmeen Chang were the Naples Daily News’ top winners.
Along with Female Athlete of the Year, Gear, a senior runner, also was named Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year after concluding her career with six individual state track championships. Gear was unable to attend while representing the United States at a track meet in Cuba.
After being named Wrestler of the Year in 2015, Schneider closed his prep career by winning the award again and adding Male Athlete of the Year to his resume. The University of Central Florida football signee, a first-team all-area offensive selection, went 28-0 on the mat this season with 26 pins en route to his second Class 2A 285-pound state championship.
“It’s nice. It’s very cool,” said Schneider, who backstage received something of a classic complement from keynote speaker Steve Spurrier, the former Heisman Trophy winner and former University of Florida and South Carolina football coach.
“Look at that head. That’s the head of a lineman,” Spurrier said. “Somebody missed out. He should be a Gator.”
Joe Lang, who plays football at Holy Cross, enjoyed the evening: “They did a really nice job with this whole production,” Lang said. “It was a really awesome night to be here with all my friends and coaches.”
Chang, who averaged just over 20 points a game for a Gulf Coast team that reached the Final Four for the first time in school history, didn’t quite know how to react after receiving the female athlete of the year award.
“This is really surprising,” Chang said. “I did not expect this. It’s crazy. I didn’t know I was going to get this one. I’m speechless.”
To truly honor the student-athlete, the show added the Academic Achievement Award to honor the students who excel in the classroom and in the community as well as on the field. The inaugural winners were Estero swimmer Alina Faunce and Naples swimmer John Sacnlon.
Faunce, an Alabama signee and an All-Area finalist last season, captured two Class 3A championships in the 200-yard IM and 100 butterfly in school record times. She had a 5.29 GPA and is a dual enrollment student at FGCU, where she is on the Dean’s list. She was a four-year member of her school’s Interact and Key clubs, a three-year National Honor Society member and two years on the Renaissance Club.
Scanlon had a 4.82 GPA and was a member of NHS, was an AP Scholar Award winner and participated in the Advanced Studies Laureate Research Program.
Longtime Cape Coral boys soccer coach Aldo Nardiello was named the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award and Gulf Coast girls tennis coach Mark Voorhees won the Naples award. Nardiello finished his 37th and final season coaching by leading a young Seahawks squad to a district championship.
“And after 37 years I will be forever blessed by all the student-athletes who have touched my life. Hopefully, I’ve had a positive influence on theirs,” Nardiello said.
Voorhees guided the Sharks tennis team to a state championship in tennis and a 13-4-2 season in soccer.
“What an awesome night, there was great energy in the room,” Voorhees said. “It was nice to see the area athletes and coaches honored. I’m just proud of the school, look at how many awards we had in all the sports. (Gulf Coast had a county-best seven awards). When it comes down to it, I’m not on the field, I’m not on the court, it’s the players that make it happen, and I love all my tennis players and all my soccer players.”
Ashleigh Baker of First Baptist Academy won the inaugural I AM SPORT Award presented by Nike for service to the community.
The 2017 The News-Press Award Winners
Boys bowling: Nick Larsen, Island Coast
Girls bowling: Mikayla Simer, Island Coast
Boys cross country: Ayre Beck, Estero
Girls cross country: Kayla Easterly, North Fort Myers
Football offense: Darrian Felix, Fort Myers
Football defense: Fa’Najae Gotay, North Fort Myers
Boys golf: Luke Farmer, Estero
Girls golf: Brittany Shin, Canterbury
Boys swimming: Santiago Corredor, Bishop Verot
Girls swimming: Alina Faunce, Estero
Volleyball: Mindie Mabry, Bishop Verot
Boys basketball: Caleb Catto, SFCA
Girls basketball: Destanni Henderson, Fort Myers
Boys soccer: Nicholas Wlodarczyk, Cape Coral
Girls soccer: Taylor Kruse, North Fort Myers
Wrestling: Cole Schneider, Riverdale
Baseball: Sam Keating, Canterbury
Softball: Mackenzie Peterson, North Fort Myers
Boys lacrosse: Thomas Pritchard, Canterbury
Girls lacrosse: Peyton Hornung, Canterbury
Boys tennis: John Carlin, Fort Myers
Girls tennis: Emily Javedan, Canterbury
Boys track: Berrick Jeanlouis, Canterbury
Girls track: Krissy Gear, Fort Myers
I AM SPORT Award: Ashleigh Baker, Senior, First Baptist Academy
Academic Achievement: Alina Faunce, Estero
Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year: Aldo Nardiello, Cape Coral boys soccer
The 2017 Naples Daily News Award Winners
Football Offense: Joe Lang, Community School
Football Defense: Joe Sparacio, First Baptist
Broxson Trophy: Jacquez Carter, Lely
Boys Cross Country: Josh Wagner, Lely
Girls Cross Country: Jillian Dempsey, Naples
Boys Golf: David Morgan, Seacrest
Girls Golf: Vasy Montague, Gulf Coast
Boys Swimming: Matthew Limbacher, Naples
Girls Swimming: Emma Feehery, Community School
Volleyball: Gabrielle Curran, Gulf Coast
Boys Basketball: Trent Buttrick, Community School
Girls Basketball: Yasmeen Chang, Gulf Coast
Boys Soccer: Ulises Soto, Immokalee
Girls Soccer: Sierra Rincon, Barron Collier
Wrestling: Colby Singletary, Palmetto Ridge
Baseball: Zach Lang, Gulf Coast
Softball: Allie Sutherland, Barron Collier
Boys Lacrosse: Connor McGraw, Barron Collier
Girls Lacrosse: Jaclyn Berry, Barron Collier
Boys Tennis: David Vilys, Gulf Coast
Girls Tennis: Viva Laas, Gulf Coast
Boys Track: Kane Aldrich, Community School
Girls Track: Laura Liberiste, Lely
Coach of the Year: Mark Voorhees, Girls Track/Girls Soccer, Gulf Coast
Academic Achievement: John Scanlon, Naples
2018: 59 awards distributed in massive combined SWFL show
A crowd of nearly 1,000 attended as 167 athletes from Lee and Collier counties were honored and 59 awards were handed out at the 2018 Southwest Florida Sports Awards at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall.
Fort Myers High School senior Destanni Henderson and Canterbury School senior Berrick Jeanlouis were crowned The News-Press Female and Male Athletes of the Year, while Palmetto Ridge wrestler and football player Colby Singletary was named the Boys Athlete of the Year, and Naples High cross country runner and track athlete Jillian Dempsey earned the girls’ top honor for the Naples Daily News.
Henderson, a University of South Carolina signee, became Lee County’s first McDonald’s All-American as a senior and was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball and Florida Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior. The 5-8 guard led Fort Myers to its third consecutive state championship and fourth straight state final four appearance.
Besides dominating on the basketball court, Jeanlouis did win a state title in the high jump with a leap of 6 feet, 7.5 inches. He was third in the long jump.
“It means a lot,” said Jeanlouis, who will join Iona in the fall after stops at New Mexico State and FSW. “It means a lot to my coaches, to my family, my school, my teammates. Just the whole community. It’s just a very good blessing.
Singletary won the Class 2A title at 182 pounds as a sophomore and was also named Wrestler of the Year after finishing the wrestling season with a 48-7 record and district and Collier County Athletic Conference titles.
“It’s pretty special,” said Singletary, who died tragically last July in a single-car accident. “I need to give a big shoutout to my coaches, especially (Palmetto Ridge wrestling coach) Blaine (Ison), and my parents.”
Dempsey won the Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year award and also made the Girls Track All-Area first team in the spring.
Receiving Academic Achievement honors were Canterbury sophomore Emily Javedan for Fort Myers and Naples High’s Brianna Garcia for the NDN.
Fort Myers football coach Sam Sirianni Jr. won the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year award and Gulf Coast boys golf coach Kim Benedict was named the NDN coach of the year.
“This isn’t my style,” Sirianni said. “People that know me know that these kind of awards, anything individual, I’m not real comfortable with. But this one will mean something special to me.
In her sixth season coaching the Sharks, Benedict led them to the first boys golf team state championship in Collier County history.
“We believed in each other the entire year,” Benedict said. “It wasn’t the year we expected with the hurricane, but it really was the year we expected as far as winning state.”
Canterbury sophomore Austin Alley won a live vote done on Twitter at the event as his looping freekick goal in a postseason soccer victory was chosen as Play of the Year.
Sandra Garcia of Immokalee High won the I AM SPORT Award, which honors athletes who give back to youth in their communities.
Former Philadelphia Phillies star and baseball TV analyst John Kruk was the guest speaker at the event.
The 2018 The News-Press Award Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Berrick Jeanlouis, Canterbury
Female Athlete of the Year: Destanni Henderson, Fort Myers
Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year: Sam Sirianni Jr., Fort Myers
Academic Achievement: Emily Javedan, Canterbury
Football Offensive Player of the Year: Jeshaun Jones, South Fort Myers
Football Defensive Player of the Year: Fa’Najae Gotay, North Fort Myers
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Hugh Brittenham, Estero
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Alayna Goll, Estero
Boys Golfer of the Year: Luke Farmer, Estero
Girls Golfer of the Year: Brittany Shin, Canterbury
Boys Swimmer of the Year: Steven Rua, Cape Coral
Girls Swimmer of the Year: Olivia McMurray, Fort Myers
Volleyball Player of the Year: Alyssa Collins, Bishop Verot
Boys Bowler of the Year: Nick Larsen, Island Coast
Girls Bowler of the Year: Kaela Ruby, Cape Coral
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Berrick Jeanlouis, Canterbury
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Destanni Henderson, Fort Myers
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Leo Perez, Mariner
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Maggie Struble, Estero
Wrestler of the Year: Christian Minto, Mariner
Girls Weightlifter of the Year: Angelica Cuellar, LaBelle
Baseball Player of the Year: Max Rippl, SFCA
Softball Player of the Year: Vivian Ponn, Fort Myers
Boys Weightlifter of the Year: Santiago Morales, LaBelle
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Ian Ziegler, Cape Coral
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Shani Idlette, Fort Myers
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Jeremy Barrett, Canterbury
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Samantha Douglass, Estero
Boys Track Athlete of the Year: Hugh Brittenham, Estero
Girls Track Athlete of the Year: Moriah Oliveira, ECS
The 2018 Naples Daily News Award Winners
Boys Athlete of the Year: Colby Singletary, Palmetto Ridge wrestling
Girls Athlete of the Year: Jillian Dempsey, Naples cross country and track
Coach of the Year: Kim Benedict, Gulf Coast boys golf
Academic Excellence Award: Brianna Garcia, Naples girls soccer
I AM SPORT Award: Sandra Garcia, Immokalee girls soccer
Football Broxson Trophy: Fred Green, Immokalee
Football Offense: R.J. Rosales, Immokalee
Football Defense: Joe Sparacio, First Baptist Academy
Boys Cross Country: Brady Gibson, Naples
Girls Cross Country: Jillian Dempsey, Naples
Boys Golf: David Morgan, Seacrest
Girls Golf: Annika Church, Naples
Boys Swimming: Matthew Limbacher, Naples
Girls Swimming: Audrey Delcompare, Lely
Volleyball: Gabrielle Curran, Gulf Coast
Boys Basketball: Jack Youmans, Naples
Girls Basketball: Yasmeen Chang, Gulf Coast
Boys Soccer: Sebastian Joffre, Gulf Coast
Girls Soccer: Sierra Rincon, Barron Collier
Wrestling: Colby Singletary, Palmetto Ridge
Baseball: Nick Denove, Barron Collier
Softball: Ashley Hayes, Barron Collier
Boys Lacrosse: Zeb Fuller, Naples
Girls Lacrosse: Sophie Sullinger, Naples
Boys Tennis: Michael Moll, Naples
Girls Tennis: Emma Heiderscheit, Gulf Coast
Boys Track and Field: Kane Aldrich, Community School
Girls Track and Field: Loren Brown, Community School
2019: Special athletes are recognized for the first time
The 2019 Southwest Florida Sports Awards event held by The News-Press and Naples Daily News packed them in, as the event at the Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall topped 1,000 in attendance for the first time in its 9-year history.
Another first was the addition of the Special Olympics Athletes of the Year as Collier and Lee schools integrated unified sports into their programs. Immokalee’s Tajha Ilerant won the inaugural Special Olympics Girls Athlete of the Year Award, while Lely’s Jeninson Payen won the Special Olympics Boys Athlete of the Year.
Rebecca Bergquist, one of the most complete athletes to come out of Lee County, took home The New-Press Female Athlete of the Year award while Estero’s Hugh Brittenham was named the Male Athlete of the Year on a night where 83 athletes and coaches from Lee and Collier won top honors.
For Naples, Community School of Naples two-sport standout Parker Weiss and First Baptist soccer star Malaya Melancon won the top athlete awards.
“This award was the one I was striving for, it was great to be a finalist for track, basketball and volleyball but to me this was the one I wanted,” Bergquist said. “To be honored for something that you love so much means a lot. I’m thankful and very happy, it’s a great way to cap off my high school career.”
With over 2,500 points, Bergquist is Southwest Florida’s all-time leading scorer in girls basketball. The East Carolina track and field signee also won state titles in the discus and added a silver medal in the shot put. In volleyball, she finished with 219 kills, 39 aces, 44 blocks and 163 digs in 64 sets.
Brittenham ended his career with four Sports Awards trophies after taking home Boys Cross Country Runner and Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year as a junior The University of Florida signee defended his title in cross country during a senior season where he won district and regional crowns before taking fifth at state. In track we won the Class 3A state championship in the 800 and 1,600 meters.
Weiss was all-state in both basketball and football. The Daily News Boys Basketball of the Year finalist reached his goal of playing Division I basketball, signing with mid-major power Iona College.
“Unbelievable,” said Weiss, who was selected over Palmetto Ridge wrestler/football player Colby Singletary and First Baptist football player/track athlete Thomas Casey. “The other guys up there were great too. I didn’t really expect to get this award.”
Melancon, a junior, has been one of the top goal-scorers in Southwest Florida. She scored 46 goals as a freshman, 51 as a sophomore, and 46 more as a junior to help First Baptist to a 16-3-3 record and the regional semifinals for the first time in school history.
The two-time state championship-winning Riverdale wrestling coach Kris Hayward won the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award by continuing his program’s dominance with 15th consecutive county and district titles and a ninth regional crown. Riverdale boasted 10 individual state qualifiers and a state champion.
“Knowing Jeff and everything he stands for, to put my name next to his in this category is a bit humbling,” Hayward said. “For me, when you first move down here and you starting coaching and you see who had been successful, he set the standard. To win an award with his name on it, it’s very humbling.”
Gulf Coast cross country and track and field coach Carl Egbert was named Coach of the Year in Collier County. The Sharks won cross country and track and field district titles, the latter the first in school history.
Naples High School boys tennis player Michael Moll, who was a finalist in his sport, was named the Academic Achievement award winner.
“Obviously, tonight’s a lot about sports, but it’s also nice that they recognize academic achievement as well,” said Moll, who will play at Emory. “Most of the athletes here are great students, so this award could’ve gone to a lot of people, so I’m proud to win this one.”
Cape Coral senior Cheyenne Young, who won the Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year Award, added the News-Press Academic Achievement award to her list of accomplishments.
The live-voted Play of the Year was Lely High School’s desperation touchdown pass from Jonis Dieudonne to Nick Obsaint from 45 yards out in a 16-10 victory over Mariner.
“I’d like to thank my coaches and my teammates and my linemen for blocking for a clutch moment that we needed,” Dieudonne said, “and my teammate Nick for catching the clutch ball.”
Cape Coral’s swim and dive team members were voted the Southwest Florida’s Top Team and Caterbury’s Bryce Einstein won the I AM SPORT Award for his community service efforts.
North Fort Myers High School graduate and NFL fullback Tommy Bohanon was the guest speaker.
The 2019 The News-Press Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Rebekah Bergquist, SFCA
Male Athlete of the Year: Hugh Brittenham, Estero
Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year: Kris Hayward, Riverdale
Academic Achievement Award: Cheyenne Young, Cape Coral
Top Team: Cape Coral Swim and Dive
I AM SPORT Award: Bryce Einstein, Canterbury
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Cheyenne Young, Cape Coral
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Hugh Brittenham, Estero
Girls Golfer of the Year: Brittany Shin, Canterbury
Boys Golfer of the Year: Reece Kyle, Bishop Verot
Girls Bowler of the Year: Cydnee Whiteleather, Riverdale
Boys Bowler of the Year: Nick Nero, North Fort Myers
Girls Swimmer of the Year: Olivia McMurray, Fort Myers
Boys Swimmer of the Year: Brendan Peacock, ECS
Volleyball Player of the Year: Paris Thompson, Fort Myers
Football Defensive Player of the Year: Derick Hunter Jr., Dunbar
Football Offensive Player of the Year: Shomari Mason, North Fort Myers
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Emilee Hauser, North Fort Myers
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Leo Perez, Mariner
Girls Weightlifter of the Year: Jenna McClain, LaBelle
Wrestler of the Year: Christian Minto, Mariner
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Chaniya Clark, Fort Myers
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Javian McCollum, Fort Myers
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Shani Idlette, Fort Myers
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Matthew Orozco, Cape Coral
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Tammy Torres, Canterbury
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Jeremy Barrett, Canterbury
Softball Player of the Year: Vivian Ponn, Fort Myers
Baseball Player of the Year: Carson Palmquist, Riverdale
Boys Weightlifter of the Year: Harrison Strohl, Riverdale
Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Jessica Edwards, Canterbury
Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Jacob Lemmon, Fort Myers
The 2019 Naples Daily News Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Malaya Melancon, First Baptist Academy
Male Athlete of the Year: Parker Weiss, Community School of Naples
Coach of the Year: Carl Egbert, Gulf Coast boys XC and track
Academic Achievement Award: Michael Moll, Naples
Play of the Year: Lely football
Special Olympics Girls Athlete of the Year: Tajha Ilerant, Immokalee
Special Olympics Boys Athlete of the Year: Jeninson Payen, Lely
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Zoe D’Antonio, Naples
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Nick Kamen, Gulf Coast
Girls Golfer of the Year: Sophie Shrader, St. John Neumannn
Boys Golfer of the Year: Remi Chartier, Gulf Coast
Girls Swimmer of the Year: Maddy Burt, St. John Neumann
Boys Swimmer of the Year: Mason Laur, Barron Collier
Volleyball Player of the Year: Skylar English, Barron Collier
Football Broxson Trophy: Jensen Jones, St. John Neumann
Football Defensive Player of the Year: Marc Viechec, Naples
Football Offensive Player of the Year: Chez Mellusi, Naples
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Malaya Melancon, First Baptist
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Jack Bole, Naples
Wrestler of the Year: Gerald Roger, Golden Gate
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Yasmeen Chang, Gulf Coast
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Izayel Louis Pierre, Immokalee
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Emma Heiderscheit, Gulf Coast
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Sean Kamyshev, Seacrest
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Kyleigh Chickering, Naples
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Trace Davidson, Gulf Coast
Softball Player of the Year: Ava Nunez, Immokalee
Baseball Player of the Year: Tobey McDonough, Gulf Coast
Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Merlica Faustin, Naples
Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year: Alex Myrin, St. John Neumann
2020: Working around COVID-19, the show goes virtual
With in-person events a no-no due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The News-Press and Naples Daily News parent company, Gannett, found a way around to allow us to still honor Southwest Florida’s top high school athletes.
We went virtual.
We aired a star-studded show with awards announced by a collection of famous presenters, including Drew Brees, Stephen Curry, Patrick Mahomes, and Bill Belichick.
With the spring season being wiped out, we also made sure there were two sets of winners for the premiere awards.
For the Naples Daily News, Palmetto Ridge senior Trillyon Fils-Aime won the Male Athlete of the Year award and Barron Collier swimmer Madison Feehery was named the top female athlete.
For The News-Press, Fort Myers High School junior All-American swimmer Olivia McMurray was the Female Athlete of the Year and Mariner senior soccer standout Leo Perez was named Male Athlete of the Year.
After winning a state championship in wrestling and making the All-Area first team in football, Palmetto Ridge senior Trillyon Fils-Aime won the Male Athlete of the Year award. Fils-Aime went 54-4 wrestling at 220 pounds this season, winning the Class 2A championship. In the fall, Fils-Aime was one of three defensive linemen on the Daily News’ Football Defense All-Area first team. He was the only Collier County athlete to make All-Area first team in two sports this year.
Barron Collier swimmer Madison Feehery was named the top female athlete after winning an individual state title (50-yard freestyle) and leading her team to a state runner-up finish. Besides winning the 50 free, she finished second in the 100 butterfly (55.41), also helping the Cougars to a pair of top-five relay finishes.
In the other Naples premier awards, Barron Collier swimming coach Matt Nelson was named Coach of the Year after the Cougars won a state title for the boys and had a runner-up finish for the girls. Lely soccer player Saoirse Bowe won the Academic Achievement Award.
McMurray, who signed with the University of Texas, was the Girls Swimmer of the Year for the third straight season. She defended her Class 3A 500-yard freestyle state championship with a time of 4:46.50 while adding a 200 individual medley state title medal to her collection, finishing with a time of 2:00.83. She also guided the 400 free relay team to a state championship and the 200 medley relay team to a state runner-up finish.
Perez, who won Boys Soccer Player of the Year for the third time, took his game up another notch as he scored 69 goals and totaled 31 assists in leading the Tritons to a 25-5-1 record and a 4A state runner-up finish. He was named Mr. Soccer by the Florida Dairy Farmers.
Mariner soccer coach Martin Cardenas was named the Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year.
The show was hosted by TV personality Jesse Palmer and ESPN’s Sage Steele, with other introductions by ESPN reporter Courtney Cronin and NASCAR analyst Jerry Punch. Tennis star Venus Williams, who announced the tennis awards in other USA Today markets, gave a special message to athletes in Florida apologizing that their seasons were canceled.
Gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas, NHL Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, and Olympic skier Bode Miller — who also presented awards in other markets — appeared in a video saluting the seniors who lost their spring seasons due to the coronavirus.
The 2020 Naples Daily News Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Madison Feehery, Barron Collier
Male Athlete of the Year: Trillyon Fils-Aime, Palmetto Ridge
Academic Achievement: Saoirse Bowe, Lely
Coach of the Year: Matt Nelson, Barron Collier
Girls Special Olympics Athlete of the Year: Jennifer Bordes, Lely
Boys Basketball: Tony Green, Naples
Girls Basketball: Jada McCray, Naples
Boys Cross Country: Alexander Rodriguez, Naples
Girls Cross Country: Grace O’Malley, Community School
Football Broxson Trophy: Charles Toombs, Immokalee
Football Defense: Collin Miles, Naples
Football Offense: Elan Sommala, Naples
Boys Golf: Jack Irons, Naples
Girls Golf: Addison Klonowski, Naples
Boys Soccer: David Gomez, Lely
Girls Soccer: Saoirse Bowe, Lely
Boys Swimming/Diving: Mason Laur, Barron Collier
Girls Swimming/Diving: Madison Feehery, Barron Collier
Volleyball: Skylar English, Barron Collier
Wrestling: Andy Martinez, Golden Gate
The 2020 The News-Press Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Olivia McMurray, Fort Myers
Male Athlete of the Year: Leo Perez, Mariner
Academic Achievement: Nicole Rodriguez, Cape Coral
Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year: Martin Cardenas, Mariner
Boys Special Olympics Athlete of the Year: Justin Borrego, North Fort Myers
Boys Basketball: Javian McCollum, Fort Myers
Girls Basketball: Chaniya Clark, Fort Myers
Boys Bowling: Rex Gatewood, North Fort Myers
Girls Bowling: Cydnee Whiteleather, Riverdale
Boys Cross Country: Liam Holston, Fort Myers
Girls Cross Country: Stephy Ormsby, Fort Myers
Football Defense: Derrick Erickson, Bishop Verot
Football Offense: C.J. Shedd, Cypress Lake
Boys Golf: Kevin Kelly, Bishop Verot
Girls Golf: Gabby Vetter, Bishop Verot
Boys Soccer: Leo Perez, Mariner
Girls Soccer: Emilee Hauser, North Fort Myers
Boys Swimming/Diving: Brandon Shepherd, South Fort Myers
Girls Swimming/Diving: Olivia McMurray, Fort Myers
Volleyball: Paris Thompson, Fort Myers
Girls Weightlifting: Jenna McClain, LaBelle
Wrestling: Jesse Martinez, Riverdale
2021: Still social distancing
Another star-studded virtual show honored the top athletes for 2020-21 with one more change. Instead of The News-Press and Naples Daily News naming separate award winners, all the awards were moved under one Southwest Florida banner.
With that new format, Fort Myers volleyball player Paris Thompson and Palmetto Ridge wrestler and football player Brennan Van Hoecke won the top prizes as Female and Male Athlete of the Year.
The awards were announced by famous professional athletes and coaches such as Aaron Rodgers, Kevin Garnett, and Katie Ledecky.
Thompson was voted Florida Dairy Farmers’ Miss Volleyball by statewide media and also won Gatorade Florida Volleyball Player of the Year. She was an Under Armour second-team All-American.
Van Hoecke went 49-0 on the mat, winning the Class 2A title at 132 pounds. On the grisiron he had 13 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles, returning one for a touchdown.
Dunbar track and cross country coach Guy Thomas earned the Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year Award. The Fort Myers High softball squad was named the Team of the Year after winning the Class 5A state title. Barron Collier swimmer Emery Muller was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Riverdale wrestler Dominic Rodriguez won the Courage Award after coming back from a torn ACL to win a state championship.
The 2021 Southwest Florida Sports Award Winners
Female Athlete of the Year: Paris Thompson, Fort Myers
Male Athlete of the Year: Brennan Van Hoecke, Palmetto Ridge
Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year: Guy Thomas, Dunbar
Scholar-Athlete: Emery Muller, Barron Collier
Team of the Year: Fort Myers softball
Fan Favorite Team of the Year: St. John Neumann baseball
Courage Award: Dominic Rodriguez, Riverdale
I AM SPORT Award: Eric Feichthaler, Oasis
Special Olympics: Terry (TJ) Johnson, North Fort Myers
Baseball: Jacob Marlowe, Barron Collier
Boys Basketball: Tony Green, Naples
Girls Basketball: Reese Tremitiere, Gulf Coast
Boys Bowling: Brandon Rucker, North Fort Myers
Girls Bowling: Dakota Kirk, Fort Myers
Boys Cross Country: Kolton Pickard, Estero
Girls Cross Country: Amy Meng, Fort Myers
Football Offense: Malik Curtis, Bishop Verot
Football Defense: Chris Thomas, Dunbar
Boys Golf: Sam Kodak, Naples
Girls Golf: Talia Rodino, Bishop Verot
Boys Lacrosse: Trace Davidson, Gulf Coast
Girls Lacrosse: Prentice Atterbury, Community School of Naples
Boys Soccer: Chase Johnson, Canterbury
Girls Soccer: Jasmine Perez-Acosta, Canterbury
Softball: Julia Knowler, Fort Myers
Boys Swimming: Andrew Garner, Barron Collier
Girls Swimming: Olivia McMurray, Fort Myers
Boys Tennis: Davide Procacci, Gulf Coast
Girls Tennis: Kaitlin Quevedo, Community School of Naples
Boys Track and Field: Leonard Mustari, Dunbar
Girls Track and Field: Jessica Edwards, Canterbury
Volleyball: Paris Thompson, Fort Myers
Boys Weightlifting: Tyson Eveque, Cypress Lake
Girls Weightlifting: Jenna McClain, LaBelle
Wrestling: Brennan Van Hoecke, Palmetto Ridge
2022: And we’re back live
After a two-year hiatus, the Southwest Florida Sports Awards Show made a grand comeback as it presented 33 total awards to athletes and coaches. More than 900 attendees, including more than 250 award nominees, filled the event’s new home, Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. A new award was introduced to honor those who have overcome obstacles to compete — the Courage Award.
A pair of Collier County private school athletes took home the night’s top prizes as First Baptist’s Olsen Patt Henry was crowned the Male Athlete of the Year, while St. John Neumann basketball and track and field star Leah Martin-Gonzales was selected as the top Female Athlete.
Henry was near unstoppable at wide receiver, as he used all of his 6-foot-4 frame to catch 61 passes for 1,053 yards and 17 touchdowns, becoming the first receiver in Collier County to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in over 15 years and help the Lions reach the Class 2A state semifinal. Henry was every bit as dynamic on the basketball court, posting 14 points and 10 rebounds a game for the Lions to help lead FBA to the state Final Four.
Martin-Gonzales was a star in two sports, reaching state with both. She set the tone for the Celtics’ basketball team that reached the Class 2A state semifinals. She averaged 18.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and five steals a game. On the track, she repeated as a state champion in the 100 hurdles and the long jump in 1A. Martin-Gonzales set a new personal best in her final meet, clocking a 14.26 in the 100 hurdles while winning the long jump with a mark of 5.45m.
The state champion Mariner High girls soccer team capped a year in which they won the first state title of any kind for their school in its 35-year history with a Team of the Year Award. First Baptist basketball and track and field athlete Grace Dean won the Courage Award after coming back from two ACL tears. Naples High soccer player Coral Morley was named the Southwest Florida Scholar Athlete.
Palmetto Ridge wrestling coach Blaine Ison became the first Collier County winner of the award as the Bears went undefeated in duals competition, winning district and regionals titles before capturing Collier County’s first duals state crown by taking out powerhouse South Dade in the semifinals and Wellington in the finals. In individual wrestling competition, all 14 Bears advanced out of districts, 10 out of regionals and had three members earn state titles, while as a team Palmetto Ridge placed third overall in the state.
Former star Miami Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas was the guest speaker.
The 2022 Southwest Florida Sports Award Winners
Boys Cross Country: Kolton Pickard, Estero High School
Girls Cross Country: Ava Povich, Evangelical Christian School
Defensive Football: Tyre Cunningham, Lehigh Senior
Offensive Football: Richard Young, Lehigh Senior
Boys Golfer: Noah Kent, Gulf Coast
Girls Golfer: Pearl Jenkins, Gulf Coast
Boys Swimming: Colton Rasmussen, Palmetto Ridge
Girls Swimming: Jewels Carlini, Estero
Volleyball: Breanah Rives, Seacrest Country Day School
Baseball: Zach Root, Fort Myers
Boys Lacrosse: Yates Miller, Community School of Naples
Girls Lacrosse: Lane Calkins, Naples
Softball: Julia Knowler, Fort Myers
Boys Tennis: Davide Procacci, Gulf Coast
Girls Tennis: Lily Dounchis, Community School of Naples
Boys Track & Field: Jacob Panzarella, First Baptist
Girls Track & Field: Leah Martin-Gonzales, St. John Neumann
Boys Weightlifter: Kendel Masson, Fort Myers High School
Boys Basketball: Latrell Davis, First Baptist
Girls Basketball: Addison Potts, South Fort Myers
Boys Soccer: McLaren Baggett, Canterbury School
Girls Soccer: Ryleigh Acosta, Mariner
Girls Weightlifter: Chantal Ferrer, Cape Coral
Wrestler: Brennan Van Hoecke, Palmetto Ridge
Boys Bowler: Devin Richards, Cypress Lake
Girls Bowler: Katarina Hagler, Oasis High
Courage Award: Grace Dean, First Baptist
Scholar Athlete: Coral Morley, Naples
Special Olympics: Nathaniel Bostic, Mariner High School
Team of the Year: Mariner Girls Soccer
Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year: Blaine Ison, Palmetto Ridge
Male Athlete of the Year: Olsen Patt Henry, First Baptist
Female Athlete of the Year: Leah Martin-Gonzales, St. John Neumann
2023: Fun and games, and who doesn’t love a parade
Trying to up the athlete experience, a players’ lounge was set up in the arena for the honorees to play a little Jenga or Connect Four among game offerings, along with photo stations and some popcorn. The athletes were paraded in at the start of the event to receive their recognition.
And once everyone was in their place, Fort Myers’ Julia Knowler and Bishop Verot’s Wyatt Whalen capped their high school careers with the top honors as the Female and Male Athletes of the Year, respectively. Overall, 35 awards were presented to the best high school athletes, coaches, and teams for the 2022-23 school year.
Knowler, a Clemson softball signee who also won her second straight Softball Player of the Year Award, hit .620 with 9 home runs, 10 triples, and 4 doubles with 33 RBI and 33 runs scored this season. Whalen, a Bryant football signee, played a critical role blocking for a record-setting offense. He made All-Area second team for boys weightlifting, placing seventh at state in Class A at 238 pounds, and capped off his senior season by repeating as the Class 2A shot put state champion.
There’s winning, and then there’s Seacrest volleyball winning. The Stingrays, who finished 26-4 on their way to repeating as Class 2A state champions, won the Team of the Year Award. St. John Neumann girls basketball coach John Wholihan overcame his own hardships to lead the Celtics and was named the Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year Award winner. Wholihan suffered a heart attack in August but when the first basketball practice rolled around, he was there running it. He led the Celtics to a 19-8 record.
Naples baseball player Tucker Hansen was named the Courage Award winner. In May 2022, Hansen was hit with a baseball near his right eye and suffered a broken cheekbone, eye socket, nose, and sinuses. After successful surgery, Hansen was working out with the Naples baseball team in the fall and played a full spring season, hitting .279 on the year with 19 runs batted in and a .995 fielding percentage.
Dara Torres, a 12-time US Olympic medalist swimmer, was the special guest speaker for the show.
The 2023 Southwest Florida Sports Award Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Wyatt Whalen, Bishop Verot
Female Athlete of the Year: Julia Knowler, Fort Myers
Courage Award: Tucker Hansen: Naples
Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year: John Wholihan, St. John Neumann
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Aum Dhruv, Fort Myers
Special Olympics Athlete of the Year: Freddie Williams
Team of the Year: Seacrest Girls Volleyball
School Spirit Award: Gulf Coast High
Volleyball Player of the Year: Breanah Rives, Seacrest
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Bernardo Barnhart, Palmetto Ridge
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Mackenzie De Lisle, Bishop Verot
Boys Golfer of the Year: Noah Kent, Gulf Coast
Girls Golfer of the Year: Sydney Young, Community School of Naples
Boys Bowler of the Year: Daniel Lynn, Cape Coral
Girls Bowler of the Year: Katarina Hagler, Oasis
Boys Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Year: Jack Stokvis, Gulf Coast
Girls Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Year: Sabyne Brisson, Naples
Defensive Football Player of the Year: Javieana Stevens, Dunbar
Offensive Football Player of the Year: Carter Smith, Bishop Verot
Girls Weightlifter of the Year: Kassidy Emerick, Mariner
Girls Wrestler of the Year: Jazlyn Diaz, Riverdale
Boys Wrestler of the Year: Christopher Minto, Mariner
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Ryleigh Acosta, Mariner
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Jarvey Sarajian, Naples
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Jahmari Johnson, Gateway Charter
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Tyra Brown, Fort Myers
Baseball Player of the Year: Johnny King, Naples
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Ramsey Huggins, Community School of Naples
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Kali Cleary, Gulf Coast
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: Ivan Kisic, Gulf Coast
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Lily Dounchis, Community School of Naples
Softball Player of the Year: Julia Knowler, Fort Myers
Boys Track Athlete of the Year: Andrew Azunque, First Baptist
Girls Track Athlete of the Year: Ava Povich, Evangelical Christian School
Boys Weightlifter of the Year: Reef Gingell, Fort Myers
2024: History makers and record breakers honored
Evangelical Christian School’s McKenzie Travis and Bishop Verot’s Leroy Roker earned the marquee honors at the show, held at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. The pair were crowned the Girls and Boys Athletes of the Year by The News-Press and Naples Daily News. In all, 38 awards were handed out for the 2023-24 school year.
Travis, who will run track at South Carolina and also was named the Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, made history this spring by becoming the eighth girl in Florida history to take the triple crown in the 100-, 200- and 400-meter dash events at the Class 1A state meet.
Roker, an Ohio State signee for football, was an All-Area first-team and All-Region selection in both that sport and basketball. On the gridiron, he was a ball-hawking safety, grabbing seven interceptions and recording 54 tackles for the Vikings last fall. On the court, he averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists to help Bishop Verot improve to a 22-7 record.
The Dunbar High School football team which nabbed the Boys Team of the Year Award. The Tigers finished 11-3, the most wins in program history, and reached the Class 3S state semifinals for the second consecutive season, a feat no other Lee County football team had ever accomplished. Winning the first girls basketball championship in school history is a forever memory, one that earned the Evangelical Christian School hoop squad the Girls Team of the Year Award.
Lely boys soccer coach Robbie Schank was named the Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year, having coached the Trojans for 30 seasons, dating back to his late teens, and guided his team to a district championship, a regional berth, and a 13-6-5 record. Barron Collier’s Rebecca Van’t Hoff received the Southwest Florida Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Courage Award is annually presented to an athlete who overcomes long odds to succeed in the sporting award. There were two winners: Lely basketball players Sofiia Kiritsa and Oleksandra Rubanova. Kiritsa and Rubanova both fled their home country of Ukraine and moved to Naples, starting high school at Lely. They helped lift the Trojans to a 20-9 record, which included a 16-game winning streak, and the program’s first district championship.
Udonis Haslem, who played 20 seasons for the Miami Heat, winning three championships while playing in seven NBA Finals, was the show’s special guest speaker.
The 2024 Southwest Florida Sports Awards Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Leroy Roker, Bishop Verot
Female Athlete of the Year: McKenzie Travis, Evangelical Christian
Courage Award: Sofiia Kiritsa and Oleksandra Rubanova, Lely
FPL Power Play: Kelby Tyre, Dunbar
Jeff Sommer Memorial Coach of the Year: Robbie Schank, Lely
Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Rebecca Van’t Hoff, Barron Collier
Special Olympics Athlete of the Year: Peyton Melton, Cypress Lake
Boys Team of the Year: Dunbar football
Girls Team of the Year: Evangelical Christian girls basketball
School Spirit Award: Naples High School
Volleyball Player of the Year: Aisha Keric, Barron Collier
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Joseph Koraya, Fort Myers
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Mackenzie De Lisle, Bishop Verot
Boys Golfer of the Year: Graham Boone, Barron Collier
Girls Golfer of the Year: Eva Lye, First Baptist
Boys Bowler of the Year: Daniel Lynn, Cape Coral
Girls Bowler of the Year: Katarina Hagler, Oasis
Boys Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Year: Nick Fabian, Community School
Girls Swimming & Diving Athlete of the Year: Charlotte Norman, Community School
Defensive Football Player of the Year: Kensley Faustin, Naples
Offensive Football Player of the Year: Carter Smith, Bishop Verot
Girls Weightlifter of the Year: Aleah Baron, LaBelle
Boys Wrestler of the Year: Maximus Brady, Mariner
Girls Wrestler of the Year: Kiera Partello, Barron Collier
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Emerson LaOrden, Barron Collier
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Ryleigh Acosta, Mariner
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Patrick Johnson, Gateway Charter
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Sofiia Kiritsa, Lely
Baseball Player of the Year: Johnny King, Naples
Softball Player of the Year: Zoe Yzaguirre, Evangelical Christian
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Cal Wyatt, Community School
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Kali Cleary, Gulf Coast
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: William Freshwater, Barron Collier
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Indi Patel, Riverdale
Boys Weightlifter of the Year: Nick Bloomston, Fort Myers
Boys Track Athlete of the Year: Andrew Azunque, First Baptist
Girls Track Athlete of the Year: McKenzie Travis, Evangelical Christian
2025: Division I signees take top honors
The 2025 Southwest Florida Sports Awards rolled out the red carpet for more than 1,000 area high school athletes, coaches, administrators, their families, and friends.
First Baptist Academy’s Zara Stewart and Fort Myers High’s Madrid Tucker earned the marquee honors at the show, held at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College. The pair was crowned the Girls and Boys Athletes of the Year. In all, 39 awards were handed out for the 2024-25 school year.
Stewart, who signed to play volleyball at San Diego State, carried the Lions to the Class 2A Final Four. On the basketball court, she led FBA to the regional finals. Stewart ended her prep volleyball career with 1,231 kills and 1,927 digs, while on the hardwood, she finished with 1,288 career points and 445 rebounds.
Tucker, a finalist for the Boys Athlete of the Year award in 2024, was the leading receiver on Fort Myers’ district championship football team and top hitter on the Green Wave’s regional championship baseball team. The North Carolina football signee also contributed to the school’s 4×100 relay team that placed fifth at the state track and field championships.
Canterbury baseball coach Frank Turco won the Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year Award. Turco was inducted into the LCAC Hall of Fame and capped his year by leading the Cougars to the Class 1A state championship. It was the fourth state championship for the coach at Canterbury.
Celebrated for her academic achievements as well as her athletic ones, Gulf Coast’s Ciara McCloskey received the Southwest Florida Scholar-Athlete Award. Estero soccer player Lily Jason won the Courage Award. Jason lost her 41-year-old father Steven unexpectedly. Her soccer team and the Estero community rallied around her and Lily helped lead the Wildcats to their first regional final since 2020.
The Barron Collier soccer team won the Boys Team of the Year Award. The Cougars won their school’s first state title in boys soccer after defeating Mater Lakes 4-2 for the Class 4A championship. Winning four consecutive state championships places a team in rarified air, which is why Seacrest volleyball earned Girls Team of the Year honors. The Stingrays defeated Boca Raton Christian in the title game for the third straight year as first-year head coach Andy Wimmer helped deliver yet another trophy for Seacrest.
Mike Lowell, who played 13 Major League Baseball seasons and won World Series championships with the Marlins (2003) and Red Sox (2007), was the show’s special guest speaker.
The 2025 Southwest Florida Sports Awards Winners
Male Athlete of the Year: Madrid Tucker, Fort Myers
Female athlete of the Year: Zara Stewart, First Baptist
Courage Award: Lily Jason, Estero
Jeff Sommer Coach of the Year: Frank Turco, Canterbury
Student-Athlete of the Year: Ciara McCloskey, Gulf Coast
FPL Power Play Award: Emerson LaOrden, Barron Collier
Special Olympic Athlete of the Year: Eduardo Pablo Campos, Immokalee
Boys Team of the Year: Barron Collier soccer
Girls Team of the Year: Seacrest volleyball
Baseball Player of the Year: Joey Lawson, Bishop Verot
Boys Bowler of the Year: Daniel Lynn, Cape Coral
Girls Bowler of the Year: Brooke Pabst, Cape Coral
Boys Basketball Player of the Year: Spencer Clayton, Barron Collier
Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Nalah Smith, Evangelical Christian
Beach Volleyball Players of the Year: Gabby Dywer and Ashlee Tenkley, Fort Myers
Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Angel Cruz, Mariner
Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Masha Dorofeev, Fort Myers
Defensive Football Player of the Year: Khari Bendolph, Naples
Offensive Football Player of the Year: Deshon Jenkins, Bishop Verot
Flag Football Player of the Year: Lila Dinkel, Bishop Verot
Boys Golfer of the Year: Spencer Ives, Community School of Naples
Girls Golfer of the Year: Eva Lye, First Baptist
Boys Lacrosse Player of the Year: Michael Slusar, Community School of Naples
Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year: Stella Lynch, Community School of Naples
Softball Player of the Year: Abby Hynes, North Fort Myers
Boys Soccer Player of the Year: Emerson LaOrden, Barron Collier
Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Hannah Busenbark, North Fort Myers
Boys Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year: Nick Fabian, Community School of Naples
Girls Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year: Madison Bates, Naples
Boys Tennis Player of the Year: William Freshwater, Barron Collier
Girls Tennis Player of the Year: Chelsea Casapu, Barron Collier
Boys Track Athlete of the Year: Ryan Peterson, Bishop Verot
Girls Track Athlete of the Year: Ava Heskett, Gulf Coast
Volleyball Player of the Year: Zara Stewart, First Baptist
Boys Weightlifter of the Year: Nick Bloomston, Fort Myers
Girls Weightlifter of the Year: Imani Greaves, LaBelle
Boys Wrestler of the Year: Maximus Brady, Mariner
Girls Wrestler of the Year: Kiera Partello, Barron Collier
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: The SW FL High School Sports Awards: 15 years of celebrating the area’s best
Reporting by Ed Reed, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
