Prep Report: Anderson raises the bar
Mariner High senior Courtney Anderson was getting good height on her takeoffs, and with ease, showed the ability to turn and clear the horizontal bar, over and over.
Before all that could happen, she had the right steps, which provided the momentum for her personal-best jump of 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches in the high jump Monday at the LCAC Track and Field Meet at Island Coast.
Anderson, a South Florida signee and three-time state qualifier, extended her own school record before three unsuccessful attempts at 5-10. The third try at that height had promise, but the bar became dislodged at the last moment.
“I just have to keep working on it,” she said. “If I have better steps that’s what will make me jump higher.”
Anderson has finished third, fourth and second at state. Her jump Monday puts her on track for another strong showing, since 5-8 was the winning jump last year by Coconut Creek’s Maya Pressley.
The Ida Baker Bulldogs were well-represented in the girls’ high jump thanks to the Van Horn family.
Freshman Payton Van Horn cleared her personal-best height of 5-2, finishing second to Anderson, while junior Taylor Van Horn finished in a tie for third with a jump of 5-0.
The Bulldogs are not in the same district as Mariner. Taylor won the district title last year and also owns a personal-best of 5-2.
The two sisters, who are teammates on the Bulldogs’ volleyball and soccer teams, figure to contend this season.
“It’s a friendly competition,” Taylor Van Horn said, “but it’s nice having (Payton) out there with me now.”
The LCAC meet continues Tuesday with running events, beginning at 1 p.m. The field events were concluded Monday.
After not scoring a single point in pole vault last year, the Baker boys made a statement, landing three in the top four spots. Junior Andrew Haynes took first, clearing 11-6.
Taryn Maymon and Jared Jackson gave the Bulldogs a pair of second-place finishes in the girls’ and boys’ discus. Payton Van Horn added a second-place finish in the triple jump, followed by teammate Alicia Emmons third.
In the boys’ high jump, North’s Tre Boston took the top spot with a jump of 6-0. Jasmine Roberts sparked another first for the Red Knights in the long jump, leaping 16-1.
In the boys’ shot put, Nicholas Fernandez and Renato Proia of Mariner, were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Cape High, which figures to be a stronger contender in the sprints Tuesday, performed well Monday in the triple jump. Teammates Nate Felder and Cameron Hall were second and third behind Dunbar’s Javian Battle.
LCAC Field Event Winners
Boys
Pole Vault – Andrew Haynes (Baker) 11-6; High jump – Tre Boston (North) 6-0; Long jump – Battle (Dunbar) 22-6; Triple jump – Battle 45-01; Discus – 1. Gibson (East Lee) 150-8 1/2; Shot put – Wells (Lehigh) 48-4.
Girls
Pole Vault – Weaver (East Lee) 7-6; High jump – Courtney Anderson (Mariner) 5-8 1/2; Long jump – Jasmine Roberts (North) 16-1; Triple jump – Snowden (South) 33-7 1/2; Discus – Oliveria (Dunbar) 110-11 1/2; Shot put – Oliveria 33-8 1/4.
Girls Tennis
Cape Coral 5, Dunbar 2: Cape Coral took the singles while Dunbar swept the doubles Monday.
The Seahawks (11-2) visit Fort Myers Tuesday.
Singles – Renee Deane (CC) def. Lintoya Townsend 6-0, 6-0; Aimee Dolorfino (CC) def. Steveisha Morse 6-0, 6-0; Kaitlyn Dampier (CC) def. Onelys Carballero 6-0, 6-0; Ella Baar (CC) def. Elizabeth Gonzalez 6-0, 6-0; Cape wins No. 5 singles by default.
Doubles – Townsend-Gonzalez (D) def. Brooke Blythe-Ashley Bertalo 12-10; Morse-Carballero (D) def. Ambar Olivarez-Carolina Tiuso 8-1.
Boys Tennis
Cape Coral 7, Dunbar 0: Cape Coral coasted to victory over Dunbar Monday. The Seahawks (11-1) visit Fort Myers Tuesday.
Singles – Arthemon Lis (CC) def. Alejandro Fernandez 6-3, 6-3; Alex Ragonese (CC) def. Hessler Fonseca 6-2, 6-1; Shane Pacheco (CC) def. Ramsey Caraballo 6-0, 6-0; Dylon Dixon (CC) def. Caleb Parker 6-0, 6-0; Najja Derrick (CC) def. Kesley Dos Santos 6-1, 6-0; Luke Neumann (CC) def. Nicholas Cocqueral 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles – Mitch Irvin-Caleb Erdner (CC) def. Fernandez-Dos Santos 3-6, 6-1 (10-8); Travis Pacheco-Alex Potter (CC) def. Caraballo-Fonseca 7-5, 6-4; Daniel Talavera-Zach Reider (CC) def. Parker-Cocqueral 8-1.
Softball
Cape Coral 14, Cypress Lake 0: Cape Coral scored in all five innings in a rout of Cypress Lake Monday night.
Courtney Buckley, Marissa Maikowski, Tara Higgins and Amanda Kopale (2-for-5) each drove in two runs to lead the Seahawks.
Cape (7-12) plays at Fort Myers Thursday night.
Cape Coral331 52 – 14 8 3
Cypress Lake000 00 – 0 2 9
W – Shannon McBride. L – O’Riley.
2B – Courtney Buckley (CC); Marissa Maikowski (CC), Tara Higgins (CC).
Scholarships
Three student-athletes from Cape Coral are among five recipients of 2009 Hillmyer-Tremont Student Athlete Foundation Scholarship, which is in its 12th year of bestowing scholarships on Lee County students.
Each of the five students receives a scholarship valued at $16,000.
The five recipients are: Jardin McCarthy of Cape Coral High, Dillon McColgan and Margaret Swistak of Mariner, Jane Daniel of Riverdale and Istiaque Ilias of Cypress Lake.
McCarthy participated in basketball, volleyball and track for the Seahawks. She plans to attend FGCU and major in business.
McColgan participated in football and track and has maintained a 4.55 GPA in honors and advanced placement courses.
Swistak captained the girls’ basketball team and also lettered in track and cross country. She plans to attend Edison State College and enter the medical field.
Daniel participated in basketball and track at Riverdale and intends to study medicine at the University of South Florida.
Ilias participated in football, wrestling and track. He plans to study engineering at Edison State College and the University of Florida.