Athletes of the Week
Ida Baker freshman Sean O’Connor showed off his diving skills this season, becoming the first Bulldog swimmer or diver to qualify for the state meet.
He capped his impressive postseason last week with an 11th-place finish at the Class 2A State Finals in Orlando.
On the soccer field, the North Fort Myers Red Knights earned a pair of hard-fought victories at the expense of Mariner and Fort Myers last week. Senior midfielder and captain Ashley LaPierre provided a consistent presence in leading the Knights.
For their efforts, O’Connor and LaPierre are the Daily Breeze Male and Female Athlete of the Week.
O’Connor is excited at the possibilities for his sophomore season. He has good reason after completing a stellar freshman campaign.
O’Connor won LCAC and district titles in diving and finished second at the regional meet to earn an automatic bid to the state meet.
Despite being set back by an illness heading to the state meet, O’Connor went out and performed as he has done throughout the season.
Both O’Connor and Baker coach Sue Postma thought his scoring should’ve been better.
“Unfortunately, at the state meet he was really sick,” Postma said. “I thought he should’ve done better than 11th, maybe sixth or seventh. It was kind of a shock when we heard the results.”
“I feel like I got robbed on a lot of dives,” O’Connor said. “I’d do a good one and (another diver) would do an okay one and they’d get the same score. I was a little confused at the judging.”
O’Connor has time to improve on his state result. He entered this season as the first Baker diver ever, and often trains at Pine Island Pool, with area diving expert Jim Runas.
O’Connor participated in gymnastics a few years and that helped him transition to diving about seventh grade.
“I was messing around at the pool and my mom said we should start you with (diving) classes,” he said. “We went to a class at North Fort Myers Pool and Jim (Runas) was coaching there. He ended up training me.”
Naturally, O’Connor’s experience in gymnastics, performing flips, helped his advancement in diving.
“Exactly,” he said. “I knew where I was in the air. A lot of the flips came easier.”
In order to compete with the best in the state, O’Connor must continue to practice and meet the full criteria, which includes the approach, execution, and ultimately how he enters the water, with less splash being better for scoring.
Honorable mentions:
Jeremy Davis, senior, Cape Coral Seahawks football – Davis intercepted three passes and returned one 70 yards for a touchdown in a 28-7 win over Lehigh. He rushed for two touchdowns, including an 85-yard run.
Santi Villamil, sophomore, Cape Coral Seahawks soccer – Villamil had three shutouts last week as the Seahawks defeated Lemon Bay, Port Charlotte and Island Coast.
Though early in the season, the Red Knights learned a lot about their team in a key district soccer match against Mariner last Tuesday. The Knights fell behind 2-0 and remained behind by one goal with 10 minutes left, when the momentum shifted in their favor.
LaPierre, who had an assist on an earlier goal, scored on a direct kick from the top of the 18-yard box to tie the game late, and the Knights added the go-ahead goal with less than two minutes left.
“When we were down 2-0, we just kept playing and didn’t give up,” said LaPierre, one of the team’s co-captains. “With 10 minutes left we came back.”
LaPierre’s play has been pivotal for the Knights (3-1), who added a 3-1 win over Fort Myers last Thursday. She battled back from some injuries early in her career to become one of the Knights’ most reliable players.
“(Ashley) brings organization and patience, she doesn’t rush it,” North coach Donna Agostinelli said. “She works very well with all of the girls.”
At midfielder, LaPierre plays the role of a field general, often setting up and distributing to the forwards for scoring opportunities.
That part of her game was developed over several years. She began playing soccer at age 5.
LaPierre said she played a variety of sports in middle school – volleyball, basketball and cross country – but decided to stick with soccer competitively, with Island Coast Soccer Alliance and in high school.
LaPierre has overcome adversity. As a sophomore, she broke both her ankles at separate times and was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, causing her to miss half the season.
That gave her greater appreciation for being on the field with her teammates.
LaPierre put together a strong junior year and entered this season with a simple goal to enjoy it.
“I wanted to go out and have fun and enjoy my senior year,” she said.
Honorable mentions:
Carina Powell, junior, Cape Coral Seahawks soccer – Powell scored three goals last Monday in the Seahawks’ 9-1 win over Island Coast.
Jordan Goffar, sophomore, Ida Baker Bulldogs soccer – Goffar’s two goals helped the Bulldogs defeat Fort Myers 4-2 last Monday.