State honors for Gulliver Prep water polo. State academic stars. Plus region boys’ volleyball
Senior Gabriel Lewis of Gulliver Prep is the Florida Dairy Farmers 2024 Mr. Water Polo, after a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school water polo coaches.
In addition, his Gulliver Prep coach Carroll Vaughan was named the state’s Boys’ Water Polo Coach of the Year.
Lewis scored four goals in Gulliver’s 9-8 state championship win over Orlando-Dr. Phillips and finished the season with 96 goals while adding 39 assists and 87 steals.
Vaughan led her squad to a 22-4 record and a state record sixth boys’ title by beating Dr. Phillips in the championship game after losing three regular-season games to them.
Sophomore Halle Zimlich of Sanford-Seminole High School is the winner of the 2024 Miss Water Polo award. Her Seminole coach Ryan Ackerson was named the state’s Girls’ Water Polo Coach of the Year.
Zimlich led her team to the state title by scoring five goals in a 10-6 victory over West Orange in the championship game, finishing with a state-leading 159 goals. She also totaled 46 assists and 50 steals.
Ackerson’s Seminole squad posted a 31-0 record on the way to winning the school’s first girls’ state water polo title and finished as the state’s only undefeated team.
The Florida Dairy Farmers Sports Awards program exemplifies Florida Dairy Farmers’ commitment to the state’s youth. This is the 32nd year of these unique awards as we honor the state’s top athletes and coaches in FHSAA sanctioned sports.
The program also emphasizes to young people the importance of keeping dairy products a primary part of their diet in their overall nutrition plan.
Postseason boys’ volleyball
The Belen Jesuit boys’ volleyball team continues its winning ways with a 27-25, 25-19 25-20 region semifinal victory over True North.
The region’s top seeded Wolverines (23-5) play Southwest for the region title. The third seeded Eagles (21-7) defeated second seeded Palmetto 25-18, 25-17, 25-22 to set-up that showdown against Belen.
Region semifinal: Belen Jesuit d. True North 27-25, 25-19 25-20: Morrison Hadad 17 kills, 10 digs, 4 blocks. Federico Marino 11 kills, 3 blocks; Nicholas Hernandez 8 kills, 9 digs; Max Klemick 8 kills, 4 blocks. Bel 23-5, TN 19-9.
Fourth seeded True North finished the season 19-9. Palmetto closed at 23-7.
In another region final, top seeded Miami High will play the region’s third seeded Hialeah.
Miami High advanced by beating fourth seeded Hialeah-Miami Lakes 25-10, 25-11, 25-17. The Stingarees impoved to 27-1, while HML ended its run at 16-4. Hialeah (20-5) defeated second seeded LaSalle 25-19, 25-18, 25-20. The Royals Lions concluded its campaign at 15-8.
Region semifinal: Hialeah d. LaSalle 25-19, 25-18, 25-20: Hia: Elyan Soto 12 kills, 11 blocks; Pedro Artires 7 kills, 16 blocks, 2 aces; Nicholas Navarro 6 kills, 10 aces, 3 digs, 13 serve rec; Ethan Andrade 2 aces, 3 digs, 19 serve rec; Javier Carreno 23 assists; Daniel Garcia 10 serve rec. LaS: Logan Aungst 9 kills, 4 digs; Marco Blavia 6 kills; Lucas Barragan 22 assists, 6 digs, 1 ace. Hia 20-5, LaS 15-8.
Mater Lakes Academy, the top seed in its region, faces third seeded Cypress Bay for the region title. The Bears (21-3) beat fourth seeded South Broward 25-19, 25-23, 25-18, and third seeded Cypress Bay (18-5) defeated second seeded Archbishop McCarthy 21-25, 25-17, 25-23, 25-22. South Broward finished 17-6 and Archbishop McCarthy 14-8.
Also in a local region final match-up, top seeded Cardinal Gibbons (16-12) will battle Boca Raton (13-8).
In a region semifinal, the Chiefs topped Coral Springs 25-14, 25-17, 25-16. That region’s fourth seeded Colts completed its season at 17-9. In the other semifinal, Boca Raton eliminated second seeded Pompano Beach 25-22, 26-24, 25-21. The Tornadoes 15-5.
State academic honors
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) announced the 30th Annual Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team, a recognition program that honors 24 graduating student-athletes who excel in both athletics and academics. With this being one of the most important special recognition programs the FHSAA sponsors, 12 girls and 12 boys from throughout the state will be awarded a total of $50,000 in scholarships.
“The hardworking men and women of Florida’s dairy industry are honored to recognize the significant accomplishments of these amazing student-athletes,” Florida Dairy Farmers CEO Michele Cooper said in a statement. “We’re excited to support a program that has a great tradition of encouraging excellence on the field and in the classroom and we’re proud to support students that have the special mix of work ethic and determination required to succeed at both.”
To be eligible for this award, students must be a graduating senior with a minimum 3.5 unweighted grade point average and earned a minimum of two varsity letters in at least two different sports during their junior and senior year. The 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team selection committee evaluated scholarship nominees based on their athletic participation, academic record, extracurricular activities, community service and essay.
Each Florida Dairy Famers Academic All-State Team member will be recognized at a banquet on Monday, June 3 where they will receive a $1,700 scholarship and a commemorative medallion. Out of the 24 All-State Team members, one male and one female will be named the Ronald N. Davis Scholar-Athletes of the Year, the FHSAA’s most prestigious honor bestowed on any active student-athlete. The winners of this award will earn a commemorative trophy and an additional $4,600 in scholarship funds – $6,300 in total.
The members of the 2024 Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team include:
Evan Hurwitz, Miami Country Day – Evan Hurwitz holds a 3.98 GPA, is a National Merit Scholar Semifinalist, and in the top 5-percent of his graduating class. Hurwitz was a member of the swimming, basketball, and lacrosse teams during his high school athletics career. He was a swimming state finalist and earned an Honorable Mention from the Miami Herald for lacrosse in his sophomore year. Outside of the classroom and school athletics, Hurwitz participated in Mock Trial and Debate Club, the Jewish Student Union, and Club Lacrosse. He earned over 200 community service hours and worked as a lacrosse coach and counselor throughout high school. He is the son to Steven and Amy Hurwitz and is planning to major in engineering in college.
Joseph Ruiz, Belen Jesuit (Miami) – Joseph Ruiz owns a 4.0 GPA, is an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction and National Hispanic Recognition Scholar. Ruiz earned eight varsity letters in cross country and track and field. He was a member of the Florida High School Cross Country State Championship team all four years of high school. He is a member of Peer Ministry and earned over 200 community service hours volunteering with Foster the Grove, Holocaust Memorial Student Program, GESU Church, and Care for Creation Immersive Experience. He is the son of Suzette Megias-Ruiz and Genir Ruiz and plans to attend the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Submit sports info
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
This story was originally published May 14, 2024, 12:04 AM.
