Miami boys' volleyball all-star game celebrates 20th anniversary. Plus softball and track
The North came from behind to edge the South 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20, 15-10) in the 20th anniversary of the Miami-Dade High School Boys' Volleyball All-Star Game at Barry University in Miami Shores.
The event, organized by Daniel Benitez, features the top high school senior boys' volleyball players in the county.
The North showcased Roman Garcia (Barbara Goleman), Nico Delgado-Gonzalez (Coral Gables), Mariano Beytia (Coral Gables), Dante Munecas (Columbus), Joseph Gonzalez (Miami High), Carlos Miranda (Miami High), Evan Alcron (Miami High), Nicholas Navarro (Hialeah), Giovanni Gonzalez (Hialeah-Miami Lakes), Ibrahim Perez (Mater Lakes), Elayan Soto (Mater Lakes), Diego Cobena (Ronald Reagan Doral), Yeison Gonzalez (Ronald Reagan Doral), Santiago Lopez (Divine Savior), Ernesto Alvarenga (JC Bermudez), Lucas Barragan (LaSalle), Christian Bagshaw (LaSalle), Head Coach Josh Garavito (Ronald Reagan Doral), Honorary Coach Camilo Guerci (Columbs - 2006 All-Star).
The South showcased Gabriel Perez-Malo (Braddock), Alvaro Perez (Ferguson), Oliver Cerna (Homestead), Jake Bedoya (Palmetto), Lucca Santana (Palmetto), Dereck Ocasio (Southwest), Jaime Dominguez (Southwest), Luke Diaz (Belen Jesuit), Max Klemick (Belen Jesuit), AJ Garrido (Belen Jesuit), Jose Santos (Felix Varela), Luke Ieremia (Felix Varela), Makquiel Velez (Sunset), Uziel Chaparro (Sunset), Head Coach Sebastian Abreu (Felix Varela), Honorary Coach Matthew Kanakis (Palmetto - 2015 All-Star).
To celebrate this historic match, 20-years-old, some former all-stars attended, including 2014 - Johnny Benitez - Florida Christian School; 2017 - Daniel Thews - SLAM Miami; 2017 - Alejandro Escobar - Palmetto; 2022 - Charlie Oriana - Felix Varela; 2023 - Thomas Santos - Miami High; 2023 - Elio Martin - Hialeah-Miami Lakes; 2024 - Yusdel Martinez - Felix Varela; 2024 - Lucas Perez-Malo - G Holmes Braddock; 2024 - Matthew Webb - Hialeah-Miami Lakes; 2024 - Seth Bohler - Palmetto.
College coaches in attendance included: Pedro Davila (Warner University men's volleyball coach); Imanol Davila (Oakland City men's volleyball assistant coach); Charles Norman (Barry University men's volleyball coach); and Breno Ertty (St. Thomas University men's volleyball coach).
Event photographers were John Benitez (@Johnnybenitez_) and Dania Montejo (@themontejos).
North d. South 20-25, 25-18, 25-27, 25-20, 15-10: Yeison Gonzalez 14 Kills, 7 Digs, 1 Ace; Carlos Miranda 7 Digs; Nico Delgado-Gonzalez 3 Digs; Giovanni Gonzalez 1 Dig, 2 Assists; Ibrahim Perez 2 Kills, 2 Digs, 1 Assist, 3 Blocks; Santiago Lopez 1 Kill; Elayan Soto 1 Kill, 1 Block; Marianno Beytia 1 Dig, 9 Assists; Diego Cobena 5 Kills, 3 Digs, 1 Ace, 1 Block; Nicholas Navarro 4 Digs, 2 Aces; Ernesto Alvarenga 1 Dig, 5 Assists; Roman Garcia 1 Kill; Christian Bagshaw 1 Kill, 1 Block; Evan Alcron 1 Dig, 2 Blocks; Lucas Barragan 2 Assists; Dante Munecas 3 Kills, 9 Blocks; Jose Santos 1 Dig, 6 Assists; Luke Diaz 3 Kills, 4 Digs, 5 Assists, 1 Ace; Lucca Sant'anna 1 Kill, 4 Digs, 3 Assists; Derek Ocasio 5 Kills, 2 Digs, 2 Blocks; Gabriel Perez-Malo 9 Kills, 1 Dig, 2 Aces; Luke Ieremia 5 Kills, 3 Digs, 2 Aces, 1 Block; Jaime Dominguez 2 Blocks; Max Klemick 2 Blocks; Jake Bedoy 3 Kills, 1 Dig, 1 Block; Oliver Cerna 2 Kills; AJ Garrido 2 Digs; Uziel Chapparo 2 Digs, 4 Assists; Alvaro Perez 1 Kill.
State track awards
The Florida Diary Farmers announced the state's classification winners for FHSAA boys' and girls' track & field.
Each is eligible for Mr. and Miss Track & Field honors, respectively, representing the best of the best.
Coach of the Year recipients were also announced. They are eligible for the state's overall Coach of the Year accolades.
Here are locals who won classification honors.
▪ Class 3A Girls' Track Athlete of the Year: Tyra Cox, Senior, Miami Northwestern: The 2024 Florida Miss Track swept the 200-meter (22.99) and 400-meter (51.44) state titles for the second consecutive year. Her time of 51.44 in the 400 meters was the second fastest among USA high school runners in 2025. Signed with the University of Florida.
▪ Class 2A Girls' Track Athlete of the Year: Arianna Garcia, Junior, Carrollton: Swept the 100-meter hurdles (14.09) and 400-meter hurdles (58.97) championships.
▪ Class 3A Girls' Track Coach of the Year: Davidson Gill, Dillard: Led his team to its second straight state title with a 96-85.5 point victory over Miami Northwestern.
▪ Class 2A Girls' Track Coach of the Year: Dylan Hermelee, Carrollton: Led his squad to the school's first state title, edging 2024 champion Montverde Academy by a narrow 65-64.5 point margin.
▪ Class 4A Boys' Track Coach of the Year: Danny Areces, Miami Columbus: Led Columbus to its second straight state title with 74 points.
▪ Class 3A Boys' Track Coach of the Year: Victor Arrieta, Belen Jesuit: Led his team to the state title with 69 points, finishing ahead of runnerup Niceville (67).
State softball nominees
The Florida Dairy Farmers announced the list of nominees for FHSAA top state softball honors, and the stellar group includes some local athletes and coaches. They are:
▪ 7A: Krystal Martinez (Hialeah Gardens) Sr C .722 BA, 11 2B; 2 3B, 4 HR, 30 R, 31 RBI, 21 SB; Ali Solo (Western) Sr P 18-4, 2.10 ERA, 153 IP, 175 K; .298 BA, 4 HR, 17 RBI; Chloe Junco (Coral Reef) Jr INF .387 BA, 19 R, 28 RBI, .933 Fielding %; Coach John Bradshaw (Western) 20-6 State Final Four; Coach Kyle Davis (West Broward) 18-8 Regional Finalist; Coach Zach Segal (Coral Reef) 20-7.
▪ 6A: Megan Villazone (Doral Academy) Sr P 26-1, 0.63 ERA, 145 IP, 261 K, 39 BB ; .475 BA, 45 RBI; Coach Willie Viruet (Doral Academy) 31-1 State Champion; Coach Robyn Handler (South Plantation) 14-12 Regional Finalist.
▪ 5A: Victoria Brunette (St. Thomas Aquinas) Sr INF .341 BA, 8 2B, 3 HR, 20 R, 22 RBI; Summer Givens (St. Thomas Aquinas) Sr INF .346 BA, 7 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 18 R, 26 RBI; Coach Bryan Baucom (St. Thomas Aquinas) 16-13 State Final Four.
▪ 4A: Lyric Rodriguez (American Heritage) 8th P 14-2, 1.26 ERA, 100 IP, 91 K, 26 BB; Sienna Garcia (Archbishop McCarthy) Sr P 9-5, 2.17 ERA, 113 IP, 169 K, 43 BB; 3 HR, 17 R, 19 RBI; Coach Jason Garcia (Key West) 16-8 Regional Finalist; Coach Sergio Fernandez (American) 15-9; Coach Samantha Banister (American Heritage) 23-3 State Runner-Up; Coach Jean Ferrier (Archbishop McCarthy) 15-8.
▪ 3A: Lydia Berent (Cardinal Gibbons) Jr P 20-6, 1.11 ERA, 157 IP, 243 K, 26 BB; .500 BA, 11 2B, 3 HR, 39 R, 12 RBI, 20 SB; Gio Gurgel (Coral Springs Charter) Jr C/3B .494 BA, 11 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 26 R, 35 RBI; Taylor Rebhan (Somerset Academy Silver Palms) Jr INF .430 BA, 7 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 36 R, 24 RBI, 19 SB; Coach Mark Montimurro (Coral Springs Charter) 23-4 Regional Finalist; Coach Gator Rehban (Somerset Academy Silver Palms) 24-6 State Champion.
▪ 2A: Kinsey Cerda (Palmer Trinity) Soph SS .508 BA, 7 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 29 R, 15 RBI, 24 SB; Gigi Khoury (Westminster Christian) Sr 3B .519 BA, 16 2B, 5 HR, 27 R, 26 RBI; Coach Nic Varsi (Westminster Christian) 20-8 State Final Four; Coach Stephen Hager (Florida Christian) 19-9 Regional Finalist.
▪ 1A: Camila Holguin (Miami Christian) Sr P/OF .453 BA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 24 R, 30 RBI; 3-1, 3.08 ERA; Mia Gonzalez (AIE) Jr SS/P .608 BA, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 32 R, 27 RBI; 4-3, 2.12 ERA; Coach Henry Laurido (Schoolhouse Prep) 15-10 Regional Finalist; Coach Kelly Gonzalez (AIE) 10-8; Coach Pio Herrera (Miami Christian) 16-9 State Final Four.
Send sports results
For high school and middle school athletes in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have summer sports results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@miamiherald.com.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
New athletic directors, coaches
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have new sports administration and/or coaching hires to announce, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
---
Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
MLB Potentially Facing Major Francisco Lindor Decision
MLB Potentially Facing Major Francisco Lindor Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Upon first thought, the possibility of an MLB All-Star Game not featuring Francisco Lindor not wearing a New York Mets uniform might sound strange. Advertisement Incredibly, it's actually been the norm since Lindor's 2021 arrival in Queens. Despite remaining one of the NL's premier shortstops and even placing second behind Shohei Ohtani in MVP voting last year, Lindor has never made the Midsummer Classic as a Met. Lindor, unsurprisingly, has picked up where he left off last year, and he could force Major League Baseball to make a difficult decision when it comes time to finalize the All-Star Game rosters. For the unfamiliar, fans determine the All-Star Game starting hitters in two voting periods. The league then uses its own judgment, coupled with player ballots, to determine pitchers and position player reserves. New York Mets shortstop Francisco LindorJason Parkhurst-Imagn Images In other words, if the fans vote Lindor as the starter, he's headed to Atlanta, barring an injury. It'd be well-deserved, given Lindor's 2.2 bWAR and .843 OPS for the NL East-leading Mets. Advertisement The Athletic's Jim Bowden recently projected that Lindor will start, with Philadelphia Phillies veteran Trea Turner and Cincinnati Reds star Elly De La Cruz backing him up. However, suppose Turner instead earns the starting nod. The league would decide the backups, likely picking from a group featuring Lindor, De La Cruz, and the Washington Nationals' CJ Abrams. As is typically the case, at least one deserving player will stay home unless they're called upon as an injury replacement. It's also worth noting that every team, including the lowly Colorado Rockies, must have at least one player in the All-Star Game. So, theoretically, Abrams could earn the final shortstop roster spot so the Nationals are represented. Advertisement Conversely, the Mets are on track to send first baseman Pete Alonso, starting pitcher Kodai Senga, and potentially even closer Edwin Díaz. Major League Baseball won't announce the All-Star Game rosters until July 6. We'll see if Lindor earns his first selection since 2019 or if he'll make it 0-for-5. Related: Mets Trade Idea Adds $3.85 Million All-Star Outfielder After Mark Vientos News This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Louisville baseball vs Miami weather updates: Super regional game in lightning delay
Louisville baseball vs Miami weather updates: Super regional game in lightning delay Show Caption Hide Caption 5 men's NCAA baseball tournament players to watch The Mongomery Advertiser's Adam Cole and The Tennesseean's Aria Gerson break down the top players to watch in the men's NCAA baseball tournament. Louisville baseball finds itself three outs away from taking Game 1 of the Louisville Super Regional against Miami in the 2025 NCAA baseball tournament. The Cardinals, however, will have to wait some time before it can close the door on the series opener. Due to lightning in the area of Jim Patterson Stadium in Louisville, the game was sent into a lightning delay. REQUIRED READING: Why is Louisville baseball hosting a super regional? NCAA Tournament, CWS format explained Prior to the start of Game 1 between the Cardinals and the Hurricanes, rain moved its way through the Louisville area but did not impact the first pitch. Louisville is currently leading Miami 8-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning with two outs. Garrett Pike and Lucas Munroe hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the second to get the scoring going for the Cardinals. Louisville then plated five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to open up the game. Here's the latest weather updates for the Louisville Super Regional: REQUIRED READING: NCAA baseball tournament bracket: Super regional matchups, schedule, pairings for CWS All times Eastern 6:45 p.m.: According to the hourly forecast from The Weather Channel, heavy rain is expected to come through the Louisville area for the next two hours. 6:30 p.m.: Game 1 between Louisville and Miami has been halted due to lightning in the Louisville area. ESPN cameras showed both teams leaving the field, as well as fans in the stands. Per NCAA rules, if lightning strikes within at least six miles of the venue of the event, the game must be suspended for at least 30 minutes. For every lightning strike that follows the initial lightning strike, the 30-minute clock is reset. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Ramirez and Lopez each hit home runs, but Marlins fall at Tampa Bay
Right-hander Zack Littell won in his sixth straight decision, Jonathan Aranda had two RBIs, and the red-hot Tampa Bay Rays edged the visiting Miami Marlins 4-3 on Friday afternoon. Coming off the Rays' first complete game since Ryan Yarbrough in 2021, 647 straight contests ago, Littell (6-5) allowed one run on six hits while striking out four with no walks. Aranda was 2-for-4 and Junior Caminero added two doubles. Taylor Walls (double), Curtis Mead (stolen base) and Matt Thaiss (RBI) had two hits apiece from the bottom of the order. Brandon Lowe scored twice and walked. The Rays improved to 13-3 since May 20 and evened their season series with Miami after four games while climbing to a season-best five games over .500. Miami's Agustin Ramirez was 3-for-4 with a solo home run, and Otto Lopez hit a two-run homer. Eric Wagaman went 3-for-4 while Dane Myers had two hits with a double. Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera (2-2) surrendered three runs (one earned) on six hits over four innings. He struck out five with two walks. With the game moved up to an afternoon start with the rock band Metallica playing a Friday night show across the street at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' stadium, the Rays scored on Aranda's first-inning single. In the third, Miami rookie manager Clayton McCullough was ejected for the first time in his career by home plate umpire Chad Fairchild for arguing base-path interference on Xavier Edwards, who collided with Aranda at first base. Edwards was also ejected. After Miami first baseman Liam Hicks committed a leadoff error in the third, Aranda and Jake Mangum each had RBI groundouts for a 3-0 lead. In the fourth, Ramirez got the Marlins on the board by hitting a 3-0 fastball from Littell for his eighth homer. Thaiss tacked on an insurance run with an RBI single in the seventh for his first Rays multi-hit game, but Lopez's two-run homer off Edwin Uceta in the eighth trimmed it to one. Closer Pete Fairbanks posted his 12th save with a perfect ninth.
