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Miami Herald
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Estevez's gem powers Miami Springs to first trip to state baseball final four since 2019
Miami-Dade High Schools Estevez's gem powers Miami Springs to first trip to state baseball final four since 2019 Special to the Miami Herald The Miami Springs baseball team started its season in Fort Myers three months ago. And the Golden Hawks are going to finish it there as well. Six years after making a first-ever trip to the state final four, Springs is headed back again following an impressive 5-0 shutout victory over St. Brendan in Game two of a Region 4-3A final on Wednesday afternoon at Springs' Shelly Dunkel Field. The win finished off an outstanding three-week run by the Hawks who entered as the region's No. 1 seed and finished a perfect 6-0 on their home field. Along the way, they outscored their three opponents, iMater Academy, Monsignor Pace and St. Brendan by a composite score of 39-7. Springs (26-3) advances to the Class 3A state semifinals for the first time since 2019 and will play on Monday, May 19 at the Lee Health Sports Complex – Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers. The Hawks will enter as the No. 3 seed and will face either Clearwater Calvary Christian or Fort Myers Bishop Verot who are playing Game 3 of their best-of-3 series in Region 3-3A on Thursday night. If it's Bishop Verot, it would mark a rematch of the two teams who met in Fort Myers to kick off the 2025 season in a Feb. 3 preseason classic. 'Isn't it something how it all started for us in Fort Myers three months ago and now we're going to finish in Fort Myers,' Springs coach David Fanshawe said. 'Hopefully we've got two more wins in us to complete the journey.' Fanshawe said that even though the game didn't count officially, the 8-1 victory over a Bishop Verot team that is currently 26-1 this season was a huge confidence booster for his players. 'Even though it was only a preseason game, we played really well against them that night and beat them decisively,' Fanshawe said. 'I think that our kids got a boatload of confidence from that game and as it turned out, was the launching pad to our season.' One day after winning a 3-2 extra-inning nail-biter over St. Brendan in the first game, there would be no such drama on Wednesday thanks to a brilliant and dominating pitching performance by senior Magdiel Estevez. With an effective slider that St. Brendan hitters simply could not figure out, Estevez was in complete command the entire time, as he struck out 10 Sabre batters, gave up just two hits, and walked just two as the Sabres (19-15) had just two runners reach second base. The only thing keeping Estevez from a complete game shutout was pitch count. With just one batter left, he maxed out at 105 pitches forcing Fanshawe to replace him with reliever Anthony Espinoza, who recorded the final out. 'Maybe I was a little nervous inside but I managed to stay calm all game long and really got out there and found my comfort zone,' said Estevez, a Miami-Dade commit. 'I was excited for the game and the opportunity to come through for my team. I was really getting a lot of movement on my slider, filthy for sure.' Estevez also enjoyed what all pitchers love, especially in a big game – an early lead. The Hawks got him a single run in the first inning and then blew things open when No. 9 hitter Justin Mercado stepped up with the bases loaded in the second and ripped a line shot down the right field line to clear the bases and put the Hawks up 4-0. Miami Springs pitcher Magdiel Estevez dominated from first pitch to last pitch as he gave up just two hits and struck out 10 to lead the Hawks to a 5-0 victory over St. Brendan in the clinching game of the Region 4-3A final series. Bill Daley Special to the Miami Herald 'The early runs were big,' Estevez said. 'When you get a lead that like, it gives you the confidence to make some pitches without the worry of making a mistake and giving up a long ball because you have a little wiggle room. What a cool moment this is for me. You dream about something like this as a little kid playing Little League.' The Hawks, whose only losses this season came to COHEA, Belen Jesuit and Varela in a GMAC semifinal, then got Estevez one more run in the fourth when Yordan Torres, who delivered an RBI game-winning hit in the ninth on Tuesday, came through again with a one-out triple before scoring on a wild pitch. 'Every high school team out there sets this as a goal whey they take the practice field back in January and to realize it, to actually walk through that door to state is just so gratifying,' Springs catcher and senior captain Kelven Perera said. 'All the hard work paid off. Now, we've got some time to get ready and we want to go out there and take advantage of the opportunity in front of us and get two more wins.'
Miami Herald
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
St. Brendan baseball moves within one series victory from state final four
Two days after letting an opportunity slip away, the St. Brendan baseball team was not about to let it happen again. The Sabres, who dropped a one-run, extra-inning heartbreaker on their home field in Game two of a Region 4-3A best-of-3 semifinal series with Miami Killian, traveled to the Cougars' home field Thursday afternoon. St. Brendan took maximum advantage of a struggling Killian pitching staff that went through five pitchers and doled out a total of 12 walks to cruise to an easy 9-3 victory in Game 3. The Sabres (19-13) advance to the regional final for only the third time in program history and first time since 2013. The No. 6 seed in the region, St. Brendan will travel to take on top-seeded Miami Springs for a best-of-3 series beginning Monday at 3:30 p.m. in hopes of securing their first trip to the state final four since they won the state title in 1983. 'We've been grinding these games out throughout the playoffs and today was more of the same,' St. Brendan coach Jorge Robles said. 'We just get out there and go seven innings as hard as we can, take it pitch by pitch and today we found a way to grinding things out again.' The Sabres batted around and scored a pair of runs in the second without recording a single hit as Killian starter Alex Fonseca issued five walks and didn't make it out of the inning. By the time senior catcher Rafael Rizo stepped up to the plate in the top of the fourth, the Sabres led 4-1, (thanks to three more walks, a hit batsmen and a Killian error) and still didn't have a hit yet. That changed when Rizo, with two on and two outs, rocketed a 3-2 pitch into the left field corner for a two-RBI standup double. 'I was just looking for my pitch, something belt high and not chase something down low and he gave it to me,stayed to my approach, got good barrel on it and away it went,' said Rizo of his big hit. 'Tuesday was a really rough game for us, probably our worse game of the playoffs because we had some big errors late in the game that cost us so we were a little down. But there was no time to mope around and sulk. 'We had to pull our heads together quickly and not dwell on that and we did that out there today.' It was a choppy day for St. Brendan starter Gianncarlo Guzman but, like his team, he managed to muddle his way through five-plus innings of work while giving up just one run despite walking five and yielding five hits. 'He wasn't perfect out there but made the right pitches at the right time,' said Robles of Guzman. 'They (Killian) were looking for fast balls all day long but his best pitch is the slider and that's what got him through.' After he recorded the first out of the sixth inning, Guzman maxed out on his pitch count and Robles went to his bullpen. Trailing 7-1, the Cougars (15-15) seized the opportunity by wrapping out three hits, scoring a run and still had the bases loaded with only one out and the top of the order coming up. But Matthew Garcia then entered and got Kendry Blanco to foul out to third base and Lucas Arcaute to line out to center to end the inning and the threat. 'We're excited to be moving on and looking forward to taking on a great team in Miami Springs,' Robles said. 'They've had a great season so far know that it will be a challenge for us. We're just going to go in there, put nine guys out on the field and play as hard as we can play.'
Miami Herald
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
St. Brendan baseball breaks up no-hitter, then rallies to clinch series vs. Calvary
It mattered little that for most of the game, St. Brendan's baseball team couldn't touch Calvary Christian starter Braden Rosenthal. When it counted the most, the Sabres found a way. St. Brendan entered the bottom of the sixth inning trailing the Eagles, 1-0. The way Rosenthal was pitching, that score probably felt like 11-0 as he faced just 16 batters and had not given up a hit. But that all came crashing down for the senior Samford commit and his Eagles team when the Sabres blitzed him with four hits and plated a pair of runs that proved to be the difference as St. Brendan, the No. 6 seed, rallied for a 2-1 victory over No. 3 seed Calvary Christian in the third and decisive game of a best-of-3 Region 4-3A quarterfinal series at St. Brendan. Already enjoying their celebration, Sabres players got even better news a few minutes after securing their win when they learned that No. 7 seeded Miami Killian had upset No. 2 Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest in the opposite bracket. St. Brendan (17-12) will enjoy homefield advantage on Monday when they host Killian at their field in Game 1 of a Best of 3 regional semifinal. 'Our kids, they finally put it together in that inning,' St. Brendan coach Jorge Robles said. 'The Rosenthal kid, he's a tough kid and he was really doing a job out there. But give our kids credit, they kept battling the whole game and stayed with it. Just a matter of time before we got a few big hits.' Jan Perez Fernandez began the inning by breaking up Rosenthal's no hitter when he hit a slow roller down the third base line. Third baseman Selvy Lopez fielded it cleanly and made a perfect throw but with good speed, Fernandez beat the throw. Jorge Heredia, the No. 9 hitter in the lineup, attempted a sacrifice bunt but popped out to the catcher. Fernandez then took off and successfully stole second and the timing was perfect. One pitcher later, leadoff hitter Luciano Nava stroked a soft liner to left. There was a play at the plate but Fernandez beat the throw home and Nava went down to second on the throw. Two batters later, after Nava made it to third on an infield ground out to second, the big moment arrived when Kevin Leon took Rosenthal's first pitcher and drilled an opposite field shot off the left field fence scoring Nava and sending the Sabres dugout into a frenzy. 'We had been seeing his cutter all game so I was sitting on it to see if I would get it and I did,' Leon said. 'He left it up and outside and I just went with it opposite field. It was our third time around against him so we'd been trying to go to school throughout the game. What a great game, both pitchers were throwing well and it was crazy game for sure. But we were determined find a way and it feels great to be moving on.' The Eagles (15-11-3) did not go quietly though as they put a rally of their own together in their final at-bat. A one-out Nicky Lombardo base hit to right center, only Calvary's second hit of the game as St. Brendan starter Giancarlo Guzman and reliever Alex Rizo had been nearly as brilliant as Rosenthal, got the rally going. After Lombardo advanced to second on an infield groundout, pinch hitter Luca Erazo walked bringing up No. 9 hitter Cole Diehl. Down to his last strike, Diehl drilled a shot right up the middle that likely would've been an RBI single to center. But the ball hit Rizo's knee and bounced away for an infield single loading the bases. Looking for a lefty on lefty matchup, Robles then went back to his bullpen and brought in Henry Perera to face, of all people, Rosenthal, the Eagles leadoff hitter. Perera promptly threw three consecutive balls for a 3-0 count as the Calvary bench got noisy. But Perera kept his cool, calmly throwing one down the middle for strike one before Rosenthal hit a ground ball right back to him. Perera reached up and speared the ball with his right hand, bobbled it before cooly firing to first for the final out. 'My mind was racing obviously at that moment,' said Perera when the count went to 3-0. 'But it was just a matter of calming myself, slow my breathing down and just make the pitches I knew I was capable of. In the end my team and my defense was there.' The Eagles got their only run of the game in the fourth when Carlos Lugo led off with a walk and Preston Bielec followed with Calvary's first and only base hit off Guzman to right center. Blake Sundberg then hit a shot to first base that got under the first baseman Brandon Roca's glove for an error, scoring Lugo and leaving runners on the corners with no outs. Primed to break things open, the Eagles will look back at a lost opportunity as Lombardo struck out and Wes Altidort lined out to Roca who then doubled back Sundberg at first for an inning-ending double play. 'A great game between two terrific teams that just didn't go our way,' said Calvary Christian coach Wayne Rosenthal, Brandon's father. 'We just coudn't get enough going offensively and it wound up coming back to cost us.'
Miami Herald
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Local baseball and tennis district champs. Plus track & field standouts and more
The Miami True North Classical baseball team made history by defeating Miami Westminster Christian 5-1 to win the District 15-2A Championship. It marked the first time the Titans won districts in baseball. True North scored in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly by Misael Uriepero. Westminster tied it in the top of the second. The Titans (17-7) took the lead for good in the bottom of the second when Matias Fischer singled, scoring two runs, to give the Titans a 3-1 advantage. True North added insurance by scoring two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Starting pitcher William Foss, a junior, earned the win for True North, allowing only three hits and one run over 5 2/3 innings. He also walked three and struck out four. Pitcher Yancarlos Cordova tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to seal the victory. Pitcher Aaron Hernandez started on the mound for Westminster Christian (15-10-1). The southpaw surrendered 12 hits and five runs over five innings, striking out four and walking none. Offensively, Fischer led the Titans, going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Kash Ojeda, Max Balsera and Brandon Castellon each also collected two hits. Defensively, True North did not make an error. The Titans advance to the 2A regional quarterfinals. True North 5, Westminster Christian 1: Kash Ojeda (Jr) 2-4; Max Balsera (Sr) 2-3, R, RBI; Matias Fischer (Jr) 2-4, 2 RBI; Brandon Castellon (Sr) 2-3, RBI; Misael Uripero (Sr) 1-3, RBI; Winning Pitcher Will Foss (Jr) 5.2 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 3 BB, 4 K; Yankee Cordova (Sr) 1.1 IP, 0 R, 1 H. TN 17-7, WC 15-10-1. More district baseball Miami Doral Academy baseball won the District 16-6A Championship by edging Miami Southridge 6-5. District 16-6A Championship: Doral Academy 6, Southridge 5: Gabriel Milano 2-3, HR (ninth of the season); George Pardo 2-4; Gavin Ruvalcaba 2-2, R; Winning Pitcher Marcelo Rodriguez 4 IP, 3 ER, 5 K; Save Jadyn Nunez 3 IP, 7 K. Dor 21-5-1. For the first time in 10 years, St. Brendan baseball won the district title. The Sabres beat Miami Killian 6-1 in the District 16-3A finals. In the semifinals, St. Brendan edged Gulliver Prep 7-6. District 16-3A Championship: St. Brendan 6, Killian 1: Winning Pitcher Alex Rizo 2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 H, 1 BB; P Giannicarlo Guzman-Garcia 3 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 6 K; P Mathew Garcia 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 2 BB, 2 K; Jan Perez Fernandez 3-3, 2B, BB, 2 R; Jorge Heredia 3-4, R, RBI; Diego Alvarez 2-2, 2 BB, R, RBI; Kevin Leon 2-4, RBI; Mason Porven 1-2, BB, R, RBI. Kln: Lucas Arcaute 2-3, BB, R. StB 15-11. District tennis Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest, coached by Corey Marsh, swept District 14-2A team titles (boys and girls). Miami Gulliver Prep, coached by John Bradley and Kelly Mulligan, swept District 16-2A team titles. Miami Palmetto, coached by Kelly Gibson, also swept team titles. The Panthers dominated District 16-4A. Miami Doral Academy, coached by Justin Puppo, is a double district winner, too, sweeping team titles in District 15-4A. In District 14-4A, Weston Cypress Bay, coached by Michael Brunt, was also a double winner, finishing first in boys' and girls' team standings. ▪ BOYS: District 14-2A Championships: Team Champ Pine Crest. No.1 Singles Champ Quentin Gabler (Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy). No.1 Singles Runner-Up Koray Abramson (Pine Crest). No.2 Singles Champ Jose Vasquez (Pine Crest). No.3 Singles Champ Zach Khieu (Pine Crest). No.4 Singles Champ Ashwin Chawla (Pine Crest). No.5 Singles Champ Colton Hooper (Pine Crest). No.1 Doubles Champs Jose Vasquez/Koray Abramson (Pine Crest). No.2 Doubles Runners-Up Ashwin Chawla/Sebastian Yeagley (Pine Crest). GIRLS: District 14-2A Championships: Team Champ Pine Crest. No.1 Singles Champ Bridget Chalich (Pine Crest). No.2 Singles Champ Sophia Ead (Pine Crest). No.3 Singles Champ Brynn Edwards (Pine Crest). No.4 Singles Runner-Up Harper Frank (Pine Crest). No.5 Singles Champ Stef Zagorii (Pine Crest). No.1 Doubles Champs Bridget Chalich/Sophia Ead (Pine Crest). No.2 Doubles Runners-Up Brynn Edwards/Stef Zagorii (Pine Crest). ▪ BOYS: District 16-2A Championships: Teams: 1. Champs Gulliver Prep 18; 2. MAST 14; 3. LaSalle and Key West 5. No.1 Singles Champ Tomas Orrego (Gulliver Prep). No.1 Doubles Champs Ricardo Watson/Pedro Ribas (MAST). District Singles Champs from Gullver Prep: No.1 Tomas Orrego; No.2 Maximo Lopina; No.3 Alexander Zelenov; No.4 Lorenzo Martinez; No.5 Jack O'Brien. District Doubles Champs from Gulliver Prep: No.2 Maximo Lopina/Alexander Zelenov. GIRLS: District 16-2A Championships: Teams: 1. Champs Gulliver Prep 17; 2. MAST 15; 3. LaSalle 10. No.1 Singles Champ Sabrina Casareale (LaSalle). No.1 Doubles Champs Valentina Donoso/Mika Ringel (Gulliver Prep). District Singles Champs from Gulliver Prep: No.3 Hanna Matuk; No.4 Mika Ringel; No.5 Kayla Carey. District Doubles Champs from Gulliver Prep: No.1 Valentina Donoso/Mika Ringel. District Champion Gulliver Prep: Alex Leal, Valentina Donoso, Sophia Harari, Kayla Carey, Maya Quintero, Mika Ringel, Siena Ringel, Valentina Gonzalez, Hanna Matuk. ▪ BOYS: District 16-4A Championships: Teams: 1. Champs Palmetto 21; 2. Ferguson 12; 3. Coral Reef 8; 4. Braddock 7. No.1 Singles Finals: Stefan Correa (Plm) d. Dan Horwitz (Ferg) 6-3, 6-3. No.2 Singles Finals: Austin Siddens (Plm) d. Aaron Castillo (Ferg) 6-0,6-0. No.3 Singles Finals: Beau Gibson (Plm) d. Antonin Le Talaer (CR) 6-0, 6-0. No.4 Singles Finals: Ben Montana (Plm) d. Matthew Rodriguez (Ferg) 6-0, 6-1. No.5 Singles Finals: Danny Mazer (Plm) d. Diego Vargas (Ferg) 6-2, 4-6, (10-6). No.1 Doubles Finals: Stefan Correa/Beau Gibson (Plm) d. Dan Horwitz/Aaron Castillo 6-2, 6-0. No.2 Doubles Finals: Austin Siddens/Ben Montana (Plm) d. Diego Vargas/James Haro (Ferg). GIRLS: District 16-4A Championships: Team: 1. Champs Palmetto 21; 2. Coral Reef 13; 3. Ferguson 8; 4. Braddock 7. No.1 Singles Finals: Catherine Cardona-Carballosa (Plm) d. Eva Ramos (CR) 3-6, 6-0, (10-7). No.2 Singles Finals: Lucia Siddens (Plm) d. Ana Gomez (CR) 6-3, 6-0. No.3 Singles FInals: Camille Chellas (Plm) d. Martinall Jaramillo (CR) 6-0, 6-0. No.4 Singles Finals: Madeleine Chellas (Plm) d. Alexandra Tacorante (CR) 6-0, 6-0. No.5 Singles Finals: Sophia Jarauta (Plm) d. Mariana Diaz (Ferg) 6-0, 6-0. No.1 Doubles Finals: Catherine Cardona-Carballosa/Camille Chellas (Plm) d. Eva Ramos/Ana Gomez (CR) 6-2, 6-1. No.2 Doubles Finals: Madeleine Chellas/Lucia Siddens (Plm) d. Martina Jaramillo/Alexandra Tacoronte (CR) 6-0, 6-0. ▪ BOYS: District 15-4A Championships: Team: 1. Champs Doral Academy; 2. Columbus. District Singles Champs from Doral: No.1 Romain Azais; No.2 Samuel Rosales; No.3 Gabriel Cottone; No.4 Juan Benito; No.5 Miguel Angarita. No.1 Singles Finals: Romain Azais (Dor) d. Santiago Salazar (Col) 6-4, 6-4. District Doubles Champs from Doral: No.1 Romain Azais/Gabriel Cottone; No.2 Samuel Rosales/Juan Benito. No.1 Doubles Finals: Romain Azais/Gabriel Cottone (Dor) d. Santiago Salazar/Rodrigo Arrangoiz (Col) 6-0, 7-5. Players also on champion Doral: Vincenzo Palmiotto, William Seidle-Lubowitz, Gustavo Rodriguez, Matthew Arcuri. GIRLS: District 15-4A Championships: Team: 1. Champs Doral Academy; 2. Coral Gables. District Singles Champs from Doral: No.2 Stefany Zamora; No.3 Natalia Benito; No.4 Samantha Ruiz Delarbol; No.5 Barbara Grimaldi. No.1 Singles Finals: Kira Acevedo (CG) d. Payton Seidle-Lubowitz (Dor) 6-4, 6-2. District Doubles Champs from Doral: No.1 Payton Seidle-Lubowitz/Stefany Zamora; No.2 Natalia Benito/Samantha Ruiz Delarbol. No.1 Doubles Finals: Payton Seidle-Lubowitz/Stefany Zamora (Dor) d. Kira Acevedo/Paula Mejia (CG) 6-2, 6-2. Players also on champion Doral: Valerie Vesga, Alessandra Milanes, Antonia Arcone, Juliana Arcone, Sophia Fuquen, Camila Blanco, Lila Huckstep, Kamila Biasetti. ▪ BOYS: District 14-4A Championships: Team: 1. Champs Cypress Bay; 2. West Broward; 3. Cooper City; 4. Flanagan; 5. Nova; 6. South Broward. No.1 Singles Champ: Rolando Torrellas (CB). No.1 Doubles Champs: Rolando Torrellas/Sebastian Elias (CB). GIRLS: District 14-4A Championships: Team: 1. Champs Cypress Bay; 2. West Broward; 3. (tie) Cooper City, Nova, South Broward; 6. Flanagan. No.1 Singles Champ: Laila Kamil Wassef (CB). No.1 Doubles Champs: Laila Kamil Wassef /Laura Kamil Wassef (CB). Track & field The North Miami girls' 4x100 relay team is ready for 3A districts. Last season they made school history with a clean sweep—winning district, regional and state championships. This year, the 2025 group, also coached by Enrico Knowles, is on pace to do the same. The team consists of junior Antanyiah Brown, senior Chrislande Nelson, senior Esther Oleus and senior Nathanaelle Bien-Aime. Their accomplishments in 2025 include GMAC 4x100 champions; GMAC 4x100 Invitational champions; Louie Bing Sprint Medley champions; Louie Bing 4x200 runner-up; and Youth Fair 4x100 champions. They are currently ranked third in Florida (all classifications) Brown is a sprint sensation, currently ranked No. 3 in Florida in the 100-meter and 200-meter runs. Her list of 2025 achievements include: GMAC Invitational 100m & 200m Champion GMAC 200m Runner-Up Sam Burley 200m Champion & 100m Runner-Up Youth Fair Invitational 100m Champion Spartan Invitational 200m Champion Teammate Amaya Burrows is a standout in the discus. A senior, she is currently ranked No.5 in the state. Her remarkable accomplishments this season include: GMAC Discus Champion Youth Fair Invitational Discus Champion Sam Burley Invitational Discus Champion GMAC Invitational Discus Runner-Up Louie Bing Discus Runner-Up ▪ Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy track & field athlete Lauren Kirby placed second in the girls' shot put (14.89m / 48 feet-10.25 inches) at the Nike High School Indoor Nationals in New York City. Currently, Kirby is top shot putter in the Florida and the state's Top 5 discus thrower. Teammate Kaj Baker ranks No.7 in Florida in the 200-meter run. ▪ Tiago Socarras of the Miami Belen Jesuit boys' track & field team won the 800-meter race at the Arcadia Invitational in California. His time of 1:47.66 broke the meet record, and it's the top high school time in the United States. Boys' volleyball The Miami Doral Reagn boys' volleyball team continues to post victories, winning its 18th match of the season by defeating Dr. Krop in three sets. The Bison (18-3) are one of the top teams in South Florida. Reagan d. Dr. Krop 25-14, 25-12, 25-12: Yeison Gonzalez 14 kills, 12 serve received, 6 digs; Diego Cobena 10 kills, 12 serve received, 4 blocks; Diego Requena 18 assists, 4 kills, 3 aces, 7 digs; Jaeden Cabrera 10 assists, 4 aces; Zhayed Lacruz 4 kills, 2 blocks. Rea 18-3. Send high school sports results For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, if you have varsity results and top performers (with stats), email hssports@ 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. --- Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone jvarsallone@
Miami Herald
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Lourdes' McKeon, St. Brendan's Sicre are Miami-Dade co-cheerleading coaches of the year
Miami Lourdes Academy had a breakthrough season, winning its first state championship. And Miami St. Brendan's cheerleading squad continued its tradition of success, adding a ninth state championship to its expanding trophy collection. As a result, their coaches - Lourdes' Victoria McKeon and St. Brendan's Victoria Sicre - are the Miami Herald's Miami-Dade Competitive Cheerleading Co-Coaches of the Year. Lourdes collected multiple championships on its way to its first state crown, also winning the Nfinity The America's Cheerleading Cup, the Bobcat Battle and the UCA Florida Regional before finishing first at state in the Class 1A Medium division. The Bobcats' score of 91.60 was the highest of any Class 1A squad following a runner-up finish a year earlier. Lourdes' squad consisted of Gloria Aguirre, Mia Alvarez, Brooke Bolt, Yva Cao, Adriana Caso, Cassandra Esquivel, Sophia Evans, Valeria Fierman, Adriana Figueredo, Mia Goff, Gabriella Gonzalez, Anabelle Huembes, Carolina Lopez, Francesca Loureda, Lauren MacNamara, Emma Menendez, Alani Ortega, Camila Rodriguez, Zoe Rodriguez, Camila Sanchez, Angelica Santeliz, Danielle Torrents, Samantha Torrents, Sophia Vadillo. McKeon was joined by assistant coaches Alessandra Infante and Sophia Eguiguren. Lourdes followed this up by placing sixth of nearly 30 finalist teams in the Small Varsity Division II at the UCA nationals in Orlando. Meanwhile, St. Brendan continued its cheerleading dynasty by winning the Class 1A Large division title. The Sabres followed this up with a sixth-place finish of their own at nationals in the Medium Varsity Division II. St. Brendan's squad consisted of Alessandra Cardelles, Ashley Morales, Ava Diaz, Bianca Miro, Brooke Vila, Cecilia Castro, Danielle Perez, Elysabeth Yanes, Gabriela Hernandez, Giulianna Hernandez, Isabella Alonso, Isabella Garcia, Jillian Rodriguez, Juliette Reina, Lauren Blanco, Luna Sixto, Lydie van Hemert, Madison Labarraque, Megna Martin, Mia Hernandez, Ariana Santana, Olivia Bertot, Olivia Riverol, Sarah Bencomo, Sophia Iglesias, Vanessa Bu-Nassar, Veronica Hutner. Sicre was joined by assistant coaches Veronica Salazar, Ana Alvarez and Cecilia Esteban.
