- December 29, 2025
Flagler Palm Coast won a state team wrestling championship to add to its trophy case. It's the Bulldogs' fourth title. But this one was accomplished by the girls team. FPC put up a state record 150 points to win its first girls wrestling championship on March 8.
Christina Borgmann and Kendall Bibla each won an individual championship for the second time. Borgmann won her second in a row for the Bulldogs, while Bibla won her first title as a sophomore at Matanzas. They are both now wrestling in college.
In addition to the two titles, Ana Vilar placed second in her weight class; Joslyn Johnson, Mariah Mills and Tiana Fries all placed third; and Alexa Calidonio placed fifth.
In July, Bibla (third place) and Mills (seventh) earned All-American honors at the U.S. Marine Corps Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota.
Seabreeze defended its state boys bowling championship on Oct. 30. This time the Sandcrabs made it interesting. They had only five bowlers on the team, so they had no subs. They had to go to a second Baker Match against Titusville Astronaut in the final. They won that match 3-2, winning the final game, 199-191.
"They persevered, they pushed and they never gave up," Seabreeze coach Paul Shuler said after the match. "I'm just so wicked proud of these boys."
Dalton Boice, Logan Compton, Braydon Russell and Xavier Suba returned from their 2024 championship team. They were joined by first-year bowler Jonathan King.
"If it wasn't for [King], we wouldn’t even have had a chance to do this," Boice said. "He not only bowls, but he just bowls at such a high level, not even for how long he’s been bowling. If it wasn’t for him, none of this would have been possible."
FPC relieved head football coach Daniel Fish of his coaching duties on Jan. 21. Fish had led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record in his second season. Fish resigned as a teacher at the school eight days later.
Veteran coach Patrick Turner was hired to take over the football program on March 3.
University of Florida softball coach Tim Walton showed he knew what he was doing when he added Matanzas High pitcher Leah Stevens late to his 2025 recruiting class. Stevens was offered in late January and signed on Feb. 5. She had already been accepted to UF's University Research Scholarship Program.
Stevens ended her stellar high school career with a near perfect postseason. She pitched a no-hitter in a regional quarterfinal win over Ponte Vedra, hit a walk-off double in extra innings after pitching a two-hitter against Middleburg in the regional semifinals and then pitched another no-hitter in a 1-0 loss to Niceville in the regional final.
Palm Coast dentist Jessie Bech earned a Six Star Finisher Medal by finishing all six Abbott World Marathon Majors. She finished her last one, the Tokyo Marathon, on March 2 with a time of three hours, 41 minutes.
Only about 7,000 women worldwide have earned a Six Star Finisher Medal. Bech completed her first major marathon, Chicago, in 2011. She then ran New York, Boston and Berlin.Sofia
The day after Seabreeze senior Sofia James placed third at district wrestling, she competed in the Class 2A state weightlifting championships, placing fourth at 169 pounds in the traditional competition and eighth in Olympic.
James, a first-year wrestler, advanced to the state meet in that sport too. She trained in both sports in consecutive practices for about two months. While more competitive in weightlifting, James said wrestling was fun because she was learning new things and steadily improved.
FPC girls soccer coach Pete Hald is in his 35th season with the Bulldogs. On Dec. 5 he won his 550th game. His players left little doubt that this would be the day he'd reach the milestone by defeating Sandalwood 5-0. Also in the game, goalkeeper Natalie Neal notched her 400th career save.
The Bulldogs headed into winter break without a loss, running their record to 10-0-4.
Father Lopez's Bergyn Baliton won both Class 1A state weightlifting championships in the 110-pound division. She finished her high school career with four state titles.
FPC's Nya Williams placed second in Olympic and fourth in the traditional competition in Class 3A at 119 pounds. Williams went on to earn three gold medals in the U17 age group at the USA Weightlifting National Championships in Colorado Springs on June 22.
FPC's Colby Cronk won the Class 4A state shot put championship for the second year in a row. He also repeated his second-place finish in discus. The North Carolina State football recruit started track season late after undergoing labrum surgery in November, 2024. The day after the championships, Cronk headed to Raleigh, North Carolina, to begin college.
The track championships May 9-10 at the University of North Florida were delayed repeatedly due to rain and lightning, but several local athletes shined. Father Lopez's Mackenzie Brewton won the Class 1A girls shot put title. Matanzas freshman Peyton Cerasi placed second in Class 3A in the girls 3,200-meter race. Father Lopez's Addy Fulton was second in Class 1A girls discus, while Lopez's Caroline Theriault placed third in high jump.
FPC's other medalists included Maya Tyson (third in girls shot put), Karina Marcelus (fourth in both girls 100 hurdles and triple jump), Tanner Cauley-Bennett (fourth in boys pole vault), Michael London (fifth in discus), Corinthians Watson (eighth in boys triple jump) and the girls 4x800-meter relay team (seventh).
A year after losing in the first round of the playoffs and finishing with a 5-6 record, the Mainland High School football team returned to its usual high standard, advancing to the Region 1-5A championship game and finishing the season with a 9-3 mark.
