- May 18, 2026
Daytona State College’s Rocket League Esports team captured its third consecutive National Junior College Athletic Association Esports national championship on May 5, defeating Heartland Community College 4-0 in the grand finals of the NJCAAE Spring Premier Series National Championship.
The Falcons entered the postseason as the tournament’s No. 1 seed after completing an undefeated regular season and closed out the championship run in the title series. The DSC Rocket League team included Donald Walton (Sulace), Noah Leal (Smoove) and Nathanael Boyer (Geo).
“Our players have put in an incredible amount of work this season and stayed focused through every challenge,” Esports Coordinator Sebastian Morales said.
In just three years since its launch, DSC’s Esports program has earned four national championships – three in Rocket League and one in Super Smash Bros. DSC’s Rocket League team is also ranked No. 32 nationally by the Collegiate Selection Committee.
Cross country and track athlete Blaine Vogel was named Male Athlete of the Year and two-sport athlete McKenzie Manhart was named Female Athlete of the Year at the Pirates’ annual awards ceremony.
Vogel placed 25th at the Class 3A state cross country meet in the fall and advanced to regionals in the 1,600- and 3,200-meter races in track this spring. Manhart, a standout swimmer and softball player, will continue her softball career at Pensacola State College.
Megan Rhee, a four-year cross country and track runner, was named Female Scholar Athlete of the Year. The dual-enrolled student has earned her associate degree at Daytona State College. Tennis player Stanislav Valenteychik was named the Male Scholar Athlete of the Year. Valenteychik helped the Pirates advance to the Class 3A state semifinals with his only singles loss of the season coming in the state semifinals to Wiregrass Ranch, which went on to win the state championship. Valenteychik will attend the University of Florida.
Two former Matanzas softball players are playing in the college postseason. University of Florida pitcher Leah Stevens pitched the final inning in the Gators’ 12-0 win in their NCAA regional opener against Florida A&M on May 15. UF will host a Super Regional this weekend against Texas Tech at 11 a.m. Friday, May 22 (on ESPN2), and 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 23 (on ABC). A third game if necessary will be on Sunday, May 24.
Juliet Fogel is playing in the NJCAA Division II World Series with St. Johns River State College. The freshman infielder is third on the team with a .315 batting average.
A third Matanzas softball alum, Emma Wood, has ended her college career at Embry-Riddle with a third consecutive selection to the All-Sunshine State Conference Team. Wood was named second-team at first base and was also selected to the All-SSC Defensive Team. She finished her senior season with a team-leading .361 batting average and started all 50 games for the Eagles. She finished her career as Embry-Riddle’s all-time leader in doubles with 42.
Palm Coast resident Victor Ortiz placed second in the USA BMX Florida State Championship Series in the age 50-60 intermediate class.
Ortiz placed third at the series finale May 15-17 at St. Cloud BMX to secure the runner-up spot for the series title.
