SIDELINES

+ Wrestler returns to state tournament
Lakewood Ranch High senior Blake Riley-Hawkins finished fourth in the 132-pound weight class at the Class 2A-Region 3 tournament Feb. 8 and Feb. 9, at Charlotte High. He will advance to the Florida High School Athletic Association Finals Feb. 15 to Feb. 16, at the Lakeland Center.

Riley-Hawkins becomes the Mustangs’ first three-time state qualifier. This also marks the fifth consecutive year Lakewood has had at least one wrestler qualify for the FHSSA Finals.

+ Pirates go 2-0 in Preseason Classic
The Braden River High baseball team went 2-0 in the Jody Freidman Preseason Baseball Classic this past week, at G.T. Bray Park.

The Pirates defeated Palmetto 13-3 in five innings Feb. 5. Pitcher Brooks Norton earned the win for Braden River and hit a three-run home run. Justin Phillips notched three hits and drove in four runs.

Braden River knocked off rival Lakewood Ranch 11-7 Feb. 8. Eric Schappacher earned the win for the Pirates. Dylan Lee hit a three-run home run off former Braden River pitcher Garrett Schultz to lead the way for Braden River at the plate.

+ ODA tennis teams begin undefeated
The Out-of-Door Academy boys and girls tennis teams opened the season with a pair of victories Feb. 5 and Feb. 7.

ODA beat Sarasota 5-2 Feb. 5. Maria Ross (6-0, 6-0), M’Balia Bangoura (6-0, 6-1), Alana Sherman (6-0, 6-0), Savannah Sleight (6-2, 6-0) and Megan Jones (6-4, 6-2) all recorded singles victories for the Lady Thunder. Dan Pivonka (default), Luke Horan (6-2, 6-4), Ethan Eckhart (6-3, 6-3), Jordy Moran (6-1, 6-0) and Marcus Buffett (6-0, 6-3) all recorded singles victories for the Thunder.

The ODA girls defeated St. Pete Catholic 7-0, while the ODA boys defeated St. Pete Catholic 7-0 Feb. 7.
Ross (6-1, 6-0), Sherman (6-0, 6-1), Sleight (6-0, 6-2), Cheyenne Kerekes (6-0, 6-0) and Jones (default) all posted singles victories for the Lady Thunder. Morgan Woods and Chloe Ruppert won their No. 1 doubles match 8-3, while Koty Malisoff and Charlotte Dixon posed an 8-3 victory at No. 2 doubles.

Pivonka (6-1, 6-0), Horan (6-0, 6-0), Eckhart (6-0, 6-0), Moran (6-0, 6-0) and Philip Churitescu (6-1, 6-0) captured singles victories for the Thunder. Moran and Eckhart later teamed up for an 8-1 victory at No. 2 doubles.

+ Manatee Twisters to host game
The Manatee Twisters 10U softball team will hold its second annual Pros versus Girls Charity Softball Game from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 17, at the State College of Florida softball field.

The game will feature a mix of current major and minor league players, including Jose Bautista, and the Manatee Twisters.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Manatee Twisters and the Women’s Resource Center of Manatee.

Tickets are $3. The organization also will be collecting gently used women’s clothing. A silent auction, food and drinks also will be available.

For information, contact Karen at 787-298-2275 or Kim at 809-1577.

+ Concession names new head pro
The Concession Golf Club announced the appointment of Dan Terlescki as its new head golf professional Feb. 11.

 “This is an amazing facility with a so much potential, and I hope to help create an atmosphere that the members are proud to be a part of every day,” Terlescki said.

A graduate of Penn State University, Terlescki earned a degree in recreation and parks management/professional golf management with a minor in business.

Prior to joining The Concession Golf Club, Terlescki was the store manager/director of instruction at GolfTEC in Pittsburgh. He spent the past four years as a PGA First Assistant at The Everglades Club in Palm Beach.

In 2012, Terlescki received the South Florida Assistant Professional of the Year award, and in 2011 the South Florida PGA Southeast Chapter named him the Assistant Professional of the Year.

“We are pleased to welcome Dan to our club and we know that he will be instrumental in teaching the game to our members and guests, directing pro shop operations and overseeing tournaments,” General Manager Bruce Cassidy Jr. said. “Finding the right head golf professional to suit the character of a club is always a challenging task, especially since so many things need to fall into place for the perfect match.  We identified a solid choice in Dan and we look forward to having our members get to know him.”