Sports: Top moments of 2014

Going for Gold
Lakewood Ranch High swimmers Luke Hanner and Daniel Erlenmeyer had individual district and regional championships to their credit, but the two Mustang teammates had yet to stand atop the podium at the Class 3A State Swimming & Diving Championships.

But that all changed Nov. 8, in Stuart, when Hanner and Erlenmeyer both captured individual gold medals.

Hanner captured the 200-yard freestyle in one minute, 39.03 seconds to finish ahead of Erlenmeyer, who was fourth in 1:41.16. Hanner also finished fourth in the 100 butterfly (50.33). Erlenmeyer returned to the pool to win the 500 freestyle in 4:27.76.

Following the state championships, Hanner signed a national letter of intent to continue his swimming career at Drexel University, in Philadelphia.

Renewed Rivalry
The Braden River football team set sail on a new course — one that not a single one of the players on the Pirates’ 41-man roster had experienced before.

But it’s a position the players were more than willing to accept.

Braden River opened its Class 7A-District 10 season with a 21-6 victory over rival Lakewood Ranch Sept. 19. It was the first time the Pirates had beaten the Mustangs since 2009.

Lakewood’s 17 seniors had never lost to Braden River while every player on the Pirates roster was in middle school the last time Braden River walked away with a victory.

With half of the stadium clad in black and the other half decked out in white, Braden River and Lakewood sloshed their way through driving rain, which continued throughout the duration of the game.

Braden River took a 14-0 lead in the first half on a 5-yard touchdown run by Raymond Thomas and Carlos Crawford’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. Thomas added another touchdown in the third quarter on a 3-yard carry to cement the victory for the Pirates.

State Bound Sisters
Talia Falco was one of the favorites heading into all four of her events at the Class 3A-Region 3 meet April 23, and she tried to focus on putting together a state-worthy performance.

Falco was able to do just that, finishing in the top four in all of her events, including winning the triple jump with a jump of 36 feet, 10.5 inches to earn a berth in the FHSAA Class 3A track & field championships May 3.

But Falco wasn’t the only Mustang to put together a highlight-worthy regional meet performance. Falco’s younger sister Sophia also qualified for the state championships in four events, including the long jump, which she won with a jump of 17 feet, 9.5 inches, the 100-meter dash, and 4x100 and 4x400 relays.

District Champions
The Lakewood Ranch High softball team spent all year preparing for its second season.

Lakewood Ranch secured a spot in the postseason with a decisive 9-1 victory over Sarasota High in the Class 7A-District 10 semifinals. With the win, the Lady Mustangs landed a spot in both the district championship game against rival Braden River and the regional tournament.

The Lady Mustangs went on to beat Countryside 2-0 in the regional quarterfinals and Tarpon Springs East Lake 3-1 in the regional semifinals before falling to Melbourne 2-1 in the regional finals May 2.
With their seeding determined by a coin flip, Lakewood Ranch traveled to Braden River for the Class 7A-District 10 championship April 17, holding on to beat Braden River 2-1 to earn a fifth title.

The Lady Mustangs scored runs in both the second and third innings, which proved to be the difference, as Lakewood held on to beat Braden River 2-1. With the win, the Lady Mustangs captured their fifth-consecutive district championship. It was Lakewood’s 16th one-run game of the season.