Hit or Miss: Jen Blanco

Spring is in the air. 

It’s the time of year when Spring Break and trips to the beach are on everyone’s mind.

The days are getting longer and here in Sarasota temperatures are already steadily starting to climb.

For area baseball and softball teams, it’s also the time when they begin making their final push toward the postseason. And what better way to see how you stack up then against some of the state’s top talent? 

The Sarasota softball team and the Sarasota, Riverview and Cardinal Mooney baseball teams all will have the opportunity to gauge where they stand during the Sarasota High Spring Slam Tournament, March 18 and March 19, and the 31st annual Sarasota Baseball Classic, March 21 through March 24, respectively. 

Both tournaments feature 16-team fields, guaranteeing area teams four tournament games — against opponents they more than likely won’t face during the regular season. 

As in years past, I’ll be heading out to the various ballparks to take photos of all the action. Competition is fierce, but, at the same time, both tournaments provide that same laid back feeling that’s synonymous with Spring Break. 

I mean who wouldn’t want to spend an afternoon outside this time of year? 

Although if you plan on catching more than an inning or two, be sure to have a bottle of sunscreen within reach. You won’t regret it. Trust me. That’s one mistake I don’t plan on repeating this year. 

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Riverview boys basketball coach B.J. Ivey received well-deserved honors this past week after being named the Florida Association of Basketball Coaches Class 8A Coach of the Year. 

Under Ivey’s guidance, the Rams posted a 29-3 record and reached the Final Four for the first time since 1993, earning district and regional championships en route to the only state championship appearance in school history. 

Following the announcement, Rams players took to social media to express their appreciation for Ivey, who received his award during the FABC awards banquet March 12, at Villages High. 

“Nobody deserves this more than this man right here,” freshman guard Tyrus Jackson said on Twitter. “He has taught me so much in the short time I’ve been here.” 

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A trio of Sarasota Scullers rowers are moving on to the collegiate ranks.

Elizabeth Mallet (University of Central Florida), Anna Irving (University of Tennessee) and Madison Waddle (Indiana University) all signed Division I scholarships this week. 

Mallet, who has been rowing with the Scullers for the past three years, earned a silver medal at the 2014 Southeast Junior Regionals. 

“Once I became acquainted with the coaches, I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Mallet, who plans to study physical therapy, said. “They take such a special interest in your success as a rower and just as importantly a student.” 

In addition to rowing with the Scullers, Irving, who plans to study finance, represented the Colombian National Team in the women’s pair at the 2015 FISA Junior World Rowing Championships last summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

Prior to picking up rowing, Irving competed in track and field where she reached the 2012 AAU Junior Olympics in the pentathlon. 

“I’ve competed in a variety of sports, but I fell in love with rowing because I enjoy the technical aspect of perfecting every stroke and the challenge of constantly pushing myself physically and mentally,” Irving said.  

Waddle is in her third year of rowing and plans to follow a pre-med track with a double major in biological sciences and psychology with a minor in French. 

“The craziest, kindest, most dedicated and inspirational people that I know are rowers,” Waddle said. “I continue to row because I could never imagine my life without it.”