Around The Region:

Molly Hamrick of Plant High was named for the second straight year to the U.S.  Junior National team, Hamrick’s father confirmed on Thursday.

Hamrick was a member of the Women’s 8 which won a bronze medal last year in Beijing. This year’s World Junior Championships are to be held in Linz and Ottensheim, Austria beginning on July 22.

The other two Tampa rowers invited to the camp, Plant’s Elisabeth Murray and Hillsborough’s Katie Burke, were named to the U.S. High Performance team. The team, which is an equivalent to the U.S. ‘B’ team, will travel to Berlin, Germany later this month to gain international experience against other nations.

All three rowers and their crews will compete this weekend in the Philadelphia Independence Day Regatta before returning to training camp ahead of their international competitions.

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Beginning in 2009, new rules will be in place to create more balance between pitching and batting in high school softball.

Three rules revisions were made by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Softball Rules Committee regarding the pitcher-batter relationship at its annual meeting June 9-11 in Indianapolis. The rules changes subsequently were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.

The penalty for Rule 6-2-3 - a pitcher exceeding the 20-second time limit - is now a ball awarded to the batter, rescinding the previous penalty of an illegal pitch.

"The change makes a violation of the time to pitch by the pitcher consistent with a batter failing to be ready within 10 seconds after the ball has been returned to the pitcher,” said Mary Struckhoff, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Softball Rules Committee. “An illegal pitch penalty is excessive as it also awards runners one additional base.”

A revision to Rule 6-1-4d changes the pitching windup requirement to a maximum of 1½ clockwise revolutions. The change will benefit batters and umpires alike.

"More and more, pitchers are pushing the rule to the limit in an attempt to gain an advantage by deceiving the batter,” Struckhoff said. “The change will make an illegal pitch, as it relates to the windup, easier to identify and enforcement more consistent.”

The final adjustment to help create balance between offense and defense clarifies the definition of an attempted bunt. Rule 2-8-2 will be changed to state that holding the bat in the strike zone is considered an attempted bunt. In order to take a pitch, the batter must withdraw the bat backward away from the ball.

The committee also addressed the issue of ball specifications. Beginning in 2010, all softballs must have a dynamic stiffness that does not exceed 7,500 lbs/inch when tested under current proposed ASTM test methods. Rule 1-3-3 adds the dynamic stiffness requirement to complement the existing size, weight, COR, and compression standards.
Editorial changes approved by the committee:
* Rule 1-4-2 includes the allowance of one American flag (2 inches x 3 inches maximum) permitted on the glove.
* Rule 1-7-1 states that any eye shield worn by a catcher must be clear.
* A note addition to Rule 3-2-1 establishes that individual state associations may permit a player to participate while wearing a different style of uniform for religious reasons.
* Rule 3-2-7 was clarified to affirm that exposed undergarments must be a solid color.
* Rule 6-2-3 clarifies that once the ball is returned to the pitcher to prepare for the next pitch, she has 20 seconds to release the pitch.
* Rule 7-3-1 clarifies that the batter has 10 seconds to take her position in the batter’s box after the ball is returned to the pitcher. The wording of the penalty for this rule was also changed to state that the pitcher bringing her hands together indicates a commitment to deliver the pitch.

The committee also established three points of emphasis for next season: 1) pitching, 2) obstruction/interference and 3) the DP/FLEX Rule.

Softball is the fourth-most popular sport among girls at the high school level with 373,448 participants during the 2006-07 season, according to the High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. It also ranks third in school sponsorship for girls across the nation with 14,968 participating schools.

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Former Chamberlain High basketball player Arius Fayson was killed late Saturday night after he crashed his motorcycle into the back of an SUV on Interstate 75.

The 26-year-old Fayson, the older brother of former Hillsborough quarterback Jarred Fayson, was traveling at a high rate of speed on I-75 north of Fletcher Ave. when he slammed his 2007 Honda motorcycle into the back of the SUV. The impact flung the elder Fayson and the motorcycle into the rear window of the SUV, forcing rescue workers to cut into the wreckage to free him and the bike, Florida Highway patrol troopers said. The driver and passenger of the SUV were not injured.

Upon receiving the news of his brother Sunday morning, Fayson flew home from the University of Illinois, where he is sitting out this coming season following his transfer from the University of Florida.

“He always used to say life was good,” Jarred Fayson said. “He was a real positive, upbeat, likable person. He’d always brighten up your day when he came around.”

Jarred Fayson said his brother was a co-owner of a pizza store and had recently begun a car detailing business.

Arius Fayson’s coach, Doug Aplin, said he remembers the district title his former player helped the Chiefs win.

“It was the ‘99 district finals against Gaither and he hit two free throws with just a few seconds left in overtime to win it for us by two points,” Aplin said. “He may not have been the athlete his [little] brother was as far as speed but he had a knack for knowing how to play the game.”

Funeral services will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Buelah Baptist Institutional Church in Tampa. 

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Former Wharton High track and field standout Natalie Moser, a senior at the University of Florida, has qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the pole vault.

Moser had been on the bubble to make the trials. She was tied for the 24th and final qualifying spot with three other vaulters with a mark of 14 feet, 1.25 inches. Wednesday, USA Track and Field officials decided to take the entire field of 24 qualifiers in both the women’s and men’s pole vault.

Moser was a state champion for Wharton her senior year and the Southeastern Conference indoor winner last year. She went on to set the Gators’ indoor pole vault record at the NCAA Indoor Championships by clearing 14-1.25. With that mark, she wound up second at the NCAAs after three rounds of a jump-off.

Moser has since been hampered by a knee injury but has recovered this spring and summer to return to the vault and the U.S. trials. The top three finishers in the women’s vault earn spots in the Beijing Olympic Games. The top seed is 2008 World Indoor Champs silver medalist and two-time USA Outdoor champion Jenn Stuczynski, who is the current American record holder at 16-0.75.

Joining Moser at the meet as a Wharton and UF alumnus will be Alex Harris, who qualified in the triple jump with his mark of 52 feet, 2 inches.

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Ian McConnell of Riverview has qualified for the US Amateur Public Links Championship after shooting a 5-under par round of 67 at Bloomingdale Golf Club on Wednesday to finish with a two-round total of 138. McConnell was the tournament medalist, and will compete for the USGA-sanctioned championship at Murphy Creek Golf Course in Aurora, Colorado on July 14 - 19.

McConnell started to make his move at the ninth hole, recording three consecutive birdies to move to 4 under for the tournament. He added birdies on the 14th and the 16th to qualify along with David Johnson of Palm Bay.

“You just start to get into a rhythm” McConnell said of his play around the turn. “Especially when you’re playing well, you get that rhythm you just want to keep playing.”

McConnell said one of his goals every year is to reach one of the USGA Championships, and with McConnell’s qualifying tournament for the U.S. Junior Championship coming this weekend, and the U.S. Amateur after that, he said it has taken some pressure off him for those events.

“One of my big goals for each year is to qualify for a USGA Championship,” McConnell said. “Now I’ve got that out of the way playing at the junior qualifier this weekend, and the U.S. Amateur qualifying in August, it takes the pressure off those.”

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When Rhonda Romano first heard the news that her daughter, Megan, had been diagnosed with mononucleosis, she says she became physically ill. Two weeks later, Megan is still feeling the effects of mono and Rhonda is still worried about her daughter’s health.

But one thing is four sure, Rhonda says: Megan is going to the U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials, which start Sunday in Omaha, Neb.

“Come hell or high water, she’s going,” Rhonda said Tuesday afternoon. “It’s an opportunity she doesn’t want to miss.”

Romano, who will be a senior this fall at St. Petersburg Northeast High, has qualified for the trials in six events: 100- and 200-meter backstrokes and 50-, 100-, 200- and 400-meter freestyles. Rhonda says Megan will likely drop the longest event from that list, the 400 free, and wait to see how Megan feels during the trials to see how many other events she will attempt.

Her highest seed is in the 200 free, where she owns the No. 31 time in the field of 109 qualifiers at 2:00.98.

Because of the mono, Megan had to start her taper early for the trials and has been coming to practice later in the morning in order to get more rest. Rhonda said Megan will undergo more blood tests to see how well she is progressing in her fight with mono. Megan’s first event is slated for Monday with the prelims of the 100 back.

Other area trials qualifers included Robert Margalis of Clearwater and his little sister, Melanie, who swims for Countryside High, Seminole’s Kaitlin Frehling, Tampa Prep’s Chelsea Nauta, Mitch Snyder of Northeast, Tommy Wyher of Jesuit, Kelley Hug from the Academy of the Holy Names, Katie Coleman of Palm Harbor Universitry, Jason Taylor of Newsome and Brandon Blue Wave teammate J.P. Arnold.

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ST. PETERSBURG—Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg is accepting applications for head coaches in both football and baseball. The deadline for submission is June 24. Interested parties should contact Lakewood athletic director Javan Turner at (727) 893-2916 ext. 2108 or by e-mail at turnerj@pcsb.org.

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Sunlake athletic director Matt McDermott is reporting he and the school’s administration have recently filled three of their coaching vacancies. In fact, McDermott will take over as the school’s wrestling coach after being away from the sport for a year.

The Seahawks also filled their coaching vacancies in volleyball and cheerleading. Aixa Crespo will take over as the varsity volleyball coach after spending last season as the varsity assistant and junior varsity head coach at Sunlake. And Lindsay Sorci will relocate from Illinois to take over as the school’s varsity cheerleading coach.

The baseball and girls soccer coaching positions remain unfilled, but McDermott hopes to have that taken care of some time next week. More than 20 applicants have applied for the baseball position, including Al Sorrentino of River Ridge, Ridgewood assistant baseball coach Justin Kunick and Chamberlain baseball coach Dick Rohrberg.

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Dr. James “Roger” Dearing will be appointed as the Florida High School Athletic Association’s new Executive Director, the state’s athletic organization announced today.

The FHSAA’s Board of Director voted Thursday morning to appoint Dearing, the current Superintendent of Manatee County Schools, to replace John A. Stewart, who is retiring in November.

Dearing was selected from a pool of three finalists. William “Sam” Ward, Principal of Fleming Island High School, and Clifton V. Norris, Superintendent of Levy County Schools, were the other finalists for the position. Each were interviewed by the Board of Directors in Atlantic Beach.

“I’m elated,” Dearing said in a statement. “This is the epitome of shaping young lives.”

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Saint Leo University catcher Braulio Pardo, who played at Gaither High, signed Monday with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and left for a minicamp in Arizona.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Pardo, a 12th-round draft choice and the 379th player selected overall, will play in the short-season rookie league in Orem, Utah. His manager will be Tom Kotchman, the scout who signed him. Pardo, who also played two seasons for USF, batted a team-leading .356 for the Lions as a junior this season. He was named first team All-Sunshine State Conference and second team Daktronics All-South Region. He tallied 42 hits, 35 runs scored, 21 RBI, six doubles, two triples, three homers, 15 walks, and nine stolen bases. He also had 13 multi-hit games and an 11-game hitting streak.

At Gaither, Braulio was named All-Western Conference in 2004 and 2005 and earned all-state honors in 2005. He also helped the Cowboys win the Saladino Tournament title in 2003 and 2005 and was named best defensive player at Gaither from 2003-2005.

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Bradenton Preparatory, a small private school in Manatee County, has been fined $38,000 and placed on probation by the Florida High School Athletic Association for violating 19 FHSAA regulations, mainly recruiting violations in its football, boys’ tennis and basketball programs. The fine is the largest ever assessed by the FHSAA and is the largest number of allegations against one member school, FHSAA spokesperson Cristina Alvarez said.

According to a release issued by the FHSAA, the investigation began last November when the organization received information from several member schools, as well as a member of the FHSAA Board of Directors.

Alvarez said the school was initially fined over $60,000, but because the administration cooperated, the fines were decreased. Bradenton went as far as terminating two athletic directors, two basketball coaches and changing its admission form to appease the FHSAA.

“They are doing whatever it takes to get back under good standings,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the school can present its case before the Infractions Appeals Committee in July, but if Bradenton rejects the committee’s decision, it will have to wait until September to appeal its case to the Board of Directors.

Bradenton Prep was closed when reached for comment.

Here is a summary of the investigation:

• Seven student-athletes were improperly contacted by a parent, outside agents and/or college recruiters;
• Three student-athletes lived with a representative of the school’s athletic interest;
• Bradenton Prep violated FHSAA Policy 9 (the falsification of the FHSAA Financial Report Form for a Preseason Spring Classic Football Game);
• Three student-athletes violated FHSAA Bylaw 11.4.10 (transferring while under disciplinary sanctions at his/her former school); and
• Five student-athletes violated FHSAA Policy 38, Section 6.0 (financial assistance).

Bradenton Prep took the following proactive measures, including proposed consequences, for the violation of FHSAA regulations:
• Two Athletic Directors employed by the school are no longer employed;
• Two basketball coaches at the time of the incidents are no longer employed by the school;
• The school will hold a meeting with the entire coaching staff each semester to discuss the FHSAA rules including those related to recruiting;
• The school will require all students interested in financial assistance to complete all necessary TADS forms;
• The school will require all coaches to sign a contract stating that they understand and agree that they are prohibited from communicating with any recruiters, parents who may be acting a recruiter, or recruiting agencies in any manner;
• The school will change its application for admission form to specifically ask if the applicant has “ever been suspended, expelled or withdrawn from any school for any reason”; and
• The school will pay a fine deemed appropriate by the FHSAA.

Considering the cooperation and proactive measures taken by the school balanced with the significance of the violations, the following penalties were imposed in this case:

1. Reprimand.

2. Bradenton Prep’s basketball, football and boys’ tennis programs are placed on restrictive probation for a period of three years beginning with the 2008-09 school year and ending at the conclusion of the 2010-11 school year. For the three-year period, the following restrictions are imposed:
• The school cannot participate in the state series competition for the aforementioned sports;
• The school can only participate in regular contests. The school is not allowed to participate in any pre-season or post-season classics/jamborees;
• The school cannot participate against out-of-state teams, with the exception of participation against out-of-state teams during regular season tournaments; and
• The school cannot participate in home game broadcasts on television or radio.

3. The school is fined an accumulated $38,000.

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Over 58 football coaches and players from around the country will converge on the University of South Florida’s campus Sunday for a football clinic to also raise awareness for pediatric brain tumor research.

The clinic, held at 4202 E. Fowler Ave., is sponsored by Lauren’s First and Goal Foundation, is open to all football players entering grades 8 through 12 this fall. A minimum donation of $25 is required to register, which begins at 7:30 a.m. The camp will last from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Players will need to bring their own lunch.

Former Buccaneers quarterback and current Bucs personnel executive Doug Williams will be a guest speaker. Among some of the coaches expected and players expected to run drills will be USF offensive coordinator Greg Gregory, former Tampa Bay Storm quarterback and current Iona offensive coordinator John Kaleo, former Bucs players quarterback Jeff Carlson, defensive back David Gibson and defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson. Also, current Storm players quarterback Brett Dietz and fullback/linebacker Nyle Wiren will conduct clinics.

Various coaches from the Patriot League and the Ivy League will also coordinate clinics.

For information interested parties may call camp coordinator John Loose at (610) 330-5485. A registration form is available by clicking here.

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Middleton’s Jamie Mallard and former St. Pete Catholic standout Addison Maruszak were drafted in the 17th round with consecutive picks in Friday’s MLB amateur draft.

Mallard, a first baseman/designated hitter, went to the Angels with the 529th overall pick, and Maruszak, a shortstop who is currently at USF, went to the New York Yankees with the following pick.

Mallard was a Tribune All-Hillsborough County first team selection as a senior after hitting .574, eight doubles, seven homers and 31 RBI. He was also an FACA all-star and homered in the West team’s championship game win. He has signed with UCF.

Maruszak was a second team All-Big East selection as a junior after setting career highs with a .362 average, 79 hits, 52 runs and six home runs.

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Clearwater Central Catholic right-hander Ryan Weber and Middleton right-hander/infielder Corey Thomas were just selected in consecutive rounds of Friday’s Major League Baseball amateur draft.

Weber went in the 12th round (376 overall) to the Philadelphia Phillies, while Thomas went in the 13th round (386 overall) to the Baltimore Orioles.

Weber was one of Pinellas County’s most dominant pitchers in the past two seasons and led the Marauders to the Class 3A state title in 2007. He has enjoyed success at virtually ever level during his young career, including stints with the USA Youth and Junior National teams the last two summers.

Thomas has been one of Middleton’s top players in each of the last two seasons. He was a All-Western Conference first team selection as a senior after hitting .347 with five homers and 20 RBI.

Thomas said he’d heard he could be drafted much earlier, but added he didn’t get disappointed as the draft moved on and his name wasn’t called until Friday afternoon.

“I understood what I was dealing with. I heard things from people all the while, but I know nothing is ever concrete with this,” Thomas said. “It wasn’t disappointing. It was nerve-wracking.”

Thomas, who has signed with USF, didn’t hide his desire toward the possibility of bypassing college and turning pro.

“I’m strongly considering becoming a Baltimore Oriole because I know this opportunity doesn’t happen for a lot of people,” Thomas said. “I’ll sit down with them and see what they’re talking about.”

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Area schools were recently recognized by Florida Dodge Dealers. Points were awarded to a school based on its finish in FHSAA State Series competition in each sport in the classification in which it has been assigned to compete. In bracket sports, points are awarded as follows: 100 for the state champion, 90 for the state runner-up, 83 for the state semifinalists, 60 for 5-8th places, and 25 for 9-16th places. In non-bracket sports, points are awarded as follows: 100, 90, 85, 80, 70, 63, 56, 49, 38, 34, 30, 26, 22, 18, 14, 10. Schools get a 5-point bonus for winning a district or regional championship, and points are deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct. The top 16 places were scored.

Overall (out of top 10 per classification):
Class 5A: 2. Plant, 860 points; 5. Wharton, 569.5; 6. Newsome, 498.
Class 3A Private: 10. Berkeley Prep, 525.5
Class 2A Private: 4. Tampa Prep, 478.5
Class 1A Private: 2. Seffner Christian, 273.

Girls (out of top five):
5A: 2. Plant, 519.5
1A Private: 4. Seffner Christian, 130.

Boys (out of top five)
5A: 2. Plant, 340.5; 3. Jesuit; 4. Brandon, 299.5; 5. Wharton, 295.5
2A Private: 5. Tampa Prep, 252.5.

Meanwhile, Carrollwood Day School was one of 22 schools selected by the FHSAA to receive the 2007-08 FHSAA/Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award for exemplary sportsmanship during 2007-08 school year. All 22 schools will be honored at school events in the fall.

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