HomeTeam Hot Shots
A spotlight on the Times’ bay area players of the week.
Female Hot Shot: Jackie Fitz-Randolph, So., Carrollwood Day
Sport: Tennis
Skinny: Described off the court as a “quiet, sweet, frail type” by coach John Most, Fitz-Randolph’s steely, resilient alter ego surfaced at Friday’s Class A, District 8 tournament at Hillsborough Community College. Trailing hard-serving Tampa Prep freshman Paige Leavy 5-4 in the third set of the No. 1 singles final, Fitz-Randolph rallied for 12 consecutive points for a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win and her second straight district crown. Combining her bulldog tenacity with steady baseline play, Fitz-Randolph broke Leavy’s serve — which had befuddled her initially — twice in the final stretch. “Paige has a great serve; Jackie got blown away the first set,” Most said. “Most kids would fold and say, ‘It’s not my day’ or whatever. She just never blinked.”
Male Hot Shot: Tim Holmes, Sr., Lakewood
Sport: Track
Skinny: At the Florida Relays in Gainesville, Holmes won the 110-meter hurdles, beating the reigning Class 2A state champion in the event, Walter Tucker of Plantation American Heritage. Tucker was first in the preliminaries, but Holmes prevailed in the finals and won in a personal-best 14.06. “The biggest thing that helped me win was getting off to a good start,” Holmes said. In the 4x400 relay, Holmes ran the anchor leg and surged ahead of Miami Washington to help the Spartans win in 3:13.32, a time that ranks as the nation’s best, according to MileSplit.