HomeTeam Hot Shots
Each week, our HomeTeam staffers will nominate male and female Hot Shot athletes from each of the counties we cover. These nominations span Saturday, April 6 through Friday, April 12. Winners get a free T-shirt and bragging rights over every other school in the area. Read up on what made our nominees stand out then look for our writers’ picks for overall winners in Tuesday’s Tampa Bay Times.
Female nominees
Melissa Dones, Lakewood track: A hearing-impaired sophomore, Dones lost her right hearing aid when the battery died during warm-ups prior to the 2A-10 district meet. She then stumbled on the last hurdle in the finals of the 100 hurdles, but recovered in time to eke out the win. She also won the pole vault and was third in the 300 hurdles.
Raquel Galinski, Shorecrest softball: The sophomore pitched a one-hitter and struck out seven in a 10-0 win over Cambridge Christian in a game that determined the Bay Conference champion. It was Galinski's 12th win of the season.
Emily Gauvey, Anclote track: The freshman upset the defending state champ in the high jump at districts and added runnerup finishes in the 100 meters and 300 hurdles at the Class 2A, District 9 meet.
Ryann McEnany, Holy Names track: Despite a partial tear in her right quad, the senior won both hurdles events, finished fifth in the long jump and ran anchor on the winning 4x400 relay team at Friday's Class 2A, District 9 meet. No stranger to pain, McEnany also won both hurdles events in 2012 with ankle tendinitis.
Caroline Lozo, Holy Names tennis: The sophomore filled in admirably with the Jaguars’ usual No. 1, Daniela Nasser, away at the Easter Bowl in California. Lozo won her No. 1 singles match in the region finals 6-0, 6-0, and teamed with Grace Williams for the deciding 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 doubles victory over Lakewood’s Avni Agrawal and Raven Adams to send AHN back to state. Lozo also claimed career victory No. 100 in the region semis.
Sandra Nelson, Ridgewood track: The Rams junior helped her team win its 16th district title by winning the long jump and triple jump at the Class 2A, District 8 meet.
Male nominees
Adam Ambrozy, St. Petersburg tennis: The freshman already reserved a spot in the Class 4A state tournament with a district singles title, but kept on rolling in region play. He won in straight sets at No. 1 singles on Tuesday in a sweep of Palm Harbor University. Then he won in straight sets again on Thursday in a team loss to Sarasota Riverview. He was the only St. Petersburg player to win a match.
Matt Breida, Nature Coast track: The Georgia Southern-bound football star placed first in the 100 and 200 and anchored the winning 4x100 relay team to help his Sharks win the Class 2A, District 6 title for the second straight year.
Eric Hinostroza, Brandon baseball: The 5-foot-9 senior threw a complete-game no-hitter in a 4-1 win over Armwood on Tuesday. Hinostroza struck out 11 batters and walked only one, improving his record to 6-0 with a 0.46 ERA. He also had two RBI doubles in the victory.
Napoleon Maxwell, Admiral Farragut track: The junior took first in the 100 (11.21 seconds), 200 (22.54) and ran a leg on the winning 4x100 relay team in the Class A-10 district meet.
Eric Moate, Spoto track: The senior, with memories of a hamstring injury at last year's district meet still vivid, won the 100 meters (10.90) and high jump (5-10) at Thursday's 2A-10 meet, and placed second inthe 200 and third in the long jump.
Courage Okungbowa, Wiregrass Ranch tennis: The FAMU signee and defending Class 4A state runnerup dropped his first set of the year but rebounded to win the clinching matches against Plant and Wharton and help the Bulls advance to state.