HomeTeam Hot Shots
A spotlight on the Times’ bay area players of the week.
Female Hot Shot: Olivia Welsh, Dunedin
Sport: Track and field
Skinny: A former soccer and tennis player, Welsh decided to focus on track this season and has become one of the area’s top newcomers. At last week’s Ed Wells/Kiwanis Invitational, Welsh won the 100 hurdles in a meet-record 14.91 seconds, surpassing the previous time of 15.18 set by former Wharton standout Teona Rogers in 2006. Welsh also tied the meet record in the pole vault by clearing 11-1 but finished second to Osceola’s Jennifer Kistemaker, who was the first to vault that height at the meet. “I was real happy with what I was able to do at that meet,” Welsh said. “I wanted to get under 15 seconds in the hurdles, and I maintained my personal record in the pole vault, which lets me know I’m staying more consistent.”
Male Hot Shot: Trevor McKenna, Central
Sport: Baseball
Skinny: The Lake Sumter commit was a huge part of the Bears’ championship run in last week’s Pasco-Hernando Classic, picking up a semifinal win against Springstead after allowing no runs. Central coach Al Sorrentino said McKenna has been the team’s No. 1 pitcher all year and is one of the top left-handers in the area. The senior has thrown three shutouts and has a 0.38 ERA, and he’s racked up 36 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched.