Freedom Run Raises $2K For Athletic Booster Club

(Above) Nearly 100 runners took part in the first-ever Freedom Firecracker 5K run & 1-mile fun run at Freedom High in Tampa Palms on a hot and humid July 4. (All photos by Charmaine George)

Our first Freedom Firecracker 5K (and 1-mile fun run) turned out to be a huge success on the morning of the 4th of July. When all was said and done, 98 people had registered for the race ā€” after the numbers were much lower (at only about 30) until the last several days before the event.

Eight-year-old Lochlan Lawley finished the 3.1 miles in 24.48, or almost exactly 8 minutes per mile

Race day was bright, clear, sunny, hot and humid and there was lots of red, white and blue. America-themed pop music played over the loudspeakers. Several members of the Freedom PTSA were there to help with setup, face painting and providing course directions for the runners. A number of student volunteers from Freedomā€™s Key Club also came out to help with face painting, handing out bead necklaces and providing water to runners at stations along the route.

After the playing of the national anthem, the race began promptly at 8 a.m., with an actual firecracker start!Ā  The course took the runners off Freedomā€™s new track, and then twice around the back of the school, up past the New Tampa Recreation Center along Commerce Park Blvd., and back through the parking lot, finishing up back on the track.

The overall winner at the Freedom Firecracker 5K was Mason LaBlance.Ā 

Hot dogs and red, white and blue popsicles were enjoyed after the race ended!

Medals were given to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers in male and female categories. The fastest runner overall was Mason LaBlance, who finished the 3.1-mile (5K) run in a time of 17:35.2.  Mason, a student at King High, finished more than a minute ahead of his nearest competitors!

The other 5K medal winners were:

Male:

2. Joseph Kuhns – 18:44.5 (Freedom student)

3. Noah Brucculeri – 18:51.5 

Female:

1. Elsi Rehberg – 22:08.5  

2. Madelyn Ammirati – 23:22.3  (Freedom student)

3. Abigail Lawley – 23:27.2 Ā 

The top-three male finishers were (l.-r.) Joseph Kuhns, Mason LaBlance & Noah Brucculeri.

The top-three female finishers were (l.-r.) Elsi Rehberg, Madelyn Ammirati & Abigail Lawley.

The link at the end of this story will take you to a complete listing of the race results. Thanks to Freedomā€™s track coach Alex Hernandez for providing the link so everyone who participated can check their official results!

The 5K was followed by a 1-mile run/walk around the Freedom track. Mostly parents and some staff members participated in that event.  

Freedom assistant principal Jenna Lamour and Coach Hernandez did an outstanding job organizing our schoolā€™s first-ever Firecracker 5K event.  Thank you to them, the runners and their families, the Freedom PTSA and Freedom Key Club for their participation and support of the Freedom Athletics program. 

Ms. Lamour says that the event generated about $2,000 in proceeds, which will be used to purchase athletic equipment, supplement uniforms, support coaches at clinics, recognition banquets,  varsity letters/pins, etc.

To check your Firecracker 5K results, visit https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/147920#resultSetId-390901;perpage:100.

Two Local Elementary School Students Win National Invention HonorsĀ 

(Left, l.-r.) Wesley Chapel residents Brittany Long and her daughter Lillian, with New Tampa residents Reha, Mahi and Rudra Patel and Nicole Tuminella, the Tampa Bay Invention Convention Worldwide affiliate for Hillsborough County Public Schools.Ā 
(Photos provided by Brittany Long and Reha Patel).

Our sincere congratulations go out to New Tampa resident Mahi Patel and Wesley Chapel resident Lillian Long. These two young inventors recently won some impressive honors at the seventh annual Invention Convention Worldwide (ICW)- Youth National Invention Convention June 5-8, at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, MI.Ā 

Representatives from the U.S. Patent Office enjoy checking out Lillianā€™s unique, award-winning slime.Ā 

Lillian is a 4th grader at Clark Elementary who invented a ā€œderm-friendlyā€ slime that is suitable for people who have eczema and other skin sensitivities. Meanwhile, Mahi, a 5th grader from Chiles Elementary, created an Artificial Intelligence (AI) program through coding to help better ā€” and more quickly ā€” recognize lung cancer in body scans. 

First, the girls entered their projects in the Hillsborough Regional STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) Fair back in March, after each won first place at their respective school STEM Fairs. Both were entered in the Invention categories in their respective grade levels. Out of more than 1,500 projects at the District-level elementary fair, the girls were then chosen to represent Tampa Bay at the ICW-Youth National Invention Convention.Ā 

Mahi with her ā€œTop Show Boardā€ prize winner.Ā 

Going for the experience and to share their passion for their respective inventions, both girls ended up walking away from the National Competition with two outstanding awards each. Mahi won 1st place overall in the country for 5th grade entries and the Top Show Board award for the entire event, while Lillian won 2nd place overall in the country for 4th grade entries. She also won the top Medal/Health award of all projects K-12 in the entire event. These were surely some huge accomplishments, considering that there were 366 students who were selected to attend the 7th Annual ICW nationwide event. 

Both students have personal connections to their inventions and sought out solutions to help others. 

Lillian hopes to create a product line that can be used for many purposes in dermatology offices, child psychology offices, and occupational therapy offices as well. She says her primary goal is to create an inclusive product that is safe for everyone. 

Mahi hopes that her product, which uses a different algorithm, can help identify a variety of cancers at a much faster rate, allowing more people to have quicker care and less chances for misdiagnosis. Mahiā€™s brother Rudra, who is going into his junior year at Middleton High, also has competed in (and won) science fairs in the past. 

Both girls also have been selected to represent the U.S. and have their inventions at the worldwide virtual competition, which will be held at the end of this month, with the awards to be announced on Aug. 11! Good luck, young ladies! 

Congratulations To New Tampaā€™s Award-Winning Seniors!

High school graduation is always an exciting time, and the 840 graduating seniors (combined) at New Tampaā€™s two high schools were celebrated as the year came to a close.

Freedom High held its annual ā€œRed, White, and Blueā€ awards ceremony on April 17, where many of the schoolā€™s seniors were recognized for their academic achievements.

National Merit Scholarship Award finalists Britney Pun and Jessica Afiat were recognized, and the ā€œPrincipalā€™s Patriotā€ award went to Vivian Ernst.

The Freedom PTSA also presented scholarships to Britney Pun, Lindsay Scherer, Olivia Pliska, and Kaitlyn Graulich. These scholarships are awarded to PTSA-member students who are headed to college, university, or vocational/technical school, and who are in good standing with the schoolā€™s office of Student Affairs, and have been recommended by their teacher, counselor or employer. They are chosen, in part, based on an essay they wrote as part of the application.

The PTSA also partnered with the Daisy Turner-Browne Scholarship Fund to award a scholarship to Alejandro Espinosa. This scholarship is awarded to a civic-minded graduating student who demonstrates academic excellence and a strong desire to pursue higher education despite personal and financial challenges.

The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg honors one student as the Anne Frank Humanitarian award winner, recognizing a student for efforts to better the lives of people around them, whether in school or out. At Freedom, this yearā€™s Anne Frank Humanitarian Award winner was Ishitha Panguluri. 

Outstanding scholar-athlete awards went to Alyssa De La Sala and John Purcell. 

The Picerne Family Foundation awarded scholarships to Wen Hui Chen, Elaine Feaster, Alexandria Dominique, and Lindsey Scherer. These scholarships are awarded to graduating students who are planning to attend college full time, have demonstrated civic leadership, community service, and are true ā€œoverachievers.ā€ They are intended for deserving students who are pursuing a dream but need this support to realize their goals.

Local orthodontist Dr. Sam Jureyda of Radiance Orthodontics (see ad on page 5) also partnered with the PTSA to provide a scholarship to a senior who demonstrated commitment to serving the community. It was the first time this scholarship was offered at Freedom.

The Radiance Orthodontics Community Service Award went to Elaine Feaster (far left in photo above), who has been featured in these pages previously, for organizing book drives that collected thousands of books for underprivileged children. Elaine logged an impressive 449 service hours during her high school career.

Meanwhile, At Wharton…

Radiance Orthodontics also presented a Community Service Award to Wharton Highā€™s Ariana Sawyer, who is pursuing a career in nursing and spent her high school years volunteering with Metropolitan Ministries, as well as for an organization that cares for foster children, at AdventHealth Tampa hospital, and at her school. This is the fifth year the Radiance Award has been presented to a Wharton senior.

Also at Wharton, AdventHealth partnered with the schoolā€™s PTSA to present a scholarship to Aubrey Glover to support his pursuit of a career as a Physician Assistant. Aubreyā€™s impressive resume includes taking dual enrollment classes, serving as a volunteer and a leader in extracurricular activities, plus working as a medical assistant to prepare for a career in the healthcare field. He plans to attend Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Wharton senior Jackson Raitt was honored for being a National Merit Scholarship Award finalist and the schoolā€™s Anne Frank Humanitarian award winner was Riley Hall.

The Wharton Athletic Boosters awarded scholarships to two students who maintained a 3.0 grade-point average while playing multiple sports. Award winners were Brett Brown, who was a varsity athlete in soccer, track and cross country, and Haleigh Self, who played basketball, softball and flag football.

The Wharton PTSA (photo of all four winners above right) awarded its top scholarship to Sunni Horton, who served on the schoolā€™s peer jury, Student Library Association, and National English Honor Society. She will attend Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, this fall to pursue a degree in public policy.  

The PTSA also awarded a scholarship to Chloe Kim, a leader in the schoolā€™s National Honor Society and student organizer with the American Cancer Societyā€™s Relay for Life. She will attend USF this fall.

Another PTSA scholarship went to William Hineline. William served as president of the senior class, is an Eagle Scout, and excelled in several sports at Wharton. He will attend the University of Florida in Gainesville.

The final PTSA scholarship was awarded to Andrea Boknevitz, who served as both a drum major for the Wharton Marching Band and as commanding officer of the Wharton National Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC). She is attending Jacksonville University to study psychology and prepare for a career as a U.S. Navy officer.

Many other students were recognized at both schools for outstanding achievements throughout their high school careers.

Freedom Highā€™s graduation is being held on May 30, at 8:30 a.m., for its 390 graduating seniors. Wharton Highā€™s graduation ceremonies for its 450 graduating seniors will be held Thursday, June 1, at 3:30 p.m.

Congratulations To New Tampaā€™s Top Of The Class Of 2023!

We wish we could congratulate every student graduating from New Tampaā€™s two high schools, but we simply donā€™t have room to even list every name in these pages. Rather than just do our usual recognition of each schoolā€™s valedictorian and salutatorian, freelance correspondent Celeste McLaughlin aimed a little higher ā€” or lower, in this case ā€” as she actually got the top-10 students (with just a few exceptions) in the 2022-23 graduating classes of both Freedom and Wharton high schools to provide some pretty terrific information about themselves for this article and photo spread. Congrats on a job well done, Celeste, and to all of those graduating at and near the top of their respective classes! Get ready to don those caps & gowns! -GN

Freedom High

1. Sofia Murrin (Valedictorian) 

GPA: 8.2266

Clubs/Activities: Senior Class President, Scrubs Club President, HOSA President, Book Club President, Mu Alpha Theta VP, Science National Honor Society (NHS) VP, National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Key Club, swim team, AP Capstone Diploma

College planning to attend: University of Notre Dame

Planned Major or Future Career: Double major in Biochemistry & Business to pursue a medical degree.

Best thing about High School: Life lessons Iā€™ve learned along the way. I have learned countless lessons on friendship, the importance of diligence and perseverance, and the importance of good communication throughout these last four years that I believe shaped me into the person I am today and prepared me for my journey ahead.

2. Sienna Silvest (Salutatorian)

GPA: 8.0389

Clubs/Activities: HOSA President, Scrubs Club President, Book Club President, tutor for the nonprofit Learn To Be, volunteer volleyball coach at the YMCA, SGA

College planning to attend: University of Virginia

Planned Major or Future Career: Nursing or Psychology

Best thing about High School: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class

3. Emma Stone

GPA: 8.0268

Clubs/Activities: Lacrosse, cross country, track & field, swim, basketball, Environmental Club, French Honor Society, FBLA, Mu Alpha Theta, Rho Kappa, Science National Honor Society (SNHS)

College planning to attend: United States Naval Academy

Planned major or future career: Naval Architecture

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class

4. Olivia Kurtz

GPA: 7.8000

Clubs/Activities: Senior Class VP, Best Buddies President, FBLA President, Science National Honor Society President, Robotics President, Softball Captain, SGA, Mu Alpha Theta Historia, Girl Scouts (CEO advisory board, service area delegate)

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: Mechanical Engineering

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class

5. (tie) Jessica Afiat

GPA: 7.6800

Clubs/Activities: FBLA Officer, Mu Alpha Theta Treasurer, NHS, SNHS, Tri-M orchestra liaison, orchestra principal first violinist, swim team

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned Major: Chemical Engineering

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class. 

5. (tie) Britney Pun 

GPA: 7.6800

Clubs/Activities: Track, lacrosse, swim, Key Club Webmaster/VP, FBLA VP, orchestra, Mu Alpha Theta, SNHS Historian, PTSA Board Campus Cleanup Lead

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class. 

7. Arturo Zarrate

GPA: 7.5041

Clubs/Activities: Florida State Spanish Conference, NHS, SNHS, Spanish Honor Society, French Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta, track & field, HOSA, Multicultural Club, Student Advisory Committee, Environmental Club

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: Triple Major ā€” Biochemistry, Philosophy & German

Best thing about high school: Learning how to reframe academic and social stress into new motivation to succeed.

8. Dylan Panganiban

GPA: 6.8800

Clubs/Activities: Key Club VP/President, Environmental Club, National Art Honor Society Secretary, NHS Historian/VP, Spirit Club, Varsity volleyball, swim, tennis

College planning to attend: University of Florida

Planned major or future career: I plan to pursue a career in computer science or PA Dermatology

Best thing about high school: Mr. Tillmanā€™s class. 

9. Alyssa De La Sala

GPA: 6.8496

Clubs/Activities: Varsity flag football Captain, cross country Captain, track, varsity cheer, Allstar cheer, musical theater Class Senator, Key Club, Student Government Treasurer, NHS, Mu Alpha Theta, Best Buddies, FCA, Spirit Club President, Chess Club, SNHS, Kappa Phi Delta, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Interact Club, International Thespian Society, TriM Music Honor Society

College planning to attend: University of Florida, University of Tampa or Florida Southern College

Planned major or future career: Forensic Science

Best thing about high school: Spending time with all the people Iā€™ve met who have helped shaped me into who I am today. Iā€™ve loved having the opportunity to be a part of so many amazing things and creating memories that Iā€™ll be able to share and look back on for years to come.

10. Katherine Moulton

GPA: 6.7833

Clubs/Activities: Spirit Club President, FCA, flag football, cross country Captain, track, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief

College planning to attend: University of Florida 

Planned major or future career: Finance

Best thing about high school: All of the laughs and strikes in Mr. Tillmanā€™s class.

Wharton High

1. David Ascano (Valedictorian)

GPA: 7.5844

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida or Florida State University

2. Sammy Gillespie (Salutatorian)

GPA: 7.5775

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

3. Liberty Sanford

GPA: 7.5073

College Planning to Attend: Florida Institute of Technology

4. Angela Anzalone Gimenez

GPA: 7.2592

5. Robert ā€œJacksonā€ Raitt

GPA: 6.8800

College Planning to Attend: Marist College

6. Alessandro Anzalone

GPA: 6.8400

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

7. Matthew Schwindler

GPA: 6.8282

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

8. Suhani Rana

GPA: 6.7103

9. Peter Chandler

GPA: 6.6800

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

10. Brett Brown

GPA: 6.6766

College Planning to Attend: University of Florida

We know there is a lot of additional information about the Freedom graduates than about those from Wharton. That was not our intent, but the information shown is all of the info we received from/about these Wharton students. ā€” GN

HOSA Team Places First In The State!

Congratulations go out to Strawberry Crest High sophomores ā€” and New Tampa residents ā€” Elizabeth Chettipally, Aditi Nair, Anika Prasad and Netra Vijay (photo), who placed first in their category at the Health Occupations Students of America (aka HOSA-Future Health Professionals) State Leadership Conference held at Orlando Apr. 13-16.

The girls of ā€œProject Pinkā€ will next be representing Florida at the HOSA National Leadership Conference in Atlanta in late June.

The quartetā€™s project was an attempt to increase breast cancer awareness in our local community and obviously, their presentation at the Conference was effective, as they placed first in the ā€œCommunity Awareness ā€” Teamworkā€ category.

Strawberry Crest High, located in Dover, has an International Baccalaureate (IB) program attended by many New Tampa residents and is one of 30 Florida high schools with more than 100 HOSA members. Several other Strawberry Crest students also won awards at the State Conference, including a ā€œCreative Problem Solvingā€ team that also took home first place honors. I apologize that I did not have all of the other winnersā€™ full names at our press time, or I would have mentioned them here, too.