Props to Bayshore High’s baseball program, which starts the new school year on a meaningful note. For the first time in school history, the Bruins were recipients of the American Baseball Coaches Association Team Academic Excellence Award for 2025-26 with a 3.62 GPA.
They were one of 10 state high school ballclubs honored.
“Can’t give enough credit to every guy’s willingness to be disciplined in the classroom all year. This goes way beyond baseball,” said Head Coach Mike Rupp, who also credited assistants Scott Hutsko, Jerad Paparella and Armando Sierra.
The 2025-26 Bruins were seniors Gabriel Falcon, Jordan Greene, Angelo Magloire, Bryant Ortiz, Tucker Pope, Fabio Rondon and Carsen Smalley; juniors Diego Falcon, Israel Garcia, Daniel Hutsko and Jashun
Judge; sophomore Diego Orozco; and freshmen Herminio Nieves, Sergio Oropesa Marchena, Ismael Rosario and Patrick Schaefer.
· Grenadene Harder is 100 years young.
· A bow to Angel Colonneso, Manatee County Clerk and Comptroller and Lifetime of Leadership Award honoree by the Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida.
· Jerry Cole is 93 years young.
· Big ups to Braden River High’s cheerleaders, who shined at their summer Varsity Universal Cheerleaders Association Camp at the University of Central Florida. The Pirates finished first in the camp routine competition among other honors, including two Blue Ribbons for routine evaluations and excellence in performance.
Captains Peyton Sexton and co-captain Jenaiah Cordero earned UCA All-American Cheerleader honors and were recognized as UCA Pin It Forward Role Model Cheerleaders for outstanding leadership and character.
Coached by Amy Diss and Camryn Diss, the Pirates are Jennessa Avila, Zoey Brown, Alana DiMarco, Willow Farrelly, Angelica Hernandez, Taryn Lucas, Mackenzie Kacprzyk, Madison Kacprzyk, Cassidy Rankin, Sophia Sanchez Hopkins, Caliana Santiago, Skylynn Smith, Autumn Spence and Kenmiyah Turner.
· That’s 54 years of wedded bliss for Pam and Bob Carroll.
· And 20 for Beth and Jim Borgen.
· And 11 for Johannah and Damon Wenig.
· Well done to Choral Directors Steven Armstrong (Braden River High)and Kerrie Carrier (Parrish Community High), whose programs were Florida Vocal Association's Choir of Distinction Award recipients.
· Janay Cherry from Manatee Memorial Hospital’s Food and Nutrition Services is its Spotlight Award recipient.
· Salutes to the Bradenton Police Department’s newest recruit class from Manatee Technical College’s Law Enforcement Academy. They are Officers Alex Quintero, Dylan Rusher, Alexander Roth and Alex Sanchez- Perez along with Officer Craig Chancey, a Suncoast Technical College grad.
· And salutes to new Manatee County Sheriff’s Deputies John Addington, Richard Coachman and James Vodicka.
Vin’s People runs Sundays. Email Vin Mannix at vinspeople@gmail.com. Or call 941-962-5944.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: VIN'S PEOPLE: Bayshore baseball team earns Academic Excellence Award
