Ridge hails family ties
As part of its 2018 athletics Hall of Fame ceremony next week, Oak Ridge will pay tribute to 40 years of contributions by a family that had to deal with the tragic death of two sons and stayed connected to the school while doing so.
The Leonard Family, which brought to Oak Ridge stellar athletes and family members who taught and coached at the school, will be inducted as a whole.
The lineage began with brothers and who arrived at Oak Ridge in 1977. They both died just days prior to Lee’s 1980 graduation following a car accident caused by another driver on rain-soaked Orange Blossom Trail. The Oak Ridge stadium is named in honor of Lee Leonard.
Carlos, the first Florida high school high jumper to clear 7-feet in a state meet, was home from a college season at Tennessee when the accident occurred.
More than a decade later the boys’ father, joined the school staff as an assistant track coach. He became the boys head coach at age 63 and with the memory of his sons as motivation, led a rebirth of the program. His wife, ,wasa teacher and then a distinguished administrator at the school.
Carlos’ daughter, became a member of the band, dance team and flag corps. She is scheduled to attend the ceremony with her grandparents.
The induction banquet is next Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the Rosen Centre Hotel.
The class includes former athletic director who played basketball as a 1976 Oak Ridge grad and then returned to the school as a coach and then A.D.; and coach who joined the Pioneers in 1970 as the school’s first full-time African-American teacher.
Other inductees are: (1977, track); (1981, track and football); Steve Bridges (1981, track); Vicki Chin (2004, track, cross country and weightlifting); (1966, football, baseball and track); and (1978, track).
West Orange senior scored six goals and added two assists to set a boys lacrosse state career points record while leading the undefeated Warriors (14-0) to a 13-11 victory over visiting Lake Minneola (11-7) in the District 11 championship game.
Berkman, a Syracuse signee, has 483 points over four seasons, with goals and assists each counting one point. The previous record of 482 was set by
of Boca Raton St. Andrews seasons (2010-13).
“It’s a goal I’ve had for such a long time, and for it to come true means a lot to me,” Berkman said, “I couldn’t have done it without all the great teammates and coaches I’ve had.”
Elsewhere, Bishop Moore (15-2), the area’s top-rated team according to MaxPreps, posted a 12-6 win over The First Academy (12-4) in the District 12 final.
Hagerty (16-3) won 15-8 at Winter Park in the girls District 8 final. Lake Brantley (12-5) claimed the District 7 crown with a 15-5 win over Lake Mary. in four
Mulberry’s became the first sophomore in Florida high school history to long jump 25-feet last week. The reigning Class 2A state champ in the event had a huge leap of 25-feet, 3¼-inches at the 2A, District 9 championships. There is no wind reading listed, which means the mark won’t be considered for official age group records.
Still, it ranks No. 6 on a Florida all-time “all conditions” list that is topped by the wind-legal 25-10 mark former Penn State and NFL football wide receiver
achieved at the 1985 Golden South Classic. Timpson, who made the rounds as a high school football coach in Central Florida, is now athletic director at Lake Worth High School.
Smith, like Timpson, is also a highlytouted football prospect who already holds scholarship offers from FSU and North Carolina as a 6-1, 170-pound multi-position athlete according to 247 sports.
Former Kissimmee Osceola two-sport star now an FSU football junior defensive back who has dabbled in college track, joined the 25-foot- club when he leaped 25-0 in region competition as a high school senior in 2015.