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Standouts from volleyball, golf, XC and swimming

Posted on by Vaseline
Standouts from volleyball, golf, XC and swimming

Well, folks, we made it.

The end of the 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association fall sports season is here. As things begin to finally cool down outside, it was an impressive campaign for numerous Pensacola-area athletes across volleyball, cross country, swimming and diving, and golf.

Escambia and Santa Rosa counties saw some teams and individuals climb to incredible heights, making new standards for not only themselves, but area teams as a whole.

Whether on the links, a muddy course, in the pool or on the hardwood, some of the biggest local stars made plenty of noise, some of which reverberated across the state. 

The all-area team for football, the last fall sport, is scheduled to be published near Christmas. 

Without further ado, here’s a look at the winners, including full all-area teams.

VOLLEYBALL

Player of the Year: Bella Satterwhite, Gulf Breeze

A star for four years at Gulf Breeze, Bella Satterwhite repeats as the PNJ Player of the Year after yet another stellar campaign. She’s listed as an outside hitter, yes, but there’s not much she can’t do on the court. Coach Jasmine King said Satterwhite is a dominant hitter but plays like a libero with an incredible defensive skillset as well. Satterwhite led Gulf Breeze with 351 kills (averaging 4.1 kills per set) with 44 aces, 28 blocks, 235 digs, 319 serve-receives and 23 assists. Satterwhite became the first Gulf Breeze player in history to cross the 1,000-kill mark in her career, and in doing so, also broke a school record.

Offensive Player of the Year: Katelyn Weller, Navarre

Navarre junior Katelyn Weller broke the Raiders’ single-season kill record, as she led the team with an astounding 379 kills, playing nearly 100 sets on the year. When you’re in the same conversation as former Navarre standout Kyra McKelvey (now playing at Southeastern Louisiana), it’s safe to say you had a good season. Pushing Navarre to the Region 1-6A quarterfinals, Weller also posted 21 aces, 50 blocks, 119 digs and an assist as an outside hitter. Weller still has one more year to impress Northwest Florida with Navarre.

Defensive Player of the Year: Sarah Frazee, Gulf Breeze

Gulf Breeze’s Sarah Frazee has been a standout since her sophomore year, when she was the 2022 PNJ Newcomer of the Year, and is now repeating her Defensive Player of the Year award from 2023. Numerous times throughout the season, she made a point-saving dive, getting enough contact on the ball to keep the rally alive – and a lot of times, Gulf Breeze would come back to win the point. But Frazee did a lot more than that. One area coach said Frazee “reads the game better than any other defender in the area.” Frazee became the first player from Gulf Breeze to cross 1,000 career digs (1,022) in her three seasons with the Dolphins. She finished the 2024 campaign with 377 digs, 113 assists, 21 aces, three kills and 448 serve-receives.

Newcomer of the Year: Liv Riffell, Pace

Here’s another libero to keep an eye on: Liv Riffell from Pace. She had never played the position before this summer. Given how much pressure is put on the libero game after game, and given how well Riffell succeeded, it’s impressive. Pace coach Cody Trimm said Riffell “was the best defender and passer on (Pace’s) team and one of the best in the area” by the time the end of the year rolled around. Riffell led Pace with 364 digs, 71 assists, 45 aces, 600 serve-receives and two kills.

Coaches of the Year: Jasmine King/Steve Clay, Gulf Breeze

Gulf Breeze head coach Jasmine King and longtime assistant coach Steven Clay led the Dolphins to their sixth consecutive district crown this fall. Clay noted it was likely the “toughest” one they’ve won yet, and won the region final for the first time since 2011, when King was a freshman at Southern Miss following a standout career at Gulf Breeze herself. King and Clay led Gulf Breeze to the state championship game for the first time in over a decade, when this year’s senior class was just in kindergarten, falling in heartbreaking fashion. But knowing how King and Clay get their teams to perform, expect continued excellence in the future.

First Team All-Area

  • MB/MH – Sarah Quarells, Booker T. Washington
  • MB/MH – Lexi Pannunzio, Gulf Breeze
  • S – Allie Hepworth, Gulf Breeze
  • OH – Bella Satterwhite, Gulf Breeze
  • OH – Katelyn Weller, Navarre
  • OH – Marley Manning, Pace
  • DS/L – Sarah Frazee, Gulf Breeze

Second Team All-Area

  • MB/MH – Emma Gross, Navarre
  • MB/MH – Savannah Conklin, Pensacola Catholic
  • S – Avery Varias, West Florida
  • OH – Zoe Malloy, Pensacola High
  • OH – Sydney Sutter, Gulf Breeze
  • OH – McKenzie Faith Reid, Pace
  • DS/L – Addison Danforth, Navarre

Honorable Mentions

Britten Kettler, Pace | Liv Riffell, Pace | Kaitlyn Montgomery, Navarre | Izzy Beech, Gulf Breeze | Sienna Wnetrzak, Gulf Breeze | Jacey Stuart, Tate | Hannah Bradley, Booker T. Washington | Jaden Gentry, West Florida | Torrie Garrett, Tate | Estelle Reese, Gulf Breeze | Kayla Anderson, West Florida | Kinsley Hines, Pace

SWIMMING AND DIVING

Boys Swimmer of the Year: Ian Malone, Booker T. Washington

Ian Malone has impressed the area since his freshman season, and finally climbed to the top of the mountain at the Class 3A state meet. Malone won the 100-yard freestyle, clocking in at 44.63 seconds. He also picked up a second-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 1:37.77. Malone was also part of the 400-yard freestyle relay, which finished sixth at state (3:10.12), and the 200-yard freestyle relay, finishing in eighth (1:28.33). Both of Malone’s individual events were All-American automatic times. Along the way in the postseason, Malone picked up a pair of gold and two silver medals at the District 1-3A meet, and then had a silver and two bronze medals at the Region 1-3A meet. Malone still has one more year to excel at the high school level after a stellar junior season.

Girls Swimmer of the Year: Taylor Clements, West Florida

It’s a repeat for West Florida junior Taylor Clements. Clements posted some top finishes at the Class 2A swim meet in Ocala, capping off yet another fantastic season. She showed off some speed in the 50-yard freestyle, claiming second place in the event with a time of 23.45 seconds, which is an All-American consideration time. Clements also finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke, posting another All-American consideration time of 1:03.00 in the event. Clements was also part of the 200-yard medley relay that finished 11th (1:53.80) and 400-yard freestyle relay that was 14th place (3:49.11). Throughout the postseason, Clements picked up a trio of first-place finishes at the District 1-2A meet, along with a bronze medal, while also finishing first and third in two individual events at the Region 1-2A meet.

Coach of the Year: Chris Barfield, Booker T. Washington

Booker T. Washington’s first-year head coach, Chris Barfield, was a longtime assistant and took over for Whitney Voeltz this year. And the Wildcats didn’t miss a beat. The Booker T. boys claimed yet another district title, even with an expanded zone that included teams from Escambia County to the Tallahassee area. The Wildcats also finished fifth at the Region 1-3A meet, and took fourth overall at the Class 3A state meet. To cap it all off, Barfield brought a handful of swimmers and divers to the Class 3A state meet this season, including a state champion in Malone.

Boys All-Area Team

  • Ian Malone, Booker T. Washington
  • Max Little, Booker T. Washington
  • Hayden Huntsinger, West Florida
  • Addison Lee, Gulf Breeze
  • Ben Ashford, Gulf Breeze
  • Landon Garcia, Pensacola Catholic

Girls All-Area Team

  • Taylor Clements, West Florida
  • Caroline Smith, Gulf Breeze
  • Lillian Vige, Tate
  • Avery Witte, West Florida
  • Lauren Armstrong, Tate

CROSS COUNTRY

Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year: Drew Beroset, Gulf Breeze

Gulf Breeze’s Drew Beroset is repeating as the Boys Cross Country Runner of the Year after he placed fourth at the state meet a year ago. Things only got better as a sophomore, placing second by a margin of nearly 12 seconds, clocking in at 15 minutes, 21.80 seconds. He led the Dolphins to a fourth-place finish at the Class 3A state meet. That state performance was preceded by a pair of first-place finishes at the District 1-3A and Region 1-3A meets, as well as numerous top finishes throughout the year. He’s got a few big races coming up soon, as well as his sophomore track season for Gulf Breeze. There’s a lot to be excited about for the next two seasons of high school cross country for Beroset.

Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year: Jaimee Tutton, Pensacola Christian

Jaimee Tutton is also repeating as Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year, an award she’s won every year since she was in eighth grade. Tutton was still in the front of the pack in not only the Pensacola area, but the state, after placing in the top five at the Class 1A state meet in Tallahassee. However, for the first time, Tutton was running without her older sister, RaeAnne, who graduated last spring. This is the first time Tutton has claimed sole possession of the award. Tutton placed third at the state meet with a 5-kilometer time of 18 minutes, 49.40 seconds, leading the Warriors to a second-place team finish. Tutton also placed first at both the Region 1-1A meet in Jacksonville, and the District 1-1A meet. She paced Pensacola Christian to a near-perfect finish, with the Warriors taking the top six spots of the race.

Coach of the Year: Scott Cochran, Pensacola Christian

Leading Pensacola Christian to yet another stellar postseason, and another strong 2024 campaign as a whole, Scott Cochran oversaw the Warriors place first in both the District 1-1A and Region 1-1A meets, marking at least three consecutive seasons Pensacola Christian has accomplished the feat. Pensacola Christian had a second-place finish at the state meet for the girls, and a fifth-place finish for the boys. Cochran has established himself as a premier cross country coach, winning the award every year since 2018. He’s looking forward to the future, as well, with all of the Warriors’ girls runners who ran at state returning next season, and a majority are coming back on the boys side.

Boys All-Area Team

  • Drew Beroset, Gulf Breeze
  • Jed Fears, Pensacola Christian
  • Isaiah Manderson, Pensacola Christian
  • Carson Ohman, Pensacola Christian
  • Donovan Carmichael, West Florida

Girls All-Area Team

  • Jaimee Tutton, Pensacola Christian
  • Elyse Carmichael, Booker T. Washington
  • Addison Garrett, Pensacola Catholic
  • Reagan Smith, Pensacola Christian
  • Emma McLaughlin, Pensacola Christian

GOLF

Boys Golfer of the Year: Hudson Mitchell, Pensacola Catholic

While he finished 29th at the Class 1A state tournament, carding a two-day total of 151 (77, 74), it was a 2024 season to remember for Pensacola Catholic’s Hudson Mitchell. During the postseason alone, Mitchell won the district tournament and was runner-up at the region tournament. Mitchell finished with a team-low iWanamaker ranking (which is a measure of a golfer’s skill-level based on team stroke play events) was an astounding 0.546 for nine-hole rounds, with a scoring average of 35.9. His 18-hole average was 72.3.

Girls Golfer of the Year: Abby Vernier, West Florida

Abby Vernier still has one season to impress at West Florida, along with the rest of the state, after posting an area-best third-place finish at the Class 2A state tournament at the end of the season. Vernier posted a 1.441 iWanamaker ranking for nine-hole rounds through 14 rounds, with a scoring average of 36.2 (which placed her 11th in the state of Florida for the class of 2026), and she also posted an 18-hole round average score of 73.5. Vernier, during the postseason, finished tied for second at the district tournament, fourth at the region tournament and then, as mentioned, tied for third at the state tournament.

Coach of the Year: Jason Young, Pensacola Catholic

Pensacola Catholic golf coach Jason Young led the Crusaders to their fourth consecutive district title, which meant earning an automatic spot in the region tournament. Pensacola Catholic then finished second at region to qualify automatically as a team for state – the only area team that did so. The Crusaders finished 15th overall at state, led by Hudson Mitchell, Wilmer Mitchell (155), Wyatt Hart (166), Ian Morris (174) and Mac Gilmer (175). Young is bringing back three of his top five golfers from the state tournament, giving a glimpse as to what the next few years of Pensacola Catholic boys golf could be.

Boys All-Area Team

  • Hudson Mitchell, Pensacola Catholic
  • Wyatt Hart, Pensacola Catholic
  • Adam Penrod, Pace
  • Judah Talley, Pace
  • Baylor Touchstone, Tate

Girls All-Area Team

  • Abby Vernier, West Florida
  • Gabby Hultstrand, Pensacola High
  • Riley Bounds, Gulf Breeze
  • Elizabeth Palmer, Pensacola Catholic
  • Anna Kunkel, Northview

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