Palmer Trinity’s Emily Montes signs with Columbia. Miami Beach soccer wins tourney. Plus more
Palmer Trinity School senior Emily Montes signed with Columbia University to continue her basketball career at the NCAA Division I level.
“I decided to commit to Columbia early in my junior year because it ticked every checkbox when it came down to my priorities: great program, amazing academics, loyal coach, and family-oriented culture,” said Montes.
At Columbia University, Montes vies to win an Ivy League title. She looks to major in biology on the pre-med track.
Montes started playing basketball at age 3 with her father George Montes, the PTS director of Annual Funds and girls’ basketball coach, at his basketball camps in order to spend more time with him.
Fifteen years later, it is only fitting that Montes plays for her father as the senior leader on Palmer Trinity’s varsity girls’ basketball team. Montes will never take for granted the time spent learning from her dad. While she admits he coaches her hard, she is appreciative how far it has gotten her and how it has never affected their father-daughter relationship.
“Emily plays with an intensity and an edge that is truly special,” George Montes said. “As a coach, when your primary ball handler exhibits that kind of confidence and fearlessness, it gives you a peace of mind knowing that everything is going to be just fine. As a father, that competitive spirit just makes you proud”.
Beyond her relationship with her father, Montes is most thankful for her teammates.
“I have had these same teammates for the past four years and making memories with these people I call sisters has been the best time of my life,” she said. “We have forged a bond that is extraordinary.”
Montes also enjoys the ability to mentor younger players on the team. She is adamant to advise younger students to not take the time for granted and to enjoy all time spent with their teammates.
Throughout her time at Palmer Trinity, Montes has been named First Team All-Dade in 2022 and Second Team All-Dade in 2020 and 2021. Through her junior year, Montes holds the school record for rebounds in a season (188), rebounds in a career (493), assists in a career (305), and steals in a career (341). She also holds the school record for the Javelin (32.01m). In addition to Palmer Trinity basketball, Montes has competed nationally at the club level with the Lady Jaguars and Team Knight.
Off the court, Montes loves to cook as it not only ensures she is eating properly and gaining the nutrients she needs to be successful, but it also allows her to take stress off and just relax. In her free time, Montes enjoys volunteering as a youth basketball coach.
More basketball
Cardinal Gibbons’ girls and St. Brendan’s boys did very well in respective hoops events during the holiday break.
BOYS: Don Stewart Naples ShootOut: St. Brendan 83, Trinity Catholic-Ocala 50: StB (10-4): Alvarez 22 pts, Gutierrez 19, Varela 14, Duque 9, Gonzalez 4, Gutierrez 4, Alonzo 3, Gabuardi 3, Rodriguez 3, Villalba 2. TC: Mendez 15 pts, Wiechems 9, Jacobs 6, Serrano 6, Martin 4, James 3, Fairley 2, Kinsler 2, James 2, Leon 1. 3-ptrs: Alvarez 5, Gutierrez 3, Varela 2, Alonzo 1, Gabuardi 1, Duque 1.
BOYS: Don Stewart Naples ShootOut: St. Brendan 73, Naples High 47: SB (11-4): Alvarez 21 pts, Alicea 12, Gutierrez 8, Varela 7, Diaz 6, Duque 5, Villalba 3, Rodriquez 2, Alonzo 2, Tovar 2, Gutierrez 2. NH: Wolner 15 pts, Leon 12, Similier 6, Faustin 4, Tenor 3, Llamo 3, Wilson 2, Fakhoury 2. 3-ptrs: Alvarez 5, Alicea 3, Diaz 2, Gutierrez 2, Villalba 1, Duque 1, Varela 1, Gonzalez 1.
GIRLS: Dillard 44, Cardinal Gibbons 40: CG: Savanna Nicholson 3 pts, Jordan Kosoy 2, Makayla Midgett 2, Brooke Buckman 19, Teagan Wakefield 8, Konstantina Mantziori 7. Rebs: Brooke Buckman 8, Kayla Greyvensteyn 4, Teagan Wakefield 3. Charges drawn: Jordan Kosoy 1. Dil (8-3), CG (8-3).
GIRLS: Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches: National Championship Bracket: Quarterfinal: Cardinal Gibbons 60, Warner Robins-Georgia 49: Savanna Nicholson 11 pts, Jordan Kosoy 2, Brooke Buckman 12, Teagan Wakefield 10, Konstantina Mantziori 6, Kayla Ggreyvensteyn 4, Ali Conard 18. Rebs: Brooke Buckman 18, Konstantina Mantziori 7, Kayla Greyvensteyn 4. Charges drawn: Brooke Buckman 1, Jordan Kosoy 1. CG (9-3), WR (10-1).
GIRLS: Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches: National Championship Bracket: Semifinal: Cardinal Gibbons 71, Benjamin-North Palm Beach 60: Savanna Nicholson 15 pts, Jordan Kosoy 2, Brooke Buckman 12, Teagan Wakefield 8, Konstantina Mantziori 16, Kayla Greyvensteyn 6, Ali Conard 15. Rebs: Brooke Buckman 20, Konstantina Mantziori 13, Kayla Greyvensteyn 4. Charges drawn: Brooke Buckman 1, Jordan Kosoy 1, Savanna Nicholson 1. CG (10-3), Benj (8-4).
GIRLS: Holiday Basketball Classic of the Palm Beaches: National Championship Bracket: Final: Bishop Kenny-Jacksonville 51, Cardinal Gibbons 40: Savanna Nicholson 11 pts, Jordan Kosoy 9, Brooke Buckman 2, Teagan Wakefield 3, Konstantina Mantziori 4, Kayla Greyvensteyn 5, Ali Conard 6. Rebs: Brooke Buckman 7, Kayla Greyvensteyn 5, Teagan Wakefield 4. BK (14-1), CG (10-4).
Soccer
Miami Beach boys’ soccer (10-2) continued its standout season by winning the Tampa Bay Soccer Invitational.
BOYS: Tampa Bay Soccer Invitational: Miami Beach 7, Sickles-Tampa 1: Tommaso Polidori 3 goals; Gianluca Calabrese 2 goals, 1 assist; Cesar Cardona 2 goals. MB (8-2).
BOYS: Tampa Bay Soccer Invitational: Semifinal: Miami Beach 3, Mariner-Cape Coral 0: Tommaso Polidori 2 goals, 1 assist; Tomas Cortez 1 goal; Gianluca Calabrese 2 assists; Gkp Vladimir Krotov shutout. MB (9-2).
BOYS: Tampa Bay Soccer Invitational: Championship: Miami Beach 3, Wesley Chapel 0: Gianluca Calabrese 1 goal, 1 assist; Tomas Cortez 1 goal, 1 assist; Kamil Lazrak 1 goal; Juan Pirez 1 assist; Gkp Vladimir Krotov shutout. MB (10-2).
BOYS: NSU University School 2, Pine Crest 1: Rafael Guerra 1 goal; Raul Leyva 1 goal; Roger Baptiste 1 assist; Rafael Guerra 1 assist. Univ (9-0-1).
GIRLS: Palmer Trinity 1, Miami Country Day 0: Scarlett Baur winning goal. Gkp Mia Contreras 2nd shutout. PT (8-1-1).
Football
Senior quarterback Creed Whittemore of Gainesville Buchholz High School has been named the 2022 Florida Dairy Farmers Mr. Football following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school football coaches and media representatives.
Whittemore captured 15 of the 25 first-place votes to finish with 183 points. Class 2S POY Blake Boda of Cocoa was the runner-up, receiving four first-place votes and finishing with 116 points. Class 2M POY Keyone Jenkins of Miami Central finished third (78 points) followed by Class 1M POY Cedric Bailey of Chaminade-Madonna (65), Class 4M POY Alberto Mendoza of Miami Columbus (36), Class 3M POY Cedric Baxter of Edgewater (27), Class 1R POY Jailen Ruth of Hawthorne (22), Class 3S POY Damarcus Creecy of Mainland (17), Class 1S POY Olsen Henry of First Baptist Academy (5) and Independent POY Nehemiah Vann of Seven Rivers Christian.
Bill Castle of Lakeland High School has been named the 2022 Florida Dairy Farmers Football Coach of the Year following a final round of voting by a statewide panel of high school football coaches and media representatives.
Castle garnered eight first-place votes and 127 points to finish ahead of Class 4M Coach-of-the-Year Dave Dunn of Miami Columbus, who picked up six first-place votes and 89 points to finish as the runner-up. Class 3S COY Tavaris Johnson of Lake Wales (83 points) finished third followed by Class 1R COY Cornelius Ingram of Hawthorne (67), Class 2M COY Gibudale (Jube) Joseph of Miami Central (64), Class 2S COY Ryan Schneider of Cocoa (37) and Class 1M COY Dameon Jones of Chaminade-Madonna (26). Rounding out the voting were Class 1S COY Billy Sparacio of First Baptist Academy (14), Independent COY Ben Bullock of Lake Highland Prep (12) and Class 3M COY Phillip Simpson of Homestead (7).
Submit sports results
For high schools in Broward and Miami-Dade, if you have Winter varsity results along with top performers and their stats for this column, email hssports@miamiherald.com.
Basketball, soccer, wrestling.
They will run in the newspaper and online. Photos accepted, too. No deadline. Send after the game, the next day or weekly. You will be alerted when it will appear in the newspaper and online.
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Roundup compiled by Jim Varsallone
jvarsallone@miamiherald.com
