Annabelle Frazer joined track this year as a senior at MIA. She joined the team looking to try something new and prove that she could push herself, excited to explore a new activity with a tight-knit community. 

Annabelle’s favorite thing about the sport was discovering the events she excelled at and observing substantial improvements in those skill areas. She considers herself lucky to have such supportive coaches who cheer her on each step of the way. 

Annabelle advises underclassmen to try something new. “If there is an activity you have any inclination to try, trust your gut and do it! Even if it’s something that seems way out of your comfort zone, push yourself and do it. Most of the time, it’s our mentality that holds us back.” 

Annabelle will be attending DePaul University in Chicago this fall and is considering joining their track team.

Piper Noyes has been on the MIA track team since her sophomore year of high school. Her love for the sport has led to her improving herself and her skills while also not worrying about whether she’s letting her team down or not.

Her favorite memory of high school track was during her junior year when she was running alongside her big sister, Charli. 

Throughout her years at MIA, she has learned to not overwhelm herself if she has a bad run, because there is always tomorrow and time to improve. She would advise the future track stars to do the same.

After high school, Piper plans on attending Palm Beach State College to get her associate’s degree in communications or journalism and then later transfer to Florida Atlantic University to attain her bachelor’s degree. During her years in college, she will not continue doing track and field but will be staying fit by taking workout classes such as pilates and spin with her roommates and sister.

After college, her dream is to go into the sports communications world and become the director of sports communications for the NBA or NFL.

Collette Combs is a senior at Marco Island Academy. She first joined MIA’s Varsity Track Team during her junior year of high school.  

Collette decided to run track to follow in the footsteps of her father, who ran track in college, and taught her how to do hurdles in seventh grade. Collette enjoys running and especially loves how the sport keeps her in shape, provides her with new friendships, and challenges her physically and mentally. 

One of Collette’s favorite memories from the track is getting “third-degree burns” in the shape of the track uniform from the sun at a CSN meet. She particularly enjoyed spending time with Ava Ball, a junior, and going to Chick-fil-A after meets.

Collette would advise underclassmen to give the sport a chance, even if they hate running. Collette enjoys the community track has provided her with, and the memories she has made along the way. She is confident that the track would provide others with their own experiences and lifelong memories.  

After graduating, Collette plans to attend college to study business and entrepreneurship. Her future goal is to start a small business, intending to work with children in some capacity. Collette plans to continue running, but will not be participating in track in college. 

John Riley is a senior on the MIA Track team. He joined track in his middle school years but did not join until his senior year. He participated in the 100, 200, and 400-meter dash.

He decided to join the track to better his mental and physical health and to be a part of a team. His favorite part about being on the MIA track team is that he gets to compete alongside his friends and run his absolute hardest at the track meets. One of his favorite memories during his track season was placing 1st place in a 400-meter dash. 

After High School, he plans on attending Florida Gulf Coast University but has not decided on what he plans on majoring in. However, he doesn’t intend to continue doing track at the college level.

Andres Rodriguez has played tennis since he was in elementary school. Growing up, he would do weekly lessons and attend many tennis summer camps. He has given many different sports a try, but tennis is the only one that he stuck with. Since his move to Marco in 2022, he has attended Tennis camps at the YMCA and lessons twice a week in addition to the time he has spent playing for the school.

A few of his fondest memories of playing on the tennis team are driving to matches with Elle and winning a hard singles match against Village School last year. “The parents of the kid were coaches and they were giving me a hard time, so it felt really good when I won.”

For underclassmen, he would recommend playing tennis if you prefer playing on a smaller, more dedicated team.

He plans on attending the University of Florida for mechanical engineering. Additionally, he does not plan to continue playing on a tennis team but will play for fun occasionally. 

Elle Richardson started playing tennis back when she was in kindergarten as a personal hobby. It was one of the few programs offered in her old neighborhood and there were courts relatively close to her house. Over the years, it became a favorite hobby of mine I enjoyed to stay active and healthy. She’s been playing tennis since 2012, back when she used to live in Naples. 

Her favorite memories are those that she made with friends recently. She joined the team because of her best friend, Andres Rodriguez. She made many new friends during the seasons, such as her doubles partner, Melanie Zárate-Centeno.

Her advice for the underclassmen would be “to not be afraid to try. You can learn from those more experienced than you during practice. Patience is key and practice is important to be better.”

Soon, she will be attending the University of Florida in the summer to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering. She plans to start as an aerospace engineer and work her way up to a corporate level in an aerospace engineering company.

She doesn’t see herself playing tennis competitively after high school, but most likely will play it for fun.

Wyatt Bailey is a senior at Marco Island Academy and has been playing lacrosse since his freshman year. He began playing the sport with the Lely High School lacrosse team and continued his career his junior year as MIA began their first-ever season of boys lacrosse.

Wyatt began playing lacrosse because his older brother made him play and he then grew to love playing the sport. He has made many memories throughout his time on the team playing alongside all of his best friends. Wyatt’s favorite memories of the sport have come from the team bus rides on the way to games.

Wyatt encourages anyone who is thinking about playing lacrosse to just do it, even if you’re scared to start. He said that it would be the best decision ever. 

In the fall, Wyatt plans on attending Florida Atlantic University and looks forward to continuing his lacrosse career at the university as well.

Gordon began playing lacrosse after he would see his brother playing it in his backyard. Gordon also moved to Florida from Chicago, where Lacrosse was very popular. Gordon has played lacrosse on and off since he was 8 years old. In Chicago, Gordon played both indoor and outdoor lacrosse. A few years after Gordon moved to Miami, he took a break from playing before moving to Marco Island. 

Some of Gordon’s favorite memories playing lacrosse include playing at Lely his sophomore year, and the school’s new program and helping teach the new players how the game works. 

In regards to new players, Gordon recommends finding a big wall and practicing hitting the ball against it. This will help you learn stick placement, passing, catching, and getting used to a ball being thrown at your face. 

Gordon plans to go to college and study Microbiology, unsure if he will have time to play. However, he does plan on joining club lacrosse at his college for more flexibility with practice times and attendance.  

Joshua Dominguez is a senior at Marco Island Academy. He has never played lacrosse before his junior year of high school. He decided to join the team to get in shape and try a new sport.

Some of his favorite memories include the team meals and the car rides to the games. He recalls always having fun with his teammates in those car rides where they would make jokes and stop for snacks.

He would advise any underclassmen interested in lacross to “Go for it, and try something new, you might be surprised at how much fun you have playing a new sport.”

Josh is planning to attend Florida Institute of Technology to study mechanical engineering. Although Josh does not plan on playing lacrosse competitively in college he still plans on playing it for fun.

Ivan Harrison, a senior at MIA, started playing lacrosse halfway through his junior year. Although he wasn’t originally interested in the sport, he heard that the team needed a goalie and decided to put his soccer experience to use. “I used to play goalie in soccer, so I was the first person that my friends asked to fill the position…I decided to play and fell in love with the sport from the moment I picked up my stick. ”

Ivan’s favorite lacrosse memory is the bus rides to and from his games, “…especially after a win.” Through the sport, he has learned how vital good communication is to success and the importance of team play. “I’ve learned what it means to be a team and how to work together with others.”

After graduation, he is committed to pursuing Mechanical Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He added, “I also hope to play on the club lacrosse team at UCF. ”

Ryan Sweeney has been playing baseball since he was 4 years old. He played throughout his four years at MIA. During Ryan’s senior year, he was named team captain. Ryan found his love of baseball through his father who had played professionally.

Ryan’s favorite memory from his high school career was getting to play at the Marlins Stadium. Ryan says, “It was a very special experience and it fulfilled my childhood dream of being an MLB player even if it was just for one game.” He is also very grateful for all the memories he made with his best friend Grayson Jones on and off the field. 

Ryan’s advice for underclassmen would be to give 100% and be a good teammate. He says that teammates are there for each other and encourage one another always. Ryan says that everyone should uplift each other, rather than putting them down. 

Ryan’s plan for his future includes attending either UCF or USF and majoring in Biomedical Science. He hopes to become a firefighter or enter the medical field. However, he does not plan on playing baseball in college. 

Chase Matthew Johnson is a senior at MIA. He’s been playing baseball for MIA since his freshman year.

When asked what Mr. Johnson’s favorite memory was, he says “When me and my team traveled to the Marlins stadium my junior year, we created so many fun memories and did a lot of team bonding. We also got some fire pictures done.” Fellow senior and teammate Ryan Sweeney recalls, “Chase is a big team player and is super helpful whenever someone needs him.”

Some advice that he gives to underclassmen who are interested in playing the sport is “Try your best, even if you don’t succeed, keep trying.” He also says “It’s not about how many wins you get, it’s about the memories you make, don’t waste your time on things that won’t fulfill you internally.”

Chase Johnson loves the game, and with his skill and dedication, he wishes to continue playing in a little league after high school. However, Chase will be busy training to become a firefighter after graduation. 

Grayson Jones has played baseball since he was in the Little League at age 11. He has always loved the game and as an incoming freshman, he decided to continue playing through to his senior year. As the years have passed, his love for the game has only grown.

In these seven years of playing baseball, Grayson has made countless memories, one of his favorites was playing at the Marlins stadium and going out to eat with the team after wins.

Grayson advises underclassmen interested in the sport to enjoy every second and try their hardest every day, as it goes by too fast. He says if you are interested in playing the sport just come on out and show some effort and he guarantees you will have an amazing time.

Grayson plans to attend a university in Florida to study Exercise Science. He also intends to play baseball at some point after graduation but not at a competitive level.

Akiel Jimenez is a senior athlete on the Marco Island Academy baseball team. He has played on the team since he transferred to MIA during his junior year. He has brought a lot to the team, from excellent pitching scores to being a great friend to his fellow teammates.

He discovered his passion for baseball after seeing his older brother, Aquino Jimenez, play professionally for the Cuban National Series. He has played since he was just six years old and can’t remember a time he wasn’t playing since then. He plans to continue playing baseball into his college years, hoping to play for a professional team one day, following in the footsteps of his older brother.

If he could say anything to the future members of the MIA baseball team, he would say, “Discipline is consistency of action, consistency of action will lead to better play, and better play leads to a better victory.” He says that his favorite memories while playing on the team are the friends he made and all the time he spent with his team.

He has not yet committed to college but is hopeful that his wish to pursue baseball further will come true. He has received scholarships from numerous colleges, most notably Ohio State, based on his skills as a pitcher.