America’s longest-running program recognizing excellence in high school athletics
For Immediate Release: March 17, 2015
Contact: David Stirt @ 352-332-3778 or dstirt@bellsouth.net ● www.floridamilk.com
GAINESVILLE (March 17) — The eight individual class finalists for the 2015 Florida Dairy Farmers Miss Basketball and Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year have been announced following balloting by a statewide panel of high school girls’ basketball coaches and prep media members.
Every finalist was the leading vote-getter in their classification, making each one the Player of the Year or Coach of the Year in their class. The two winners will be announced following a final round of balloting by coaches and media.
Following are the eight finalists for the Miss Basketball Award:
Beatrice Mompremier, Senior, Center, Miami Senior, Class 8A Player of the Year
Mompremier, a McDonald’s All-America and Baylor University signee, paced the Stingarees to a 29-3 record and their second straight state title by averaging 26.3 points and 13.3 rebounds per game.
Taylor Emery, Senior, Guard, Tampa Freedom, Class 7A Player of the Year
Emery, a Tulane University signee, led the state with 36.4 points per game and added 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. She is the alltime Hillsborough County scoring leader with 2,689 points.
Janiah McKay, Senior, Guard, Gainesville, Class 6A Player of the Year
The Auburn University signee led the Hurricanes to the regional semifinals by averaging 24.2 points,6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.
Jacaira Allen, Junior, Guard/Forward, Ft. Lauderdale Dillard, Class 5A Player of the Year
Allen led Dillard to a 30-1 record and the state championship by averaging 15.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
Destinee Walker, Senior, Guard, Lake Highland Prep, Class 4A Player of the Year
Walker, a McDonald’s All-America and University of North Carolina signee, led the Highlanders to a 29-2 record and the state title, averaging 24.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.9 steals and 4.2 assists per game.
Crystal Primm, Senior, Guard, Oxbridge Academy, Class 3A Player of the Year
The Duke University signee led her team to the regional finals by averaging 20.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Jazmine Jones, Junior, Guard, FAMU, Class 2A Player of the Year
Jones led the Rattlers to a 26-2 record and the state title by averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. In her five years of varsity basketball, she has more than 2,100 points and 1,000 rebounds.
Katie O’Neal, Senior, Guard, Freeport, Class 1A Player of the Year
O’Neal, who is committed to play college basketball at the University of West Florida, led her team to a 24-4 record and the state title by averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game.
Following are the eight finalists for the Girls’ Basketball Coach of the Year:
Sam Baumgarten, Miami Senior, Class 8A Coach of the Year
In his sixth year at the helm, Baumgarten led the Stingarees to a 29-3 record, a third straight trip to the Final Four and a second straight state championship.
Cassandra Rahming, Palm Beach Lakes, Class 7A Coach of the Year
Rahming led her team to a 31-2 record and the state title. Rahming has compiled a 366-127 record with three Final Four appearances in her 18-year coaching career (17 at Lakes).
Christina Godwin, Pensacola Pine Forest, Class 6A Coach of the Year
In her 8th year at Pine Forest, Godwin led her team to the state’s only unbeaten record (29-0) and a state title. It was Godwin’s fourth Final Four appearance at Pine Forest, where her record is 208-27. In 16 years overall, her record is 333-91, with another Final Four appearance at Woodham (2004).
Marcia Pinder, Ft. Lauderdale Dillard, Class 5A Coach of the Year
Pinder added a ninth state championship to her illustrious career numbers in leading Dillard to a 30-1 record. In 38 years at the school, Pinder has compiled an overall record of 884-187 with 12 Final Four appearances. Pinder has won four overall coach-of-the-year awards (2010-13).
Al Honor, Lake Highland Prep, Class 4A Coach of the Year
Honor led his team to a 29-2 record and the state title. In his four years at the school, Honor has posted an overall record of 92-23.
Ochiel Swaby, Miami Country Day, Class 3A Coach of the Year
In his 11th year at the helm, Swaby guided the Spartans, to a 30-2 record and their second straight state championship. His overall record is 216-73 with two state titles and a third trip to the Final Four.
Ericka Cromartie, FAMU, Class 2A Coach of the Year
In her first year as a head coach, Cromartie led the Rattlers to a 26-2 record and the state championship.
Michael Myrick, Freeport, Class 1A Coach of the Year
In his 16th year at Freeport, Myrick compiled a 24-4 record and won his first state title. In 19 years of coaching he has a 221-251 record, but has gone 44-10 the past two years.
Final voting numbers by class (top three): Area players in bold.
Class 8A
Player School Points
Beatrice MomPremier Miami Senior 167
Astaja Tyghter Colonial 91
Katherine Espinosa Miami Sunset 54
Coach School Points
Sam Baumgarten Miami Senior 161
Cindy Richardson Colonial 113
Javier Bevacqua Palm Coast 44
Class 7A
Player School Points
Taylor Emery Freedom 113
Kayla Thigpen Palm Beach Lakes 98
Kanesha Battle Blanche Ely 78
Coach School Points
Cassandra Rahming Palm Beach Lakes 167
Tommie Butts Wekiva 103
Marsha Pau Haines City 64
Class 6A
Player School Points
Janiah McKay Gainesville 124
Britney Snowden Pine Forest 72
Trinity Baptiste Hillsborough 58
Coach School Points
Christina Godwin Pine Forest 160
Mike Hamburg Barron Collier 106
Johnnie Lawson Winter Haven 76
Class 5A
Player School Points
Jacaira Allen Dillard 96
Johnell Williams Palatka 78
Nadia Fingall Choctawhatchee 41
Coach School Points
Marcia Pinder Dillard 170
Evan Jefferson Jacksonville Paxon 94
John Harder Bradenton Southeast 42
Class 4A
Player School Points
Destinee Walker Lake Highland Prep 170
Keri Jewett Dunbar 55
Rennia Davis Jacksonville Ribault 36
Coach School Points
Al Honor Lake Highland Prep 170
Dwayne Donnell Dunbar 87
Shelia Seymore-Pennick Jacksonville Ribault 54
Class 3A
Player School Points
Crystal Primm Oxbridge Academy 114
Ja’Tavia Tapley Jacksonville University Christian 55
Channise Lewis Miami Country Day 46
Coach School Points
Ochiel Swaby Miami Country Day 164
Greg Fawbush Seffner Christian 100
Keith Stroud Jacksonville University Christian 46
Class 2A
Player School Points
Jazmine Jones FAMU 116
Shae Pierce Hollywood Christian 106
Genelle Boyer Jacksonville Seacoast Christian 50
Coach School Points
Ericka Cromartie FAMU 161
Gary Downing II Grandview Prep 89
Karim Nohra Academy at the Lakes 85
Class 1A
Player School Points
Katie O’Neal Freeport 141
Amanda Paschal Chipley 76
Kari Niblack Wildwood 58
Coach School Points
Michael Myrick Freeport 164
Richard Hampton Wildwood 123
Steve Williams Paxton 55