Some of the top high school weightlifters in the state of Florida gathered in Baker on Wednesday for the Baker Invitational Meet.
Ten schools were on hand including Santa Rosa County powerhouses Pace, Navarre and Milton. Baker and Crestview were joined by Okaloosa County neighbors Choctawhatchee, Fort Walton Beach and Niceville. Rounding out the field were Pensacola Catholic and Wewahitchka.
There was no joy in Crestview High School baseball complex on Tuesday night.
The Bulldogs opened the season with a talented Mosley squad and were no match for the visiting Dolphins. Crestview managed just two hits by Anthony St. Vincent in a 7-0 loss.
Dan Byerly is now in his third year as the Crestview High School tennis coach, and he said the Lady Bulldogs are in a bit of a rebuilding stage at this point.
David Oglesby started the Baker girls weightlifting program and is now in his 19th season as its head coach.
And once again, he had Gator lifters competing at the 1A state meet Saturday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Madi Muse stood on the floor of the RP Funding Center Friday night wearing the medal around her neck she had always dreamed about.
“It’s really emotional,” Muse said. “I’ve been building for four years for this. I finally got the No. 1 spot. I went out with a bang.”
John Toolan was officially named the head softball coach at Crestview High School in the fall. His team was on display for the first time on Tuesday as the Lady Bulldogs hosted the Lady Gators of Baker in a preseason game.
Toolan, the father of standout sophomore, Cambell Toolan, has embraced the opportunity to lead the team.
First-year Baker softball coach Mark Wilde had his first look at the Lady Gators in live action against Crestview last week and overall, he was pleased with what he saw from the team in the 8-6 loss.
“I see them going pretty good,” he said. “We had a few errors out there or the score would have been closer. But as far as putting up a battle, I think we did really good. But as far as putting up a battle, I think we did really good.
“It turned into a pitching game the last several innings.”
The Crestview baseball team was fortunate that Tuesday’s game with Niceville was only a preseason contest.
The Bulldogs played good defense executing a couple of impressive pickoff plays. But as far as hitting and pitching goes, there wasn’t much to smile about in a 6-1 loss.
Crestview’s boys basketball team hosted Navarre in the opening round of the District 1-6A basketball tournament last Tuesday.
And Navarre had no answers for a Bulldog team that played its best game of the season.
