Sports

Marcia Kazmierski (left) watches as Jensen Haire, 8, hits a tennis ball during the 10th annual James Montgomery Tennis Camp at Youngs Park on Thursday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

Marcia Kazmierski (left) watches as Jensen Haire, 8, hits a tennis ball during the 10th annual James Montgomery Tennis Camp at Youngs Park on Thursday. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

YOUTH TENNIS: James Montgomery Tennis Camp wraps up 10th year

TONY BRITT
Friday, June 19, 2026
From the basic mechanics of forehands and backhands to advanced tennis techniques such as serves and volleys, dozens of local youngsters learned tennis basics in a camp that took place this month.
Lafayette state medalist Henry Stewart is the LCR's Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. (COURTESY)

Lafayette state medalist Henry Stewart is the LCR's Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year. (COURTESY)

SPRING ALL-AREA: Lafayette state medalist Henry Stewart named LCR's Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, June 18, 2026
MAYO — A year ago, Henry Stewart hoped to head to the Class 1A state track meet.Those dreams, though, were dashed when the Lafayette sophomore was injured in practice just ahead of the district meet. Instead of competing for the chance to head to state, Stewart’s season was over.
Suwannee state champion Ryleigh Hermanson is the LCR's Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. (COURTESY)

Suwannee state champion Ryleigh Hermanson is the LCR's Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year. (COURTESY)

SPRING ALL-AREA: Suwannee state champion Ryleigh Hermanson named LCR's Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year

JAMIE WACHTER
Thursday, June 18, 2026
LIVE OAK — It still hasn’t completely sunk in for Suwannee’s Ryleigh Hermanson.Even five weeks after capturing the Class 2A state title in the 1600m, it still doesn’t always compute that Hermanson is a state champion.“It’s still kind of weird when people congratulate me and I’m like, ‘For what?
Columbia’s Colten Mitchell is the LCR’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year again. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

Columbia’s Colten Mitchell is the LCR’s Boys Tennis Player of the Year again. (MANDI SLOAN/Special to the Reporter)

SPRING ALL-AREA: Columbia's Colten Mitchell repeats as LCR Boys Tennis Player of the Year

JORDAN KROEGER
Wednesday, June 17, 2026
One moment defined Colten Mitchell’s junior season at Columbia.That came at the District 2-3A tournament in April.Standing across the net was Mosley’s Ethan Scott, a player who had gotten the better of Mitchell not just this season but last year too.
Columbia pitcher Ryleigh Stone hurls a pitch against Seminole in the Class 4A state semifinals on May 21. (JACK HOWDESHELL/Lake City Reporter)

Columbia pitcher Ryleigh Stone hurls a pitch against Seminole in the Class 4A state semifinals on May 21. (JACK HOWDESHELL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP SPORTS: FHSAA unveils spring classifications for 2027, '28

JORDAN KROEGER
Thursday, June 11, 2026
The FHSAA's 2027 and 2028 classifications are out for spring sports and the new districts for Columbia’s baseball and softball teams are theirs for the taking.