Sports

Suwannee wrestler Marshall White battles with First Baptist’s Andres DiGrigoli during the Class 1A IBT finals on Saturday. (DEE DEE JOLICOEUR/Special to the Reporter)

PREP WRESTLING: Marshall comes up short in state finals, 4 Bulldogs medal

JAMIE WACHTER

Monday, March 10, 2025

KISSIMMEE — A perfect season, a state championship and the first title for a Suwannee wrestler in 11 years vanished in one sequence Saturday.

Columbia's Kensi Shaw won the girls 100m at the Rumble in the Jungle on Saturday. (COURTESY)

PREP TRACK & FIELD: Area's top performers from the weekend

NEWS STAFF

Monday, March 10, 2025

Columbia’s boys track and field team won the Rumble in the Jungle meet on Saturday at CHS, while the girls placed second. The CHS boys tallied 186 points ahead of runner-up Suwannee, which finished second with 118.

Columbia center fielder Luisa Taylor races to third base during Monday's win over Branford. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP SOFTBALL: Columbia run-rules Bronson to cap off undefeated Raider Invitational

NEWS STAFF

Saturday, March 8, 2025

ALACHUA — Sakiya Merriex had three RBIs while Luisa Taylor, Ava Christie and Josie Raulerson drove in two runs apiece help Columbia finish off a 3-0 run through the Raider Invitational with a 13-1 run-rule win over Bronson in three innings on Saturday.

Columbia pitcher Ayden Phillips claps at second base after his two-RBI base hit against IMC Academy Gray on Friday night. (JORDAN KROEGER/Lake City Reporter)

PREP BASEBALL: Phillips & Edge lead Columbia to shutout over IMG Academy Gray

JORDAN KROEGER

Friday, March 7, 2025

All it took was one baserunner to rattle IMG Academy Gray starting pitcher Peyton Miller. After that, it was all Columbia.

Columbia pitcher Kinley King winds up to pitch against Branford on March 3. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP ROUNDUP: Columbia beats Union County, Gainesville to open Raider Invitational

NEWS STAFF

Friday, March 7, 2025

Columbia’s softball team defeated Union County 6-1 and then followed that up with a 3-1 win over Gainesville to open the Raiders Invitational in Alachua on Friday night. Kinley King pitched a complete game in the win over Union County, striking out four while allowing an earned run on seven hits.

Frank Roque (foreground) and Corey Watkins of Impact Sport Surfaces Inc., use saws to cut FGC’s old parquet basketball court. (TONY BRITT/Lake City Reporter)

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FGC replacing court at Howard Center

TONY BRITT

Friday, March 7, 2025

The iconic parquet hardwood court that served as the playing surface for the Lake City Community College championship basketball teams in the 70’s, home court to conference-winning basketball teams and floor for numerous events at the college, is being replaced.

Columbia’s boys tennis team. (COURTESY)

PREP ROUNDUP: Columbia's tennis teams edge Clay

NEWS STAFF

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Columbia’s tennis teams defeated Clay 4-3 on the road Thursday. The boys and girls both claimed the decisive victory in No. 2 doubles. BOYS TENNIS — Columbia 4, Clay 3: Singles: CL No. 1 Jacopo Nardiello d. Colten Mitchell 8-0, CL No. 2 Shawn Knabb d. Carson Etter 8-2, CO No. 3 Ryland Capen d.

Columbia pitcher Harleigh Price pitches against Baldwin on Feb. 25. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

POLL RESULTS: Columbia pitcher Harleigh Price voted LCR Athlete of the Week for Feb. 24-March 1

NEWS STAFF

Thursday, March 6, 2025

Columbia pitcher Harleigh Price was voted by the readers as the LCR Athlete of the Week for Feb. 24-March 1. Price received 557 of the 1,376 votes in our 10-nominee poll following a week where she had a 0.00 ERA and 20 strikeouts in 13 innings pitched while also hitting .

Fort White's softball team celebrates after defeating Columbia 4-3 on Wednesday night. (BRENT KUYKENDALL/Lake City Reporter)

PREP SOFTBALL: Fort White edges Columbia on Compton's 18th birthday

JORDAN KROEGER

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Kadence Compton celebrated by jumping into the arms of Fort White assistant coach Josh Robinson. She helped deliver herself quite the present on her 18th birthday — a statement win for the Indians.

Columbia’s Chase Johnson celebrates with teammates after setting a personal record in the bench press during Wednesday’s meet against Hawthorne. (COURTESY)

PREP ROUNDUP: Columbia beats Hawthorne in dual meet

NEWS STAFF

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Columbia's boys weightlifting team beat Hawthorne 81-8 in traditional and 26-5 in Olympic in a dual meet on Wednesday. The Tigers swept all 10 weight classes in traditional and won four of the five classes in Olympic.