January 5, 2020 – Despite facing various challenges and obstacles with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the student-athletes and coachesat Santa Fe College pursued excellence on the field of play, in the classroom and in the community. As the Saints prepare for the seasons that lie ahead in the new year, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights of SF Athletics in a 2020 Rewind.
Volleyball
- The Saints did not take the floor in 2020, but excelled in the classroom with a team GPA of 3.72 in the fall. Four players earned a perfect 4.0 GPA.
- Five new players were signed for the Fall 2021 season.
- Several players assisted in the community at local youth volleyball clubs, along with involvement with “Food for the Frontline,” an effort that included grocery deliveries to shut-ins, cards to nursing home residents, and food for front line workers.
- Seven players in total received NJCAA All-Academic honors, as announced in July: Mikayla Collins (First Team), Maria Hernandez (First Team), Kariana Ayala (Second Team), Madison Sheffield (Second Team), Natalia Martinez (Third Team), Emily Register (Third Team), and Jenna Wiggs (Third Team)
- Four players signed on to continue their volleyball careers: Jordyn Goracke (UNF), Zoey Chilcote (Valdosta State), Natalia Martinez (FIU), and Jenna Wiggs (UNCG)
Men’s Basketball
- SF reached the Mid-Florida Conference Final before falling to Eastern Florida, 65-56.
- The Saints had five players earn Mid-Florida Conference recognition for their play: Yaw Obeng-Mensah (First Team), Ryan Leonard (First Team), Josiah Tynes (Second Team), Nikola Jerotic (Second Team), and Noah Thorp (Second Team).
- An impressive total of seven players were named to the MFC All-Academic Team and six to the FCSAA All-Academic team, with two players garnering academic honors from the NJCAA: DJ Henderson (Second Team) and Nikola Jerotic (Third Team).
- Five players signed with four-year programs: Ryan Leonard (Eastern Illinois), Wylie “Tre” Howard (FAMU), Nikola Jerotic (ERAU), Josiah Tynes (University of Indianapolis), and Luka Filipovic (Freed-Hardeman).
Women’s Basketball
- The Saints won the 2020 Mid-Florida Conference championship for a second-straight season, and the third time in the last four seasons.
- SF made another appearance in the state tournament and won 10 of their final 11 games to finish with a record of 19-11 overall. The Saints went 8-1 in the Mid-Florida Conference and 10-3 on their home floor.
- The team’s 1,523 rebounds for the season ranks No. 2 all-time in program history.
- Five different players garnered postseason recognition from the conference: Aleisha Curry (First Team), Chardell Jones (First Team), Rosalee Nicholson (First Team), Zoѐ Alexander (Second Team), and Danasia Bogle (Second Team).
- Nicholson was named to the Florida College System Activities Association/Region VIII All-Tournament Team and the FCSAA/Region VIII All-State Team, and went on to sign with Hofstra University.
- Curry claimed MFC Player of the Year honors, FCSAA/Region VIII All-State and National Junior College Athletic Association Honorable Mention All-American honors and was named to the NJCAA All-Star game.
- Seven players were named to the MFC All-Academic Team, while Carla Soto, Danasia Bogle, and Aleisha Curry were members of the FCSAA All-State Academic Team.
- Head Coach Chanda Stebbins earned MFC Coach of the Year accolades for the third time in the last four seasons.
- Assisted in the #WhoCanYouCan Food Drive, as hosted by SF Teaching Zoo and SF Police Department.
Softball
- SF raced to a 6-0 start to begin the season, and held a record of 16-14 when the season was brought to a halt due to COVID-19.
- Two players from the Saints 2020 roster signed to further their playing careers: Karina Ortiz-Munoz (ERAU) and Dontaysha Gobourne (FAU)
- Seven different players received recognition for their work in the classroom from the NJCAA: Carey Carpenter (First Team), Savana Terry (First Team), Jayelyn Carter (Second Team), Alyssa Hamilton (Second Team), Karina Ortiz-Munoz (Second Team), Jessica Parsells (Second Team), and Morgan Lebeda (Third Team).
Baseball
- The Saints held a 19-6 record before the season was cut short.
- The campaign featured an 11-game winning streak.
- Over the course of the season, four players earned FCSAA and the NJCAA Region 8 Weekly honors: Nick Herndon (Player of the Week, Feb. 3-9), Robb Adams (Pitcher of the Week, Feb. 10-16), Anthony Arguelles (Pitcher of the Week, Feb. 17-23), and Jonathan Logsdon (Player of the Week, Mar. 2-8).
- Anthony Arguelles earned NJCAA All-Academic First Team honors.
- Five players went on to sign with four-year institutions: Anthony Arguelles (University of Miami), Devin Hemenway (USF), Brad Lord (USF), JC Lovelace (Charleston Southern), and Caleb Stafford (UNF)
- Former Santa Fe College pitcher Ryan Yarbrough appeared in the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays, becoming the first Saint to ever make an appearance in the Fall Classic.