Colleges vie for high school athletes
BRANDON -- Two east Hillsborough high school seniors are mulling over college athletic scholarships and a third has already signed, the Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center has reported.
Andy Hersh, 18, of Newsome High, is weighing scholarship offers for men's tennis. Bloomingdale High tennis player Kaysara Mandry, 17, has narrowed her choices to the University of Colorado and the University of Louisville, Lori Bukaweski of Brandon Sports and Aquatic Center said.
And swimmer Jason Taylor, 17, of Newsome, has signed with the University of Florida. Taylor and Jesuit High senior Vincent Donnelly have both logged Olympic-caliber times in the one-mile swim, Bukaweski said.
-- Andrew Meacham, Times staff writer
[Photo: Back row, middle: Jason Taylor; middle row, second from right: Andy Hersch; front row, middle: Kaysara Mandry.]
State Road 60 has long been a defining feature of eastern Hillsborough County: commuter thoroughfare, shopping hub and dining spot. 60 & South offers an array of news, announcements, community activities, local sporting events from the communities north of State Road 60 to the emerging communities farther south. Visit this blog daily for information about your neighborhood and community.
Saundra Amrhein covers Sun City Center, Wimauma, Dover and Hispanic issues. Before working in east Hillsborough, she covered police news in Tampa; social services and government in Pasco County; and growth and development in Hernando County. She's originally from Pittsburgh and is married to a professional magician. In her free time, she has been working toward a master's degree in Latin American Studies at the University of South Florida. You can reach Saundra at 
Doug Bennett was a child of the suburbs who grew up just outside of Pittsburgh. The lifestyle stuck with him into adulthood. Every house he's ever owned — in the Phoenix area, Palm Beach County and now in Riverview — has been a classic suburban stucco joint. When he's not running the Times' Riverview bureau, he's involved with one of the traditional suburban pursuits — youth sports, kids' activities or vying for the greenest lawn in the neighborhood. After living all over the country, he's very happy to be planted in the "60 & South" area. You can reach Doug at 
When I first came to Brandon in 1988, I thought, "There's a McDonald's here, so it can't be all bad." After a year, I moved to St. Petersburg and then Lakeland. When it became time to return to Hillsborough County in 1993, I could have picked Carrollwood, South Tampa or Temple Terrace, but the "60 " South" area just seemed like home. Fifteen years and three kids later, our roots have taken hold in Seffner like a majestic oak tree. We couldn't be happier. You can reach Ernest Hooper at 
Andrew Meacham covers Bloomingdale, Valrico and Seffner. He dislikes conflict but enjoys writing about the conflicts of others. He has staked his questionable newsroom career on the principle that less is more — that small, petty disputes are sometimes more interesting than great public battles. Eastern Hillsborough's 500-plus homeowners' groups provide regular fodder for such stories. In his personal life, he has acted in theatrical productions and sings with the Tampa Bay Master Chorale. Andrew can be reached at 
Jessica Vander Velde joined the Times in 2008 after graduating from the University of Florida. She grew up in the suburbs of Tampa, planning not to return. But she's back and loving it. When she's not reporting, Jessica enjoys searching for unique things to do in southeast Hillsborough County with her husband, whom she married in December 2007. Jessica can be reached at 
Jan Wesner grew up in Manatee County, and remembers when Interstate 75 ended at I-4 and when the Brandon mall was still Carey Cattle Co. She's spent the past 18 years living and working all over the world and never imagined she'd end up in a yellow stucco house in a gated Brandon suburb, where she's been cited by her homeowner's association more than once. 
How about something on the students who might be getting academic scholarships? Isn't the pursuit of knowledge the overriding purpose of our schools?
Posted by: | November 16, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I think the federal government has a "No Athlete Left Behind" law, doesn't it?
Posted by: Ted | November 17, 2008 at 04:44 PM