Ocala Star-Banner

Area students excel in higher education

University graduates

Catherine Bedore, Ocala, Bachelor of Science degree in Education, University of Alabama

Nixie Vorndran, Ocala, Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce and Business Administration, University of Alabama

President’s List

Adam Valentino, Ocala, Kennesaw State University

Maggie Roelfsema, Citra, University of Alabama

Dishon Ballard, Ocala, University of Alabama

Catherine Bedore, Ocala, University of Alabama

Xixi Cao, Ocala, University of Alabama

Dean’s List

Priscilla Sanchez, Ocala, University of Wisconsin-Madison

James Lee, Ocala, Harding University

'Their march is over':Two Marion County vets, bodies unclaimed, laid to rest with dignity

Growth:Marion County Commission OKs 270-unit townhome project west of I-75 north of Quail Meadow

KOS scholarship winners announced

The Kingdom of the Sun Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America awarded two $1,000 scholarships at the Chapter Awards and Recognition Dinner meeting on May 5.

Chapter President Joe Voge presented the scholarship checks to Emily German from Forest High School and Joshua Lathrop from Dunnellon High School.

Young women camp makes 88 blankets for foster care children

Fifty-five young women and leaders from the Ocala Florida Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints participated in a service project at Doe Lake Campgrounds in the Ocala National Forest on June 2. Three women from the Leesburg Florida Stake also attended the three-day camp, according to a press release from Nancy Wininger, Ocala Florida Stake assistant communication director for the church.

The young women made 88 blankets from donated fabric that will be given to agency partners of “My Very Own Blanket,” an organization that is “dedicated to warming the heart of every child in the foster care system and other youth in need with a blanket, to give them a feeling of comfort, security and most all, a SMILE,” the release said.

“Young Women camp is one of the most beautiful, uplifting experiences – spiritual and social,” Maria Copeland, Stake Young Women president, said in the release. “Our young women developed a great love and friendship between them and they deepened their conversion by becoming closer to the Savior. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in the Young Women program. Without doubt, this program came from God.

All the young women are incredible examples of love and kindness.”

The Ocala Florida Stake has congregations in Williston, Belleview, Lecanto and Ocala. The Leesburg Florida Stake has congregations in Eustis and other cities.

PulteGroup hosts meal packing event

PulteGroup’s West Florida Division hosted a meal packing event that delivered more than 20,000 meals to two area food banks, according to a press release from Candace Rotolo of the Leytham Group.

More than 60 employee volunteers at two locations – PulteGroup’s Del Webb Stone Creek community in Ocala and its division office in Riverview – packed the meals on June 8. The meals consisted of rice, beans and dehydrated vegetables, and were supplied by the nonprofit Meals of Hope, the release said.

Team members exceeded their goal of packing 20,000 meals. They actually packed 20,144. The meals will be distributed to Salvation Army Ocala and Feeding Tampa Bay.

“So many families are being impacted by the rising cost of food and other everyday items,” Sean Strickler, president of the West Florida Division of PulteGroup, said in the release. “Our Pulte volunteers are always willing to assist and do our part to help people in our community.”

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NAME: Sterlin ThompsonAGE: 20POSITION: OFSCHOOL: University of FloridaHEIGHT: 6’4″WEIGHT: 200 lbsB/T: L/R

SCOUTING REPORT

Were it not for the pandemic destroying Sterlin Thompson’s senior season in High School, he likely would have been drafted in 2020 out of North Marion High School (Citra, FL). MLB.com listed him within their top 200 and the outfielder was getting plenty of attention. Alas, the shortened draft in 2020 excluded him and Thompson went to the University of Florida.

At Florida, Thompson further developed into a hard-hitting corner outfielder. He really took off after a stint in the Florida Collegiate Summer League, where he gathered an OPS north of 1.000 in 46 ABs — with wooden bats.

He took the uptick in power into the 2022 season, as he raised his OPS with Florida by 100 points (from .880 to .984), and his ISO by 30 (from .172 to .210) in more at-bats. The increase in power, or at the very least the more consistent power output, seemed to coincide with a change in his batting stance.

The more upright, open stance from 2021, though successful in its own right, has been exchanged for a slightly more crouched down stance in 2022, with Thompson’s front foot being closed a little more than before as well. This change allows Thompson to get to outside pitches better and utilize the opposite field even more.

On several occasions during the 2022 season, teams shifted on Thompson, moving the infield to the right side of the diamond, and shading him as a pull hitter. Thompson took advantage by hitting the ball to left field for a base hit several times.

The signature bat-wobble is still there, though his hands are more upright in 2022, and closer to the direct line to the baseball. All these changes allow Thompson to get to pitches quicker, turn on inside pitches easier, while not giving up the opposite field potential. His current approach even allows him to inside-out tough pitches, from both right-handed and left-handed pitchers.

Thompson isn’t a speedy runner, though he will steal the occasional base (and get caught at times as well). Defensively, he has experience at third and in right field in college, after playing shortstop in high school. Currently, his skillset projects to be more in the corner outfield/first base area of the game. He will be 21 at the time of the Draft.

WHY WOULD THE WHITE SOX DRAFT STERLIN THOMPSON?

Because he’s a corner outfielder who can hit. It’s really that simple. Sure, the Sox have more than one power hitting corner outfield prospect in their organizational top 10 (Oscar Colas and Yoelqui Cespedes being the obvious ones), but the glaring hole in right field for the last, oh, decade in Chicago has made it clear that the White Sox can never have enough talented corner outfielders in their system.

Sterlin Thompson has shown the ability to hit, to learn quickly and to adapt to new environments. His defense does not have glaring holes, he isn’t a first baseman stuck in the outfield for lack of better options, and the bat has clear potential if the power output continues to increase as it has.

MOCK DRAFT RANKINGS

BaseballAmerica (Mock Draft 4.0, $) does not have Thompson among their first 30 picks in the Draft.

MLB.com (June 2nd) lists Thompson as a possibility for the White Sox, if only for the fact that Jonathan Mayo currently predicts the outfielder to fall to the supplemental round, at pick 32 to the Cincinnati Reds.

ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel (June 1st) also places Thompson firmly within White Sox range, as he predicts the Yankees at pick 25 — one ahead of the White Sox at 26 — could grab the hard-hitting outfielder, but he might not be their first choice. There would be a real chance for the White Sox at 26 to nab Thompson if they’d choose to.

Finally, Keith Law at The Athletic (May 19th, $) also keep Thompson on the board long enough for him to fall to the White Sox, as he predicts the Tampa Bay Rays at 29 to be Thompson’s destination.

STATS

2021 (SEC)54 G, 180 AB, .306/.402/.478, .880 OPS, .172 ISO, .382 BABIP, 39 R, 55 H, 10 2B, 3 3B, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 2 SB, 21 BB, 44 K, 8 HBP.

2021 (Florida Collegiate Summer League)14 G, 46 AB, .391/.481/.609, 1.090 OPS, .217 ISO, .385 BABIP, 13 R, 18 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 5 SB, 8 BB, 4 K.

2022 (SEC)62 G, 238 AB, .340/.434/.550 .984 OPS, .210 ISO, .376 BABIP, 55 R, 81 H, 13 2B, 2 3B, 11 HR, 50 RBI, 9 SB, 35 BB, 46 K, 8 HBP.

Cover image: Florida Gators

Florida’s subtropical environment makes it a hot spot to grow just about anything — seriously. The already stout list of farm commodities produced there is nicely complemented by an expanding selection of alternative crops. University of Florida researchers are now investigating whether you can grow tea plants consistently and on a commercial scale in the Sunshine State. Findings from a multi-year trial at the UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit in Citra can be found in the journal HortTechnology.

For the study, which was funded via a specialty crops block grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, scientists tested seven tea “accessions” during years three to five of their growth, which includes the time the plants are expected to reach harvesting maturity. Researchers use the term “accessions” for any plant that does not yet have a cultivar name in the U.S.

“We started with eight varieties, and one of them had 100% mortality,” says Brantlee Richter, UF/IFAS Assistant Professor and member of the research team. “We put weed cloth in to manage the intense weed pressure here in Florida and used a drip irrigation system, but otherwise, we didn’t do anything to baby these plants. They were out there in the harsh Florida sun, and we even had a hurricane remnant hit the plot during the study period. Even tropical storm-force winds didn’t seem to faze the plants or cause them to lose a lot of leaves.”

Despite being commonly grown in many countries around the world, tea is still considered a specialty in commercial production for the U.S.

“We actually found a few of the selections from Camellia ornamental nurseries,” Richter says. “Tea is a Camellia species, but it’s not sold or produced at the scale of commercial production.”

The best-performing plants in this study overall were from a variety called ‘Fairhope’, according to the researchers.

Bala Rathinasabapathi, a UF/IFAS Professor of horticultural sciences, notes this study marks a starting point for learning which varieties will grow best in Florida.

“We feel that North Central Florida is pretty good in terms of climate for growing tea, and tea likes acidic soil, just as citrus does,” he says. “In South Florida, we would have to do more experimentation to find out whether tea can grow in a truly tropical region with harsher temperature conditions.”

Researchers took measurements throughout the growing process that should give growers a better idea of the potential success of a plant.

“It’s not impossible to grow tea in different regions of Florida,” Rathinasabapathi concludes. “Eventually we’ll find material that would suit different climatic zones.”

The UF/IFAS tea research will continue, including exploring shade production practices and breeding new varieties that may hold the best potential for Florida’s conditions.

For the Star-Banner

Registered Nurse Morgan Ragsdale said it was the best "thank you" she’s ever gotten.

Ragsdale and about 65 fellow members of the AdventHealth Ocala Cardiovascular Services team were treated to lunch on June 9 by former heart surgery patient Jay Cowart and his Sweet Baby Cheeses – yes, that's the name – food truck.

"The team saved my life and I attribute the short recovery time to being comfortable with the care. I'm definitely up to 100% now and doing the work I love and my daily activities. Saving my heart helped my family and friends who depend upon us, too," Cowart said.

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The 30-foot lunch truck parked next to the hospital, 1500 SW First Ave., Ocala, and provided a thank you meal of brisket atop macaroni and cheese with "yum-yum" sauce and chicken atop macaroni and cheese.

Room for dessert? Brownies!

Members of the hospital's Cardiac Cath Lab (CCL), Cardiovascular Operating Room (CVOR) and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU), were served. Some team members dressed in green scrubs lined up at the food truck and others had food delivered into the hospital.

Marcy Sieradski, manager of the CCL, CVOR and CVICU, said the teams, under Director Lynn Smith, work together to assist each patient.

Jay Cowart listened to his body

Cowart, 59, had no history of heart trouble. But in February he began to feel excessive fatigue.

His primary care doctor scheduled a stress test for March 7. During the session, Cowart had to be transported to AdventHealth Ocala hospital's emergency department by ambulance.

On March 8, Cowart was treated in the Cardiac Cath Lab, where heart artery blockages were found. He underwent surgery on March 10. His surgeon was AdventHealth cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. James Lonquist.

“(Cowart's) prognosis is excellent," Lonquist said on June 9 during the "thank you" lunch.

He said Cowart had a "life threatening disease" that involved blockage in three arteries supplying blood to the heart. It could have led to a heart attack.

The bypass can be done using vein material – for example, from the leg, Lonquist explained.

He said Cowart's recovery is "ahead of schedule."

Six weeks after surgery, Jay Cowart was back in full swing

Cowart was released from the hospital on March 15. For about four weeks he limited his his work to driving only. After six weeks he was back in the swing of things.

Dee Ballard, who worked the truck with the Cowart and his wife, Tammy, described Jay Cowart as energetic.

The Cowarts moved to the Citra area from Tampa, where Jay Cowart had worked with an engineering firm.

They decided to start a food truck about six years ago and turned to Facebook to conduct a poll to choose a name. Sweet Baby Cheeses won.

One house – er, truck – specialty is cheese quesadillas, with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.

The Cowarts have known each other for 15 years and been married for five. They work together. Tammy Cowart is also involved in a medical support company, UKG or Ultra Kronos Group.

They bring the food truck to venues including the Ocala Downtown Market and the Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park. They claim to operate "Ocala's premier grilled cheese truck.”

The Cowarts said they were blessed to find AdventHealth Ocala and the healing Cardiovascular Services teams.

“They made me feel safe and taken care of. This allowed me to leave him in good hands when I had to take care of other things,” Tammy wrote in a text following the luncheon.

Tyler Mize, physician's assistant and team member, said open heart surgery is not a "walk in the park." He's glad Jay Cowart is doing well.

"We served him," Mize said, "and now he's serving back."

FAU opened its doors to multiple Power Five programs on Saturday as coaches from Rutgers, Indiana, Iowa and Georgia Tech were all in Boca Raton to scout rising seniors, juniors and sophomores that call South Florida and the surrounding areas home. Below are some prospects that stood out during drills.

The last time we saw Michael Wright III he picked off a pair of passes at the 10-team Palm Beach Garden Jamboree. He was arguably the best at the camp when it came to coming downhill and tagging a running back/wide receiver in a modified cat-and-mouse situation. Wright lacks length, but he’s rocked-up in the upper half and still has room to keep filling out. That type of growth potential suggests that he can be a box safety at the next level or maybe even a nickel in certain schemes. Grambling State has offered Wright. Indiana is evaluating.

Rutgers offensive coordinator Sean Gleeson kept a close eye on Winter Garden (Fla.) West Orange quarterback Trever Jackson, and for good reason. The soon-to-be junior has impressed multiple times on the camp circuit and that was the case once again Saturday as he used a compact release to fire a tight spiral. Jackson owns an athletic build and showed in a spring game last month that he can move the chains with his legs. He picked up an offer from FAU after things wrapped up on Saturday and is also in contact with the staff at Indiana.

No one had as good of a get-off Saturday as Lake Worth (Fla.) edge rusher Terrell James, who won 1-on-1 rep after 1-on-1 rep. He worked out of both a three and four-point stance, but might have the highest ceiling as a stand-up pass rusher in a 3-4 front. James will need to eventually add some functional strength and improve his technique significantly over the next few years, but the burst is there to be an effective pass rusher from a Group of Five program or even a Power Five program that’s willing to take a developmental prospect.

JT Taggart is FAU head coach Willie Taggart’s youngest son. He’s much taller and longer than dad and was able to use that length to win multiple 50-50 balls. JT attends Delray Beach (Fla.) American Heritage where he has also gotten some snaps at defensive end. Eastern Kentucky and Florida A&M have already offered JT. He’s planning to tour both Miami and Florida next week. It wouldn’t be shocking if a Power Five school or two gets involved in his recruitment once his sophomore tape makes the rounds this fall.

Plenty of college coaches were raving about both Tyclean and Tychoolhill Luman after the bigs 1-on-1 session. The two Canadian imports spent last season at Miami International School, but have since transferred into Miami Jackson. From a physical standpoint, the Lumans are well developed as they are thick throughout the torso. That allowed them to overpower blockers. Rutgers offered both Tyclean and Tychoolhill after watching the two move around for a little bit.

There wasn’t a taller cornerback in the defensive back group than Lajaevien Newton, who looked to be pushing 6-foot-3. He’s pretty raw and unrefined with his technique, but was able to cover a ton of ground and get his hands on a few balls during 1-on-1s. There isn’t much information readily available on Newton, but he’s a name to keep and eye on at Clearwater (Fla.) American Collegiate Academy given his rare measurables. Multiple Rutgers’ staffers seemed to be intrigued by Newton. Same with the group from Georgia Tech.

If there’s one bonafide sleeper that emerged Saturday it's Elija Walton. The big-framed athlete out of Citra (Fla.) North Marion worked out with the wide receivers, but he might grow into a tight end and could even be molded into a linebacker/safety if someone wanted to get a little creative. He’s a three-sport athlete that finished fourth at the Sunshine State’s 2A track meet in the high jump and averaged 8.5 points per game on the hardwood. What also stands out about Walton is the 94-yard kickoff return he had as a junior.

Remember the name Micah Smith. The 14-year-old might have had the best day out of an offensive lineman in attendance. He was quickly moved over to the 1-on-1 session reserved for class of 2023 prospects and held his own as he used a surprisingly strong, well-timed punch to fend off defenders of all different sizes. Smith is expected to start his prep career off at Fort Pierce (Fla.) John Carroll. Indiana and FAU became the first two schools to offer Smith on Saturday. His older brother signed to play quarterback at Long Island this past cycle.

Iowa has yet to offer anyone that worked out Saturday, but it appears that Malik Willis is a name that’s now on their defensive back board. He proved to be rather sticky in both man and off-coverage during 1-on-1s. More importantly, Willis flashed the ability to turn his hips and run. Stetson and Keiser have offered the rising senior at Riviera Beach (Fla.) Inlet Grove, but he looks like someone that should have more college options on the table as he’s over six foot and well put together.

It’s always fun to see who fights for reps in these types of settings and Tra’quan Johnson was that guy Saturday. He started off the morning leading off running back drills and by the end of the camp was competing at both wide receiver and defensive back. Johnson, who attends Saint Petersburg (Fla.) Gibbs, might not have a true position right now, but he looks like the type of individual that’s going to embrace whatever is asked of him. That could make him an ace on special teams. Marshall is the only FBS offer to date for Johnson.