If you don't know about Britton Hill, Florida, you're probably not a mountain climber, and you're definitely not a highpointer.

At 345 feet above mean sea level, Britton Hill is Florida's highest natural point – and the lowest "high point" in the United States. You can summit without a Sherpa. Your grandmother can get to the top without breaking a sweat.

Britton Hill, Florida might be the runt of the 50-state litter, but it’s an internationally known must-do venue for thousands of elite mountain climbers, as well as highpoint hobbyists working to join the 490 people who have stood upon the highest ground in each of the lower 48 states.

Included among them are 250 climbers who have also looked down on Hawaii from Mauna Kea and stood atop Alaska's Mt. McKinley.

Some highpointers have conquered Mount Everest, and many more are "senior citizens, young families, people who might make it to a few highpoints and others who will not rest until they have been to the top of every single one," according to Dave Covill, Lead Director for the Highpointers Foundation, which has been keeping track of these things since 1987.

People who live in north Walton County don't take their number one tourist attraction, Florida's highest point, quite as seriously as the far-flung community of hardcore highpointers.

"If you get light headed and dizzy, sit down and breathe deep for a few minutes before going higher," deadpanned Estus Whitfield, who grew up in Walton County and went on to become an environmental advisor to five Florida governors.

In fact, Britton Hill, Florida and its surrounding Lakewood Park is an excellent environment in which to toss a Frisbee and work up an appetite for a family picnic. There are three nature trails on which to wander and enjoy the local flora and fauna. The yellow trail can be walked in 45 minutes but if you're not in a hurry, spend an hour and a half on the red route, or split the difference and explore the one-hour blue trail.

The drive to Britton Hill is a relaxing one. Approaching Walton County, traffic is light on I-10. Heading north toward the Hill on County Road 285, the trees vastly outnumber the tin roofs on old Florida-style homes and occasional 1950s era gas stations and sundry shops.

Aside from Florida's highest point, North Walton County also boasts Strickland’s Christmas Tree Farm, where families come from miles around to cut their own Christmas tree. The Farm was the birthplace of The Panhandle Opry, which got its start in the 1970s when patriarch Ed Strickland and some of his employees discovered a shared love of country music, and a talent for making it.

Jam sessions and covered dish suppers for family and friends soon turned in to a regular Saturday night gig at a local restaurant. The Panhandle Opry’s style, as well as its name, pays tribute to the Grand Old Opry, but steers clear of material that would damage its reputation as “the cleanest show in country music.”

In 1982, The Panhandle Opry performed its first show in its permanent home near Mossy Head Branch, a tributary of the Shoal River. Ed Strickland designed what is now known as the Ed & Vera Strickland Music Hall, and it was built entirely with volunteer labor, on land owned by Gordon Porter, a local businessman and one of the Opry’s founders.

The first 314 showgoers can relax in upholstered theater style seating, which The Opry picked up for a song when nearby Eglin Air Force Base was remodeling. There's room for an additional 150 folding chairs, and The Opry needs every one of them on occasions when north Florida natives like Billy Dean and Chloe Channell come home to headline and sit in with the house band.

It’s more of a party and a labor of love than a regularly scheduled business, so call ahead to find out when the next show is scheduled, and whether dinner is included, which it often is.

The Blackstone Golf Course, also in Mossy Head, is perfect for players who like their terrain rolling.

Modestly priced roadside motels, many affiliated with national chains, are plentiful in north Walton, and the Hotel DeFuniak caters to out of towners with business in the nearby Walton County Courthouse.

Whether you’re staying over or passing through to visit Florida's highest point, take a day off from calorie counting and taste the country fried love at Ed's Restaurant, now in its third generation of serving heavenly hamburgers.

Simply Good Country Cooking is well known for its barbecue, and the Corner Cafe is where folks gather for breakfast and linger for coffee and conversation.

The Hotel DeFuniak and Mom & Dad’s Italian Restaurant are popular with locals for date nights and special occasion dinners.

If you go…

Lakewood Park 2759 North County Highway 285 DeFuniak Springs, FL 32433

MULBERRY, Fla. — A shooter shoots — and Lorianys Castanon-Cruz is a shooter.

What You Need To Know

L, as her teammates and coaches call her, isn’t just a shooter. She contributes in many ways on the basketball court. But it’s her skills and ability to be able to put the ball in the basket that sets her apart.

“I practice my shots, you know, work on them,” she said. “And when I get the chance to get the ball, I just shoot it.”

This Mulberry High junior hasn’t just separated herself from the competition this season. With each game, she’s distinguished herself as the best in the state. L leads all other girls’ basketball players in Florida by averaging more than 34 points per game.

That’s a full eight points more than her closest competitor. And her status as the state’s best is helping to put the Panthers program on the map.

“After every game, everybody wants to know, did you guys win last night and how many did L score?” Mulberry head coach Chris Jesse said. “You know, that’s the first question. So, yeah, very proud.”

L’s ascension to the top of Florida’s scoring list didn’t just happen overnight. A lot of hours in the gym honing her skills and working on her shooting are paying off big time this season.

“She just really loves to play the game,” Jesse said. “I have never seen her when she comes into the gym that she isn’t like really engaged and just going 110 percent.”

L got noticed on the PE playground as a freshman. She picked up a basketball and started shooting in class one day. A coach took notice and told her she should play for the Panthers.

“Coach asked me if I had played basketball before and I said yes,” she said. “And then I came to try out, and I made varsity.”

And now she’s helping her team reach new heights. Simply by doing something she absolutely loves. There aren’t too many hours in a day where you won’t see L without a basketball in her hand. And the pure joy this sport brings her is infectious.

“I love basketball. My mindset is just so like there,” L said. “For me to be able to make a lot of points every game, makes me, like, happy.”

Another high prized Florida high school distance recruit is now off the board for potential college coaches.

Amber Schulz, the defending FHSAA 4A state cross country champion from Timber Creek High School in Orlando, has made her college decision mid-way thru her final high school cross country season.

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A post shared by Amber Schulz (@amberunz)

Schulz, a 17:44 5K best performer in cross country with track PR's of 10:43 in the 3200-meter run and 5:08 in the 1600-meter run, announced on her social media accounts on Monday that she has committed to High Point University in North Carolina.

A private school that competes as a mid-major Division 1 program in the Big South Conference, the school is definitely a good fit for a talent like Schulz who has overcome a lot during her high school career to still be running at a high level as a senior. She has publicly shared and been open about her battle early in high school with an eating disorder as well as injuries to inspire others going through similar adversity, including her most recent injury that had her sit out the majority of the 2021 outdoor season.

When healthy, Schulz is one of Florida's best distance runners as shown with her comeback to racing this fall including a runner-up finish of 18:55 at the Cecil Field Summer Classic as well as another 18:55 performance in a victory at the Winter Springs Invitational.

In her other two races this season, Schulz has also shown willingness to be a team player in holding back her effort to help pace teammates to faster times including this past weekend at the West Orange Invitational helping teammates Hannah Kacer (9th, 19:49) and Vivian Byrnes (11th, 19:58) to their first sub 20-minute races of the season while cruising in between them in tenth place at 19:49. Timber Creek won the team title with the help of Schulz's pacing duties and the squad seems to be coming together as the pre-season 4A state title contenders projected to be.

The women's head cross country and distance track coach Remy Tamer will definitely be encouraged to welcome a selfless runner who is willing to set aside individual aspirations to use a pack running strategy to help the team cause instead. Prior to his arrival at High Point in 2016, Coach Tamer actually was at Florida State University as a volunteer then part-time assistant coach as well as coaching high school teams at Maclay School in Tallahassee.

So with the Florida connection in his time spent in Tallahassee, Coach Tamer had to be aware of Schulz's performances and talent including how impressive her 17:45 time on the state meet course at Apalachee Regional Park was. Schulz is the first major recruit from the state of Florida for Coach Tamer and could open a pipeline for other Florida runners to consider and follow Schulz to the state of North Carolina.

Look out for an interview later this week with Schulz on her college decision and senior year so far.

Estero, Fla. – In the opening game of the Gulf Coast Showcase, High Point picked up a dominant win over Iona, 82-68 inside Hertz Arena.

Playing in his home state of Florida, Abdoulaye Thiam put on a show, dropping 27 points for a new career high. The sophomore shooting guard played an all-around excellent game, going 8-for-11 from the field, 4-for-6 from deep range and a perfect 7-for-7 from the line. Active on defense, Thiam was all over the court diving for loose balls and rebounds, picking up five in the end.

That's 2??7?? for THIAM ?? NEW CAREER-HIGH ??#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/WQUipf2Gio

— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) November 20, 2023

"We did an excellent job handling a very difficult pressure defense package by Iona," head coach commented. "Additionally, I was pleased with the way we competed on defense and on the glass. We look forward to another difficult test tomorrow."

Site: Hertz Arena Score: High Point 82, Iona 68 Records: High Point (2-2), Iona (1-2)

High Point set the tone early, jumping out to a 12-point lead with five early threes from the combination of Duke Miles, Kimani Hamilton, Trae Benham and Thiam.

The Panthers sticky active defense and high energy helped the team maintain a large lead at 23-10 mid-way through the first half. With five minutes left to go in the opening frame, Hamilton converted on two back-to-back layups to put HPU up by 15, making it the largest gap thus far of the game.

Hamilton taking it to the hoop ????? 1st-5:33 HPU-35 IONA-20#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/HLTTYPVrcj

— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) November 20, 2023

Iona made a slight run in the final four minutes of the first, closing the game from a 17-point gap down to nine to make it 41-32 at the break.

High Point did not hold back in the second half and cruised to a 24-point lead at the 10-minute mark. The Panthers knocked down multiple shots from deep to boost up the score, including shots from Miles, Thiam and Cade Potter.

Panthers up by 2??0?? ??#GoHPU pic.twitter.com/Sty7QbXmLw

— HPU Men's Basketball (@HPUMBB) November 20, 2023

HPU's defense remained strong through the final 10 minutes of action with big time blocks from Juslin Bodo Bodo, who ended the game with three total. High Point finished the game with the 82-68 victory over the Gaels.

Overall HPU dominated in multiple areas of the game. The Panthers out rebounded the Gaels, 39-28 and added 12 points off second chance rebounds compared to Iona's seven. HPU went to the line 30 times knocking down 21 free throws compared to the Gaels 21 attempts only hitting 15.

UP NEXT: High Point will play the winner of the Illinois State vs Long Beach State game on Tuesday, November 21 at 5:00 PM.

#GoHPU

Game 1 Details: vs. High Point, Thursday, Nov. 23, St. Thomas, 6:45 PM AST/5:45 PM EST Game 2 Details: vs. Arizona State, Friday, Nov. 24, St. Thomas, 6:45 PM AST/5:45 PM EST Game 3 Details: vs. No. 12/12 Texas, Saturday, Nov. 25, St. Thomas, 9:00 PM AST/8:00 PM EST Watch Game 1: ESPN+ Watch Game 2: ESPN+ Watch Game 3: ESPN+ Bulls Unlimited: Listen Live Coverage: Stats X: @USFWBB Instagram: @USFWBB Facebook: South Florida Women's Basketball South Florida Links: Notes | News | Roster | Schedule

Tampa, Fla. Nov. 22, 2023 – South Florida women's basketball (4-1) heads to St. Thomas to partake in three contests at the 2023 Paradise Jam. The Bulls will face High Point (3-1) on Thursday, Arizona State (4-1) on Friday, and No. 12/12 Texas (4-0) on Saturday night.

SOUTH FLORIDA-HIGH POINT SERIES South Florida is 2-0 against the Panthers and the series began in 2004. In the most recent pairing USF topped HPU, 62-46 (Dec. 17, 2021).

SOUTH FLORIDA-ARIZONA STATE SERIES The Bulls and the Sun Devils have only clashed once previously. ASU captured the first clash in Tempe, Ariz., handing USF a 74-39 loss (Nov. 19, 2000).

SOUTH FLORIDA-TEXAS SERIES The showdown on Saturday night will be the fourth all-time meeting between South Florida and Texas, which spans back to the 2010-11 season. USF holds a 2-1 lead in the series against the Longhorns. The most recent meeting was a 70-65 victory in Texas Territory (Dec. 2, 2022).

BULLS IN PARADISE South Florida heads to the Paradise Jam for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2018. The Bulls hold a 5-4 all-time record in the event and the results are as follows: 11/27/08 vs. #3 California, L, 85-55 11/28/08 vs. Iowa W, 82-79 (ot) 11/29/08 vs. Texas Tech, W, 71-61 11/27/14 vs. Oklahoma, W, 83-68 11/28/14 vs. Illinois, W, 67-61 11/29/14 vs. #9 Kentucky, L, 61-57 11/22/18 vs. Kentucky, L, 85-63 11/23/18 vs. North Carolina, L, 71-69 11/24/18 vs. UCLA, W, 60-56

LAST TIME OUT South Florida emerged with a close 56-55 victory against North Florida on Saturday afternoon. Freshman guard Vittoria Blasigh (27 points) had a career day. Redshirt junior forward Romi Levy added eight points in the contest and Redshirt-senior guard Aerial Wilson matched a season-best eight assists.

OPPORTUNITY WAITS FOR NO ONE A win against Arizona St/Texas would be the program's 30th win against a Power-5 opponent since 2012-13. A victory against No. 12/12 Texas would be the program's 22nd win against a ranked opponent & Coach Fernandez's 20th victory versus a ranked squad.

BULL LEADERS USF has two players averaging double-digit points, led by reigning AAC Freshman of the Week Vittoria Blasigh (17.4 ppg.). Through South Florida's first five games of the year, Blasigh (20 3PTM) is tied second nationally for the most 3-pointers made and is ranked fourth nationally in 3-pointers per game (4.0 3PTPG). Sophomore wing Carla Brito (10.0 ppg.) paces the team on the glass with 8.6 rebounds per contest. Redshirt-senior guard Aerial Wilson (5.2 apg) ranks 20th nationally and first in the American in total assists (26).

BULLS FANS CAN VOTE FOR PUISIS Senior guard Sammie Puisis is one of 20 players named to the 2024 Ann Meyers-Drysdale Award watch list, which is annually presented to the top shooting guard in Division I women's college basketball. Bulls fans are encouraged to participate in Fan Voting for each of the three rounds. The list will be narrowed to 10, and then in late February to just five. In March, the five finalists will be presented to Myers-Drysdale and the Hall of Fame's selection committee, where a winner will be selected. Fans can vote for Puisis at hoophallawards.com.

TICKETS Fans can purchase women's basketball tickets by calling 1-800-GoBulls or at USFBullsTix.com.

ABOUT USF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL For complete coverage of USF women's basketball, follow the Bulls on social media (Twitter | Facebook | Instagram).

South Florida women's basketball recorded its 11^th 20-win season during the 2022-23 campaign. USF has made 18 postseason tournament appearances and had nine NCAA Tournament berths in head coach Jose Fernandez's 23 seasons. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Fernandez has guided USF to 11 20-win seasons, two WNIT final four appearances, the 2009 WNIT championship, has won over 400 career games, and is the all-time wins leader in the American Athletic Conference.

In 2022-23, the Bulls had four players recognized by The American for impressive seasons, including Elena Tsineke (AAC Co-Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team), Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu (AAC Co-Player of the Year, All-Conference First Team), Sammie Puisis (AAC Newcomer of the Year, All-Conference Second Team) and Carla Brito (AAC All-Freshman Team).

– #GoBulls –