MIA Students Sign to Play Football, Volleyball

Two Marco Island Academy student athletes, volleyball player Medney Garraux and football player Ryan Winterick, were honored Thursday, May 7, in a special ceremony in the school gymnasium where they signed their official letters of intent in front of parents, teammates, and faculty.

Garraux, widely considered the top volleyball player in school history, will be the first Rays volleyball player to play at the collegiate level. Garraux led the state of Florida in kill shots across all classifications as a junior. She finished her MIA career with a school record 1,769 kills. As a senior, she had 556 kills with a kill percentage of 51.7. She will play college volleyball in metro Atlanta at Life University in Marietta, Georgia.

"Today is a special day, not just for you, but for everyone who has been part of your journey,” coach Alyssa Stolinas said to Garraux and the audience in a prepared speech. "We talk a lot about standards, showing up, doing things the right way, being accountable and being part of something bigger than yourself. And from day one, you bought into that. You became someone your teammates can rely on. Your path wasn't the easiest. There were challenges. There were moments of doubt. There were times things didn't go your way, but you kept showing up anyway. Getting the opportunity to coach you and be a part of your journey has been really special. I'm very proud of everything you've accomplished. This is just the next step. The expectations don't change. Continue to work. Continue to lead. Continue to represent yourself and the people who got you here with pride and just know we're all going to be watching.”

"I'd like to give thanks to God for all he's done,” Garraux said. "I could not be here without him by my side. A special thank you to T and her family. They have been there for me, taking me to each and every tournament and taking me in as their own. I would like to thank my parents. They both have given me their full attention and support when I needed it the most. They pushed me to continue working hard and succeed. They spent so much money to see me succeed and look where I am now. I'd like to say thank you to my coaches for their endless support throughout my volleyball journey. I never thought I would be here signing to go play volleyball for another four years. I never thought volleyball would make such a huge impact in my life. I never thought I would want to continue volleyball even after middle school. But then Alyssa came and got me into club and I really wanted to pursue it more. And it not only became a sport, it became my life and it made me into the person I am today. I'm just grateful to be in this position today with this opportunity to play in college, especially with the people who are supporting me in my journey, and I will forever show gratitude towards them. I'm so excited to continue my next four years at Life University Running Eagles. But of course, once a Ray, always Ray.”

Two Rays head football coaches praised Winterick’s high school career. Current coach Rich Costante started by turning the microphone over to former Rays coach Lew Montgomery, who is still a teacher at the school.

“When it comes to Ryan, I think the best word is inspirational, “ Montgomery said. “He inspires me as a coach to think that all we needed was just one more play and we can make it happen. He inspired his teammates as well. So Ryan, thank you for being an inspiration and good luck in the next chapter. I'm very excited for you.”

Costante was emotional in talking about his star player.

“Ryan set school records for us in most receiving yards (698) and most touchdowns (12) in a season. And he's second all-time for most touchdowns and most receiving yards in a career. He's also second on the team this year in interceptions. He was our return man. And most importantly, he was our MVP of the season. He had a great season for us. In coaching, people come in and out of your life. You get to know student athletes and connect with them in many ways. Ryan was very special for us. He's an amazing talent with a ton of upside. He hasn't even touched his potential yet. We had and we still have a unique bond. He'll call me up at 8:30 at night when I'm sitting down for dinner and just say, ‘Hey coach, I saw this on Instagram or I saw this or what are you doing?' It's a cool little bond we have. But he's also that type of athlete that's going to test you. But once that test is over, he'll run through a wall for you. Wittenberg coach B.J. Coad was very impressed with his skills and his versatility. He wanted Ryan at Wittenberg very, very badly. He convinced Ryan to come up for a visit. Ryan went up there and fell in love with the campus, the indoor facilities, and he's found his home for the next few years. I spoke with coach Coad this week and told him how excited we are, and that the Tigers are getting a heck of a player.”

Winterick was brief in his remarks.

“I really want to thank my coaches from little league all the way up to high school,” Winterick said. "But the main person I really do want to thank is my mother for waking up at 4:00 in the morning, taking me to these football camps in the summertime. That's really the main person I want to thank. I will say thank you to my father for being there at all my games and the support."