Friday, November 6, 2026
Senior Brianna McGowan drives to the hoop. “I wish I had her one more year,” coach Bethann Baden said, “she’d be all-conference.
Annie Guidry reaches for a forehand.
Alex Rodriquez shows fine form on this slice backhand.
Captain Chase Polley is about to make a play on the ball.
Katelin Reisinger fights for a rebound.
Freshman Cambree Grensing bumps the ball.
Cheerleader Victoria Hernandez cheers on the Rays.
Gracie Johnson has her shot blocked by a Community School defender.
Senior captain point guard Jacob Watt makes the Rays go.
Mekyle Nazarko pushes the ball downcourt.
Quarterback Ryan Winterick looks for an opening.
Rays football coach Lew Montgomery.
Ouch! Aidan Karl is hit in the back by a pitch.
Guard Lincoln LaButte is back for his senior season.
Junior Medney Garraux led the state in kill shots.
Freshman Riley High celebrates after making a play at the net. High is also a leader on the Rays’ basketball team.
Marckens Docteur tries to break a tackle.
Layla Platt is at the top of the pyramid.
Junior Rylee Howard makes a play at the net.
Riley High, Liv Sanford, Maddy Stolinas, and Sophia Ogdin celebrate. The girls played a beefed-up schedule, finishing 14-9.
MIA celebrates a PCAC championship.
Catcher Grayson Jones was one of the school’s all-time best athletes.
A Rays runner goes upside down to score.
Aidan Herzog fires a pitch to home plate.
Jim Sweeney counsels Aidan Karl. Sweeney won the conference in his only season as head coach.
MIA freshman Kade Latreille won the district championship.
Looks like Blake Bott has a rooting section.
Strong showings by the volleyball and baseball teams and freshman golfer Kaden Latreille were the sports highlights for Marco Island Academy in 2024.
The volleyball team, in year three with their outstanding core of captain Madison Stolinas, Medney Garraux, and Rylee Howard, advanced to the regional semifinals. The Rays finished 14-9, playing a beefed-up schedule. The step up in competition didn’t faze outside hitter Medney Garraux as she led the state in kills, across all classes. The volleyball team welcomed a strong freshman class led by Mia Berryman, Liv Sanford, Riley High, and Cambree Grensing. The Rays are expecting big things next season. It won’t be easy, though, as they compete in one of the strongest districts in the state.
Jim Sweeney looks like he’s going to be a one-and-done as head coach of the baseball team. And that’s too bad because he’s a solid coach. The Rays lost a lot of talent from last year’s Paradise Coast Athletic Conference champs but still managed to win the conference under Sweeney. The Rays (10-8) finished with the first winning season in program history in 2024.
Golfer Kade Latreille may be the athlete to watch at MIA. In his first district tournament, he finished atop the leaderboard. A state championship could be in Latreille’s future, as he is already one of the top junior golfers in the state.
The boys' basketball team has struggled, finishing 4-14 last year. This season isn’t looking much better, as the Rays sit at 1-9 heading into the new year. But the Rays are showing signs of life, downing Mason Academy and giving Village School all they wanted going into the break. The girls' basketball team is 3-2 heading into 2025. New coach Bethann Baden is teaching her young squad the fundamentals. Baden is excited about the potential possessed by freshmen guards Riley High and Aubrey Webber. “Those two, in the next couple of years, are going to be a force to be reckoned with,” Baden said.
The girls' soccer program is in its second year under Jax Wantlin. After going 5-6-2 last year, the Rays are struggling at 2-5-1 so far. Wantlin said her team has to avoid lapses in their play. Boys' soccer has shown marked improvement and has a strong core of freshmen. The Rays are 3-3-2 so far after finishing 3-7-2 last season.
The football team went 1-4 in 2004, matching last year’s win total. Boys' tennis finished 3-4 under coach Zach Wolfe, while his girls’ team finished 3-3.
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