Committed.

Senior student-athletes across the school seize the opportunity to play their desired sports at the college-level

BY ISABELLA MORALES, STAFF WRITER

After four years of afterschool practice and dedication to their respective sports, senior student-athletes throughout the student body are preparing to start a new chapter in their lives, as they prepare for college.

By devoting both their time and effort to perfecting their skills, the school’s athletes have been recognized by colleges across the nation, allowing them to further their passion toward a specific sport and play at a higher-level. Maintaining such motivation for the past four years in high school is what allowed these athletes to be recruited by prosperous colleges, as they continue to strive for greatness as the days go on.

Standing out from athletes across the country, seniors Dimitris Biamby, Manuel Jackson and Angelina Bonilla have pushed themselves to further their athletic careers by earning their positions on college-level teams, where they will be able to grow and better themselves along other aspiring athletes. For years, these Cavaliers have sacrificed their time staying at school until dark or practicing on the days off in order to perfect their skills. In college, they will now continue their commitment to their preferred sport where they will go head-to-head against the next generation of young athletes.

Dimitris Biamby

When he was six years old, senior Dimitris Biamby discovered his love for football after his mother signed him up to play. Since then, he has grown immensely as an athlete, making the All-Dade First Team as a junior and achieving over 130 tackles in his high school career. By committing his time to improve his skills during both the on and off season, Biamby’s work ethic was recognized by the Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M) University, a Division I school that offered Biamby a full scholarship to play football.

“I officially committed to Alabama A&M on Jan. 17, 2020. I feel as if I’m being brought into a family that will look out for me, and it [will really help me improve] since the competition is so high,” Biamby said.

Biamby’s ambition to continue playing football has been driven, since beginning, by what he loves the most about football — the competitive atmosphere. However, Biamby did not envision football being a part of his future until he was 13-years old, a time where he primarily focused on developing his fundamental skills as a linebacker. Building his skills from that point on is what allowed Biamby to understand that he was capable of pursuing a football career.

When Biamby began high school, he saw this as critical opportunity to continue developing his skills on the field.

“I joined my freshman year because my mom was friends with Coach Andres, the weight training room coach, and he was telling us that for the past three seasons, they had only lost a total of four games,” Biamby said. “We then decided to talk to Roger Pollard, the head football coach, and my mom was convinced this was the best environment for me.”

From that point on, Biamby began his rigorous training in football, which includes about 12 to 15 hours of practice per week. During the season, the team work on perfecting basic skills, such as tackling, blitzing, getting off blocks and footwork. The off-season is the time where they are able to focus on working out a different body part each day and improving their footwork and speed.

“He really took his senior year seriously in turning his work ethic up a notch. There were many days where Dimitris would arrive early or stay late, in order to get his supplemental work in,” head football coach Roger Pollard said.

Manuel Jackson

Growing up with a father that played minor league baseball and worked as the assistant manager for the Kansas City Royals, senior Manuel Jackson has always been surrounded by baseball. Following in his father’s footsteps, Jackson has lived up to this legacy and recently committed to Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) as a catcher.

Through his diligence and preparation, Jackson has been able to commit to this Division 1 school, as well as achieving numerous successes including being named the school team’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) and making the All-Dade First Team during his junior year. Additionally, Jackson had a batting average of 0.421 and successfully hit an average of two times per game.

“Manny has been a pleasure to coach the past for years,” head coach Ernie Padron said. “His work ethic, as well as his desire to be the best player on the field, is contagious.

During the season, Jackson practices for three hours a day for at least five days every week, alongside his teammates and on his own during the offseason. This is when he takes the time to work on defensive drills and his overall hitting performance.

“Playing for Gables really helped me a lot. The head coach trusted me to have a starting role in the lineup. I got a lot better and helped continue my love for the game,” Jackson said. “The Gables team is my family.”

During the summer, Jackson will also be playing for a collegiate baseball league in California to better prepare himself for the competition ahead. Until then, he seeks to improve both his mentality and physical build on the Gables diamond.

Angelina Bonilla

With the support of her family backing her, senior Angelina Bonilla began to realize her true passion for softball, the age of 10, which eventually led to her joining the Lady Cavalier softball team her freshman year. Ever since, Bonilla has had outstanding performances on the diamond, including being on the First Team All-Dade as a freshman, sophomore and junior, and making the All-State team her junior year. By putting in tremendous amounts of effort toward this sport, Bonilla was recruited by Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) earlier in the year, where she has officially committed to play softball.

“I think the main reason as to why I was recruited by FGCU is because when I am on the field, it shows that I have such a passion for the game, which I could carry onto college and be a great player and teammate,” Bonilla said.

Being a part of the Lady Cavalier softball team has allowed Bonilla to improve her skills greatly, which has led to her being the starting pitcher for the varsity softball team.

“Since I am the pitcher, I am supposed to bring the team together and be the one to lead them. I am the person people look to during the game, because my performance decides whether we have a good chance at winning or not,” Bonilla said.

Joining the school’s team taught Bonilla several lessons, including how to better manage her time and how to become a better team player, qualities that will greatly help her in the future.

“Being a part of the team has really taught me how to be a student-athlete and focus on athletics and school work,” Bonilla said. “The other girls on the team mean a lot to me because they are the people that I am playing with in my high school years and the people I am improving with.”

Understanding the importance of balancing her time has led to Bonilla having outstanding performances on the diamond, which has allowed her to have such an organized work ethic and giving her maximum effort when playing on the field. Her time towards her passion helps her develop her skills as an athlete

“Angie is that softball player who leads by example. She is the teammate you want to play well for,” assistant softball coach Monica De La Vega said. “It was a great four years coaching Angie; one of the best softball players to play for Gables and the first to take Gables to States.”

As she transitions into becoming a student-athlete from high school to college, Bonilla hopes that playing at the college-level will help her improve her skills both on and off the field.