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Volume 13, Issue 6 Ph: 657-2418 P U B L I S H I N G
TBay Brandon Swimmer Heads To Omaha For Olympic Trials
By Katelyn Massarelli
Osprey Observer 918 Lithia Pinecrest Rd. Brandon, FL 33511-6121
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With the Summer Olympics just compete against other swimmers. Along around the corwith increasing ner, athletes all the intensity of over the country training at pracare preparing for tice and home, the Olympic Rockway is conTrials taking stantly working place in Omaha, with TBay Nebraska. Brandon Head Among the Coach Dave swimmers comGesacion when peting for the preparing for the spot on the U.S Olympic Trials Olympic team, and meeting her swimmer from goals. TBay Brandon Gesacion swim club, has been Christin coaching Rockway, is Rockway for six TBay Brandon Head Coach Dave Gesacion and swimmer Christin Rockway prepare to attend the years now and preparing to Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. compete will attend the amongst some of the best swimmers Olympic Trials with her. Being a former throughout the country. swimmer himself, according to Gesacion “I’m excited to go and race,” going to the Olympic Trials is completely Rockway said, “It’s going to be a new different environment from a usual comenvironment since I’ve never swam in the petitive meet. He came up short making it the same pool as other Olympians.” to the Olympic Trials, but has watched Ending her sophomore year of high the trials before and coached multiple school at Tampa Catholic soon, swimmers who went on to compete, only Rockway’s swimming career is just begin- one other swimmer of his being 16 years ning with four Olympic Trial qualifications. old like Rockway. She now qualifies to compete in the 400 “Being able to coach [Rockway] from yard Individual Medley (IM), 200 yard IM, 10-years-old and watch her year after 200 yard Butterfly, and the 200 yard year and seeing it come to fruition is Backstroke. Though Rockway isn’t setting unbelievable,” Gesacion said. her sights on the Summer Olympics in According to Rockway, Gesacion has Rio de Janeiro, her goals are set high to been supportive and helpful in her jourmake the USA Swimming National Junior ney to the Olympic Trials and coming up Team for 18 and under swimmers and with effective training to meet her goals. begin training for the 2020 Summer The Olympic Trials will be going on Olympics. from June 26-July 3 and the Television Swimmers for the National Junior airing and Webcasts will be shown across team are picked yearly and are given the NBC networks. Visit www.usaswimming. opportunity to travel around the world to org under the events tab.
Photo by Tamas Mondovics
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue team works on tracking a dangerous storm during a mock weather event exercise ahead of the 2016 hurricane season at the county Emergency Operations Center last month. With an already very active Atlantic hurricane season, including Tropical Storm Colin which caused sizable flooding in the Tampa Bay area, the community must be ready.
P O S I T I V E
See Pages 31-34 C O M M U N I T Y
N E W S
Bay Area Bandits To Host Summer Shoot Out By Madeline Sullivan Bay Area Bandit for four years, all it took were a few practices and matches, and a professional mounted shooting lesson to get her hooked on the sport. “The people are so nice and will The Bay Area Bandits were founded in 2009, providing a family friendly environment for mounted shooters. literally give you a horse Hillsborough County’s very own to ride if you need one and use of their Cowboy Mounted Sports Association guns if needed,” Bean said. Shooting Club, the Bay Area Bandits, is The Bay Area Bandits have matches hosting an event like no other. The Summer Shootout Series is being held on on the first Saturday of every month, along with a general monthly meeting for Saturday and Sunday June 25 and 26, members on the last Monday of every with a match starting at 10 a.m. on both month. Everyone who is interested is days. The Series will be held at Florida encouraged to come out and give mountState Fair Grounds, Charlie Lykes Arena, ed shooting a try. The next monthly meetnear 5025 Orient Rd., Tampa. ing will be held on Monday, June 27 at The Cowboy Mounted Sports Buddy Freddy’s located at 1101 Goldfinch Association, or CMSA for short, is a fast Dr. Dinner will be held at 6 p.m. with the paced equestrian sport. The competitors meeting to follow at 7 p.m. race for time, using two .45 caliber single For more, visit The Bay Area Bandits action revolvers to shoot at the targets Facebook page and bayareabandits.org. along a given course. To ensure safety, the guns are loaded with a black powder that can pop a balloon at up to 15 ft. away. Competitors are scored on their time In This and accuracy, penalties given to those Issue who miss a target, run the course wrong, and even drop a gun. A typical course BACK TO SCHOOL FEST ......................PG 5 pattern can be ran in 15-35 seconds, leaving contestants with very little room to FREE SWIM LESSONS .......................PG 15 make any errors. The CMSA offers a diviHOA HOT TOPICS .............................PG 17 sion for men, women, seniors, and even children 11 and under. All competitors VACATION BIBLE SCHOOLS ..............PG 18 start out at the same level, advancing HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATIONS........PG 22 after they’ve received four qualified wins. The Bay Area Bandits were founded CHALKLINES.....................................PG 28 in 2009, providing a family oriented ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT................PG 37 mounted shooting club in Tampa. It has many club members who assist with the SPORTS CONNECTION...............PGS 38‐39 needs of the competitors, whether it be READ MORE LOCAL NEWS ONLINE borrowing guns, horses, or holster or www.ospreyobserver.com offering advice to the competitors. For Clarice Bean, who has been a