The summer heat arrived early for this week’s Clermont Waterfront parkrun at Lake Hiawatha Preserve as 140 runners and walkers gathered for the 7:30am start on a warm and muggy and what felt like 79-degree Saturday morning. Despite the sticky conditions, the energy around the lake remained high as another strong community turnout filled the trail with familiar Clermont Triathlon Club faces, some first-timers, volunteers, and post-run conversations under the warm Lake County sun.

Leading the field this morning was Mascotte resident Jeremy Arguelles, who cruised to an impressive 18:04 victory in his 174th parkrun appearance. Arguelles, a former professional duathlete who now works for Advent Health in Orlando, handled the difficult conditions with experience and composure, separating himself & one other unknown runner early on the scenic waterfront course.

The women were once again paced by Lexi Whitehead, who stopped the clock in 22:22. The East Ridge Knight standout continues to show excellent form following a tremendous prep track season, using today’s effort as a controlled off-season tempo run while still comfortably topping the women’s field.

Today’s featured parkrunner was longtime Clermont parkrun staple Rissi Thieler. Rissi has completed more than 276 parkruns while also volunteering well over 200 times, making her one of the foundational members of the local parkrun community.

When asked about her history with parkrun, Rissi reflected on how deeply connected she has been to the event since the beginning.

“My first parkrun was in April of 2013. This was the very first Clermont parkrun started by Karen and Tim Bowler,” she shared.

Her most memorable day came during her milestone 250th parkrun, though she admitted the exact date escapes her now (January 2025). More than personal achievements, Rissi emphasized the community aspect that keeps her returning each Saturday morning.

“I enjoy socializing with the other runners. I enjoy volunteering,” she said, noting she has accumulated roughly 213 volunteer credits along the way.

For newcomers to parkrun, her advice was simple and encouraging: “Enjoy the event and see what you can accomplish.”

Rissi also spoke about the importance of staying active both physically and mentally, explaining how running, walking, and swimming have helped her through both good times and difficult periods in life. Athletics clearly run in the family as well.

“All my kids run and also my grandkids. It’s a family affair that we’ve enjoyed together.”

After more than a decade involved with Clermont parkrun, her closing thoughts summed up what the weekly event has become for many in the local community.

“Clermont parkrun means a lot to me personally as I’ve been active in it since the very beginning here in Clermont.”

With summer conditions beginning to settle into Central Florida, this morning’s event once again proved that Clermont’s parkrun community continues to thrive thanks to dedicated volunteers, welcoming regulars, and runners of all abilities showing up week after week along the lakefront trail.

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Summer 2026 FCA Camps: These inspirational camp programs are designed to celebrate local athletic youth through a commitment to integrity, community service, teamwork, and excellence. They proudly shared their ministry with the FCA Mission, Vision, and Core Values. Registration is now open for their June and July 2026 summer camps, including the FCA Champions Camp, Charge Camp, Coaches Family Camp and the Florida Leadership Camp. Each camp event will share comprehensive athletic, spiritual and leadership training as a very positive life-changing experience. For needy families, FCA students can earn camp scholarships.

FCA Area Director, Tim Hancock noted, “This year’s FCA camp theme is ‘Proven’. Learn what it looks like to go from proving my worth to proven in Him. You don’t need to prove anything; Jesus has proven it all.”

June 4, 2026 FCA Champions Camp: This one-day camp will be held at the Family Christian Center in Clermont, FL from 2 to 9 pm. This camp is designed for young boys and girls who are rising 6^th graders through 2026 high school graduates. Fees are only $30 per student with registration open through June 4.

June 4-7, 2026 FCA Coaches Family Camp: This 3-day camp will be held at the Lake Yale Conference Center, Leesburg, for all FCA Coaches and their families. FCA understands how busy coaches are! They share that a lot of times, coaches are spending more time and energy focused on other people’s kids than their own. This camp is aimed at providing their FCA coaches, their spouses, and children with a long weekend to unplug from the busyness of life and spend quality time together through fellowship, competition, worship, huddles, and plenty of free time while growing in their relationship with the Lord, their families, local FCA staff, and peers. See: FLCoachesMinistry@fca.org

June 22-26, 2026 FCA Charge Camp & Donor Night:This 3-day camp will be hosted at Southeastern University, in Lakeland. This camp will be for rising 7^th graders to recent 2026 graduates. Only $399 per camper.

July 3-6, 2026 FCA Florida Leadership Camp: This 4-day program will be held at Camp Lake Swan in Melrose, FL for incoming 6^th graders to graduating 12^th graders. There will be a huddle specifically designed to equip and ready each student for their college experience. This camp is only $375 per student and $150 per adult.

July 2026 — FCA Football Camp: With 20 participating teams from across Central Florida, FCA will help each team in their pre-season preparations on how to best launch their most successful new football seasons.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ programs strive to help their participating students to become better individuals. FCA is an inspired community that works to see the world transformed in a very positive manner through shared Christianity by their coaches and athletes. They work to consistently engage, equip and empower everyone to achieve success through their ministry. FCA Coaches travel to each of the South Lake schools while coaching, teaching, and instructing student athletes. FCA Leadership Huddles are held regularly year-round to encourage athletes, coaches, and campuses to live and compete using biblical principles through the platform of athletic competition.

Jazmyn McDuffie, a Tavares High School graduating senior noted, “I’ve been going to FCA Camp for the past 6 years. One year, I reached a pivotal point where God formed in my heart a desire to minister to others – while nothing I have ever done fulfills me more than this “work” which I’ve been able to watch and experience with FCA.” 

Lake Sumter Metro Director Kahlil Tucker noted, “FCA Camps are really so effective, because each camp places student-athletes in an environment that is different from their usual. Some campus environments may cause students to feel like they’re in a minority group, due to their faith and beliefs. They may feel ashamed or embarrassed on campus. At FCA Camp, our students are surrounded by other faith-filled athletes, and that environment encourages them to explore their faith as well as to go deeper in their personal relationship with Christ.” 

For more information on South Lake County of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit: www.SouthLakeCountyFCA.org. For more information and to register online for the FCA Camps, visit: https://www.southlakecountyfca.org/summer-camp. Volunteers, donors and sponsors are always appreciated. Follow them on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/southlakecountyfca.

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On Friday May 8, at East Ridge High School, ten student-athletes signed their letters of intent to participate in college athletics for the following school year.  One of those student-athletes was senior Rhyen Foley, who signed her letter of intent with Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Florida.  Rhyen will join Florida Gulf Coast’s women’s cross country and outdoor track and field teams in fall of 2026.

Rhyen has been a four-year letterman in both cross country and track and field at East Ridge High School.   Rhyen’s individual efforts have helped lead her cross country team to great team accomplishments over the years – including two county championships, four district championships, and the school’s first regional championship.  Rhyen leaves East Ridge as its fastest runner in school history with a career personal best time of 18:00, which she set her junior year at the New World Fall Spectacular.  Rhyen amassed thirty place medals throughout her high school career, to include three district medals, three regional medals, one state medal, and four regular season individual championships. Rhyen’s junior season produced impressive individual results and garnered the attention of several college coaches. However it was in November of her senior year when Rhyen took an opportunity to visit Florida Gulf Coast and meet with Coach Cruz. Now, in May, Rhyen is all set to become an Eagle!

When asked who she would like to thank at her signing ceremony, Rhyen had these things to say, “My parents for always providing what I needed to succeed in my athletics. Their encouragement and love kept me grounded at my highest and lowest.” She also thanked her coaches for helping her to see what she was capable of and stated, “I wouldn’t be the runner that I am without their dedication to the sport.” 

Academically, Rhyen will major in legal studies, as she plans to pursue a career in criminology or political science. 

Rhyen did have some words of wisdom to her underclass teammates that she will be leaving behind when she attends Florida Gulf Coast, and that was for them to “Run with confidence and determination…You aren’t going to have a good race every time or even a good practice, it’s not controllable. The only thing that you can control is how you handle it.”

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On May 2, the Clermont Waterfront parkrun once again brought the community together for a vibrant morning along Lake Minneola with 207 finishers taking part in the event. 

Leading the field was Daniel Woodforth who crossed the line first in 17:05 while Sue Pierson, competing in the 60 to 64 female age group, was the top female finisher in 22:06. 

After the run, we caught up with some of our consistent parkrunners to see what keeps them coming back each week.

Elite time-trial cyclist David Neuman, who knocked out a steady 24 minute parkrun and  had this to say, “I love parkrun.  It’s about being out here with other like minded people. As for my fitness, my parkrun is basically the foundation that I try to keep through the year. My fitness builds off my ability to run a decent 5k here at parkrun. It keeps my muscles fresh and keeps my blood flow going for my cycling and triathlon events.”

Anne McFarlane volunteered her Saturday giving out finishers timing tokens as she does many parkrun mornings. McFarlane added, “Today was absolutely fabulous. Clermont parkrun has been a huge part of my life for many years.  It’s a real family out here; it really is!”

Today was John Hirsch #170^th parkrun. Hirsch commented, “Running comrades keep me coming back; it is a sense of team.  It definitely gives me structure throughout the week. Say it’s Thursday; I know I am going to be here Saturday so it gives my running focus.  Regardless of your performance, you will get support throughout the course.”

And finally Tyson Brogan ran with his mother Yvette. Tyson, racing in the ten and under male age group and pulling off a sub 23 minute personal best 5k had this to say, “My favorite part about parkrun is meeting new people.  People like Mr. Hector taking pictures. You meet all sorts of people during your run.  It helps pushing each other and that’s why I even give fist bumps to fellow runners out there that might need a push.”

Looking ahead, the momentum continues to build as Clermont Waterfront parkrun moves deeper into May, with growing participation across all age groups and a strong sense of consistency forming among both runners and volunteers. Expect to see new faces mixing in with familiar regulars, continued milestone celebrations on the horizon, and even more community connections being made along the course. With warmer conditions approaching, pacing strategies and hydration will become more important, but the energy and support that define this event should remain a constant. Next week presents another opportunity for personal goals, first timers to take that initial step, and returning participants to keep building their routine within this steadily thriving parkrun community.  

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Brianna Burkhalter, Taylor Heaton, and Lola Rey were each recognized for their outstanding play and key roles in leading the Eagles to one of the most successful seasons in program history, which ended with MVA winning the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championship for the fifth time in program history.

Burkhalter, a sophomore, emerged as one of the team’s top playmakers, finishing the season with six goals and a team-high 23 assists. Her vision, composure, and ability to create scoring opportunities were instrumental in driving MVA’s high-powered attack throughout the year.

Heaton, a junior, anchored a dominant defensive unit that set the tone for the Eagles’ success. MVA held opponents scoreless in 19 of 23 matches, a testament to Heaton’s leadership, positioning, and ability to consistently shut down opposing threats.

Rey, a junior, delivered a standout season and established herself as one of the top players in the state. She led the Eagles with 27 goals, including a hat trick in the state semifinal and the game-winning goal in the state championship match. Her ability to perform in critical moments made her a constant difference-maker in MVA’s title run.

The United Soccer Coaches All-State honors recognize the top high school players across Florida, highlighting those who have demonstrated exceptional performance, leadership, and impact throughout the season.

Montverde Academy finished the season with a 21-1-1 record, a state championship, and an impressive 93-6 goal differential, further cementing its place among the elite programs in Florida.

With this recognition, Burkhalter, Heaton, and Rey continue to build on MVA’s tradition of excellence and represent the program at the highest level of girls high school soccer.

About Montverde Academy:

Montverde Academy is a private, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12 representing 70+ nationalities. Our mission is to inspire students to become knowledgeable leaders with global vision and passion for learning, in a disciplined and diverse community that nurtures character development. For more information, visit us online at Montverde.org and at MVASports.com.

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Ginger Kane, Florida Sports Hall of Fame

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Holland delivered a perfect showing, capturing first place in all three events she entered. She won the 100-meter hurdles in 14.27 seconds, the 400-meter hurdles in a personal-best time of 1:01.16, and the triple jump with a mark of 11.59 meters. Her trio of victories marks the first time in her career that she has claimed district titles in any state series event.

The senior’s breakthrough performances represent a culmination of steady progress throughout her MVA career. Last year, Holland recorded second-place finishes in both the long jump and triple jump at the district meet. Two years ago, she finished as the district runner-up in the 100-meter hurdles, 400-meter hurdles, and triple jump.

Now in her third year with the program, Holland has firmly established herself among the elite competitors while continuing to elevate her performances on biggest stages.

Beyond her athletic accomplishments, Holland is a leader on campus, serving as a Prefect at MVA. A native of Portsmouth, Virginia, she cites Piano Theory as her favorite class and values the school’s culture of dedication to both its academics and athletics programs.

Looking ahead, Holland aspires to become a leader in the engineering or finance field.

Holland also continues a strong family legacy in MVA track & field. She is the younger sister of Micayah Holland ’23, a decorated former Eagle who was named the Florida Dairy Farmers Girls Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2022. Micayah was a state champion in the 100 and 200 meters and claimed the Adidas Indoor National title in the 60 meters that year as well.

With her recent district championship performance, Jizelle Holland has added her own chapter to that legacy—one defined by perseverance, growth, and championship success.

Holland and the rest of her qualifying teammates return to the track on Friday May 1 for the FHSAA Regional Championships at Wildwood High School in Wildwood.

**The Montverde Academy Student-Athlete of the Week award is sponsored by the 2025-26 Montverde Academy Booster Club.

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