LAKE WORTH- Sophomore Hailey Rudd has been one of Trinity Christian's most consistent swimmers this fall, netting seven individual first place finishes and helping anchor relay teams to three more victories.  She made her biggest splash of the season on Saturday, however, as she took first in 100m fly at the Florida Christian School Championships at Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale.

Rudd's championship win was not without drama, as her time of 28.83 edged Robyn Patton of Calvary Christian by .01 seconds.  She also took sixth place in the 500m free, an event she normally does not swim. 

The Warriors will look to return swimmers to state this October after last year's state title win in the girls' 200m fly relay.  Rudd was a part of that relay and should have a shot to advance to the state finals in several events this year. The district finals will be held October 24 at St. Andrew's.

LAKE WORTH- Trinity Christian played their best volleyball of the season on Tuesday night as they downed Donna Klein Academy 25-21, 25-21, 25-21. With the win, the Warriors improved to 2-2 on the season.

The young Warriors, featuring four eighth grade starters and one freshman, continued their improved play from the first point of the match. They trailed only briefly in the second game before recapturing the lead. Freshman Camila Fundora had a number of kills to energize the Warriors, and senior libero Christiana Caudillo helped pace TCA with her serving and service return. 

The win was the second straight for Trinity. On Friday, they beat Morningside Christian 3-0 on the road. The Warriors will host Pine School on Thursday in a big district matchup. It will be Black Out night at the Peters Center, and TCA fans are encouraged to wear black.

In the middle school game, the Warriors won a dramatic 25-12, 23-25, 16-14 match over DKA. The A team is now 2-2 overall.

SOUTH FORK- Trinity Christian opened the 2019 cross country season with the Fleet Feet Invitational on Saturday morning. Competing with over 35 teams and nearly 500 runners, the Warriors held their own in their first outing.

Leading the boys was eighth grader Azsean Nelson. He finished 217th in the field to pace the Warriors. Junior Luke D'Orazio and eight grader Conrad Robinson were the second and third finishers for Trinity.

Coming off a regional appearance last season, junior Emily Castillo led the Warriors finishing 155th overall. Seventh grader Janae D'Orazio and junior Eva Zelaya were the next two finishers for TCA.

​The Warriors will be back in action next Saturday at South County Park as they compete in the Park Vista Cobra Invitational.

LAKE WORTH- Trinity Christian opened their season on Thursday night with a 25-14, 25-17, 25-19 loss to Highlands Christian. Despite the straight sets loss, the young Warriors showed flashes of the tremendous talent and potential on the roster throughout the night.

Starting four eighth graders and a freshman, the Warriors battled the Knights toe-to-toe throughout most of the match. Unforced errors and a strong net game from Highlands proved to be too much for TCA to overcome, but the match scores were a great illustration of the rapid improvement of the team throughout the night. With only two players who have played in a varsity match, the Warriors walk way encouraged by what they showed.

Sofia de los Mozos was named the player of the game after an excellent night serving, including several aces. 

The middle school A team fell to HCA in a very tight three-game match. The JV lost their match in straight sets. Janae D'Orazio and Valeria Gonzalez were the players of the game in those matches.

The Warriors next game will be Friday night at Jupiter Christian. 

LAKE WORTH- Trinity Christian's varsity volleyball team will look a lot different in 2019 as they welcome a new head coach and 12 new players to the roster.

Last Year: The Warriors started the season 1-4, but ended up with a record of 11-13 once they hit their stride. TCA was 4-4 in district play and picked up a pair of big wins over local rival Santaluces. 

Who's Back: Senior Christiana Caudillo is the lone returning letter-winner from last year's squad. She will be expected to be a leader on the floor and a key back row player.

Who's New: Almost everybody. The newcomers are loaded with talent, however, as a number of club players join the mix for Trinity. 5'10" hitter Gianna Basileo is just an eighth grader, but could become one of the best front row players in the district this season. 5'11" junior Hannah Alley and 5'9" freshman Katelynn Ruh will help bring size and blocking ability to the front of the Warriors attack. Eighth graders Sofia de los Mozos and Sarah Richardson played club together and will both set for TCA. Eighth graders Hannah Robertson and Sammantha Monier are both talented all-around players who will immediately contribute at the varsity level.  After a year off, junior Mikayla Caraballo returns to play the libero position. She should help the Warriors all over the floor. Sophomore Caitlyn Graham is another strong all-around player who may be able to play both front and back row. Freshmen Valeria Gonzalez and Gigi Licamara will play with the JV as well as the varsity and will find spots to contribute.

Changing of the Guard: After several years of coaching the varsity, Amanda Manke will serve as Director of Volleyball for TCA and will coach the middle school team. Merlin Theleus, director of Wizards Volleyball Club, moves up from the JV ranks to lead the varsity team. A great teacher of fundamentals, Theleus will be a strong fit for this young and talented team.

Games to Watch: The season opener at home against Highlands Christian (8/22) should give TCA fans an idea of what this team is capable of in 2019. HCA defeated Trinity 3-1 last year, but the teams look a lot different this fall. While the first game of the season is usually not an indication of what a team will look like in October, the Warriors talent should shine through from the start. Other games to watch will be Trinity's match up at rival Lake Worth Christian (9/17) and the games in the Palm Beach Classic (played at Trinity on 9/27 and 9/28).

The District: Trinity competes in Class 2A, Region 4A, District 13. The six teams in the region are TCA (11-13 in 2018), Atlantic Christian (1-15 in 2018), Berean Christian (4-10 in 2018), Glades Day (7-8 in 2018), Pine School (11-13 in 2018), and Lake Worth Christian (21-9). LWC appears to be the team to beat as they return several key players from last year's district champs. Pine also had a young team last year and is a darkhorse in the district. Trinity certainly has the talent to compete and should be in the top half of 4A-13 with a very high ceiling both in 2019 and in the future.

Overview: This will be a fun, talented team for Warriors fans to watch as they grow. The sky is the limit for this group if they continue to develop and stay together.

EUGENE, OR- After a slow start and a level change, 2016 Trinity Christian alum Edmond Americaan has come on strong in August with the Eugene Emeralds. The 22-year old outfielder has raised his batting average to .267 as he looks to rise through the ranks of the Chicago Cubs farm system. 

Playing in the single A Northwest League, Americaan struggled out of the gate hitting .182 in June. As the weather has heated up, so has Americaan however. He's hitting .315 since the second half began and has an OPS of .771. He has done the majority of his damage in the second spot in the lineup after starting out in the lead off slot. He's also played an outstanding outfield, committing just three errors in 46 games while piling up five assists.

Americaan led Trinity to the 2016 state championship, hitting .422 while earning all-county and district honors.

​You can follow Americaan's career here.

LAKE WORTH- Trinity Christian is set to launch all official fall sports practices on August 12, the first day of school.

TCA volleyball and cross country have been hard at work since July 29, the official start date for the FHSAA. Students may still try out for these teams on August 12, but spots are not guaranteed.  Volleyball players should meet at the Peters Center at 3:30 pm, and cross country runners will meet in front of the Johnson Life Center at 3:30 pm.

Swimming's first practice will take place on the 12th. Swimmers should meet in front of the Johnson Life Center to board the bus promptly at 3:30 pm. The bus will return to Trinity between 5:30 and 5:45 pm.  All athletes should bring a suit, swim cap, and towel.

Finally, middle school flag football will hold their first practice on August 12 as well. Boys in 6th-8th grades should meet at the picnic tables between the JLC and the football field at 3:30 pm. The team will meet and then condition. Boys are encouraged to bring non-metal cleats and should have a mouth piece for the season. High school flag football will have a meeting at lunch on August 13 and practices will begin shortly thereafter.

If you have any questions about fall sports, contact athletic director Derek Chirch via email chirch.derek@tcamail.org.

Below are the rosters for the 2019 volleyball season. If you were at tryouts and do not see your name below, please contact Miss Manke at manke.amanda@tcamail.org.  You may not be registered, and that is why your name is not listed below.

Varsity:
​Mikayla Caraballo
Gianna Basileo
Katelynn Ruh 
Christiana Caudillo
Hannah Robertson
Sofia De Los Mozos
Sammantha Monier
Caitlyn Graham
Sarah Richardson 

Junior Varsity:
Emisha Ulysse
Makayla Grant 
Giovanna Licamara
Savannah Monier
Valeria Gonzalez
Kamryn Sidaway

Middle School:
Jessica Machiela 
Mia Monaco
Nephtalie Fignole
Nicole Moscoso
Leanna Domingue
Carmen Escobar
Madison Boucher
Katelyn Slate 
Amelia Jacques
Tori Luick
Myranda Gee
Maelanny Cuello
Janae D'Orazio
Maquea Grant

LAKE WORTH- Danielle McCray ('11) helped lead Trinity to the 2008 state championship and a state runner up finish in 2011. She went on to play at the University of Mississippi and now plays professionally in Germany. We caught up McCray and talked with her about her time at TCA, playing professional basketball, and her message for young women.
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TCA: Trinity had a decent program in the mid 2000's, but definitely not a state championship level team. What happened to attract you Alicia (McCray), Jamierra (Faulkner), and others to Trinity?

DM: At the time our parents were just looking for a school to get us into and we ended up choosing TCA because it was a Christian school that we could both learn and grow in our faith at. 

TCA: When did you know that the 2008 team was a special group? Does a game or moment stick out that made you think 'We might be able to win this whole thing'?

DM: I knew we were a really good team just based on how hard we worked. But we were also really young (Me and a few were in the 9th grade, Alicia in the 7th, Jamierra and others in the 10th grade and we had 1 senior) so I never thought “we could win the whole thing”, I just kept thinking to give my all every game no matter who we were up against and no matter how much bigger or older they were. 

TCA: What did it take to become a state champion? Obviously, the team had talent, but every team that gets to the final four is talented. What set TCA apart in 2008?

DM: It took a lot of work to become a State Champion and I think that’s what also set TCA apart. We worked extremely hard in practice and in games but also on our own time when no one else was watching. We made sure to put in work so that we could get great results. 

TCA: Describe that run through the state tournament. What do you remember most?

DM: I remember beating Lake Worth Christian the most to make it to the State Championship Final Four. From the State Championship tournament, I remember the championship game and us starting to pull away from Sarasota in the 4th quarter and finally the buzzer sounding and us winning. 

TCA: You ended up playing division one basketball in the SEC, a dream for a lot of kids. What was the recruiting process like and what advice would you give Trinity students who want to play at the next level (in any sport)?

DM: To me, the recruitment process was a lot mostly because I was a very introverted kid and when you’re being recruited by schools, you have to talk on the phone or text with the coach or they would come up for a school visit and that was very nerve-wracking for me. But at the same time, it’s a nice feeling to know that universities want you to come to their school. And it’s definitely a blessing to get any kind of scholarship to attend college.

TCA: What would be your message specifically to the young female athletes at Trinity?

DM: My message to female TCA athletes is to not let anybody stop you from playing the sport you love. Work hard and chase your dreams whether that’s to play at the next level or just play in school. 

TCA: Besides basketball, what are your fondest memories of Trinity? What lessons did you learn, and how did you grow as a person? Do any specific teachers stand out as influential for you?

DM: My fondest memories at TCA are hanging out with my friends and just laughing together. As a person, I grew a lot spiritually at TCA and I’m very thankful to the pastors and teachers who helped me build a spiritual foundation that has lasted me even into adulthood. Ms. Suarez was one of my favorite teachers and very influential in my life because she didn’t just teach me calculus (which was very hard), she also taught me to go after what I wanted no matter how high and to love myself as a black girl and to let that empower me. 

TCA: What's it like playing and living overseas? How long do you want to play, and do you aspire to eventually play in the WNBA?

DM: It’s a lot of fun to play basketball and live overseas because I get to meet and befriend people from all over the world and experience new cultures. And it’s crazy how even with the language barriers and difference in location and cultures, were still all bonded by a sport called basketball. I hope to play basketball until my body says that I just can’t anymore or unless God changes the course of my life. I’m very grateful to God for letting me play this long and I pray He lets me play for many years to come. I do aspire to play in the WNBA one day. I work hard everyday and trust God’s process for me that I’ll get to play in the WNBA. 

(Follow Danielle on instagram at @daniellexmccray.)