October 4, 2024
Mount Dora High’s Hannah Douglas Commits To Georgia Southern University
By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora High’s Hannah Douglas Commits To Georgia Southern University
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Mount Dora High School’s standout runner Hannah Douglas, from the class of 2025, has officially committed to Georgia Southern University for Cross-Country. We are so excited to see her compete at the NCAA Division 1 level.
Douglas has medaled at the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championships in both her freshman and junior years, clocking an impressive time of 18:46 at last year’s FHSAA Cross-Country Championship Race. Her achievements have garnered attention statewide, including a feature on Florida MileSplit as one of the top competitors in the sport.
“I’m excited to join the Georgia Southern family,” Douglas said in a statement. “I look forward to the challenges ahead, both on and off the course.”
Douglas’ cross-country career at Mount Dora has been nothing short of remarkable. She made history by becoming the school’s first runner to win three consecutive district championships. While Hannah is an amazing athlete, her work ethic on and off the race course is impressive.
Off the course, Douglas excels academically, maintaining a 4.8 weighted GPA (3.9 unweighted), making her one of Mount Dora High’s top student-athletes.
“It’s been so much fun to run for the Hurricanes the past four years and for Coach Adkinson,” Douglas reflected. “I’ve learned so much about myself that I never would have imagined before I started cross-country.”
Douglas began running in sixth grade, inspired by her grandfather, Pops, who encouraged her to take up the sport. Though he passed away before her first race, Douglas carries his memory with her as motivation.
“As a little extra motivation, each race I strive to make him proud,” she said. I am sure that Pop’s is looking down at his grand-daughter beaming with pride knowing that all her hardwork has paid off.
Cross-country running has not only driven Douglas athletically but also taught her valuable life lessons. “It’s taught me not to give up but to keep pushing forward,” she added. “It’s also helped me develop relationships that I will carry with me the rest of my life, and that’s priceless.”
As Douglas embarks on her next chapter at Georgia Southern, her commitment marks a significant step in her athletic journey, and Lake County will continue to support her as she closes out her senior year. Congratulations to the Douglas family!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
