March 5, 2025
MDCA Javelin Thrower Greenlea Salazar Breaks School Record with 30.27 Meter Throw
By Kyle Coppola
MDCA Javelin Thrower Greenlea Salazar Breaks School Record with 30.27 Meter Throw
MOUNT DORA, Fla. — Freshman Greenlea Salazar is making waves in her first high school track and field season, setting a new Mount Dora Christian Academy (MDCA) school record in the girls’ javelin throw. Salazar launched a throw of 30.27 meters (99.31 feet) at the MDCA Invitational, surpassing her previous school record and inching closer to the coveted 100-foot milestone.
(Greenlea is the best female Javelin thrower that MDCA has ever had. She is also only a freshman. Photo Credit – CJ Prospect Media)
Her performance has turned heads this season and she is an early favorite for the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state championship. Facing strong competition, Salazar bested fellow freshman Isabella Bradley of The Villages Charter High School, who finished second with a throw of 29.35 meters (96 feet). Cassi Monn secured third place with a mark of 27.59 meters, narrowly edging out The Villages’ Emily Thompson, who placed fourth at 27.58 meters.
Salazar’s success comes at an exciting time for MDCA track and field, as multiple athletes are breaking records. The boys’ 4×100-meter relay team of Marquis Streater, Seth Roach, Nate Roach, and Zane Taksey set a new school best with a time of 43.56 seconds. Additionally, Madi Tweedie etched her name into the record books in the girls’ 400-meter hurdles, clocking a school-record 1:06.73.
With Salazar’s meteoric rise and MDCA athletes excelling across multiple events, the Bulldogs are poised for a strong showing throughout the season and into the postseason.
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.
