By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora Christian Academy Hosts Largest Event In School History
Today, Mount Dora Christian Academy will host their largest event in school history. MDCA has been around for a while, and some still remember it as Mount Dora Bible, but now MDCA is about to host the FHSAA Class 1A and Class 2A Region 2 Track & Field Meet.
At this meet, there will be 74 schools represented from all around the state of Florida. There will be over 1,600 athletes present, and that does not even account for all the coaches, staff, volunteers, parents, and fans that will be in attendance for this particular event.
(The 2022 District Championship winning MDCA track & field teams. This is a group of about 50 people so you can imagine what having over 2,000 people at this complex will look like.)
MDCA has come a long way in such a short time. Megan Ziegelhofer, the MDCA Athletic Director, noted that the school is very excited about the opportunity to host the regionals. Many MDCA student-athletes will be a part of the meet. For some, this will be their final opportunity to compete at the school they love.
(Mount Dora Christian Academy is not new to large events. They have put on weightlifting competitions in the past, playoff games but nothing as big as this event.)
MDCA has hosted dual events before. Softball and baseball have had dual events, and other larger track & field meets have happened, but nothing on this grand of a scale. Not only is this event happening today, but on Wednesday, May 8th, both the Softball and Baseball teams will host playoff games at the school. It’s a busy week for the MDCA athletics department, but this program continues to show why it’s one of the top Christian Academies in our area.
MDCA has a terrific track & field complex. It’s a beautiful facility surrounded by a wooded area, and when the sun sets, it is a majestic place to watch a football game, track event, or soccer game.
This week’s events are a culmination of the athletics season that has treated MDCA very well. Their football team won a conference championship this year, both basketball teams, boys and girls, did well, as did cross-country, baseball, and softball. Other programs at the school are flourishing as well, and that is thanks to a dedicated group at MDCA that includes not only Megan Ziegelhofer, the athletic director, but also Jason Sanders, Kolby Tacket, Elizabeth Knight, Steven Hayes, Christ Horton, just to mention a few.
It’s also thanks to all the volunteers who make this all happen. This is a huge moment for this Lake County program. Best of luck to all the competitors tonight, and hopefully some Lake County athletes can find their way into the State Championships!
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.
