By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora High Track & Field Stars Break School Records
Mount Dora High School’s track and field team is on fire this season, shattering school records and making their mark in the district. Freshman sensation Kate Guthrie has been turning heads as she soared over the bar, breaking the pole vault record previously held by Aubrey Sellers. With a new height of 9′ 6″, Kate’s determination and talent were evident from the start and she now holds the school record in the Pole Vault.
Not to be outdone, junior Kris Kupinski showed his prowess in the pole vault event, surpassing Zackary Miller’s long-standing record with a remarkable clearance of 14′ 4″. Zackary, a former record holder himself, mentored both Kris and Kate, passing on his knowledge and techniques to help them achieve their best.
Meanwhile, Noelle Vu, a rising star on the team, left her mark in multiple events. She not only broke Emma Kelly’s 400-meter record with a swift time of 61.30 but also played a crucial role in the 4×400 relay alongside Kate Guthrie, Reese Horbal, and Ava Croeze, setting a blazing time of 4:17.
As the season has progressed, Senior Zackary Cho-Sam continues to dominate the 400-meter hurdles, holding onto his record time of 56.09. With college decisions looming, Zackary focused on fine-tuning his skills, aiming to improve his record even further and showcase his abilities to potential collegiate programs.
The camaraderie and determination of the Mount Dora High track and field team have been evident. Coach Cody Atkinson has done an incredible job at getting the most out of his team the past few seasons. Mount Dora High Track & Field has really hit their stride in 2024. It’s so great to see former athletes helping the program out as well. Shout out to Zachary Miller who has been working closely with the student-athletes so they perform at a top level.
(Photos Provided by Cody Adkinson)
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.
