For the third straight year, Wolf Lake Middle School brought home championship hardware. 

The track and field program captured the OCPS Middle School Coed Championship this spring against 51 schools, while the boys team finished second overall by just two points and the girls team placed third — both after winning back-to-back county titles in 2024 and 2025. 

Both the boys and girls teams also completed undefeated cluster championship seasons, with the girls extending their undefeated cluster streak to three consecutive years. 

For head coach Andrea Phillips, the success has become about much more than medals and trophies. 

“It means that at this point we’re building a legacy,” Phillips said. “We’ve now established a program of excellence, and the kids and the families have bought into it. So now we’re seeing continued success year after year. It’s not a particular athlete that’s causing us to win, but it’s a full system and a group of coaches that have come together that are causing it.” 

Wolf Lake once again showcased depth throughout nearly every event category at counties. 

The boys 4×100 relay team of Shacquan Mills, Javin Cameron, Kelvin Bridges and Korey Capers captured first place with a winning time of 45.94 seconds after also winning the event in 2024. The girls 4×400 relay team of Capriana Pirillo, Jaida Williams, Chloe Crain and Carrington Shaw finished second in 4:23.40. 

In the field events, seventh grader Kelsey Coachman won the girls long jump title with a mark of 5.21 meters, while Cameron placed second in the boys long jump at 5.68 meters. Damian Demps and Christopher Warren also medaled in the event. 

Phillips said Coachman’s performance stood out as one of the most impressive moments of the entire season. 

“She only started long jumping about two to three weeks before counties,” Phillips said. “She won first and jumped one time. They get three jumps, she jumped just once, and significantly outjumped everyone else to win first. We’re really expecting her to shine next year in the long jump as she has more training and growth in it.” 

Wolf Lake also continued producing strong sprint performances. Jaycee Kersten finished fourth in the girls 100-meter dash with a time of 13.10 seconds after previously running a county personal record of 12.80 earlier this year. Coachman finished fifth in the same race at 13.12. 

Capers added fifth-place finishes in both the boys 100- and 200-meter races, while Warren placed eighth in the boys 400 meters. 

Seventh grader Carrington Shaw helped lead the distance events, finishing second in the girls 800 meters in 2:29.87 and seventh in the 1600 meters. Shaw also anchored the girls 4×400 relay team that earned silver medals. 

Phillips credited the continued success to both the athletes and a coaching staff that has created consistency throughout the program. 

“My primary job is I’m a dance teacher, and so anybody that’s ever worked with me in anything, I have a way of building confidence and helping athletes believe in themselves, believe in the vision, and also simultaneously pushing them to be their best,” Phillips said. “Additionally, we have some really great and talented kids in the Apopka area. So when you pair that with a coaching staff who knows what they’re doing, and the kids believe in what we’re doing, I think that’s what makes the difference.” 

With several seventh graders already producing medal-winning performances, Phillips believes the future of the program is only getting brighter. 

“It’s very exciting,” Phillips said. “I told the kids I want a triple crown next year. I want the boys, the girls and the co-ed title. We have a lot of younger athletes that trained with us all season that are going to grow and develop over the summer, and we’re expecting them to contribute too.” 

Phillips makes no secret of where she wants to be. 

“I would not want to coach anywhere else,” Phillips said. “I love Wolf Lake Middle School. It’s just an amazing school with a great athletic culture. Our principal comes to every one of our track meets, and it’s just a great school to teach at and coach at.”