Success is starting to pile up at Ponte Vedra High School and the awards are rolling in as a result.
The Sharks won the 2020-2021 Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup All-Sports Award and was named the state’s best Class 6A athletic program for the second consecutive year.
The sports seasons for the 2021-2022 school year have not even begun yet, but already PVHS will be adding something to their trophy case.
According to first year PVHS Athletic Director Michael Harrison, points are given to a school based on how they perform at the state competitions in each sport.
The girls finished atop Class 6A with 104 points and eight points ahead of second place Niceville, while the boys came home in fifth place with 62 points, behind only Fleming Island, St. Thomas Aquinas, Chiles, and Doral.
Together, the girls and boys scores earned the Sharks a first-place overall finish, six points ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas.
“It’s a testament to the incredible coaching staff and athletes that we have here at Ponte Vedra,” Harrison said. “We’ve got an incredible group of young people and it starts and ends with them.”
To win the award, the Sharks finished ahead of every other athletic program both public and private throughout the state.
“Obviously, you want to be the best in your area and for us that means St. Johns County and North Florida, but to get recognized at the state level is always something special.”
Harrison was quick to point out that although he had nothing to do with the past two Sunshine Cup awards, he understands that it is his job as athletic director to help the school maintain that level of excellence moving forward.
This includes moving up to Class 7A beginning this year as the enrollment at PVHS continues to grow.
That Sharks captured 14 district titles, nine regional titles and three state titles last year en route to earning top honors in Class 6A.
The state championships included boys golf, girls soccer and girls volleyball.
“The history of Ponte Vedra athletes and the amount of success is unprecedented in this area,” Harrison said. “It is no small feat at all.”
What makes the state success even more amazing than the year before, is that last year’s triumphs came amid a pandemic and the athletes were able to perform despite the cloud of uncertainty and regulations that hung over each of the seasons.
It was a difficult and strange year for many involved and was like no other school year ever before experienced, which tested the athletes’ mental makeups like never before.
“That was a great run, and we were fortunate to have that during such a tough year,” Harrison said.
PVHS will look to begin laying the groundwork towards a third straight all-sports award, as things kickoff with cross country, cheerleading, dance, football, boys golf, girls golf, swimming and diving, and girls volleyball all competing during the fall season.
