Mike Ridaught
One of the top student-athletes in the area has been recognized statewide for his efforts on and off the field of play.
Monday night at the FHSAA Academic All State banquet, Keystone Heights’ Caleb Moncrief was named the 2022 FHSAA Ronald N. Davis Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Moncrief, who was featured back in the fall as one of the area’s top rising seniors, owns a 4.0 GPA and ranks first in his class of 177 students.
Caleb was named to the US Presidential Scholars Program his senior year and was inducted to Phi Theta Kappa College Honor Society in his junior year of high school. He earned varsity letters in four sports (football, weightlifting, basketball, and track and field).
Hannah Squier of Pine School (Hobe Sound) was named the Female-Scholar Athlete of the Year. Squier owns a 4.0 GPA, earned a perfect score on the ACT, and ranks first in her senior class of 37 students. She lettered in four sports (soccer, lacrosse, swimming and diving and tennis) and holds the school record in career goals for soccer.
They each performed extensive amounts of community service and were recognized for many athletic and academic awards.
“The hardworking men and women of Florida’s dairy industry are honored to recognize the significant accomplishments of Caleb and Hannah,” Florida Dairy Farmers CEO Michele Cooper said. “They’ve demonstrated a work ethic and drive that is second to none and we’re proud to help them take the next step toward their amazing futures.”
In addition, Moncrief was a member of the 2022 1A Florida High School Boys Weightlifting State Championship team, named to the First-Team Gainesville Sun All-Area Football and Track and Field Teams, and is the 2022 District Champion in Discus and Shotput. Moncrief was named to Mainstreet’s 2021 All Area football team for the offensive and defensive line.
He served as student government president all four years of high school and is a member of National Honor Society, Key Club, Future Business Leaders of America and has over 500 community service hours. He is the son of Helen Moncrief and plans on studying biomedical engineering at the University of Florida in Gainesville this fall.
About the Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team
Twelve male and female student-athletes from across Florida were honored for their exemplary achievements at the banquet. The recognition of the Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team is part of the organization’s ongoing mission of building leaders through teamwork, sportsmanship, and citizenship. These athletes exemplify all the values the FHSAA upholds.
The group was awarded a total of $50,000 in scholarships. Each of the 24 Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team members received a $1,700 scholarship from the FHSAA, with Moncrief and Squier receiving an additional $4,600 for a total of a $6,300 scholarship.
To be eligible for selection to the Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team, a student-athlete must be a graduating senior, have a cumulative unweighted GPA of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and have earned a varsity letter in at least two different sports during each of his or her junior and senior years. Members were selected based on academic record, athletic participation, non-athletic activities, community service and an essay. The members distinguished themselves from 128 qualified nominees attending 700-plus FHSAA member high schools.
The FHSAA is the governing body for high school athletics in Florida, but its mission goes far beyond athletics. To the FHSAA, a student-athlete is most importantly a student first. The Florida Dairy Famers Academic All-State Team embodies the organization’s commitment to recognizing student-athletes who have shown outstanding dedication not only to athletic excellence but also to academic achievement and service to the community.
Additional Members of the 2022 Florida Dairy Farmers Academic All-State Team:
Nathalia Veal, Branford
Gerald Bissell, Benjamin School (Palm Beach Gardens)
Rylan Chapa, Marathon
Kate Costar, Geneva (Casselberry)
Eleanor Duffy, Oviedo
Reagan Eastlick, Hagerty (Oviedo)
Rachel Ferreter, Freedom (Orlando)
Peter Fox, Lyman (Longwood)
Sydney Freed, Episcopal School (Jacksonville)
Carter French, Jesuit (Tampa)
Emily Han, First Academy Leesburg
Andrew Landsaw, Cutler Bay
Drew McLendon, Naples
Hallie Monserez, Cardinal Mooney (Sarasota)
Brody Palmer, McKeel (Lakeland)
Zachary Sarmoen, Spanish River (Boca Raton)
Sabrina Shipley, Ransom Everglades (Miami)
Liliana Sisto, Suncoast (Riviera Beach)
Will Taylor, Chipley
Jonathan Walker, Rutherford (Panama City)
James Walter, Jupiter
Kiahra Wood, Centennial (Port St. Lucie)