"This award means a lot to me because towards the end of my high school career, I started to put my eye on the NBA and made a lot of goals that I wanted to achieve, and Rookie of the Year was one of them,"

- Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic Player

NBA 2023 Rookie of The Year

Around The Horn.

• Paolo Banchero is developing the habit early in his basketball career of setting lofty goals and reaching them. While in high school, he challenged himself to make it to the league. During his freshman year at Duke, he aimed to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Banchero was able to check both of those boxes when the Orlando Magic selected him first overall. Next up on his list was becoming the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year. An overwhelming 98 out of 100 first place votes were cast in his favor.
• The 15-day spring entrance window for the NCAA transfer portal opened on April 15, and for the first four days there was little to no movement for UCF football. On the fifth day, however, things quickly changed as three Knights departed the program and about six new athletes orally committed their transfer to UCF. 
• Cornerstone Charter junior Pete Tran made good use of his practice time between winning a district singles title two weeks ago and the FHSAA state tennis tournament, which opened a five-day stay in Seminole County parks on a stormy Monday. Trinity Prep’s boys team scored a 4-1 win against Holy Trinity of Melbourne to advance to the 1A final four. Ben Demetriades won at No. 1 singles and teamed with Thomas Garcia for a No. 1 doubles victory to lead the Saints.
• Jeannie Fisher has experienced the full spectrum of Florida high school softball in more than three decades as head coach at Lake Mary. Her local impact on the sport, and those associated with it, will be fondly remembered. Fisher, 67, entered the start of the season knowing it would be her last, as dictated by the state’s retirement plan for teachers.
• Entering the weekend series at South Florida, UCF baseball sought revenge against the Bulls and that’s what Greg Lovelady’s squad got. The Knights won two of the three games at USF, including an 11-1 mercy-rule win in eight innings Sunday. UCF’s series victory comes three weeks after the Bulls escaped John Euliano Park with their first three-game series win in Orlando since 2014. By earning a pair of wins over the weekend, UCF split the regular-season series 3-3 with the Bulls.
• Quarterbacks are back on top in the NFL draft. A year after the first 19 picks were non-QBs and Kenny Pickett was the only signal-caller selected in the first round, this draft class is loaded with potential franchise players. Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud have been the center of attention since before last year’s draft even took place. They could become the ninth pair of QBs selected 1-2 in the Super Bowl era.
• UCF quarterback/centerfielder John Rhys Plumlee was refreshing to follow last weekend at UCF’s spring game. Plumlee went 2-for-3 with a triple during UCF’s 12-3 baseball victory over Memphis Friday afternoon and left the game early so he could rush over and play in Friday night’s spring football game, where he threw for 236 yards and two long touchdowns.
• Jacksonville University forward Omar Payne announced on social media he is transferring to join the Knights for their inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference. The transfer to UCF is a homecoming of sorts for the Kissimmee native. A 4-star in the 2019 recruiting cycle, Payne played high school basketball at Osceola before enrolling at Montverde Academy.
• Apopka High junior Alyssa Novoa might have had the biggest fan following of any player on site as the FHSAA Class 4A state tennis tournament opened Wednesday morning at Sanlando Park in Altamonte Springs. Novoa, the top seed in the individual singles bracket, won 6-2, 6-4 against Wellington High sophomore Scarlett Stephens to advance to Day 2 of the three-day event.
• The Winter Park Girls Crew Team will compete at the Henley Royal Regatta, near London, England, this July, and there will be hosting a fundraiser event on Thursday, May 4 to help them make the trip across the pond. The local rowing team will host its Park Across the Pond art party and auction at The Gallery 32789.

In The News.

• Brightline, the intercity rail company connecting Central Florida to South Florida, unveiled its new Orlando station today. The new station is located adjacent to the Orlando International Airport’s new Terminal C and is connected via a fancy walkway. The station welcomed an estimated 300 guests and members of the media to the reveal, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings.
• The Alfond Inn at Rollins College has announced that it expects to open its new wing sometime this summer. The boutique hotel has been hard at work expanding its guestrooms from 71 to 183 along with a new spa, fitness area, second swimming pool with private cabanas, and an outdoor living room area available for private events.
• A long-vacant restaurant space on the ground floor of Orlando City Hall has finally signed a new tenant. The former home of 4 Rivers Smokehouse, will now be home to a new concept by AJ Campofiore, the owner of Portuguese/Mexican restaurant, Bem Bom in Audubon Park.
• BBot, one of the latest security employees at the Orange County Convention Center, looks a lot different from other staff. BBot relies on wheels to navigate, has 360-degree vision and takes charging breaks instead of meals.
• Universal parent company Comcast’s executives are hopeful this year’s sizeable theme park investment will pay off as the division set an earnings record last quarter and the company’s international theme parks “roar” back from COVID restrictions.
• The Wheel at Icon Park again is sporting an onboard gaming element. The Great Florida Road Trip debuted at the International Drive attraction Wednesday. The game is built upon Sunshine State history, carries a retro postcard theme, features the Flamingo Family characters and is played with a faux vintage camera outfitted with an infrared beam.
• The crowds have been coming to the cruise lines at a higher rate than planned at Port Canaveral, so officials have reprojected what was already set to be record numbers to a total that’s more than double what it saw before the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Orlando Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees recently announced that it had appointed Cathryn Mattson as the new Interim Executive Director and CEO of the Orlando Museum of Art, effective May 1, 2023. 
• Be yourself and explore Orlando’s incredible attractions in comfort, thanks to designated quiet spaces, sensory kits, and social planning guides designed for individuals with autism spectrum disorder or other sensory processing needs. Some are even certified as Sensory Inclusive by KultureCity, a non-profit organization who provides employee training and sensory tools designed to welcome individuals with unique abilities.
• It was a groundbreaking ceremony atypical of the usual shovels in the ground and hard hats. This time, it was five adorable puppies doing the digging. The petite pooches helped to usher in a new chapter for Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando a year and a half after the organization faced a fire that closed its Conroy Road shelter.
• Another new tenant has signed up for a ground-floor retail spot in the new Radius Building on the edge of Lake Eola Heights Historic District and downtown Orlando. Maitland-based CooKit was first established in 2020, with a mission to make “wholesome, healthy meals accessible, affordable, and enjoyable.” They offer a variety of ready-to-eat meals and snacks and ready-to-cook recipes as well as catering services.
• The Orlando project manager of Dallas-based engineering firm Jacobs Solutions Inc. served as the lead drainage engineer of record for the 475-acre SunTrax Autonomous Vehicle Testing Facility in Auburndale. Last year, that project won a Best in Construction Award of Special Significance.

Stay Engaged.

• By order of her majesty, the Queen of Hearts, your presence is requested on the 29th of April for the Downtown Arts District’s most fanciful fundraiser yet, La Maschera: Alice in Wonderland. Fall down the rabbit hole and join us for a night of live music, performances, and a caucus race! Tickets include full catering, drinks, live entertainment, and access to The Mad Tea Dance Party, The Garden of Singing Flowers, and The Mushroom Valley Experience. Wonderland will be a fully immersive and interactive experience!
• Come Out With Pride Orlando is hosting an adult-only (21+) Pride Prom on Friday, April 28 at the Orlando Science Center, for members and allies of the LGBTQIA+ community. They aim to create an accepting, welcoming and inclusive space, where everyone can celebrate as their authentic self and make new memories. Expect a fun filled night of dancing, entertainment, photo opportunities, and so much more! 
• Ivanhoe Village is teaming up with Mills50 to host Virginia Drive Live!, a long-standing event in Ivanhoe Village. During Virginia Drive Live! on Saturday, April 29, vendors will be placed along Virginia Drive from Orange Avenue to Mills Avenue.
• The Orlando Pottery Festival & Spring Arts Market on Saturday, April 29 is Central Florida’s largest spring celebration and market of ceramic art—featuring unique handmade items perfect for the home, garden, and gift giving!
• Orlando Business Journal's Diversity in Business Awards on May 11 cover excellence in all areas of diversity, including age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, race and religion, as well as highlighting diverse organizations and individuals across a wide variety of industries.
• SeaWorld Orlando is serving up a bounty of fresh flavors, ice-cold beverages and electric live entertainment as part of its Seven Seas Food Festival. The festival runs through May 7, and is a voyage to stir the soul!
• At Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot is bringing on spring with fantastic food and beverages, live entertainment, and more at the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. Now through June 5, guests will enjoy fresh cuisine, colorful gardens, playful topiaries and vibrant entertainment.
• Florida Residents can save up to $65 on select multi-day tickets at Universal Orlando theme parks when buying online. Click here for current offers.
• Florida residents can save big while visiting Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Click here to view the current list of special offers.

GO Sports Executive VP Jennifer Lastik attended WISE Greater Orlando's WISE Within pairings kickoff event this week, where the 2023 mentor/mentee pairs met for the first time. Lastik sites on the WISE Greater Orlando board and oversees the WISE Within committee.

GO Sports Senior VP Brent Nelson attended CFHLA's Seminole County General Manager's luncheon along with Seminole County Director of Sports Tourism Danny Trossett and CFHLA's Robert Agrusa.

GO Sports Senior Directors Kyle Sturley and Lindsey McBride attended WISE Greater Orlando's April member meet-up to welcome new members to the organization. Sturley and McBride are both committee chairs for WISE Greater Orlando.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel and Senior VP Brent Nelson attended the A10 Conference Spring Festival this week, pictured here with USTA's Jo Wallen and the A10 Conference's Tom Jacobs and Commissioner Bernadette McGlade.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel, Senior VP Brent Nelson, Senior Director Shalisa Griffin, and Seminole County Director of Sports Tourism Danny Trossett enjoyed hosting FHSAA Executive Director Craig Damon at the FHSAA Tennis Championships taking place this week at venues across Seminole County.

GO Sports Senior Director Kyle Sturley worked the MAAC Men's & Women's Golf Championship broadcast last weekend, pictured here with Mike Colangelo (ESPN Wide World of Sports) and MAAC Commissioner Richard Ensor who is retiring after 35 years in the position.

ICON Park President & CEO Chris Jaskiewicz, I-Drive Chamber of Commerce President Maria Triscari, and Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej helped cut the ribbon to open The Great Florida Road Trip, a new interactive game being incorporated into The Wheel at ICON Park.

GO Sports Senior VP Michael Kalinich and Board Member Chris Mueller (Hilton Orlando) were in attendance for the grand opening of The Great Florida Road Trip.

GO Sports Board Members Tekoa Pouerie (Erase the Lines, LLC) and Latria Graham (GLB Media) attended the United Way's Women United Luncheon this week, pictured here with Sarah Grafton (Grafton Wealth Management) and other friends.

GO Sports President & CEO Jason Siegel attended the opening of the new Brightline station at Orlando International Airport, pictured here with GO Sports Board Member and Brightline's President Patrick Goddard.

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