WEST PALM BEACH- The King’s Academy continued to establish itself as one of the premiere private school athletic programs in South Florida this fall, piling up five district championships and a regional title. Eight teams advanced to the regional playoffs, demonstrating the consistent excellence across the board among Lions’ teams.  Here’s a recap of the fall season and all that TKA accomplished.

Swimming and Diving:
Not only has TKA become arguably the best swim program in South Florida, the Lions are now one of the best teams in the state annually.  2024 was no exception as both the boys and girls teams dominated their regular season schedule finishing 8-0 in duals.  Both teams won the Florida Christian Schools Invite and the Indian River State College Invite.  They continued their dominance in the post season, picking up a pair of hard-fought district championships, the third in a row for the girls and second in a row for the boys.  The girls went on to win the program’s second regional title, while the boys finished a narrow runner-up.  At the state finals, the girls claimed third overall, with the boys posting a top ten finish.  Senior Emma Herrera, a Liberty University signee, finished in second place in the 200 free to cement her legacy as one of the great swimmers in King’s history.

Football:
The football team has established themselves as the best team in the district in recent years, and they did not intend to take a step backwards this year.  Compiling an impressive 7-3 regular season record despite a rash of injuries, the boys claimed their third consecutive district championship in a big home win over Somerset Canyons.  In the regional round, the Lions headed to Fort Lauderdale to take on a tough Calvary Christian team.  With Joe Dailey connecting with Javian Jones for three touchdowns, the Lions pulled off a dramatic 28-26 victory over the Eagles.  The next week TKA took on top ranked Cardinal Mooney and were within one score in the fourth quarter before running out of gas.  Over the last three season, the King’s Academy has posted an impressive 25-10 record alongside their three district crowns.  Dailey, Jones, and Kosuke Nakata were named first team all county by the Sun Sentinel, and Levi Champion was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year.  Champion was also the runner up for County Player of the Year at the Lou Groza awards.

Volleyball:
For the fifth year in a row, the Lions volleyball team was crowned district champions.  After a tough regular season that saw TKA post wins over #1 teams in Florida and South Carolina, the Lions cruised to the district title over Cardinal Newman.  They advanced to the regional semifinals before falling to eventual state finalist Berkeley Prep.  The Lions finished with a record of 18-6, the tenth year in a row the program has posted at least 15 wins.  Senior captain Kelly Kinney, a Minnesota signee, was named an Under Armour All-American for her illustrious career the King’s Academy.

Golf:
Between both golf teams, the Lions had just one senior golfer this year.  Despite being two of the youngest teams in Palm Beach County, the Lions proved that they are a force to be reckoned with now and in the future.  On the boys side, the Lions finished a solid 5-2 in dual meets.  They competed in multiple prestigious PGA events and the Crutchfield-Hawkins Classic as part of a tough regular season schedule.  The team finished third in one of the toughest districts in the state, and battled with the top two teams throughout the match.  The girls faced a similarly daunting slate and finished with a winning record in the regular season.  They too took third place in the district finals despite their oldest golfer being just a sophomore.  Both the boys and girls teams qualified for the regional round, a sign of a bright future for this upstart Lions program.

Cross Country:
The Lions cross country program has consistently been a championship level contender for the last decade.  After graduating the best male and female runner from a year ago, it was necessary for someone to step up to continue that winning tradition.  Both the boys and the girls teams did that, albeit in different ways.  The girls team has become known for their pack running, and this season was no exception.  Utilizing their depth, the Lions found themselves hoisting the program’s eighth district title despite having no runners in the top five finishers.  Isabella Krell, Iris Gardner, and Luci Riley finished as medalists in the race.  The girls took third in regionals and finished an impressive seventh at state. On the boys side, the Lions got the performance of the year from junior Timothy Gast who won the individual district title.  His effort, along with JT Schiro’s top ten finish, propelled the boys to the regional round.  The season was a testament to the training coach Bill Mitchell puts his team through every year to produce a consistent championship effort.

Bowling:
The bowling teams continued to build on their past success, winning a number of head-to-head matches and battling for top four spots in the county.  Despite having a team of mostly newcomers to the sport, coaches Alex Gonzalez and Monique Storey did a great job teaching the game and building enthusiasm which led to marked improvement as the season went on.  The program looks poised to make a jump ahead and compete for the district title in 2025!

It was a great fall season at the King’s Academy, marked by exciting team championships and impressive individual accomplishments.  The fall concluded with signing day on November 13, with nine Lions inking their letter of intent to play at the next level.  The signees were: Kelly Kinney (Minnesota, volleyball), Sidney Saltalamacchia (Santa Fe, volleyball), Nolan Payne (Villanova, baseball), Dalton Needle (Emory, baseball), Rebekah Foster (Indian River, swimming), Emma Herrera (Liberty, swimming), Kiki Munna (West Florida, swimming), and Savanna Webb (Lindenwood, lacrosse).