Venice sweeps Class 6A girls soccer awards
Kiki Slattery Player of the Year, Gary Bolyard Coach of the Year, both up for bigger awards
Dennis Maffezzoli
Venice High striker Kiersten “Kiki” Slattery was named Class 6A Player of the Year and Indians coach Gary Bolyard was tabbed as the 6A Coach of the Year according to a vote by the media and coaches through the Florida Dairy Farmers.
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A University of North Florida signee, Slattery scored 26 goals and had 18 assists.
She received 81 points to beat out teammate goalie Ashton Pennell, who had 59 points.
Bolyard led Venice to a 16-4-1 record and its first state title in program history. In 11 seasons with the Indians, he has a 162-54-19 record. Venice finished as state runners-up a year ago and was in the Final 4 in 2005.
A runaway winner in the voting, Bolyard received 110 points to 36 for runner-up Joy Rosano.
Both Slattery and Bolyard are now up for Miss Soccer and Coach of the Year in Florida, respectively.
More:Arnold edges Lemon Bay in OT in Class 4A state girls soccer semifinal
More:7 area players compete in FACA girls soccer All-Star Classic
In Class 4A, Lemon Bay’s Lauren Raggazone finished as runner-up in the player voting behind Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons’ Maddie Young. Raggazone received 77 points to 89 for Young.
Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.