Travis Roland of Mainland football and Tim McRae of New Smyrna Beach weightlifting were honored with the boys and girls coach of the year awards, respectively at the Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards on June 3 at the Ocean Center Arena. The event was supported by Halifax Health. Other boys coach finalists included Rick Darlington of DeLand football and Mark Grose of Spruce Creek golf, while other girls coach finalists were Dina Pinson of DeLand golf and Brandon Stewart of Mainland basketball.
Travis Roland, a captain on the first Volusia County high school football team to win a state championship in 2003, led Mainland to their second title almost 20 years later. He focused on the offensive side of the ball for the first time in his coaching career, achieving an average of 34.5 points per game. The team’s defense, which allowed only 12.6 points per game, featured two All-Americans.
Tim McRae, a two-time competitor at the Summer Olympics for Team USA, guided New Smyrna Beach to a second-place finish in Olympic and traditional scoring at the FHSAA Class 2A girls weightlifting championships. The team had three double gold medalists and the boys’ team also placed second in Class 2A traditional with two champions. The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards are part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards program, which is the largest of its kind in the nation.
