Polk State Athletics 2024-25 in review: Men’s superlatives

It was another exciting year for Polk State Athletics. Throughout the course of the athletic year, however, there were players, moments and performances that stood out above the rest.

As Polk State looks forward to another year of excellence on the courts and fields, and in the classrooms, here’s a look back at the best from the 2024-25 Athletics Year in men’s sports. The selections were made by the Polk State Athletics Eagle of the Month Committee.

Team of the Year: Basketball

The longest continuous athletic program at Polk State College, Polk State Basketball celebrated its 60th season with a return to the FCSAA Tournament. Under eighth-year Head Coach Brandon Giles, Polk State overcame plenty of adversity and a rough start to Citrus Conference play to have its best season in three years. The Eagles finished with a record of 19-12 and reached the quarterfinals of the FCSAA Tournament where they fell to Citrus Conference champion Daytona State College in a 68-66 heartbreaker.

Led by All-FCSAA guard Ty Owens, All-Citrus Conference forward Fray Nguimbi and a slew of talented and experienced sophomores including Jordan Brown, Cole White, Will Stallworth and Karl Knighten Jr., Polk State overcame a 2-7 start to conference play by winning five of its final seven regular-season games.

Athlete of the Year: Ty Owens, Guard, Basketball

After earning All-Citrus Conference honorable mention as a freshman, Polk State Basketball guard Ty Owens enjoyed a season to remember as a sophomore during the 2024-25 season. Selected as a first-team All-Conference and All-FCSAA member, Owens finished the season by averaging 15 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. Owens was also an efficient scorer, shooting 48.4% from the field, 44% from beyond the arc and 89% from the free-throw line. He ranked among the FCSAA leaders in several categories.

The first Polk State player to lead the team in points, assists and steals since Tommie Lewis during the 2020-21 season, Owens helped the Eagles reach the FCSAA Tournament for the first time in three years. A team captain and a native of Port St. Lucie, Owens capped his career by finishing with 21 points, five rebounds, four assists, and two steals against top-seeded Daytona State College in the FCSAA quarterfinals. For his efforts, Owens became the first Polk State player since Troy Simons in 2016 to earn FCSAA All-Tournament team honors.

Freshman of the Year: Zach Lester, Outfielder, Baseball

Injuries were too much to overcome for Polk State Baseball in 2025, but plenty of players had years to remember. One of the reasons to be optimistic about the Eagles in 2026 is outfielder Zach Lester. A freshman from Lakeland. Lester finished the season by hitting .311 with team-leading totals of eight home runs, 38 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases. His 15 extra-base hits were also tops on the team. Lester led the team in homers despite not hitting his first until the second week of Citrus Conference play – a go-ahead grand slam in a win over Miami Dade College on Feb. 27.

Most Improved Athlete of the Year: Jake Echols, Pitcher, Baseball

After posting an ERA of nearly 10 as a freshman in 2024, right-handed pitcher Jake Echols emerged as a weekend starter for Polk State during the 2025 season. A 6-foot-4 native of Orlando, Echols finished 4-3 as a sophomore with a 3.44 ERA. Echols posted 61 strikeouts in his team-leading 68 innings of work. In a 1-0 seven-inning win over Seminole State College of Florida on April 19, Echols picked up his first career complete-game shutout. He allowed just three hits while tying a career-high with seven strikeouts. He capped his Polk State career by being named a first-team All-Citrus Conference selection.

Academic Athlete of the Year: Liam O’Neil, Designated Hitter, Baseball

An All-Citrus Conference performer as a freshman in 2024, Liam O’Neil has been the power bat for Polk State over his two seasons on campus. As a sophomore, he finished second on the team with seven home runs to go with 36 RBIs. O’Neil’s totals at the plate, however, aren’t all that are impressive about this native of Ponte Vedra. An FCSAA All-Academic team selection two years in a row, he finished his time at Polk State with a 3.87 grade-point average. He signed to continue his academic and playing career at the College of William & Mary in Virginia – one of the top 25 public universities in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.

Coach of the Year: Brandon Giles, Basketball

After two rough seasons, Head Coach Brandon Giles helped Polk State return to the FCSAA Tournament during a solid 19-12 season. The Eagles got off to a torrid start, going 9-0 to begin the year – their best start since the turn of the millennium. Following a disappointing 2-7 start to conference play, Giles coached Polk State to wins in five of its next six games to clinch a berth in the postseason. During that stretch, Polk State pulled off thrilling last-minute wins over Hillsborough Community College, St. Petersburg College, Florida SouthWestern State College, and Indian River State College. Giles picked up his 100th career win in a hard-fought 111-107 over the nation’s highest-scoring team, the University of South Carolina at Salkehatchie, in Daytona Beach on Nov. 15.

Performance of the Year: Jimmy Cami vs. DME Academy (Nov. 13, 2024)

With names that include NBA standout Lorenzo Williams, NAIA national champion Quincy Hankins-Cole, Ismalia Dauda and Clarence “Monzy” Jackson, Polk State has had plenty of talented big men over the years. None, however, did what freshman Jimmy Cami accomplished against DME Academy early during the 2024-25 season. In a 93-57 victory, Cami scored 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting and broke the program’s single-game record with 27 rebounds. Of those 27 boards, a remarkable 14 came on the offensive end. Cami also finished with three blocks. For the season, Cami averaged 6.5 rebounds per game – good for second on the team behind Fray Nguimbi and 12th in the FCSAA.

Game of the Year: Polk State Basketball’s Sophomore Day win over Florida SouthWestern State College (Feb. 15, 2025)

Entering the 2024-25 season, Polk State Basketball had defeated each member of the FCSAA over its six decades of action, except one – Florida SouthWestern State College. As the Eagles celebrated Sophomore Day, that all changed. Despite trailing by 10 points in the second half, Polk State rallied for a thrilling 80-73 victory. Guard Ty Owens tied his career-high with 29 points, but it was his assist to Fray Nguimbi at the rim with 2.5 seconds left in regulation that forced overtime. In the extra period, Owens, Jordan Brown, and Cole White scored three straight baskets and the Eagles never looked back. Nguimbi added 18 points and 11 rebounds. White finished with 15 points in the win.

Moment of the Year: Schroeder’s inside-the-park grand slam lifts Polk State Baseball past Eastern Florida State College (Feb. 6, 2025)

Infielder Andy Schroeder showed some impressive power for Polk State Baseball as a freshman in 2025. The Largo native finished third on the team with six home runs, but his most memorable round-tripper didn’t leave the yard. What had been a 6-2 lead for Polk State at Eastern Florida State College had become a 6-6 tie as the contest went to the 10th inning on Feb. 6. With the score even and the bases loaded, Schroeder came to the plate. For the night, Schroeder had been 0-for-4 with two strikeouts but made the most of his late-game opportunity. With one out, Schroeder belted a 2-0 pitch over the head of the center fielder. With the Titans defender slow to get up, Schroeder never stopped as he made it all the way around the bases standing up for an inside-the-park grand slam that gave the Eagles the lead and a 10-6 victory.