Polk State College Athletics

LEGENDS OF POLK’S PAST: 1988-89 Basketball Team

As a program, Polk State Basketball is a proud three-time FCSAA champion. Then the Vikings, the best ever season for the program was its first title season – 1988-89. Under second-year head coach Josh Giles, then Polk Community College went 30-2 en route to its first FCSAA championship before finishing fifth at the national NJCAA Tournament – its best finish ever.

Center Lorenzo Williams, the only player in program history to make an NBA regular season roster, joined players like Reggie Shields, James Williams, Marshall Barber, Alonzo Young, Dave Carter, Jim Horn, Larry Patrick and Bart Ross to make a potent lineup. Polk rolled past Miami Dade South Community College 88-73 to win the title. Barber shined in the final with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Carter finished with 29 points while Shields added 23. As usual, Lorenzo Williams recorded a double-double with 12 points and 18 rebounds. As a team, Polk shot 57% from the field.

Lorenzo Williams and Horn would each go on to play at Stetson University. Shields would star at Tulsa University; Carter played at Central Michigan University and Patrick went on to play in the Southeastern Conference at Auburn University. At the NCAA Division II level, James Williams went on to play at Hampton University and led the team in rebounding as a junior. As a senior, Barber set a single-season blocks record at the University of Montevallo.

A Polk State College record 49 student-athletes have been named to the FCSAA All-Academic Team for the 2025-26 year. All five of the College's sports were represented.

Polk State places record 49 student-athletes on FCSAA All-Academic Team for 2025-26 - Polk State College A record number of Polk State athletes have earned FCSAA All-Academic Team recognition!

FUN FACT FRIDAY: Narewski scored goal in every Polk State Soccer win in 2025

Polk State Soccer more than doubled its win total in 2025, finishing with seven victories. The Eagles were led by a pair of All-FCSAA performers in Janessa Crespo and Marie Narewski. One, however, could argue that Polk State went the way that Narewski went.

A freshman from Germany last season, Narewski finished with a team-leading nine goals. Narewski also scored a goal in each of Polk State's victories. In a 9-1 win at Saint Leo University JV, Narewski set a season-high with two goals, but perhaps her most memorable came at home against No. 6 Eastern Florida State College on Sept. 16. Narewski found the back of the net in the 87th minute to give the Eagles a thrilling 3-2 win and its their first Region 8 win under Head Coach Dee Shivraman.

When Narewski scored a goal last season, Polk State was 7-0-1. When she didn't, Polk State was 0-8. Three of Narewski's goals last season were game-winners; that doesn't include her late goal to score a draw against Miami Dade College on Sept. 11. In addition to leading Polk State, Narewski finished her freshman year ranked sixth in the FCSAA in goals and seventh in points (22).

LEGENDS OF POLK’S PAST: Noemi Casique, F (Soccer)

After beginning her college career at Furman University, Noemi Casique’s season at Polk State College served as a homecoming. A former All-County performer at Ridge Community High School, Casique showed she still had a lot of scoring left in her feet. During the 2024 season at Polk State, Casique served as the team’s leading scorer.

Casique enjoyed a monster year, leading the Eagles in goals (11), assists (4), points (24), shots (29) and shots on goal (33). Casique scored her first two goals in a 5-0 win over Trinity Baptist College. That began a streak of five straight matches with a goal scored, which included a hat trick in a 6-1 win over Millennia Atlantic University on Sophomore Day. After finishing the season in the top five in the FCSAA in goals and points, Casique was recognized as a first-team All-FCSAA selection.

Casqiue has since returned to the NCAA Division I level at the University of West Georgia. As a junior in 2025, Casique appeared in all 19 matches with 16 starts. Casique led the Wolves with four goals, which included two in her debut. Casique is set to be a senior for West Georgia this coming season.

FUN FACT FRIDAY: Ortiz is only known Polk State Volleyball player to have 20-kill and 20-assist matches in career

Polk State Volleyball graduated just four sophomores from this past season. Although the sophomore class was small, it was accomplished. That included team captain Alexia Ortiz, a second-team All-Citrus Conference performer and one of the more versatile players in program history.

For as far back as records could be found, Ortiz is the only Polk State player to have matches with 20-plus kills and 20-plus assists during her career. As a freshman in 2024, Ortiz eclipsed the 20-kill mark for the first time in her career as the Eagles took down St. Johns River State College in a 3-2 thriller. Ortiz led the Eagles with 22 kills. Later that season, Ortiz became the first Polk State player in more than a decade to record a triple-double.

In the 2025 regular season finale, a teamwide illness forced Ortiz to play out of position against Santa Fe College. With a trip to the FCSAA Tournament on the line, Ortiz finished with career-highs of 26 assists and seven service aces as Polk State rolled in straight sets to reach the postseason. For a program with a strong tradition, Polk State has had plenty of players put up big kill and big assist numbers over the years. Only Ortiz, however, had at least one match with 20 kills and another with at least 20 assists.

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. Here's a look back at the best from the 2025-26 Athletics Year in women's sports.

Polk State Athletics 2025-26 in review: Women’s superlatives - Polk State College A look back on the best of the best in Polk State women's sports!

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. Here's a look back at the best from the 2025-26 Athletics Year in men's sports.

Polk State Athletics 2025-26 in review: Men’s superlatives - Polk State College A look back on the best of the best in Polk State men's sports!

Our final Eagle of the Month for the 2025-26 Academic Year is Polk State Softball's Kirsten Aldridge. In four games in May, Aldridge went 6-for-13 at the plate with three doubles, three RBIs and a run scored.

Polk State Softball’s Aldridge named Eagle of the Month for May 2026 - Polk State College Kirsten Aldridge is our Eagle of the Month for May 2026!

LEGENDS OF POLK’S PAST: Kristi Ellis, IF (Softball)

A member of Jeff Ellis’ early teams at Polk State College, infielder Kristi Ellis spent two seasons with the program. A mainstay in the lineup, Ellis appeared in 48 games as a freshman in 2010. That season, she hit .285 with two home runs and finished third on the team with 27 RBIs. Polk State finished with a record of 38-16.

As a sophomore in 2011, Ellis earned second-team All-Suncoast Conference honors as the Eagles captured their second conference crown in three years. For the season, Ellis hit .277 with one home run, 15 RBIs, 29 runs scored and three stolen bases. In 2011, Polk State reached the 40-win mark for the first time during the head coach Ellis’ tenure and went a stellar 14-2 in Suncoast Conference play.

Ellis was also recognized as an All-Tournament performer to close the season. Polk State won four straight elimination games to reach the Gulf District Tournament final before falling to what’s now Tallahassee State College. Ellis elected not to continue her playing career after Polk State.

FUN FACT FRIDAY: New head hoops coach has already won a championship at Polk State

Announced as the new head man of Polk State Basketball last week, longtime NBA center Marreese Speights hopes to bring the program a lot to celebrate during his tenure. Speights, however, has already has won a title and he did so in Polk State College's gymnasium.

In 2023, Speights' postgraduate program, Team Speights, won a state championship -- the Florida Sun Basketball Conference title. Led by MVP Andre Wright, Team Speights took down Wellmont Academy for the postgraduate crown at the Health Center on the Winter Haven Campus.

While Speights hopes to bring championships to Polk State, winning titles is nothing new for the former first-round pick. As a player, he helped the University of Florida win a second straight NCAA Division I national championship during the 2006-07 season. He also helped the Golden State Warriors defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals.