Florida Top Dog Cheerleading Squad is Best in the Nation

One team from the Starkey Road gym won first place in last weekend's Summit competition in Orlando, while a another team took home a second place banner.

Florida Top Dog All Stars lived up to its name last weekend, taking home first and second place finishes in a national cheerleading competition last weekend in Orlando. Teams from the Starkey Road gym had earned two of the 107 paid bids to the Summit, a competition that is equivalent to a world championship meet. There were 340 teams total from all over the country, broken up into divisions and categories based on age and skill level. Top Dog's Junior Co-ed 3 team finished second in its division, while the Co-ed 4 team took home the first place prize at the two-day event. "It's pretty cool because some of the teams there hadn't lost all year," Top Dog co-owner Terri Abasial told Patch. "So this is a pretty big deal for us." Abasial, who …

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Packer Parents

Largo High Baseball Coach Optimistic About Upcoming Season

New players, new uniforms and plenty of pitching have Dan Flynn believing his team can turn the corner despite a challenging schedule.

Editor's Note: Author Jeff Rosenfield is a "Packer Parent" — his son is a member of the baseball program. If you're a Packer Parent, too, contact us at largo@patch.com to contribute info or photos of your child's team, or share them in a blog post or in the Largo Patch Pics & Clips gallery! There was a distinct chill in the air at Largo High School on Friday night, but it felt like spring for the members and supporters of the Packers varsity baseball team. The squad took to the expertly manicured field for the annual Blue/Gold intrasquad game, sporting sharp new uniforms and new hope that this could be the year they make a mark in the county. Head coach Dan Flynn, in his second year leading the Packers, believes his team will improve on …

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Video: Play Dirty Adventure Run Comes to Largo

The new 5K event is in the Largo Central Park Nature Preserve Feb. 2.

Want to run, crawl, slip and slide in the mud? The first-ever Play Dirty Adventure Run with some obstacles is Feb. 2 at Largo Central Park Nature Preserve. The course will take an estimated 30 to 45 minutes. The route is not flat and will include a variety of terrain. The race is designed for beginner adventurer runners, said Mandy Petersen of the Largo Recreation, Parks and Arts. Event proceeds will benefit: Meals of Hope; Friends of Nature Parks; Friends of Recreation, Parks & Arts and summer camp scholarships. Race Information: Stay connected by signing up for our free email newsletter or "liking" us on Facebook.

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Jason Bartolone

5:03 pm on Monday, January 28, 2013

I've always wanted to try one of these ...   more ›

Largo Gym Sees Boost in Business During Olympics

LaFleur’s Gymnastics Club of Largo is already well established, but it still enjoys an uptick in enrollment every four years — especially when U.S. gymnasts do well.

Let’s get this out of the way right off the bat: LaFleur’s Gymnastics Club of Largo is not hurting for business.  With nearly 850 current members and more than 800 state, regional and national champions having trained at the 20,000-square-foot facility, LaFleur’s is unquestionably one of the biggest gymnastics schools in the area.  But according to owners Mike and Melody LaFleur, every four years, business gets even better.  “There’s always an Olympics boost at this time of year,” said Mike LaFleur, a Wisconsin native and an accomplished gymnast himself.  “A lot of times it depends on how the U.S. team does. When they do great, or one gymnast in particular does well, we do well.”  This year, with the entire United States women’s team — …

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5 Things to Do This Weekend: July 13-15

Here are our picks for fun things to do this weekend in Largo. Have an idea of your own? Share it in the comments!

1. Nunsense II: The Second Coming. This sequel takes place six weeks after the Little Sisters of Hoboken's first benefit show, and now they are back with a Thank You show.  2. Flick-n-Float Family Movies. Bring your favorite float or chair to Southwest Pool every Friday night from July 6-20 for Largo Recreation's Flick-n-Float Family Movies. Lifeguards will be on duty during the event. Enjoy free hot dogs (while supply lasts), fun, and games. 3. Monopoly Game Tournament. The Largo Recreation, Parks, and Arts Department will be hosting its first ever Monopoly Fundraising Tournament this weekend. All proceeds from this event will go toward the City of Largo Summer Camp Scholarship Fund, providing financial assistance to youth campers in …

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Week in Review

Here's a recap of breaking news and features covered by our Largo Patch team this week.

The Pie Factory: Sweet Goodness Key Lime Pies: At 71 years old Bobbie Barmore, the passionate key lime pie chef and owner of The Pie Factory in Largo for 20 years, shares her love for key lime pies. The Pie Factory makes an average of 1,500 to 2,000 pies a week which are sold via retail, wholesale and online. There are 35 types of pies on the menu, but key lime is still Barmore's favorite.  Woman, 22, Killed in Car Crash, Police Seek Witnesses: Jessica Lynn Guarino, 22, from St. Petersburg was driving southbound on U.S. 19 near the 150th Avenue at 7:15 p.m. when she hit a concrete barrier and light pole on Monday. She was ejected from the vehicle and died as a result of her injuries. Heritage Village Holiday Decorations: Every year …

Breone Bostic's Hustle Carries Packers Basketball Squad

Breone Bostic's blue collar style of play carries Largo Packers boys basketball squad.

Turn on ESPN any given night during the basketball season and a viewer sees constant highlights of rim-rattling dunks and three-point baskets sailing through the rim from afar. Rarely are some of the most important blue collar plays shown: rebounds. Breon Bostic delights in that element. The junior post player for the Largo High School Packers, his entire game can be summed up in one word: rebounding. "That's the first thing I learned when I first started playing basketball as a kid," Bostic said before a recent Packers practice. "Rebounding is the first thing I learned how to do. When I first started playing, my coaches told me, 'Don't shoot. Don't dribble. Rebound.' "I developed my game around that." And what a game that is. Bostic is …

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