By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Many of Osceola County’s athletes were champions before they ever set foot on a court, field, pool or course this past fall.

Forty-two fall sports teams were honored by the Florida High School Athletics Association as Academic Team Champions for having a team cumulative grade-point average exceeding 3.0.

All eight of Celebration High’s fall teams — football (3.052, fourth highest statewide in Class 3A), boys (3.231) and girls (3.067) cross country, boys (3.19) and girls (3.478) golf, boys (3.133) and girls (3.438) swimming and girls volleyball (3.19) — earned the honor. Storm athletes, as a group, held a 3.234 grade-point average last fall.

Osceola and Harmony had seven teams on the ATC list, and St. Cloud had six.

In addition, for the first time, points are being awarded for where a school places in each of the categories in order to award a year-end overall academic team champion in each competition class. The top 10 schools in each category receive points. The school in each class with the highest cumulative point total for the school year will get a special award.

In the fall, Gateway earned 22 points, good enough for fourth place in Class 6A (one spot ahead of Winter Park, an Orange County school with a rival international baccalaureate program). In 5A, Osceola (23 points) is in sixth place.

The other county teams on the FHSAA’s ATC list are:

Boys cross country: St. Cloud (3.484, seventh in 3A), Poinciana (3.34), Harmony (3.244), Osceola (3.197, 10th in 4A); Girls cross country: New Dimensions (3.522), Harmony (3.482), St. Cloud (3.339), Liberty (3.238), Gateway (3.234), Osceola (3.204).

Boys golf: Gateway (3.755, third in 2A), Osceola (3.37), Liberty (3.219), Poinciana (3.084), St. Cloud (3.059), Harmony (3.054). Girls golf: Liberty (3.46), Harmony (3.387), Osceola (3.309), St. Cloud (3.197).

Boys swimming: Osceola (3.443, second in 3A), Gateway (3.137, sixth in 3A), Harmony (3.115). Girls swimming: Osceola (3.519, third in 3A), Gateway (3.446, fifth in 3A), Harmony (3.45), St. Cloud (3.155). Volleyball: St. Cloud (3.452), Osceola (3.404), Harmony (3.381), New Dimensions (3.331), Poinciana (3.284), Gateway (3.28), Liberty (3.090).

The Osceola County School District also recognized team champions with the highest team GPA in each one.

Celebration football and girls golf, Osceola boys and girls swimming, St. Cloud boys cross country and girls volleyball, Gateway boys golf and New Dimensions girls cross country earned those honors.