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2024 MHS Athletic Hall of Honor Inductees
Enjoy these photos from our 2024 Athletic Hall of Honor Banquet. Thank you to Todd Sellitto, MHS Class of 1997 for capturing the evening in these awesome photos.
2024 Class - Athletic Hall of Honor
Warren Aaron Bell, II - Class of 1975 - Student Athlete - Basketball, Baseball, Football
Kelly Ann Bradley Grant - Class of 1986 - Student Athlete - Basketball
Brandon Dravion Carnes - Class of 2013 - Student Athlete - Track, Football
Keltie Brooke Christian O'Dell - Class of 1997 - Student Athlete - Softball
James Hobert Lawson - Class of 1957 - Student Athlete - Track, Football
Thomas Alphonse "Tom" Myette - Class of 2002 - Student Athlete - Baseball, Soccer
1932 National Championship Baseball Team
1992 State Championship Football Team
WARREN AARON BELL, II – MHS Class of 1975 - Student Athlete
Warren is being inducted as a Student Athlete and was active in baseball and basketball at MHS excelling in both. He was named All-American as a result of his talent on the basketball court leading the team in assists and scoring points and was selected All County as a pitcher in baseball.
Warren is a graduate of manatee Community College, FSU, and has a Master’s Degree as an Education Specialist from Nova Southeastern University. He put his athletic ability and education to good use by helping thousands of young Manatee County athletes grow up with athleticism, fair play, and team spirit. As a physical education teacher at Abel and Palma Sola Elementary, he taught young athletes for 36 years while also participating in the Manatee County Enrichment and Summer Gifted Programs. During that time, he was also a basketball coach at Southeast, Bayshore, and Manatee High including three years as the head coach at Bayshore.
As if that wasn’t enough to keep him busy, he was on the board and has volunteered at the DeSoto Boys and Girls Club for 51 years and is still volunteering there. He also has been a volunteer at G. T. Bray Park and still volunteers and referees at the YMCA. Warren was selected as Elementary School Teacher of the Year three times and has received numerous DeSoto Boys and Girls Club Volunteer Awards. To say that Warren has touched the lives of thousands of children in Manatee County would be an understatement. And he can still hit a three-pointer with remarkable consistency.
Warren was nominated by his younger brother, Brooks Bell, MHS Class of 1978, who wrote in the nomination that it was tough being Warren’s brother as everyone knew him and loved him making him a tough act to follow.
Warren’s father, Chester Bell was a 1950 graduate of MCHS and his uncle, who Warren was named after, graduated from MCHS Class of 1938 and was lost at sea in 1944 aboard the USS Arthur Middleton off the coast of Algeria in WWII. He is honored in our Military and First Responders Heroes display in the Davis Building at MHS.
Warren is retired and lives in Bradenton
KELLY ANN BRADLEY GRANT – MHS Class of 1986 - Student Athlete
Kelly started playing basketball during her sophomore year at MHS and in her senior year, the Lady Canes pulled off two surprising upsets by beating sixth-ranked Northeast 81-76 in double overtime and Sarasota Riverview 64-61 in regular overtime. These wins earned the team the state ranking of 9th. The Lady Canes were coached by the late Steve Olsen, who was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor in 2021 as a Coach. Coach Olsen said, “They are the best bunch of kids I’ve had for overachievers. They didn’t have a lot of basketball sense of ability and we had a way to go but we were constantly improving. The girls accepted their roles better than any other team and we won the games we needed to win. Over all, they were the most enjoyable group I’ve had to work with.”
After helping lead MHS through a 21-6 basketball campaign in 1986, Kelly earned a scholarship to Manatee Community College and averaged 16.3 points per game en route to a school-record 521 points in her senior year. That put her at the top of MCC’s career scoring chart with 786 points. She earned first-team All Suncoast Conference helping the team to earn a 4th consecutive Suncoast Conference Championship and a trip to the State Championship game.
Kelly earned a Division I scholarship to play at the University of Central Florida and was the top returning player as a senior forward averaging 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds a game in her first season at UCF. As a senior center, Kelly started 10 of UCF’s first 13 games and shot 49 percent from the field and 81 percent from the foul line.
Kelly continues to make valuable contributions to our community and after teaching math and coaching girls volleyball at Palmetto High School, has been teaching math at MHS for 12 years and is an Exceptional Student Education teacher. She serves as a positive role model for current student-athletes who benefit from her support. Kelly was nominated by Heather Baden Wallace, MHS Class of 1992.
BRANDON DRAVION CARNES – MHS Class of 2013- Student Athlete
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Brandon was a track star while in high school and has continued to accumulate many honors and awards for his athletic ability since graduation from MHS. Brandon was a two-time All-Area Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and finished third in the Class 4A state track meet in the 100 with a personal best time of 10.49 seconds and 21.24 in the 200.
Brandon had three full-ride offers for track which is very rare. However, brotherly love is something Brandon takes seriously and it means so much that he was willing to give up the possible glamour of competing for a major college powerhouse. Instead, MHS’s record-holder in the 100 and 200-meter dash chose to go to the University of Northern Iowa, an NCAA Division I track program in the Missouri Valley Conference where his brother Brion, a former MHS football star was playing football.
A few of Brandon’s accomplishments on the track are:
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2023 World Champion (4x100 meter relay, running the world leading time,)
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2023 World Championships Qualifier (4x100 meter relay)
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2023 USATF Outdoor 100 meter Finalist (4th place) and 200 meter Semi-Finalist (9th place)
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2022 NACAC Championships Bronze Medalist (100 meters) and Gold Medalist (4x100 meter relay)
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2021 Olympic Trials Qualifier- 200 meter dash 6x
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USATF Outdoor Championships Qualifier and Semi-Finalist 3x USATF Indoor Championships Qualifier and Finalist 2x
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USATF Indoor Bronze Medalist- 60 meter dash
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The Match: USA vs Europe (2019) Bronze Medalist- 4x100 meter relay 16x Missouri Valley Conference Champion (60 and 200 meters indoor, 100 and 200 meters outdoor)
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2024 Paris Olympic Trials Qualifier, 100 and 200 Meter Dash
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2024 Paris Olympic Trials Semi-Finalist, 200 Meter Dash
Brandon is constantly training and looking toward the next challenge on the track. He lives in Saint Paul, MN, is a Professional Athlete, and his sponsor is ASIX. He was nominated by our faithful photographer, Billy Dzwonkowski, MHS Class of 2006.
KELTIE BROOKE CHRISTIAN O’DELL – MHS Class of 1997 - Student Athlete
Keltie has dedicated her athletic life and professional life to MHS. She was a multi-sport athlete at Manatee playing JV volleyball for two years, Varsity Soccer for 4 years and was a starter. She was captain of the soccer team her junior and senior year and was a varsity starter for softball all four years. Keltie had the opportunity to play soccer or softball at the college level and chose softball but played volleyball in addition to softball in her freshman year of college at Manatee Community College. She set numerous records while at MCC ending with her induction into the SCF Hall of Fame in 2013. She then went on to Florida Southern where she continued to set records, one of which was the most strikeouts in a softball game at 23, that held the record not only in Division II, but across the entire NCAA. That record stood for nearly 13 years. Keltie had numerous accomplishments while at Florida Southern graduating with a degree in Business Administration in 2001. She could have returned for a fifth year to play soccer on scholarship but she chose to move on and work after getting her degree. She coached at Manatee High and State College of Florida and is now a dedicated faculty member at Manatee High. Keltie is always offering her time to help others which is an admirable quality not everyone has. .
Some of Keltie’s accomplishments are:
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2000- Record of 28-10 with 7 saves and a 0.79 ERA with 351 strikeouts
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2001- Record of 22-13 with 2 saves and a 0.81 ERA with 357 strikeouts
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2001- Led Division II with strikeouts (357)
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Florida Southern Team MVP 2000 and 2001
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Sunshine State Conference Pitcher of the Year 2000 and 2001
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Held NCAA record for most strikeouts in a game (23) for almost 13 years
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Member of the FCSAA Hall of Fame
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Member of the Manatee Community College Hall of Fame (first from softball)
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Named Sunshine Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1999
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Received All Conference, All State, and All American Honors in 1999
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Received All-Conference and All-State in 1998
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Member of the Florida Southern Softball Team- 2000-2001
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Member of the MCC Softball Team- 1997-1999
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Member of the Manatee HS softball team- 1994-1997
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Member of the SSC Silver Anniversary Team
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Keltie was nominated by MHS Athletic Director, Matt Bowling who is always giving her a hard time
JAMES HOBERT “JIM’ LAWSON – MCHS Class of 1957 - Student Athlete
Jim graduated from Manatee County High School and the alumni from that time will be quick to let you know if you leave the word county out of the name. At that time, his coaches were Wheeler Leeth in football and George Strouse in track. Both coaches knew talent when they saw it and had the ability to bring out the best in their athletes and their teams. Both coaches set an example for all the team members, taught them how to win, expected their best, and praised them when they won. Jim being one of the athletes who benefited from their guidance, put it to work in the best way.
When Jim was a sophomore, he was a member of both the 1955 football and track teams and they both won the Western Conference Championship that year. At the time, it was the highest level a team could reach since there was no state championship for a team. Both teams were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor in 2017 and Jim also played on the 1956 Western Conference Co-Championship Football team inducted in 2020.
Jim held the individual record for hurlers in track in 1957, held the state's best time in low hurdles at 20.2 in 1956, and the 1957 team brought the Class AA state title to MCHS for the third straight year. In those years, the local newspapers covered all the sports and MCHS was a powerhouse so they were full of articles and Jim’s name appeared frequently.
Jim excelled on the football field and ran like his life depended on it in track but a cute young lady caught his eye and he couldn’t run away from her. They married in 1956, raised three children, and have been happily married for 68 years. He is retired but could also climb a pole as a lineman for Florida Power & Light for 36 years.
Jim was nominated by Norma Kennedy, MCHS Class of 1956
THOMAS ALPHONSE “TOM’ MYETTE – MHS Class of 2002 - Student Athlete
At Manatee, Tom was a 4-year letter winner in soccer and baseball and in his senior year received All-State and All-America recognition for both sports. He was integral to the 2001-2002 MHS soccer team, ranked second nationally with a record of 29-0-1. He finished with 27 assists, the 5th highest in the State of Florida, and 20 goals. The 2001/2002 MHS soccer team was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Honor in 2021. In addition to his athletic skills, Tom excelled in the MHS classrooms graduating 7th in his class of 503 students.
Tom was recruited by multiple schools as a dual-sport athlete and chose to pursue baseball at Dartmouth College. His sophomore year, he was 1st team All-Conference but tore his ACL twice during his time at Dartmouth. After graduation, he attended the University of New Haven with his last year of eligibility granted through a medical redshirt. It was at the University of New Haven in 2007 that he broke their hits and average records. Tom had the #1 batting average across the nation and all college baseball players with a .503 batting average.
A 2004 newspaper article quoted Tom’s father “his life is the weight room, baseball practice and the library. I can never reach him in his room because he is in the library until 4 AM”. Fortunately for the Myettes, Dartmouth was in Bradenton for 10 games in the annual IMG Baseball Academy Spring Tournament.
Tom lives in Tampa with his wife, Kendall, and their three young children and is the Director of Sales and Business Development for ConnectWise. a software company in Tampa.
1932 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BASEBALL TEAM
It was 92 years ago, and they were called the Golden Wave Baseball Team and for the third time in Bradenton High School history, they stormed over the shores of the state baseball championship. It was back in 1916 that such an honor first came to Bradenton and they won again in 1925. When the team was officially “declared in” at the state tournament in Orlando, the question of providing transportation and “maintenance” for the team was a problem. It had been hoped that sufficient revenue would be realized from the last regular game scheduled with Plant High School but the Plant team failed to show up for the game so team supporters started trying to raise the funds. It was determined that it would cost $3.00 per player per day during the state tournament and the total needed would depend on how long the team continued in the running for the state title. Local businesses donated enough funds to send the team to Orlando.
The initial game of the state tournament was in Orlando and they dropped St. Augustine with a 6-1 count and followed it up with a heavy bombardment against Dade County resulting in a decisive 15-4 defeat. When the dust of the final fray with Ocala had settled, the Golden Wave emerged on the big end of a 16-7 score and another State Championship win.
They were coached by Bill Doak, an American Major League Baseball pitcher who played for three teams between 1912 and 1929. He spent the majority of his career with the St. Louis Cardinals and Doak’s main pitch, the spitball, earned him the nickname “Spittin Bill”. When the pitch was outlawed in 1920, Doak was one of 17 pitchers allowed to continue throwing the spitball. He innovated the design of the baseball glove by suggesting to Rawlings that a web should be laced between the first finger and thumb creating a natural pocket. The Bill Doak glove soon replaced all other baseball gloves and is the standard to this day. He retired to Bradenton where he owned a candy shop and was the unsalaried coach of the Bradenton High baseball team. The Bradenton boys thought he was the greatest living coach on earth.
The 1932 team is the only baseball team in school history to be named National Champions with a record of 14 – 2 and also the only team in school history to play a World Series Championship Team. They played the St. Louis Cardinals, who won the title in 1931, during their spring training here in Bradenton and it was one of the two games lost that year with the other being lost once to Plant in a three-game series for district champs that Bradenton ended up winning.
The top player of the team was Earl Evans who pitched both the state semifinal and final games on the same day and had 22 strikeouts in two games. Their biggest win was against St. Augustine who was 8 -2 in the state championship game. They placed four players on the all-state team that year. Although the team members are all deceased, Bill Howard who graduated in 1957 is with us tonight and he personally knew Coach Doak. Bill’s late wife was the niece of one of the players.
Accepting for the team this evening is Nolan Neiman who nominated the team and is our current MHS Baseball Coach.
1992 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM
It was Saturday, December 19, 1992, when the 'Canes dazzled Dillard 44 - 14 on the Florida field at the University of Florida while 18,000 fans watched the 'Canes win a 5A State Championship Trophy. They ended the season being ranked #1 in the State of Florida and #22 in the United States.
Most people thought that the 1992 season would be a rebuilding year after having lost so many strong and talented players to college. Instead, a team of mostly sophomores and juniors embraced the challenge and became the Florida 5A State Football Champions. Their coach, Joe Kinnan, was quoted as saying about the team that year “You pound on them for three quarters and you’ll own the fourth quarter”. The team did just that while illustrating toughness, intensity, intelligence, and competitiveness. During the season, they beat Apopka who was ranked nationally 38-24 and then beat Orange Park, then ranked #1 in Florida and 15th nationally 37-17. Scoring over 35 points in each of these games dominated the other teams in this “rebuilding year”.
The day of the game, Saturday afternoon’s traffic on I-75 between Bradenton and Gainesville was a solid parade of Manatee fans and Manatee fans easily outnumbered the Dillard fans by a 3:1 margin. Literally, hundreds were displaying homemade signs, shoe-polish messages, or Hurricane warning flags. It was the largest crowd to ever witness the ‘Canes in competition.
Tragically, a young freshman from Manatee traveling to the game was killed in an automobile accident. She was not wearing a seatbelt and a campaign was started to “Buckle Up Your Buddy” which inevitably saved many, many lives.
When the team came home, they were loudly cheered and celebrated with a parade down Manatee Avenue and numerous newspaper articles filled the papers. The team was recognized with a Florida Senate Resolution that was adopted in March 1993 commending them for the 1992 season.
The team was nominated by Nadine Dietch Castro, MHS Class of 1993.