IMG Academy Records the Most Overall Academic, Athletic, and Alumni Success in 2024-25 School Year

IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports education brand, had a year of unrivaled success in the 2024-25 academic year, highlighting distinguished academic achievements and remarkable athletic excellence, and continued success of notable alumni.

ACADEMICS

IMG Academy and its student-athletes earned outstanding academic achievements during the 2024-25 academic year, solidifying its position as a global leader in sports education. Among the accomplishments:

• The graduating class of 2025 boasted an impressive academic record, with a weighted GPA average of 3.66 and an unweighted GPA average of 3.46. Notably, 35 student-athletes graduated with high honors, each maintaining a perfect cumulative GPA of 4.0. and 167 student-athletes graduated with honors, maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Additionally, 84 student-athletes are members of the National Honor Society.
• Further demonstrating the academic strength of the 2025 class, seven student-athletes committed to continuing their education at Ivy League institutions, 25 student-athletes will attend a school listed on the US News Top-25 colleges and universities, and two student-athletes will join a United States Military Academy. As of IMG Academy’s class of 2025 commencement ceremony, 281 of its student-athletes committed to play collegiate athletics at Division I, II, III, JUCO, and NAIA programs.
• The senior class represented 48 countries with 14 student-athletes planning to attend international universities and five will join professional leagues. In the classroom, 26 student-athletes earned the Gold Seal of Biliteracy, and 17 received the Silver Seal, recognizing their proficiency in multiple languages.
• The Valedictorian and baseball student-athlete, Bennett Jacobs was the top academic performer in the class and received the Harvard Book Award. Cooper Yi, Salutatorian and soccer student-athlete, was recognized as a National Merit Scholar finalist. Chloe Chang, golf student-athlete and Yale Book Award recipient, received the Ascender Spirit Award recognizing her leadership and lasting impact at IMG Academy. All three student-athletes earned a Gold Seal of Biliteracy for their proficiency in multiple languages.
• Basketball student-athlete, Georgia Pauli was awarded the second annual Nick Bollettieri “Power of Passion Award”. Pauli was recognized for her dedication to her sport while embodying the same characteristic as IMG Academy Founder, Nick Bollettieri. Together they shared an unparalleled work ethic, leadership skills, coachability, perseverance, and infinite passion for their chosen sport.
• The volleyball program stood out throughout the year for their consistent commitment to their academics. The program received the 2025 IMG Academy Scholastic Cup for their outstanding performance in the classroom with an impressive average cumulative GPA of 3.7.
• IMG Academy’s student-athletes’ dedication to growth and excellence in the classroom is demonstrated among the 470 student-athletes who enrolled in multiple Advanced Placement (AP) courses for the 2024-25 academic year, 173 of whom were seniors. IMG Academy offers all levels of academic rigor, including 21 AP courses. This year the student-athletes took 969 AP tests to earn credit toward their college degree.
• A top priority for IMG Academy is to give back to the community and support local community groups by providing resources, facilities, and volunteers for service initiatives. Throughout the 2024-25 academic year, IMG Academy student-athletes volunteered 12,284 hours of service; the class of 2025 alone contributed over 4,000 of those hours of service.

IMG Academy’s student-athletes continue to set new academic standards. Their achievements underscore IMG Academy’s continued success in preparing student-athletes for the next level both in the classroom and in competition.

ATHLETICS

In the 2024-25 academic year, IMG Academy and its student-athletes demonstrated their ability to win at every level through individual and team achievements, solidifying the academy’s position as the world’s premier youth sports training destination. Notable accomplishments include:

Baseball

• In the 2024-25 season, the baseball program saw success with three varsity teams finishing with 20 or more wins including: National (24-1), Black (21-4), and Silver (20-5).
• The National team secured their second MaxPreps Baseball National Championship since 2023 and their third overall national championship in program history.
• The team defeated five MaxPreps top-25 teams and claimed victories over seven teams that reached at least the quarterfinals of their state playoffs.
• The program won three major tournaments: Perfect Game HS Showdown and IMG Academy National Classic (National Team), and Perfect Game Treasure Coast Classic (Middle School Team).
• Seniors Sean Gamble and Dean Moss were named MaxPreps Preseason All-Americans.
• As of commencement in May, 42 baseball student-athletes will continue to play baseball at the collegiate level.

Basketball

• The girls National basketball team won its first-ever Chipotle National Championship.
• IMG Academy was the only program to have at least one girl and boy McDonald’s All-American including: Lara Somfai, Deniya Prawl, and Darius Acuff Jr.
• Seven student-athletes were listed on ESPN Top 100 rankings, including: No. 7 Acuff Jr., No. 14 Prawl, No. 16 Sadiq White Jr., No. 16 Somfai, No. 27 Kelis Fisher, No. 28 Nylah Wilson, and No. 61 Manuella Alves-Fernandez.
• Four student-athletes represented their national team: Prawl (Canada), Somfai (Australia), Alves-Fernandez (Brazil), and Acuff Jr. (USA).
• Acuff Jr. earned Jersey Mike’s Naismith All-American First Team honors, the Iverson Classic All-American Game MVP and a Jordan Brand Classic Selection alongside White Jr., Fisher, Prawl, Somfai, and Wilson.
• Max Meyer and Ralph Scott were selected for the Basketball Without Borders Americas Camp, with Scott being the first from Bermuda to attend.
• The program led the nation in the American Cancer Society's Coaches vs. Cancer fundraiser for the fourth straight year, raising over $46,000.
• As of commencement in May, 48 basketball student-athletes will continue to play basketball at the collegiate level.

Football

• The 2024 football season was highlighted by the Varsity team winning a back-to-back SSIA State Championship, while the National team closed out the season with a winning record.
• This year, the varsity team traveled around the world and competed in the G.I.F.T tournament in Ireland, played against the NFL Academy in Germany, participated in the Friendship Bowl in Mexico and the Global Bowl in Japan, and hosted the Puerto Rico National team on campus.
• Eight student-athletes were recognized as Under Armour All-Americans including: Michael Carroll, Kayden Strayhorn, London Merritt, Donovan Olugbode, Gavin Nix, Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, Keenyi Pepe, and Zech Fort.
• As of commencement in May, 39 football student-athletes will continue to play football at the collegiate level.

Golf

• The golf program found overwhelming success across all ages, with more than 60 individual tournament wins including 35 Hurricane Junior Golf Tour wins and 15 IMG Academy Junior Golf Tour wins.
• The program also had four Florida Junior Tour wins and 11 top-three finishes, five top-five finishes at American Junior Golf Tournaments and two Mexico Junior Golf Federation wins and five top-three finishes.
• The program competed in 39 tournaments throughout the 2024-25 season.
• William Lisle won the Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship.
• Darren Zhou won the Junior Orange Bowl International Championships.
• Both Lisle and Zhou had standout performances, winning at the Elite Invitational and the 30th Annual Bobby Chapman Invitational.
• Elisabeth Borsheim won at the Elite Invitational and came out on top at the AJGA The Nelly Invitational and the Junior Orange Bowl International Championships.
• As of commencement in May, 23 golf student-athletes will continue to play golf at the collegiate level.

Lacrosse

• The lacrosse program was nationally recognized during the 2024-25 season; both the boys and girls national teams were ranked inside the high school national top-25 according to USA Lacrosse.
• George Caldroney was a member of the US National Development Team, both indoor and outdoor.
• Ivan Bosque was invited to join the U20 Puerto Rico National Team.
• Aubrey Robbins played for the USA U18 National Team.
• Taylor Santos played for the U20 Canadian National Team.
• Robbins and Gianna Feldman claimed two of the 150 spots in the USA Lacrosse National Development Team Combine.
• Four goalies reached 200 career saves and Luca Mastrandrea hit 200 career draw controls.
• Santos scored 400 career points and became the program’s second All-American.
• Santos, Mastrandrea, Charlotte Vandenberg, Chloe Gibbs, and Aubrey Moran made the All-Area Team, while Lily Neilson earned an Honorable Mention.
• As of commencement in May, 12 lacrosse student-athletes will continue to play lacrosse at the collegiate level.

Soccer

• In the 2024-25 season, the soccer program excelled on the field, sending multiple teams to national playoffs—multiple with strong potential to compete for a national championship title this summer.
• The U19 Girls Premier team advanced the USYS National Championships, featuring four student-athletes from the UTR Program with Singapore and one from ADEK with Abu Dhabi.
• Both the U19 Girls Elite and the U17 Girls Elite teams qualified for the Girls Academy League Playoffs, while the U17 Girls Premier qualified for the USYS Regionals.
• The U19 Boys Premier White team qualified for the NAL National Championship and the U17 Boys Elite team competed in the MLSNext Fest.
• Throughout the year, numerous teams were tournament champions, including two at the Weston Cup: the U19 Boys Premier Blue and U16 Boys Premier teams.
• The U19 Boys Premier Blue also won the Las Vegas Showcase.
• At the IMG Academy Cup, the U15 Boys Premier and U13 Boys Elite were victorious on their home field.
• Beyond competitions, the soccer program also hosted preseason training sessions for over 15 MLS and NWSL teams.
• As of commencement in May, 55 soccer student-athletes will continue to play soccer at the collegiate level.

Softball

• The softball program will officially start its boarding school programming in the Fall of 2025 bringing the total number of girls sports programs offered on campus to eight.
• Two student-athletes, Bree McHughes and McKenna Cassidy, enrolled early under the guidance of Joey Lye, Director of Softball.
• Lye joined IMG Academy following 14 years of coaching experience at the college level and a professional career that earned her a bronze medal in the Olympics.
• McHughes is a class of 2026 catcher from Oklahoma and Cassidy is a local class of 2027 pitcher from Florida.
• The softball program will start its inaugural season with two competitive teams during the 2026 spring softball season.

Tennis

• During the 2024-25 season the tennis program traveled to over 50 countries to participate in 122 tournaments.
• The program finished first across multiple ages at each tournament, concluding the year with a winning record.
• Wakana Sonobe had an outstanding year culminating in a World Junior No.1 ranking, IMG Academy’s eighth student-athlete to achieve this milestone in the last decade.
• Sonobe won the 2025 Australian Open Girls’ Championship.
• Teodora Kotovic’s won the IMG Academy International Tennis Championships and made program history with two consecutive Girls 18s ITF Singles Champions following Sonobe in 2024.
• Kostovic reached a career high ranking of No. 4 in the world.
• Nick Mertgens won three ITF J30 events and Samim Filiz won two ITF J60 events.
• Sophia Cedeno won 10 international doubles titles in Girls 18s.
• Max Schoenhaus broke into the top‑10 junior world rankings, reaching a new career high, and recently competed in the finals of the French Open Juniors.
• As of commencement in May, 33 tennis student-athletes will continue to play tennis at the collegiate level.

Track & Field and Cross Country

• The boys cross-country team won three meets, with Mathew Dodds setting a new meet record at the Tri-County Championships and breaking the school record twice.
• The team had its most successful season at the Nike Cross Regional Meet, achieving 38 personal records and earning 34 medals among the 23 student-athletes.
• The program captured five team titles at the Nike Cross Regional Meet.
• During indoor track and field competition, the boys 4x400m and girls 4x800m set new meet records at Millrose Games.
• IMG Academy student-athletes broke over ten facility records nationwide.
• At Indoor Nationals, 21 All-Americans were named — 16 in the relay championship division, two in individual championship events, and three in the freshman division.
• Michael Swanson became the first freshman to go under 49 seconds in the 400m, setting a new meet record.
• The boys 4x800m relay finished fourth nationally.
• Garrett McNeil was second in the championship pentathlon.
• The girls’ 4x800m relay including Aurora Bertelsen Del Solar, Mackenzie Winning, Danielle Graham and Anyla Robinson, set a new national record at the New Balance Indoor Nationals.
• In the outdoor season, the girls 4x800m relay won Penn Relays with a US No. 2 all-time mark — fast enough to win the college division.
• Dylan Woodruffe earned silver in the 100m dash at the CARIFTA games for Trinidad and Tobago.
• At New Balance Nationals Outdoor, IMG Academy had 29 All-American Honors, six national champions and two freshman division champions.
• IMG Academy was the most well-rounded program participating in 20 finals events across eight different event groups and the only program to produce both a boys and girls multis champion.
• The girls 4x800m relay team won at New Balance Nationals Outdoor. The first relay to sweep the season winning all four major meets in a single season.
• Yuliya Maslouskaya set a meet record with a U.S. No. 2 all-time mark in the girls heptathlon.
• Winston Schroder became the first freshman to win the decathlon title at Nationals.
• Mikey Swanson set a meet record in the Freshman 400m.
• Reegan Clutter set a meet record in the Freshman Javelin.
• As of commencement in May, 18 track and field student-athletes will continue their track and field careers at the collegiate level.

Volleyball

• In its second year, the volleyball program doubled in size, with four teams competing during the 2024-25 season.
• During the high school season, the Varsity Royal team won the IMG Academy Invitational, and the Varsity White team won the Palmetto tournament, while finishing their season undefeated.
• The U18 club team won the IMG Academy Invitational and qualified to play at the 2025 USA Volleyball National Championships for the first time in program history.
• The U16 club team won the bronze medal playing in the U17 open level at the Tampa Molten Pre Qualifier.
• The U17 club team won the silver bracket at the Florida Regional Championships.
• All four teams ended the Florida Region Club season ranked inside the top-50: U18 ranked No. 9, U17 ranked No. 4, U16 ranked No. 12, and U15 ranked No. 31.
• Isabella Nieves will represent Puerto Rico on their U19 National Team and will play in the Pan American Cup alongside Olivia Henry who was invited to join the USA U19 National Team.
• Sara Lozano (Puerto Rico) and Isabella Cerda (Dominican Republic) represented their countries at the World Championships in 2024.
• Four seniors earned the AVCA Best and Brightest Awards for their hard work in the classroom and on the court and seven student-athletes were 2025 Under Armour Next Invitees.
• As of commencement in May, 11 volleyball student-athletes will continue to play volleyball at the collegiate level.

ALUMNI

IMG Academy proudly celebrated its diverse alumni who competed across multiple sports and countries at the 2024 Paris Olympics, highlighting the academy’s global impact and commitment to developing elite student-athletes who excel on the world’s biggest stages.

• Basketball: Aleem Ford (Puerto Rico), Arella Guirantes (Puerto Rico), Dwight Powell (Canada), Josh Green (Australia), Zach Edey (Canada).
• Golf: Byeong Hun An (Korea), C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina), Nelly Korda (USA), Nicolas Echavarria (Colombia).
• Tennis: Gold Medalist Zheng Qinwen (China), Danielle Collins (USA), Kei Nishikori (Japan), Sebastian Korda (USA).
• Track & Field: Davonte Howell (Cayman Islands), Dylan Woodruffe (Trinidad and Tobago), Malcolm Clemons (USA), Rikkoi Brathwaite (British Virgin Islands).

In 2024-25, IMG Academy saw four alumni drafted in the first round of professional sports. They include ’20 graduate Zach Edey (ninth overall, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA), ’19 graduate Terrance Shannon Jr. (27th overall, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA), ’22 graduate Tyler Booker (12th overall, Dallas Cowboys, NFL), and ’22 graduate Jihaad Campbell (31st overall, Philadelphia Eagles, NFL).

In total, 10 former IMG Academy student-athletes were drafted by professional sports organizations in 2024-25 including:

• Major League Baseball: Tommy White (Round 2, Oakland Athletics), Blake Larson (Round 1, Chicago White Sox), and Aaron Combs (Round 8, Chicago White Sox)
• National Basketball Association: Zach Edey (Round 1, Memphis Grizzlies) and Terrance Shannon Jr. (Round 1, Minnesota Timberwolves)
• National Football League: Tyler Booker (Round 1, Dallas Cowboys), Jihaad Campbell (Round 1, Philadelphia Eagles), Francisco Mauigoa (Round 5, New York Jets), and Warren Brinson (Round 6, Green Bay Packers)
• Women’s National Basketball Association: Aicha Coulibaly (Round 2, Chicago Sky)

IMG Academy’s alumni continue to represent their sport, finding success across professional sports drafts and competing in collegiate sports. This year multiple alumni had several achievements both at the collegiate level and professionally.

• Baseball:
  • This year marked the 18th time in the last 20 years that an IMG Academy alumnus was selected and the 17th time in the last 18 years that multiple alumni were selected in the same draft. IMG Academy has had 30 alumni drafted in the MLB Draft since 2019.
  • Twenty IMG Academy alumni played in the 2025 NCAA Division I Baseball Championships.
  • James Wood, ’21 graduate, was drafted in the 2021 MLB Draft and had an incredible rookie season with the Washington Nationals. He is up for 2025 All-Star Game voting as of June.
• Basketball:
  • This year marked the eighth consecutive year IMG Academy had alumni selected in the NBA Draft since 2017 and the fifth consecutive year an IMG Academy alumnus was selected in the first round. Over the last 10 years, IMG Academy has had at least two alumni selected in the NBA Draft seven times.
  • Jaden Springer won the 2024 NBA Championship title with the Celtics, our first-ever alum to win one.
  • Five alumni competed in the 2025 NBA Playoffs, including Jarace Walker who went to the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers.
  • Twenty-seven alumni participated in the 2025 NCAA Division I Basketball Championships including Olivier Rioux from the University of Florida Championship team.
• Football:
  • The 2025 NFL Draft marked the third straight year at least two IMG Academy alumni were selected in the first two rounds and the fourth time in five years. Since 2020, IMG Academy has had at least one first round draft pick each year—an NFL record for one high school. It’s also the only high school in the past decade with two first round draft picks in back-to-back years.
  • Fourteen alumni competed in the 2024 College Football Playoff, including three in the 2025 College Football National Championship: Carnell Tate ’23 and Jayden Fielding ’22 from the champion Ohio State University and Southhall ’24 from the University of Notre Dame.
  • Nolan Smith (’19 graduate) and Elias Ricks (’20 graduate) went on to win the 2025 Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.
• Golf:
  • Ten alumni left their mark on the 2025 NCAA Golf Tournaments across all divisions. Hsin Tai Lin (’24 graduate) won the DI Women’s National Championships with Northwestern University.
  • Three alumni played in the LPGA Tour including: Nelly Korda (’16), Dottie Ardina (’13), and Gemma Dryburgh (’11). Five alumni played in the U.S Women’s Open including: Korda, Dryburgh, Ardina, Kelly Tan (’12), and Yani Tseng. Additionally, three trainees competed in the PGA Tour.
• Lacrosse:
  • Alumni Tehoka Nanticoke (’17) won his third consecutive NLL Championship with the Buffalo Bandits.
  • Eighteen alumni competed in the 2025 NCAA Lacrosse Championships across all divisions with six competing in the championship game including: Sophia Tsintsadze (’22), Braden Erksa (’22), Elijah Stobaugh (’24), Braden Krumme (’22), Evan Erska (’24), and Max Krumme (’24).
• Soccer:
  • Forty-four alumni competed in the NCAA Soccer Championships, with two crowned 2025 NCAA Soccer National Champions including: Trinity Armstrong (’24) for the University of North Carolina and Alex Zedlitz (’23) for Lynn University.
  • Alumni Mia Justus (’21) and Michelle Cooper (’21) were called up to the US Women’s National Team camp.
  • Michelle Cooper made her USWNT debut and joined fellow alumni Indiana Vassilev (’18) and Shaq Moore (’11) on the US national team.
• Tennis:
  • Sebastian Korda (’18), reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of World No. 15 and a career-high doubles ranking No. 46. Jerry Shang reached a career-high ranking of World No. 47 and won his first ATP 250 title, Chengdu Open, at 19-years old.
  • Rei Sakamoto (’24), won the 2024 Yokkaichi Challenger and made his Masters main draw debut at the 2025 Miami Open as a qualifier. Peyton Stearns (’22) won the 2024 Rabat singles title, a WTA Tour event.
  • Miomir Kecmonovic won the singles and doubles title at the 2025 Delray Beach Open and reached the fourth round of the 2024 Australian Open.
  • Sonobe made her WTA Tour debut at the WTA 500 2025 Abu Dhabi Open as a qualifier and recorded her first tour‑level win over the world No. 55 at the time in the first round. She defeated two more world top‑100 players in Abu Dhabi.
• Track & Field:
  • Eight alumni participated in the 2025 NCAA Track and Field National Championships.

About IMG Academy

IMG Academy is the world’s leading sports education brand, providing a holistic education model that empowers student-athletes to win their future, preparing them for college and for life. IMG Academy provides growth opportunities for all student-athletes through an innovative suite of on-campus and online experiences:

• Boarding school and camps, via a state-of-the-art campus in Bradenton, Fla.
• Online coaching via IMG Academy+, with a focus on personal development through the lens of sport and performance.
• Online college recruiting, via NCSA and SportsRecruits, providing unmatched college recruiting education and services to student-athletes and their families, club coaches, and event operators, and is the premier service for college coaches.

To learn more about IMG Academy and its on-campus and online experiences, visit www.imgacademy.com.