Make Some Noise

Kayleen Hernandez-Garay and Abigayle Marceau
Fourth-grade teacher Kayleen Hernandez-Garay and student Abigayle Marceau attended the game from Blue Lake Elementary School in DeLand.

Eleven-year-old Abigayle Marceau plays basketball and thinks she has a shot at making the Stetson Hatters women’s basketball team when she goes to college.

“I want to come here,” said Abigayle, a fourth-grader at Blue Lake Elementary School in DeLand, during halftime at the Hatter’s basketball game on Thursday, Dec. 8. “I’m not as good as them, but maybe a little bit as good as them.”

Abigayle joined 1,200 elementary students from Volusia County schools on Thursday who packed the Edmunds Center – and made some noise – as the Hatters took on Warner University during the annual Elementary School Game.

Kayleen Hernandez-Garay, a fourth-grade teacher at Blue Lake Elementary School, said the field trip gives local kids an opportunity to visit Stetson University – something many of them never have done.

“It’s an opportunity for them to see something they normally wouldn’t have an opportunity to do,” said Hernandez-Garay. “Even though they live here, they wouldn’t have that opportunity – not our demographic.”

kids in Edmunds Center
More than 1,000 students attended Elementary School Day at the Stetson Hatters Women’s Basketball game on Thursday.

Fourth-grader David Martinez, 9, liked the game but couldn’t believe how loud the place was, with so many young kids cheering and yelling.

“They’re excited to see Stetson and who’s winning,” he said.

The students picked a good day to cheer on the team. The Stetson Hatters beat Warner 100-34, and improved to 9-2 for the season.