The School District of Lee County is pleased to announce the Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame inductees for 2025. Six athletes, two coaches, and one contributor are being recognized for their outstanding athletic accomplishments for their school or their students.
Lee County Athletic Conference Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Athletes
Markihe Anderson - Dunbar High School
Bernard Edwards Jr. - Lehigh Senior High School
Krissy Gear - Fort Myers High School
Jayron Kearse - South Fort Myers High School
George McNeill - North Fort Myers High School
Michael Zunino - Mariner High School
Coaches
Martin Cardenas - Mariner High School
Frank Turco - Estero High School
Contributor
Margaret Sirianni - Fort Myers High School
Markihe Anderson: Anderson was a multi-sport athlete for Dunbar High. He starred and lettered in football, basketball, track, and baseball. Anderson played college football at the University of Florida, where he was part of Urban Meyers' two National Championship and SEC Championship Teams.
Bernard Edwards Jr.: With 1,864 career points, Edwards is the all-time leading scorer in basketball for Lehigh Senior High School. He averaged 21 points as a sophomore, 18 as a junior, and 21 again as a senior. As a senior, Edwards was a third-team All-State selection while earning Class 6A, District 12 Player of the Year honors. Edwards made a couple of News-Press first-team All-Area appearances, including as a senior in 2014 when he was a Player of the Year finalist. He returned to Lehigh Senior High School to coach the boys’ basketball team in 2022.
Krissy Gear: Gear is one of the most decorated runners in Lee County History. She won six individual state track and field titles for Fort Myers High School, including three straight titles in the 1,600 meters and two straight in the 3,200. In cross country, Gear had two top five finishes in the state championship. At the end of her senior season in 2017, Gear was the News-Press Female Athlete of the Year and Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year, and later named to the All-Decade team. She was part of the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championship team for the University of Arkansas. In 2023, she was the National Champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Jayron Kearse: Kearse played primarily quarterback during three seasons at Cypress Lake High School. As a junior, he threw for 1,600 yards and 17 touchdowns. Kearse then transferred schools – and positions – as a senior, playing safety, running back, and wide receiver for South Fort Myers High School. He had five running touchdowns, five catches for a touchdown, 87 tackles, and three interceptions and was selected to play in the All-American Bowl for the top high school football players in the country. He played college football at Clemson University and was drafted in 2016 by the Minnesota Vikings and also played for Detroit and Dallas.
George McNeill: McNeill was an LCAC All-Conference performer in golf, winning the individual golf championship in 1992. He went on to star on links for Florida State University. While at FSU he was first-team All ACC and an All-American. He has over 315 career starts on the PGA Tour with 21 career top 10 finishes.
Mike Zunino: Zunino was named to the News-Press first-team baseball team all four years of high school. He was first-team All-State in his junior and senior years. Zunino was the prestigious 5A Gatorade Player of the Year and a finalist for National Player of the Year. Zunino was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022. He played Major League baseball with the Mariners, Devil Rays, and Guardians.
Martin Cardenas: Cardenas just secured his 500th career win as head coach of the Mariner High School Boys Soccer Team. He has won 15 district titles (7 in a row.) His teams were Regional Finalist eight times and appeared in two state final fours with one state runner-up. Cardenas was the News-Press Soccer Coach of the Year six times. Now in his 30th year at Mariner, Cardenas has also coached football, baseball, tennis, golf, and bowling.
Frank Turco: As Head Baseball Coach at Estero High School from 2001 to 2014, Turco led the Wildcats to 12 district titles, producing a streak of five in a row and then six in a row. Estero was also a regional champion and a state runner-up during Turco’s time at the helm.
Margaret Sirianni: Sirianni is being honored for the contribution she made to the School District of Lee County during her 33 years of service. Sirianni is credited with starting Girls Golf in Lee County. While coaching the Fort Myers High School Girls Golf, her 1978 team finished state runner-up by one stroke. During her eight years as a School Board member, she was instrumental in bringing school choice and the International Baccalaureate Program to the School District.
The inductees will be honored at a banquet scheduled for Thursday, April 10th, at the Double Tree Hotel. The banquet will begin at 6:00 p.m. and tickets are available for purchase for $30 per person.