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MARCO ISLAND — The past, present and yet to come in sports gathered as strangers Saturday night at the Marco Island YMCA sponsored National Sports Gala. After shaking hands, having dinner, and sharing some stories, they parted as friends, fascinated by their intersecting lives.

Held at the Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort, the Gala honored 20 area individuals for their contributions to the world of sports. Before the awards dinner, Gala host Dave Rice collected the honorees in a side room to sip some punch and shoot the breeze. By the time Rice stood to make introductions, many of the honored guests, seated at tables around the room, had already become fast friends.

There was Dr. Faye Biles, formerly a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee, chatting with Dottie Weiner, YMCA’s swim instructor for more than 35 years. Biles, who played for the U.S. women’s field hockey team in the mid-1940s before calling it quits after breaking her nose for the third time, was the first woman to speak in front of Congress regarding Title IX and the equal rights for women in athletics.

She became a member of the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1980, the year the U.S. team boycotted the Summer Games in Moscow.

“Oh dear, there was a big argument about that,” Biles said. “I always want us to go to the Olympic Games, regardless. There are still a number of issues concerning women’s sports today, but we have made great forward strides. We’re doing very well.”

According to Weiner’s accounting, more than 10,000 students have passed through her swimming classes. "And there's one of them,'' she said. Approaching the table was 2008 Lely grad Mercedes Farhat, who competed in the 100-meter breaststroke for Libya in the Beijing Olympics. With her was fellow Trojan, Victoria Howard, a star on the basketball and volleyball teams who was named All-County and honored as the Female High School Athlete of the Year.

Farhat, 18, is a freshman at Florida but does not compete for the Gators. In fact, she recently decided to pursue swimming once again after having decided to leave the sport after the Games.

“I was impressed with the effort China made to make it a green Olympics,” Farhat said about her experience. “They recycled everything and tried really hard. All the bad things we were hearing over here were definitely not true.

“And I got to give (gold medalist) Dana Torres a high five. I always wanted to be like her and here I was, giving her a high five and saying ‘Go Gators’ because we both went to Florida.”

Soon-to-be Gator and current Naples High standout offensive lineman Nick Alajajian was positioned just a few feet away, along with his coach, Bill Kramer. Both appeared to already have their game faces on for Naples’ playoff tilt against Riverdale on Friday.

Alajajian was honored as the Male High School Athlete of the Year. He said he was excited to have the opportunity to block for 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, a junior at Florida.

“I think (Tebow) is going to stay,” Alajajian said about speculation that the Florida quarterback might enter the NFL draft after this season. “I’m excited about the chance to go up there early and try to win the starting job early.”

Alajajian, taking eight classroom and two online courses, is set to graduate this January, a semester early.

Kramer made his way over to talk football philosophy with Florida Firecats quarterback Chris Wallace and coach Kevin Bouis and former NFL defensive tackle Don Healy. Healy played for the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys from 1958-61.

At another table, Florida Gulf Coast University baseball coach Dave Tollett was giving pointers to former international basketball pro Scott Stewart about building a program from scratch.

Stewart, a Lely and Florida graduate, played professional basketball in more than 35 countries. He is now the coach of First Baptist Academy's fledgling program. Tollet, who built the FGCU baseball program, has never had a losing season in seven years with the Eagles.

Also honored at the Gala were Jenn Bate, U.S. Sidesaddle Equestrian champion; Annie Castellano, "American Gladiators'' semifinalist; Lauren Embree, junior tennis star; former NFL players Levar Fisher and Herman Weaver; Connie Kormanyos, YMCA tennis director; Johan Kriek, former Australian Open champion; and Fabrizio Scaccia, minor league football player.