MIDDLEBURG - Defending Class 2A Olympics state champion Fleming Island got top lift honors to Kathryn Ward and Haley Elkins to win the district 3-2A girls weightlifting title in convincing fashion Wednesday, Jan. 21 with Ridgeview High, under first year coach Addyson Mauldin, second ahead of defending Traditional state champion Middleburg, in both disciplines.

"We are going to keep learning and improving as we get to the next levels," Mauldin said. "The girls here are driving each day practice to just be a little bit better each day. That's going to give us a shot at making noise at regions and state."

Lifters now head to regions this week, Jan. 28-31, for a shot at the state championships in Lakeland on Feb. 11-13.

For Mauldin, with Fleming Island accumulating over 70 points in both Traditional and Olympics for their wins, 75 and 76, respectively, Ridgeview stayed within earshot with runner-up scores of 58 and 59. Middleburg was third in both disciplines with 38 and 28 points.

In Olympics, Clay, Orange Park, Baker County and Columbia finished out the team scores. In Traditional, it was the same lineup with Clay, Orange Park, Baker County and Columbia going fourth through seventh. Orange Park had Alohilani Richburg at Unlimited as Traditional champion while Clay got titles from Nevaeh Frazier at Unlimited with Richburg third behind Fleming Island's Sahara Gordon.

For Fleming Island coach Sean Coultis, his champions at Olympics came from Ward by 40 pounds over Oja Riggs of Ridgeview at 139, Haley by just five pounds over Baker County's Mallory Jackson at 129, Amelia McLoon by 15 pounds over teammate Ava Hernandez at 169 and Zahaviah Sanders by 25 pounds over teammate Payton Coultis at 199.

"Our key is to have top lifters in every weight class to build those team points," Coultis said. "The girls get their nine lifts and we score big. We have a number plan to increase each week for the next two weeks, so everyone is at their best at state."

Ridgeview, with an eye-opening second place last week to Fleming Island in the Clay County championships, answered Coultis' lineup in Olympics with champions. In  101, Emily Silva by 10 pounds over Fleming Island's Kyla Marshall; in 110, Jada Hill over Middleburg state placer McKinzy Alexander by 20 pounds; in 119, Brooke Bowman by just five pounds over Fleming Island's Loreanis Maysonet; in 154, Ciera Neal by 15 pounds over Fleming Island's Izzy Williams; and, in 183, Jazmin Carabello with an impressive 80 pound win over Orange Park's Kayla Mowery.

In Traditional, Coultis got champions from Alyssa Gordon at 119 with teammate Sadie Perada second by just five pounds, Ward at 139 with teammate Marina Berger second by 25 pounds and Sanders at 199 with Middleburg's Lilly Williams second by 35 pounds. Gordon was second to Orange Park's Richburg at Unlimited by 45 pounds.

"You know me, I crunch the numbers and we just have to execute," Coultis said. "We are not going for big numbers unless we need it at this point. The key is a good solid nine lifts from each lifter."

For Ridgeview, Traditional champions were Silva by five pounds over Middleburg state qualifier Trinity Woodley by five pounds with Fleming Island's Kyla Marshall 10 pounds away; at 110, Jada Hill over Middleburg's Alexander by five pounds; Bowman, at 119, tied with Fleming Island's Perada, but third by body weight ahead of Clay's Kaitlyn Howell; all three totaled 280; at 154, Ella Beaufort tied with teammate Ciera Neal at 315 and first by body weight; Carabello by 55 pounds at 183; and, at Unlimited, Britney Parris third.

"Oja Riggs, Brooke Bowman and Ella Beaufort could be surprises in regions and possibly at state," Mauldin said. "It's my job to keep them on track and focused on just solid, clean lifts. The next two meets have a lot of distractions and pressures and it's my job to have them physically and mentally ready to go."

Keystone Heights girls win both titles at 1A weightlift districts

Keystone Heights High's girls weightlifting team won convincingly in both disciplines—Olympics scoring and Traditional scoring—to take district 6-1A titles in their own gym on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Chloe Still was voted top Traditional lifter with Kaylee Park voted top Olympics lifter.

Keystone Heights now advances their team to regions at West Nassau.
In Traditional, Keystone Heights had champions in Kylie Scott at 101 by 10 pounds over teammate London Williams; Kaylee Park at 129 by 40 pounds; Chloe Still at 139 by 40 pounds; Ashlyn Brown at 169 by 35 pounds; and Ava Herrman at Unlimited by 15 pounds.

In Olympics, Keystone Heights had champions in 101 with Williams over Scott by 35 pounds, Alyssa Sanford at 119 over teammate Taylor Buchanan by 30 pounds, Park at 129 over teammate Natalie Layfield by 40 pounds, Still at 139 by 60 pounds and Brown at 169 over teammate Morgan Wilson by 45 pounds. Herrman was third at Unlimited by 35 pounds.

Oakleaf first in Olympics in 3A district; second in Traditional

With a dominating performance from the final four lifters of the day—Alanna Smith at 169, Vanessa Berger at 183, Serenity Cutts at 199 and Genesis Carter at Unlimited—the Oakleaf High girls weightlifting team won their district 2-3A Olympics title and finished second in Traditional to Mandarin. Oakleaf was second in Traditional by a 74-60 score to Mandarin and, in Olympics, was first over Mandarin by a 74-69 score.

In the Olympics onslaught, at 183, Smith won by 45 pounds over teammate Nailah James, at 199, Verger won by 25 pounds over teammate Abigail Gross by 25 pounds, at 199, Cutts won by 30 pounds and, at Unlimited, Carter won by five pounds over Mandarin's Arden Slick.

In Traditional, the team got wins from Smith over James by 55 pounds in 169, Hudson over Verger by five pounds and Cutts by 15 pounds. Oakleaf was third with Laylah Williams in Unlimited. Carter did not compete in bench press for a Traditional score.