LIVE OAK - Even though Middleburg High's strong girl's weightlifting team was a no-show at the Power of Christmas Girls Weightlifting Invitational at Suwannee High School on December 14, the talk of the meet for area lifters was how they would measure up against the Lady Broncos very strong team.
On the individual side of the conversation, it was Clay High senior Emma Heck's first chance to put her hat back in the talk about becoming a four-time state champion in a different weight class. Heck won both ends of her new weight class, 139, but only won best overall lifter in the Olympics with Blountstown double state champion Layla Goins, at 119, winning best lifter in Traditional with Heck second.
One guy who loved the intensity level of the Power of Christmas meet prior to the Christmas break is Fleming Island coach Sean Coultis, who has slowly cultivated a young group of athletes to, first, earn spots to the state meet last year, and, second, earn the right to win state titles this season.
"They have a ton of returners from last year's state team and they have been lifting big numbers through the season," said Fleming Island weightlifting coach Sean Coultis, who measured up with the top four teams at Suwannee with a tight 24-point win for Navarre with River Ridge second at 23 and Wewahitchka and Fleming Island tied for 22 points apiece for third in Olympic scoring and Ridgeview fifth with 17 points. "You put Middleburg in the middle of that tight of a team scoring and they blow up the apple cart. This is the place to measure up."
In Traditional, Navarre was a bit more dominant with a 36-23 win over Blountstown with Ridgeview sixth at 14 and Fleming Island ninth at 13. Clay finished 13th with Oakleaf 14th.
For Coultis, who admittedly has some lifters not lifting up to par on the day, it was senior Bradi Johnson at 119 who was his dominant figure.
"She got second last year and that has fueled her from about a week after the state meet to now," said Coultis, noting Johnson won her 119 group by 15 pounds in the Olympics with Flagler Palm Coast's Nya Williams second. "We looked at the roster in her division and she finished ahead of three state medalists from last year."
Flagler's Williams, a sophomore, was fifth in Olympics last year after just a year of lifting and is on the path of a possible state lifting totals record, according to official rankings, who note she stormed her weight class as a freshman last year. Williams was just the fourth Flagler freshman lifter to earn a state medal.
"We want to lift against the best," said Coultis. "We do a lot of research, see where our body weight has to be and whether we have to outright outlift the other girls or tie for the win by being lighter in body weight. It's all pretty specific."
In Traditional scoring, Johnson finished second by 30 pounds to Blountstown's Layla Goins, state Class 1A champion in both Olympics and Traditional, with Williams third behind the pair to set up an interesting dynamic for the upcoming state championships.
"This Power of Christmas meet is about showing up to compete against the best in the state before the state meets with everyone from every class competing against each other," said Coultis. "This is the toughest meet in the state before the state meets because no one looks at what class you are in, but how much you lift, period."
For Heck, who moved up to 139 wins came via scores of 385-360 in Traditional and 395-345 in Olympics.
For Ridgeview, with an equally deep and strong batch of athletes for coach Trent Davis, Jada Hill at 101 and Emily Silva went second at 10th; Deja Hill at 110 was fourth with Navea Garcia seventh also in 110 in Olympics for big team points while Ania Haber at 129 was a strong third, Matchadaelle Calixte was sixth in 154 with teammate Ciera Neal eighth also in 154 as Davis was getting double team points in certain weight classes.
For Fleming Island, in the Olympics, a similar pattern emerged with double points totals coming in at 119 with Johnson first and Loreanis Maysonet 10th with Coultis getting top 10s from Kyla Marshall, fourth in 101; Haley Elkins, fifth at 129; Kathryn Ward, fifth at 139; Jordia Vernon, ninth at 169; Lily O'Steen fourth and Sophia Lewis 10th at 183, Peyton Coultis, seventh at 199 and Layla DeCristofaro, second at Unlimited all putting key points on the board.
Oakleaf got top 10s from De'Jean Mote, sixth in 169, Marsia Simons, ninth in 110, Vanessa Verger, 9th in 183 and Zyarie Lovett-Scott eighth at 199.
Ridgeview's top finishers for their sixth place Traditional were Jada Hill, third; Deja Hill at fifth with Taylor Mesa ninth; Keitlyn Kuilan at 10th at 119; Haber fifth; Calixte fourth with Neal eighth and Jazmin Caraballo fourth at 183.
O'Steen finished third at 183 for Fleming Island with Marshall sixth and Ward fifth.
Teams will have nearly a month to prepare for the January 10 Clay County Championships at Oakleaf High School with districts starting January 22.

Middleburg season wins

68-22, 62-28 over Clay
50-40 over Fleming Island (Traditional)
47-43, 50-40 over Ridgeview
65-20, 63-22 over Keystone Hts.
68-20, 68-19 over Orange Park