GREEN COVE SPRINGS - According to former Clay High girls weightlifting coach Rodney Keller, his return to the Blue Devils' Iron Room was just a simple matter.

"The position came open when coach Autumn Null took a job at another school, and also was developing her own training business. I had a long talk with my family. I missed it, plain and simple, and the moons all aligned to make the decision easy," Keller said. "The reception when I got back in here was so good."

Keller, considered at times to be the catalyst for recent success of state championship finishes at other Clay County schools, like Middleburg, Fleming Island and Ridgeview, to name a few, was humble in his own assessment of his legacy.

"I took over for Jay Stilianou a few years ago, and we had a great bunch of girls at that time, and they created the standard," said Keller, who was Florida coach of the year twice with back to back state titles in 2022 and 2023. "From there, the sport grew like crazy. I don't think I did anything special but just to get the ball rolling."

Included the aforementioned back-to-back state titles was the four-time repeat state champion Emma Heck. She won two individual championships in 2022, and two more in 2023.

Among Clay's 12 total state champions are Heck with four (2022-2025), followed by Brooke Baudendistel (2010), Alexandra Hamilton (2014), Sabrina Palmera (2014), Ashleigh Dean (2017), Erykah Murray (2017), Brooke Berger (2019), Janiyah Stevens (2022) and Kyleigh LaFary (2023).

Keller will have a familiar name as the assistant coach, Makayla Stilianou returned to her alma mater to get the Blue Devils back to title town.

"I was a state meet weightlifter in my day," said Stilianou, who chuckled when asked if Dad Jay was set to return to Clay, as well. "I returned home with my son when my mom (Amanda Stilianou) took over as principal at Clay High, and coach Keller asked me to join him."

With county weightlifting teams starting their 2026 seasons recently, Keller's return added to the county's weightlifting aura, according to one of Keller's toughest challengers and admirers.

"He's the guy who got all this started," said Fleming Island coach Sean Coultis, who also won a team state title in the new era of Olympics and Traditional scoring with three recent individual champions - Autumn Leviston (2023), Bradi Johnson (2025) and Kathryn Ward (2026). "Girls weightlifting in Clay County has probably won more state titles than any sport in this county, by far. Think about it. Us [and] Middleburg with state titles recently. Ridgeview top five finishes the past few years. It's tough here. Keystone Heights won their region title last year and Orange Park had a state medalist last year."

Fleming Island also had 2014 state champion Angelica Greene under coach Benjamin Traywick. Coultis was selected a the Florida Coach of the Year in 2025.

In 2026, Ridgeview got back into the state title books with senior Jazmin Caraballo giving first-year coach Addyson Mauldin the second state championship in Panthers' history. In 2012, Jordan Steinmetz won at 199 pounds.

"I graduated a lot of my Top 20 girls from a great team," said Mauldin, who will have the Hill sisters, Deja and Jada, both state medalists, as her assistant coaches in 2026. "We will rebuild the process just like we did last year. Rodney Keller back in the mix makes our county even stronger. We are just going to focus on ourselves, lock in and put in the work."

Mauldin reflected on her rocket-like start last year with top finishes at districts, regions and state.

"I figured we started with a bang last year and that it was going to be something I would have to hold myself to this year," said Mauldin, also will share coaching duties in softball. "I'm just going to try and get the most out of what we have in the room."

In the new Region 2-2A lineup, which now includes Suwannee, Keller sees the district and region meet as a pre-state preview.

"Suwannee is now in our district and region, and they've won state titles the past few years," Keller said. "That's our challenge as a county. It is wild how much the county has grown in the last five years."

In 2026, Fleming Island, Ridgeview and Middleburg finished first, second and third in the region championships, with Orange Park and Clay finishing fourth and fifth.

Fleming Island opens their season with an Oct. 21 meet with Oakleaf at 3 p.m.

"By the time we get to districts and regions, we will have competed against the top teams in the state right here," Coultis said

Individual titles

2004 Brittany Meng, Keystone Heights 119; Team finished second

2010 Morgan Buettcher, Keystone Heights 199

2010 Brooke Baudendistel, Clay 110; Team 10th

2012 Jordan Steinmetz, Ridgeview, 199; Team ninth

2014 Angelica Greene, Fleming Island 199; Team 10th

2014 Sabrina Palmares, Clay Unlimited; Team third

2104 Alexandra Hamilton, Clay 110; Team third

2017 Ashleigh Dean, Clay 129 1A; Team fourth 1A

2017 Erykah Murray, Clay 169 1A; Team fourth 1A

2018 Clay team fourth 1A

2019 Brooke Berger, Clay 154 1A

2019 Lexi Perez, Oakleaf 154 2A

2020 Lindsey Brooks, Clay 199 1A

2021 Tamira Briley, Oakleaf 110 3A

2022 Tamira Briley, Oakleaf 119 3A

2019 Clay team third 1A

2020 Clay team fourth 1A

2021 Clay team eighth 2A

2022 Addison Frisbee, SJCDS 129 1A

2022 Gianna Torres, Clay 169 2A

2022 Ava Haber, Clay 150 2A

2022 Clay team champions, RHS third

2023 Clay team champions 2A

2023 Autumn Leviston, FIHS 2A

2023 Kyleigh LaFary, Clay unlimited in 2A

2025 Bradi Johnson, FIHS 2A

2025 FIHS team champions

2025 Middleburg team champions 2A/FIHS third

2026 Kathryn Ward, FIHS 139 2A

2026 Jazmin Caraballo, RHS 183 2A