KEYSTONE HEIGHTS - Keystone Heights High's boys weightlifting has its own history of winning big on the big stage and Friday's Olympics region title emphasized the point with the Traditional title going to West Nassau by two points.
Keystone Heights, with champions Elijah Mize at 119, Colton Hollingsworth at 129, Kyle Perkins at 199 and Jackson Herman at Unlimited took the Olympics title with a 56-48 gap on Williston who had three individual titles.
In Traditional, Keystone Heights got titles from just Mize and Hollingsworth plus top three finishes from Zane Leger and Perkins; 2-3, at 199, Brayden Wester at 238, third, and third at Unlimited by Herman to accrue enough points to chase West Nassau. West Nassau won just one title in Traditional, Rica Garrett at 199, who was five pounds up on Leger; 15 on Perkins.
Hollingsworth was fifth in 2024 in Traditional with Herman 10th at 238 in Olympics.
In Region 1-2A, at 2024 defending 1A champion in Olympics and Traditional Suwannee, now back in 2A, hosting, it was 2024 2A runnerup in Olympics and 2A champion in Traditional Choctawhatchee turning the trick on the powerful Bulldog program with the wins in Traditional; 45-38 over Suwannee and, in Olympics, 62-52, again over Suwannee.
Keystone Heights beat Suwannee for the Traditional title in 2023 with a tie with South Sumter in Olympics behind Suwannee. In 2024, the Indians were third behind Suwannee and South Sumter in 1A in Olympics and second to Suwannee in Traditional.
Clay County's lone individual 2A title went to Middleburg's Sam Craven, at 183 in Traditional who beat Fernandina Beach's Luke Twardy by five pounds.
In Olympics, Fleming Island, with Deh'mir Jackson, seventh last year at 219, second at 219, and Cohen Cioffi fourth at 238, finished sixth with 12 with Middleburg, with 11 points seventh behind a third by Wein Sulph at 183 with Sam Craven sixth in the same weight, and Charles Little at Unlimited finishing fourth with Bronco teammate Trent Pavlus sixth. Little was sixth last year in Olympics.
In Traditional, Middleburg and Clay finished ninth and 10th with scores of seven points apiece with Clay's Zerek Migliore at 139 taking second in a total tie with Fernandina Beach's Clay Hicks, but awarded second by body weight.
At 119, Clay's Wyatt Hickox was sixth while at Unlimited, Clay's Eli Oscoa was sixth.
Jammes Harris, 10th at 119 last year for Middleburg in Traditional and ninth in Olympics, finished 10th at 129 and fifth in Olympics at the region meet.
For Fleming Island, Cioffi was second but 80 pounds away from Choctawhatchee's Alex Urtecho, 650-570.
Middleburg got seventh place finishes from Caiden Thigpen at 154 and Danny Raines at 169 with Bronco teammate Mason Peevy ninth also at 169.