The strongest girls within the Keys competed at their respective regional weightlifting meets on Feb. 1, going in opposition to the most effective athletes in South Florida. When the chalk mud cleared and the ultimate outcomes have been tabulated, 10 Monroe County athletes have been in competition for a state title.
Marathon fared the most effective, capturing third out of 29 groups within the conventional occasion. The Fins claimed fifth place in Olympic. Coral Shores was proper behind in fourth place in conventional and sixth in Olympic. Each groups compete on the 1A stage. Every staff will ship 5 athletes, every of whom certified individually, to the state competitors subsequent week.
Coral Shores’ Jennille Arias and Marathon’s Justice Lee earned their ticket to states through automated qualification by successful their weight courses’ regional titles outright. Arias took first at 169 kilos within the conventional occasion. Lee punched her card to states by successful each the Olympic and conventional occasions at 183.
The defending state champ in each classes is ranked first in conventional, fueled by a robust 185-pound bench press, whereas her closest competitor has the sting in clear and jerk. Lee narrowed that lead by 5 at regionals with a 205 pound clear elevate, a PR for the junior. Arias went on to take the runner-up spot within the Olympic occasion and simply certified in that occasion as properly, lifting greater than two of the opposite areas’ winners by a major margin.
Along with Arias, Coral Shores will ship Sydney Eysenbach and Vanessa Gabriel in each occasions. The pair each compete within the Limitless class. Eysenbach was second in each occasions at regionals and stands a great likelihood to win a medal in each occasions at states. Gabriel completed third in Olympic and fourth in conventional and is greater than able to bringing dwelling state {hardware}.
Representing Coral Shores within the 110-pound class will probably be Rachel Rusch, who claimed third place within the conventional occasion. Kali Gomer was fourth in Olympic lifts at regionals and took the final at-large spot in her class in that occasion, rounding out the state qualifiers for the Woman ‘Canes.
Becoming a member of Lee at states for Marathon will probably be Ella Dunn, who completed third in each occasions at regionals and certified in each for states. The 101-pound lifter is ranked in a three-way tie for third in Olympic lifts, making a medal at states properly inside her grasp.
Dunn is not going to be alone in her flight at states; Ayme Maradiaga additionally certified for each occasions in the identical weight class. Maradiaga was the runner up in conventional lifts and completed in fifth place in Olympic. Maradiaga is in a two-way tie for third place within the present rankings in conventional lifts in her class.
Ella Evans certified for each occasions with a pair of runner-up medals at 129 kilos. Evans is correct on the cusp of a medal at states and has progressively improved all through the season. Lee, Dunn, Maradiaga and Evans will all compete in each occasions in Lakeland. The Fins’ closing state qualifier is senior Brizni Vargas, whose fifth-place end within the conventional class was sturdy sufficient to qualify the 154-pound participant for the championships in that occasion.
Key West, which competes on the 2A stage, didn’t have any athletes make the ultimate lower to the state meet, however Aaliyah McCloud was shut. McCloud completed within the prime 10 in each occasions and earned a regional fifth-place medal within the 199-pound class.
Marathon and Coral Shores will ship their state-qualifying athletes to Lakeland’s RP Funding Heart for the FHSAA 1A State Championships subsequent week. Each groups’ lifters will compete on Feb. 15 with the primary flights starting at 9 a.m.