By Randy Lefko randy@claytodayonline.com
LIVE OAK – Fleming Island’s Kathryn Ward and Ridgeview High Emily Silva both stamped out state title talk for themselves with weightlifting individual titles at the prestigious Power of Christmas Girls Weightlifting Invitational held at Class 2A powerhouse Suwannee High School. Next up is the Clay County Championships at Oakleaf High on Jan. 16.
“The beauty of the Power of Christmas tournament is that it is a championship event where the classes are all in one spot. Class 1A, 2A and 3A programs are here,” said Fleming Island coach Sean Coultis, the defending Traditional Class 2A team champion. “We have had two Power of Christmas champions from Fleming Island, Bradi Johnson and Autumn Leviston, who went on and won state titles. This meet is the barometer. The best come here.”
At her 139-weight class, Ward, a senior, powered to a 315 total to edge Navarre High’s Nadia Rivera by just five pounds with third place’s total at 300.
Ward banked an extra 10 pounds on most of her challenges with a 135 Olympic Snatch lift, missing at 145 on her third lift to give some cushion against Rivera who got her third lift at just 130.
“We want to go for big numbers to make the other lifters have to think about what they need to do to beat us,” Coultis said. “It’s a mental thing knowing you have to lift higher to even stay close.”
In the Clean and Jerk, Ward again threw down the gauntlet with an opener of 170, then a third lift at 180 to set the mark.
Rivera was five pounds off on her two lifts, 165 and 175, but did succeed at 180.
“She would have had to go big to beat Kathryn,” Coultis said.
Silva, for new head coach Addyson Mauldin, outlifted Fleming Island standout Kyla Marshall in the Olympic Snatch with a 110 final with Marshall missing at 105, but good at 100 to set up a nice Clay County rivalry in the Clean and Jerk.
Silva went big on her first Clean and Jerk with a solid 130 to thwart a challenge from Marshall who cleared 120 on her first lift, then faulted at 130 twice trying to catch Silva. Silva went to 135 on her third lift to secure the title by 25 pounds, with Navarre’s Sara Brogan getting the second based on body weight with a tie with Marshall at 220.
In team points, Wewahitchka won with 33 points with Navarre second at 24. River Ridge was third at 23 with Fleming Island fourth with 21. Ridgeview finished seventh with 13 points.
Top 10 finishes came from Yuri Ayessa Demeterio (RHS) eighth at 110; Loreanis Maysonet (FIHS) fourth at 119; Alyssa Gordon (FIHS) sixth at 119; Haley Elkins (FIHS) fourth at 129; Marina Berger (FIHS) eighth at 139; Ciera Neal (RHS) sixth at 154; Izzy “The Hammer” Williams (FIHS) seventh at 154; Ava Hernandez (FIHS) fourth at 169; Amelia McLoon (FIHS) seventh at 169; Nailah James (OHS) ninth at 169; Jazmin Carabella (RHS) second at 183; Zee Sanders (FIHS) eighth at 199; Peyton Coultis (FIHS) 10th at 199; Serenity Cutts (OHS) sixth at 199, and Sahara Gordon (FIHS) seventh at UNL.