Topic: News: Chestnut Lacerates Kidney, Lifts@Fl State Champs

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Andrew Chesnut Lacerates Kidney But Still Places Ninth At FHSAA 2A State Weightlifting Championships
By Laurel Scheffel

TROPICAL FARMS — Andrew Chesnut went from lying in bed for a week and taking two months off from contact sports and heavy lifting because of a lacerated kidney to finishing ninth in the 183-pound class at the Class 2A state weightlifting meet this spring.

The senior did it in just his first year competing for South Fork, and that's what made him the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers Boys Weightlifter of the Year. His coach, first-year coach Mike Lavelle, earned Coach of the Year honors after guiding two of only three area lifters to state.

"If you would have asked me the first week of the season if he would finish top 10 in the state, I would have said no way," Lavelle said. "To accomplish what he accomplished first time doing it, there is something to be said for that.

"If he had another year, with one more year working on technique, I have no doubt he would have won state, at least finish in the top three."

Chesnut suffered from a lacerated kidney after colliding with another player at a soccer tournament in November and was not sure he would ever be allowed to lift weights again. However, after a week of bedrest and plenty of time off, he recovered sooner than expected and was back in the weight room by late January, a week before the weightlifting season began.

"I was really into power lifting, and I was into it for about a month, and then I got hurt, and I lost a lot of strength," Chesnut said. "I had to really work at it to get back to where I was. I was really surprised I did so well this season.

"I had a week to get back into it, and I started lifting before the doctor told me to. I was going to do it hurt or not because I love lifting weights, so I was not going to let something like that stop me."

It was another two months before Chesnut was back to full strength. Still, he dominated his competition all season and finished ninth at the state meet with a combined total of 600 pounds — 360 bench press and 240 clean and jerk.

"I don't think he has ever clean and jerked before this year," Lavelle said. "It requires a lot of technique, and you really have to work at it. He was just one of those guys that would come into the weight room and practice it over and over again. He was very competitive with it so he got it down and could be successful at it.

"A lot of people on the Treasure Coast can bench a lot of weight, but there is not a lot of people who can do both like he did. That's what separated him from the rest."

THE ANDREW CHESNUT FILE

School: South Fork

Year: Senior

Weight class: 183 pounds

Future: Chesnut will attend Indian River Community College and major in business and marketing.

Season highlights: Lifted the most total weight in his class, 600 pounds, in the Section 8-2A meet. His 370 bench press was 55 pounds heavier than the next best total. At state, Chesnut finished ninth, again totaling 600 pounds with a 360 bench that was third best in his weight class. His clean and jerk improved 10 pounds. Both were his starting weights for the day.

How he got there: Chesnut started at square one in his first year competing in weightlifting, though he began lifting seriously as a sophomore. He worked out extra hours with coach Mike Lavelle after the rest of the team left for the day, and he worked with personal trainer Eric Holt at Gold's Gym to improve his clean and jerk and overall strength.

Notable: He also played football for the first time this year and was a member of the South Fork soccer team.