Topic: News: Blount Hernando Weightlifter of Year

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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'Who else you want under the bar?' Blount's credo: She refuses to lose
By Tony Castro
 
BROOKSVILLE - The county’s weightlifting coaches were unanimous in their choice for 2006’s Hernando Today All-County Lifter of the Year -- Hernando High senior Valerie Blount.

Here’s a sampling.

Nature Coast Technical’s Head Coach Ryan Wilson said of Blount, “In talking to her she’s a very sweet girl But she knows what she wants.”

“Great lifter, great competitor,” described Springstead Head Coach Rich McGeehan. “She set the county record for the [highest] bench and for total weight, that’s something. When we were all at states, she rooted on the other county kids and we all rooted for her.”

“I respect her as a competitor, an athlete and a person,” admired Central Head Coach Cliff Lohrey. “She had the best results of anybody from here at states; that says a lot. When it comes down to competing, ‘Who else would you want under the bar?’”

“She worked exceptionally hard in every sport she participated in,” explained HHS Head Coach Judi Decker. “She deserves this. She’s a fantastic person. Not one girl has a bad word to say [about her].
“Weightlifting is a base sport for other sports,” added Decker. “And Valerie used this to get better in everything else.”

“Weightlifting is an individual sport,” described Blount. “I like training for myself. It definitely helped me. It’s weird, I could have a bad day technique-wise in track, but I could still get away by muscling to score points.”

Being Blount

Valerie, who was born and raised in Brooksville, is the middle of three children to Joel and Darlene Blount.

For some time, the multi-sport Blount was known more for her athleticism at Parrott Middle School competing in volleyball, basketball and softball.
Once at HHS, she even hurled the shot put and discus for four seasons under two coaches (Sue Murphy and Rodney Byrd).

She’s so talented, she’s reached the state meet in track and field the past three years.

Blount has also lettered three times in weightlifting (under coaches Jim Derrico and Decker).

Blount enjoyed a quiet sophomore year. Her highlight was finishing runner-up in the county meet in the unlimited division with a paltry 245-pound total.

Last year, as a junior she was introduced to heartache when she tied Springstead freshman Johnisha Jackson’s 320-pound total in the Hernando County Athletic Conference’s unlimited division.

Both she and Jackson eclipsed former Central standout Alaya Smiley’s county-best 300-pound.

Unfortunately, since Blount weighed in 3.5 pounds more than Jackson, she finished second overall.
 
As a result, she did not earn a coveted All-HCAC patch -- only the champions earn those.

To complicate matters, both girls tied again at the State Finals. Again, Blount finished 15th overall to Jackson’s 14th place because she weighed more.

At that point, Blount refused to lose.

Turning Point

“Last year was heartache after heartache,” lamented the 18-year-old with a flashy smile. “It hurt to not even earn an all-conference patch. I told myself ‘No way am I finishing second again.’”

With that vow, Blount was practically in the weight room every day. Another gym rat, HHS’s Travis Trieber, often spotted for her.
“Travis was always saying, ‘You know you can do this,’” recalled Blount.
What followed was a story book season.

Blount went unbeaten until states.

She captured the HCAC Meet in overwhelming fashion with a county-record 200-pound bench press, plus a 155-pound clean and jerk for a new county-record 355 pounds.

In shattering the county marks, she crushed Jackson -- who transferred this year from Springstead to Central -- by 25 pounds.

Just to ice matters, Blount repeated her 200-155--355 totals at states to place fifth overall.

With it came the county’s only medal in the state’s elite meet.

Meanwhile, Jackson settled for seventh place with a 345-pound total.
When she returned home, the accolades began pouring in.

“My mindset at Gainesville was pretty simple,“ recalled Blount, who carries a 2.9 grade point average and will study nursing at Tallahassee’s FAMU next fall. “I’ve done this before and I wasn’t gonna be one of those girls to get intimidated by going to states.

“This [being named Lifter of the Year] was awesome,” she smiled. “I guess I’m the queen of my home court.”

Why the success?

“Ultimately, I decided I was not going to lose,” declared Blount. “It was an awesome year. Sure, I could have done a little better in my cleans. But I’ve got no regrets.”

Besides a possible track scholarship with the Lady Rattlers, what’s next?
“Right now, I’m just trying to stay focused,” said Blount. “I’m meeting with FAMU folks and trying to make the track team. Right now, I know what I have to do to get where I’m going.”

If only more Hernando County athletes could share Blount’s vision.

Valerie Blount: By the Numbers
- Compiled by TONY CASTRO

YR BEN C&J TOT
2004 125 120 245
2005* 170 150 320
2006* 200 155 355
* Denotes state qualifier