Topic: News: Fresh faces for 70 percent of Hernando Today All-County Weightlifting Team

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Fresh faces for 70 percent of Hernando Today All-County Weightlifting Team
By Tony Castro

With input from area coaches and the Hernando Today staff, 7-of-10 all-star selections were first-time choices representing all four public schools.

How balanced were the final picks?

Hernando and Springstead, which had divided the past five county championships, were derailed by Central.

Since 1999, the Bears have toted home the most county team titles in the sport — four.

Central was represented on the annual all-star list with a circuit-leading four selections along with Coach of the Year Joe Nestor while runner-up Hernando was right behind with three selections.

2006 Hernando County Athletic Conference champion Springstead was represented by two picks, including Lifter of the Year Josh Magrini, and Nature Coast Technical rounded out the class with one pick.

Central’s ‘team first’ ideology

Central, which fell to Springstead (48-41) and was drubbed by Hernando (66-22) during the regular season, turned the tables in the fourth annual HCAC Meet at Springstead.

In that meet, Coach Nestor juggled his line-up placing his lifters in key slots and watch-ed as his Bears completed the day with five individual gold medals to upset both favorites.

Though Central’s all-stars included seniors Donald Linton (129 pounds), DuJuan Harris (183), Jessie Hartman (199) and Aaron Bourguignon (238), Hernando County mentors praised Nestor for his strategy going into the meet.

“Joe (Nestor) has to be Coach of the Year,” explained Springstead’s Mike Garofano. “They won the conference. He (Nestor) put together his best lifters in the right weights. He had the best strategy.

“Joe had four solid seniors who could squeeze points from the rest of us anywhere he put them,” added Coach Garofano. “That was a big swing in his favor.”

HHS skipper Bill Browning, who recently returned to the sidelines as a head football coach at Sun Lake High School in Land O’Lakes, echoed Garofano’s salute to Nestor.

“He (Nestor) had ’em ready to go in the one of the biggest meets of the year,” addressed Browning. “He’s been around and he knew what he had to do to get his guys ready. He’s a young coach and he’s very deserving of this honor.

“Give Joe credit,” added Browning. “No matter what happened earlier in the season, he had all his lifters there for the conference meet. He had a very strong core group of guys and they were mostly seniors.”

For his part, Nestor graciously accepted the nod placing the success squarely on the shoulders of his team.

“In years past in that meet, guys would come up to me and say that if they couldn’t get first or second, they weren’t gonna compete,” explained Nestor. “This year’s group put the Central High first.

“This season, guys sacrificed on behalf of the team,” he continued. “Guys sucked weight and sacrificed themselves to win the conference. Hopefully, this will serve as an example to the younger guys to follow.

“And no matter how we drew it up, the guys had to perform. They did. We had a bunch of individual performances that all added up.”

Bears’ all-stars

Of Central’s four all-star selections, only one was a previous pick — Hartman.

Hartman totaled a 330-pound bench press to compliment his 290-pound clean and jerk for a county-high 620-pounda total in the HCAC Tourney at 219 pounds.

In the process, Hartman became a two-time county champion and a two-time state qualifier.

He dropped down to 199 pounds where he hoisted a 340-300—640 total — the highest total for any county lifter — at states. Alas, he finished in a tie for seventh for the second straight year at states — missing earning a medal by one position.

By all accounts, Hartman was the heart and soul of the Bears’ efforts.

“Everybody stopped and watched him lift in the weight room,” shared Coach Nestor. “He was the backbone of our team. Everybody watched his form and how he went about doing things. We’re really gonna miss his focus. And the weird thing is he’s only 17 (years-old). He‘s only gonna get stronger.”

The other three Bear selections were first-time all-stars.

The multi-talented Harris became a three-time county champion this spring behind a season-high 325-260—585 total.

He too qualified for states again but because he had an arduous regional track meet the day before the State Championships in weightlifting, he did not lift at states.

“DuJuan (Harris) is a special kid. Guys like him come around maybe every 10 years,” lamented Coach Nestor. “Besides football, he really was a track guy. He concentrated so much in track; we’d only see him once a week in the weight room. Imagine if he would have been able to practice like Jessie? There is no doubt in my mind; DuJuan could have been a state champion.

“As it is, he’s a three-time county champion. That doesn’t happen very often either.”

Linton captured his initial county crown with a 215-205—420, edging out Springstead junior Zach Magrini by five pounds.

Linton did qualify for states but scratched out from his three attempts in the clean and jerk portion at the Ocean Center in Daytona Beach.

On Linton, “I talked him into lifting when he was a sophomore,” recalled Coach Nestor. “He stayed with it and got better and better. He always battled making weight. Him making 129 was one of the reasons we did as well as did in the conference meet. He was very dedicated this year.”

Bourguignon was quietly efficient all season long.

Bourguignon captured his first-ever county title at 238 with a 340-260—600 total.

The FHSAA initially indicated that Bourguignon had also qualified for states, but later updated the brackets to indicate that he had actually missed out by five pounds.

On Bourguignon, “He’s no show boat,” described Nestor. “He’s just quietly effective. He always in the weight room either here or at the YMCA. To me, he was kinda overshadowed by the Big Three — Hartman, Harris and Linton.”

HHS: three lifters

Hernando was represented by seniors Robert Smith (154), Randal “Bo” Smith (169) and Matt Cooper (219).

Robert Smith was a repeat all-star selection while Bo Smith and Cooper were first-time picks.

Despite a disappointing season, Robert Smith had the most experience for the Leopards as he qualified for states for the third straight year.

In a sport dominated by progression, Robert Smith’s totals this year did not match nor surpass those during his junior year.

Smith hoisted a 285-230—515 total good enough for 10th place at states this year but far short of his 535-pound total of a year ago.

“Robert had a fine high school career,” countered Coach Browning. “Being a three-time state qualifier is no slouch, he just happened to compete for the most part in the same weight class as the state champion from Springstead (Josh Magrini).”

Randal Smith, who was ineligible as a junior, captured his first-ever county title with a 285-200-485 total.

“Bo did a real nice job for us,” commented Browning. “He didn’t even lift for us. He overcame his academic difficulties and had a great senior year.”

Cooper hoisted a 270-265—535 total good for second place at 219 pounds at the conference meet.

Though he did not qualify for states, he was HHS’ steadiest performer in the higher weight divisions.

“He (Matt) filled a big need,” recalled Browning. “As a team, we were much stronger in the lighter weights so Cooper’s presence really helped out tremendously. He has a great work ethic and is very coachable. And give him credit; he slowly progressed from a weak individual to a much stronger person at the end of the season.”

Eagles’ two picks

Springstead, which captured the county team title for the third time in five seasons in 2006, dipped to third place this year.

Springstead’s All-County selections included three-time county champion and four-time state qualifier, senior Josh Magrini (139) and senior heavyweight Matt Dilts.

Magrini became Springstead‘s first-ever state champion in the 33rd annual event in Daytona behind a career-best 320-230—550 total (see sidebar).

Dilts, who had never lettered in three seasons at Central, transferred to Springstead this year and became a starter on the football team and was hooked on weightlifting.

The first-year Dilts’ 365-250—615-pound total was surpassed locally by only one other lifter — Hartman.

For his efforts, Dilts earned gold in the conference meet, but did not qualify for states.

On Dilts, “He was a pleasant surprise in football and in weightlifting,” shared Coach Garofano. “He was a bench press machine.

“If Matt could he’d bench press every day. But physically the body can’t take that,” summed up Garofano. “In a loaded weight class, his bench is what saved him. He tied the bench press record here in school. He was a very hard worker.”

NCT’s Grossi

A year ago, Nature Coast Technical’s Anthony “Tony” Grossi captured the school’s first-ever HCAC individual crown. He went unbeaten during the regular season and captured sectional titles in both 2005 and 2006 to advance to states.

This year, junior Keith Green edged Central freshman Luis Baldoni by five pounds to capture his first and the school’s second-ever HCAC gold medal at 119.

Green’s 160-165—325 total nosed out Baldoni’s 320 total.

On Green, “He struggles during the year with his weight,” explained NCT Head Coach Charles Liggett. “For the conference meet he got it to where he needed. It was a tremendous accomplishment. If he had performed in sectionals like he did in conference, I believe he would have qualified for states.

“Keith knows weight lifting is his thing,” added Coach Liggett. “Now, he’s gonna have to work on his weight to have as good a showing next year.”