Topic: News: 2008 Florida High School Boy's State Championships

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Creek lifts 24th trophy
By Buddy Shacklette

DAYTONA BEACH -- There's something to be said for how dangerous a wounded animal can be.

Spruce Creek junior Andrew Mattox had pulled a pectoral muscle last week and wasn't expected to lift Saturday in the Class 2A state weightlifting meet.

Not only did Mattox alter his grip and lift a class-best 360 pounds in the clean and jerk, but it was his surprise jump to fifth-place in the 238-pound class that was the difference in Spruce Creek winning and losing a state title.

Mattox's contribution, and those of six other state-placing lifters, helped the Hawks to an unprecedented 24th state team title at Embry-Riddle's ICI Center.

"Twenty-one points came from six different lifters and Andrew was down on the list," Spruce Creek coach Michael Randow said. "Good night, did he just have the confidence. He didn't want to take a warm-up. He said, 'Just put it on the bar' and it paid off. I didn't realize how big that lift was until after he got it."

Every point was needed from every single Creek lifter, as the Hawks tied Sarasota for the state championship at 21 points apiece.

DeLand, which tied Lake Brantley for third with 13 points, placed in the top five for the fifth year in a row on the strength of back-to-back state titles by Brandon Partin.

Partin, a state champion a year ago at 183 pounds, faced little resistance en route to winning the 199-pound title. He hoisted a career-best 420 in the bench press and got 305 in the clean and jerk for a career-best 725-pound total.

"This was definitely more stressful. Coming into this year I was way nervous," Partin said. "I had a lot more pressure coming in as a state champion because I was expected to win, so it was definitely more stressful."

Flagler Palm Coast placed 12th with seven points thanks to its first state champion in 238-pounder Robert Paxia, who won with a 725-pound total.

Volusia/Flagler accounted for a pair of individual state titles and five runners-up.

DeLand got a state runner-up in Juan Gonzalez at 119 pounds, and New Smyrna Beach got one in Wade Downs in the 169-pound division.

Scoring major points toward the Hawks' cause were state runners-up Michael Stephenson (129), Morgan Kain (154) and Cody Wolfe (199).

The Hawks have had only one individual state champion over the last five years, but won three team titles during that span on the strength of 18 runners-up.

A nice surprise for the Hawks was the effort of Spruce Creek's Vernon Ramsey. The senior ranked sixth going into the 139-pound competition, but scored three team points when he placed fourth with a 470-pound total.

Creek got points from Travis Zalewski (183) and Kirk Crandall (119), but Mattox was the big surprise. Mattox surprisingly lifted 300 in the bench press and his first attempt of 360 pounds in the clean and jerk got him the two points his team needed to tie for the title.

"(The injury) took about 10-15 pounds off my total, so I just knew that I needed to come and get it in the clean and jerk," Mattox said. "I just threw it on the bar and the most I had ever clean and jerked before was 340. Coach said I needed to do it to win us state, so I said, 'All right, let's do it.' "

By the Numbers

Most state titles in each FHSAA-sanctioned sport:

30

Jacksonville Bolles boys swimming

27

Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest girls swimming

24

Spruce Creek boys weightlifting

18

Miami High boys basketball, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons girls volleyball

16

Coral Gables boys tennis

13

Tallahassee FAMU boys track and field, Miami Beach girls tennis

11

Key West baseball

10

Belle Glades Glades Central girls track and field, Largo boys cross country, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas girls soccer

9

Clearwater Central Catholic boys soccer, Naples softball

8

Jacksonville Ribault girls basketball, Tampa Plant girls cross country, Jacksonville Bolles football

6

Ponte Vedra Beach Nease boys golf, Lake Worth girls golf

NOTE: Bowling, cheerleading, flag football, lacrosse, fall soccer, boys volleyball, water polo and girls weightlifting are recognized -- but not sanctioned -- FHSAA sports.

SOURCE: FHSAA

RECOGNIZED SPORTS:

BOYS BOWLING: DeLand 2

GIRLS BOWLING: DeLand 3

CHEERLEADING: Winter Park, Sebring, Bloomingdale 3 teams tied with 1

FLAG FOOTBALL: 5 teams tied with 1.

BOYS, GIRLS LACROSSE: First finals were Saturday

FALL SOCCER: Lakeland Christian 6

BOYS VOLLEYBALL: Spanish River 2

BOYS WATER POLO: Oakland Park Northeast 2

GIRLS WATER POLO: Miami Gulliver Prep 3

GIRLS WEIGHLIFTING: Spruce Creek 5

Class 2A

TEAM SCORES: 1. Spruce Creek 21, 1. Sarasota 21, 3. DeLand 13, 3. Lake Brantley 13, 5. Jupiter 12, 12. FPC 7, 16. NSB 5.

119: 1. Albert (Palatka) 255-205--460, 2. Gonzalez (DeLand) 220-205--425, 7. Crandall (Creek) 220-175--395. 129: 1. Woytkiw (Jupiter) 250-220--470, 2. Stephenson (Creek) 230-230--460, 8. Butt (NSB) 215-195--410, 14. Harris (Creek) NL. 139: 1. Slimick (Sarasota) 260-265--525, 4. Ramsey (Creek) 235-235--470. 154: 1. Jones (Niceville) 335-250--585, 2. Kain (Creek) 280-275--555, 7. Fernandez (Creek) 260-265--525. 169: 1. Jefferson (Orange Park) 325-285--610, 2. Downs (NSB) 310-280--590, 7. Ramage (FPC) 275-280-555, 13. Calkins (DeLand) 285-245-530. 183: 1. Broxton (Mosely) 345-315--660, 6. Zalewski (SC) 315-275--590, 12. Whack (Delt) 295-260-555. 199: 1. Partin (DeLand) 420-305--725, 2. Wolfe (Creek) 365-310--675, 10. Brinsky (NSB) 305-285--590. 219: 1. McLeod (Sarasota) 475-300--775, 6.Ciciarelli (DeLand) 335-295--630, 12. Melton (Pine Ridge) 305-295--600. 238: 1. Paxia (FPC) 415-310--725, 5. Mattox (Creek) 300-360--660, 18. Mount (Creek) 345-NL--345. HWT: 1. Marron (Riverview) 455-340--795, 14. Berry (Deltona) 450-NL--450.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Davis leads Tigers at state; ’Wolves fall to second place
Columbia lifter finishes fourth in Class 2A finals.

Columbia High’s Marquis Davis finished fourth in the 238-pound weight class on Saturday at the Class 2A state weightlifting finals with a total of 680 pounds. He bench pressed 365 and had a clean and jerk of 315.

Tigers lifter Brach Bessant, who also lifted in the 238 class, finished with a 650 total and a 10th place finish. He had a bench press of 350 and clean and jerk of 300.

Todd Steward scratched three attempts at a 260-pound clean and jerk, and had a 345-pound bench press.

He finished 18th in the 219 class. Columbia finished tied with three teams for 26th place with three team points.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Sailors capture their first state title
They tie powerhouse Spruce Creek to share championship as Chas McLeod sets a state record in the bench press with lift of 475 pounds
By Bill Lumpkin

DAYTONA BEACH — All week long, Sarasota coach Ron Colangelo wrote 22 points on the blackboard. It turns out 21 was good enough as the Sailors won a share of the school's first-ever Class 2A state weightlifting championship Saturday at Embry-Riddle University's ICI Center.

"These kids rose to the occasion," said Colangelo, as Sarasota scored 21 points to tie 23-time state champion Spruce Creek. "It's an awesome feeling. This was an away game for us. To win on the road like this speaks volumes for our kids and the program. We spread the wealth today."

Sarasota picked up individual state titles from Kris Slimick in the 139-pound class and Chas McLeod in the 219-pound class. McLeod also broke the state record in the bench press with a lift of 475 pounds. The previous record was 465 pounds.

"I'm happy with the record, but winning the state championship is awesome," McLeod said. "Words can't express this right now. It makes it even better that we came in here in Spruce Creek's backyard and won in here. It's just an awesome feeling."

McLeod was hardly challenged in his weight class, despite missing on three of his six lifts. He had lifts on the bench of 465 and 475, then missed at 480.

He got 300 on his first attempt with the clean and jerk, then missed at 330 on his second and 350 on his third to finish with a total of 775. Second-place Trenton Richardson's total of 680 was 95 pounds behind McLeod's winning lifts.

Slimick won the 139-pound class with a total of 525 pounds, winning by 20 pounds over Jupiter's Adam Woytkin. He had a bench of 260 and a clean and jerk of 265.

"This is the third time I've been here and I really wanted this," Slimick said.

Sarasota's previous best finish was runner-up in 1994.

The Sailors also got points from Luke Spencer's third-place finish in the 238-pound class and Jonathan McPherson's fourth-place finish in the 199-pound division.

Spencer had a bench of 355 and a clean and jerk of 330 to finish with a total of 685, still 45 pounds shy of second-place Hunter Joyer of Wesley Chapel. McPherson had a bench of 355 and a clean and jerk of 270 for a total of 625, also finishing 25 pounds behind third-place Jacob Ciccarello of Winter Springs.

"Spruce Creek has been so good for so long," Colangelo said. "They've had a dynasty in this sport. To come in here in their backyard and win like this, I'm so happy for the kids and for my coaching staff."

Riverview's Pete Marron won an individual state championship in the heavyweight class with a 795 total. He had a bench of 455 and a clean and jerk of 340.

Riverview finished in a six-way deadlock for ninth with seven points. Port Charlotte was in a four-way tie for 16th with five points while Venice was in a six-way tie for 20th with four points. Charlotte was in a three-way tie for 26th with three points and Manatee finished in a five-way tie for 33rd with one point.

Booker, Lakewood Ranch, North Port, Palmetto and Southeast didn't score.

Other area medalists included Venice's Paul Costanzo with a third-place finish in the 169-pound class; Charlotte's Brandon Lieb with a fourth-place finish in the 119-pound class; Port Charlotte's Harry Rohraff with a fourth-place finish in the 129-pound class; and Manatee's Robert Smith with a sixth-place finish in the 238-pound division.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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River Ridge's Russell Takes Fourth Place At State Meet
By Larry Bug

DAYTONA BEACH - The 265-pound clean and jerk was no ordinary lift for River Ridge High's Justin Russell.

Russell's successful lift meant that the junior had a 580-pound total and earned him a fourth-place medal in the Class 2A boys state weightlifting meet Saturday at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The lift left Russell thrilled.

"I don't even care what place that is," Russell said immediately after he knew it was a clean lift.

The River Ridge High junior had a 315-pound bench press.

Wesley Chapel High's Hunter Joyer finished second in the 238-pound weight class. The 14-year-old freshman had a 445-pound bench press and a 275-pound clean and jerk for a 720-pound total. Flagler Palm Coast's Robert Paxia beat Joyer by five points with a 725-pound total.

Weightlifting at the state meet is a matter of not just lifting a bar but also blocking out any nerves that can be overwhelming, especially for first-time state lifters. Just ask any lifter who scratched and lost any shot at a medal.

Russell then had a 235-pound clean and jerk. He scratched on his second lift, a 255-pound effort. The bar hit his Adam's apple and left him a little dizzy. He then executed a 265-pound clean and jerk to give him a 580-pound total.

"I am actually extremely happy," Russell said. "Fourth place. I'm happy. I always hit my Adam's apple. I literally knocked myself out. I wasn't nearly as nervous. Clean and jerk is a crazy lift. You have to be on top. Actually, I dropped my first clean and jerk. As soon as I got the first clean and jerk, it felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders."

His coach was both happy and relieved.

"He's actually fallen in practice," Coach Mike Marlin said. "Justin had a decent day. You have to be on that day. The top four in the state in your weight class, you can't be unhappy about that."

Russell has lifted 285 pounds in the clean and jerk. Marlin said he kept his starting total down so Russell would be comfortable.

Wesley Chapel High's Kamran Joyer was ninth in the heavyweight class with a 685-pound total. Hunter's older brother had a 415-pound bench press and a 270-pound clean and jerk.

River Ridge High's Mario Stewart had a 410-pound total to finish ninth in the 129-pound class. Stewart lifted 225 pounds in the bench press and hoisted 185 pounds in the clean and jerk.

In Class 1A on Friday, Jordan Holding of Gulf managed to take home a fifth-place medal in the 129-pound weight class.

Holding injured a finger during an accident at a New Port Richey gym. Despite the injury, he had a 240-pound bench press and a 190-pound clean and jerk. He had a total of 430 pounds.

"It was not good at all," said Holding, who is going to the University of Florida next year. "If they would have counted my clean, I would have gotten second place rather than fifth. I cleaned it. They just had an illegal. I don't know what the judges called."

Gulf High teammate Michael Centanni had a bench press of 210 pounds and a clean and jerk of 395 pounds.

"I'm glad I made it but I could have done more," said Centanni.

The Gulf coach felt sorry that his athletes didn't place higher but was glad they were able to compete.

"Knowing that Holding cut his finger very badly and still came in fifth, knowing that this is the only year he has lifted and he has done so well, fifth in states is very good," said Gulf coach Steve Franks. "Mike Centanni is in his first year of lifting. He didn't do as well as we thought he would. He's got a lot to build on. Next year, he will be in the top five in the state."

Two other Pasco County lifters took home some hardware from the state meet.

Hudson High's Travis Tindell showed up with platinum blond hair and took third in the heavyweight class.

He lifted 385 pounds on the bench and added 330 pounds in the clean and jerk for a 715 total. The state champion, Nick Gardoni, lifted a state record 500 pounds on the bench and had an 815-pound total.

Both Tindell and his coach, Tim White said they were expecting a third-place finish.

Wiregrass Ranch High's Justin Janney was the first lifter from his school to make it to state and took fourth place in the 219-pound class.

"I overcame a whole bunch of nerves," Janney said. "I got my personal best in bench and clean and jerk. I am a junior so I can be back next year."

"He did a fantastic job," Wiregrass Ranch coach Chris Bounnell said. "He completed six out of six lifts. We went up 20 pounds today."

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Palatka’s Nick Albert retains state weightlifting title

Palatka Daily News

Nick Albert’s toughest opponent in his bid to repeat as a weightlifting state champion was Nick Albert.

This had nothing to do with mental conditioning and everything to do with physical conditioning — specifically, making sure he wasn’t too heavy to compete in the 119-pound weight class.

He wasn’t.

That issue addressed, the rest was easy.

The Palatka High School senior bench pressed 255 pounds and cleaned a personal-best 205 for a 460-pound total that beat his closest competition by 35 pounds in the class 2A state meet on Saturday at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach. A year after his victory helped the Panthers win the team championship, Albert was the only PHS competitor on Saturday, but his seven points were enough for a ninth-place tie in the team standings.

Albert graduated from 245 to 255 in his first two benches before scratching at 265. He was good on all three attempts (185, 195, 205) at the clean and jerk. The third, obviously, was the hardest.

“I don’t think I could have gotten any more,” said Albert, who spent most of the regular season — including last Monday’s county meet — competing in the 129-pound class. Thus his concern about making weight.

“I had to cut 10 pounds. I was afraid I wasn’t going to have the strength (after losing the weight), but I cut it the right way,” he said. “Doing the right diet, giving myself enough time so lose the weight and not having to run myself out, which is very tiring.”

By Thursday, Albert was down around 120 and PHS coach Gordon Roberts was convinced Albert would be atop the medal stand in two days.

“There was no question in my mind he was going to win,” Roberts said. “(Weight has) been his problem all year. His body’s trying to grow and he’s been trying to stay in that (119-pound) weight class.”

Saturday’s triumph came six years after older brother Christopher Albert won a 119-pound state championship for the Panthers.

“He’s been helping me throughout the whole time,” Nick Albert said. “He was second when he was a junior, so he told me my goal should be to win state twice. I was in the sixth grade when he started working with me.”

“His family already knew the sacrifices it was going to take,” Roberts said.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Multi-Sport Sullivan Captures Third At 2A State Meet
By Marty Miller

If earlier this year, you would have watched the Springstead boys soccer team during a game, it might have been hard to believe that one of those Eagle players may have a good chance to medal in Saturday's 34th annual Class 2A State Finals Weightlifting Meet.

But for sophomore Steve Sullivan, that proved to be the case as he finished in third place in the 139-pound weight

Saturday at Embry Riddle University in Daytona Beach.

Sullivan totaled 265-215--480 to earn a medal.

Sullivan recently won the Class 2A, Section IV Tournament at Belleview High School when he bench pressed 260 pounds and hoisted 205 pounds in the clean and jerk.

Saturday, Sullivan came in third, 25 pounds behind the second place finisher and 45 pounds out of first place.

"I thought I needed one of my best days," commented Sullivan, a two-time county champion. "In the bench press I did, but not in the clean-and-jerk.

During the bench press, Sullivan made his first attempt at 250 pounds, but then failed to lift 265.

Then on his third attempt, he cleared 265 to put him in third place.

In the clean-and-jerk, Sullivan made his opening two lifts at 205 and 215, but missed his last attempt at 225.

"We were hoping for better," said his coach Mike Garofano. "I was real happy with his totals he got, but he was real disappointed."

Try, try again

Last year, Sullivan last year failed to make the state meet and said that was a big motivating force this year. "I tried working for it last year and I didn't get it.

"This year," said Sullivan, "I came back and worked with a vengeance."

So far in his two years in high school, Sullivan has wrestled and played on the soccer team, but this is the closest he has come to making it to a state tournament.

"I started lifting with the school in ninth grade, but I did it before that, but usually I was just messing around."

One thing that he has changed is the amount of interest his weightlifting has had on his soccer teammates and his coach, Sal Calabrese.

"Coach said he was happy I was doing it and he said to try and recruit other people on the team."

Garofano also said he has had conversations with the soccer coach about lifting.

"He wants his kids in the weight room because we think it can help every sport," recalled Garofano. "Coach Calabrese is looking to do that now after seeing what it did with Steven."

One of the problems Sullivan had at both the section and state meets was a lack of sleep. Friday night before the state tournament, the Springstead sophomore said he got very little sleep.

"It was worse than that. I must have looked at the alarm clock every hour Friday. I didn't get to sleep until 4:45 and woke up at 5:15."

Sullivan also said that going into the state meet, he didn't believe he could compete with the other top lifters.

"That was one of the things I had my doubts about," Sullivan said. "I was waiting for someone on Saturday to come through really strong, but it didn't happen."

Even though he only took a third place, Sullivan said he had a great time in Daytona Beach.

"I was surprised I earned a medal," added Sullivan. "But the tournament was awesome. It's the most exciting meet I ever been in."

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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King Of The Hill
By Marty Miller

DAYTONA BEACH - All in all, it was a pretty good day for the Hernando High weightlifting team in the 34th annual Class 1A state weightlifting meet held Friday afternoon at Embry Riddle University.

Of the three Leopard lifters at the meet, sophomore Bradly Hill came in with the best finish as he wound up in fourth place at 169 pounds.

The other two Hernando lifters, Chad McGee at 183 pounds and Branden Durham at 119, each had to withdraw from the meet due to injury.

McGee converted his opening two bench press lifts at 295 and 305 pounds, but an injured right wrist started to bother him and after missing his next two attempts, he withdrew and came in 17th place.

Durham also had an injury problem. He made his first attempt in the bench press at 180, but his previously injured right shoulder began to act up and he then missed his next five attempts and finished 14th.

In the 169-pound weight class, the final outcome for third place was decided by how much a lifter weighed.

In weightlifting, if two or more lifters tie with the same combined weight, then the person who weighs less takes the higher place.

On Friday Hill, who weighed 167.3, tied Clint Santiago (166.6) of Harmony, Jerrell Carr (168.6) of Mulberry and Alvin Hinson (168.7) of Avon Park for third with 570 pounds.

Because of their weights, Santiago finished second with Hill, Carr and Harmon in order behind him.

HHS Head Coach Rodney Byrd said that going into the tournament, he believed that Hill had a very good chance to medal.

"I was looking at the totals from the regional meets and Bradly was ranked fourth. We anticipated him getting a little more in the clean-and-jerk, but you know, he did his best," Byrd said.

The state meet also had a lot of coaches concerned because of the close judging on what would be ruled a good lift. And Byrd said that lifters were starting off light to be sure of having at least one good lift.

"That's exactly what happened in the clean-and-jerk," said Byrd. "He started off at 250. Then he jumped to 265 on his second lift and with his technique, he raises his arms and the judge called it a press on his second lift.

"We were going to go 275 on his third lift, but instead we stayed at 265. It was a decent total, but not his best."
In the end, Coach Byrd said that being at the state tournament will do nothing but help his team.

"It went pretty decently, commented Byrd. The kids enjoyed the experience and it was a learning experience for them."

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Paxia goes big to claim weightlifting championship
By Andrew Mikula and Buddy Shacklette

PALM COAST -- Robert Paxia went for it all Saturday and with it the Flagler Palm Coast senior made his claim as the school's first state weightlifting champion.

The affable Paxia secured the title by matching his own school record combination of 725 pounds during the Class 2A finals at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's ICI Center. Competing in the 238-pound class, he bench pressed 415 pounds, then ratcheted up to 310 pounds in the clean and jerk on his second attempt.

Fourth in the state in 2007 as a junior, Paxia has been determined all spring with the big payoff coming on the biggest stage. He's been one of the stalwarts in an FPC weightlifting program that's been on the rise the past five seasons.

"This is amazing," Paxia said to a News-Journal reporter shortly after finishing his lifts. "I don't think it's quite sunk in yet."

Paxia got his bench press total on his first attempt, but missed both of his tries at 435 pounds. That put some pressure on him as Hunter Joyer of Wesley Chapel benched 445 on his second attempt.

But the pressure shifted direction with the clean and jerk. While Joyer topped out at 275 pounds on his third and final attempt, Paxia didn't even go in until 285 pounds was on the bar and he made that in his first try.

"I knew when I caught it that it was over. I just knew that (Joyer) couldn't clean and jerk as much as me and that when it came down to it, I could do it," Paxia said.

There were some other lifters waiting in the wings to get within striking distance and Paxia knew he still needed to increase by 25 pounds to top Joyer's total. He did it on his second try, and with only Spruce Creek's Andrew Mattox and Sarasota's Luke Spencer with legitimate shots to top him, Paxia waited until both lifters missed trying to make substantial increases.

Mattox had the best clean and jerk in the weight class at 360 pounds, but he needed to improve by 65 pounds to even touch Paxia and missed both tries at 380 pounds. Spencer, third overall, had enough weight on the bar to tie Paxia, but missed his third try at 360 pounds.

With the match clinched, Paxis elected to forego his third try and enjoy his state title.

A four-year competitor and starter with the FPC weightlifting team, Paxia tipped his hat to former FPC stars Maks Taubin and Binaire Michel. Taubin was the school's highest placer with a second in the 169-pound class in 2007, while Michel established the school records in the bench press and overall combination before Paxia topped them this year.

Paxia's 715-pound total at the sectional competition two weeks ago made him the top-seeded lifter in his weight class going into the state finals.

The 5-foot-9 Paxia weighed in at 226 pounds for the state competition and it's been quite a climb for him. He has battled an assortment of aches and pains, including a shoulder injury and problems with an anterior cruciate ligament to compete.

An all-around solid athlete, Paxia played three years of varsity football, logging time both at fullback and as a two-year starter on the offensive line. Switching from center to guard midway through this past season, he garnered All-Area first-team honors by helping the district champion Bulldogs amass an average of 325 yards per game rushing and 2,464 yards of total rushing offense.

Paxia's title was the height of the Bulldogs' season, which included its share of disappointments. FPC only qualified two other lifters for the state meet in a season where coach Duane Hagstrom was thinking about the possibility of a state title.

While that didn't transpire, Sheldon Ramage did well, tying for seventh in the 169-pound division. Ramage benched 285 pounds and put up 280 on his first try in the clean and jerk for a 555 total, tying Thomas Davis of North Port and Andrew Sanchez of Winter Springs.

Ramage missed on his final bench press attempt at 285 pounds, leaving him at 280. He also missed twice at 295 in the clean and jerk, leaving The Bulldogs, however, lost a competitor and probable placewinner in 119-pounder Christian Cardona. The senior came in half a pound overweight and could not lift.

Cardona, who took third last year at 119, was seeded third headed into the meet. Nick Albert of Palatka repeated as the class state champion with a 460-pound combination, while DeLand's Juan Gonzalez finished second.