Topic: News: Bryant powers his way to top honors

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Bryant powers his way to top honors
By Dennis Maffezzoli

When he first started, Tevin Bryant did not like weightlifting.

"All the hard work we had to put in when I started off, I had to get used to it," Bryant said.

As a freshman, he could bench 200 pounds. But with each session, lifting began to grow on him.

And Bryant began to grow.

During his first trip to the Class 1A State Weightlifting Meet as a sophomore in 2008, the 234- pound Bryant received a medal for finishing fifth in the 238-pound weight class benching 345 and lifting 285 in the clean and jerk.

Gaining experience from his first trip to the state meet, Bryant's return trip was more comfortable ... and successful.

He received another medal -- this time a gold. Dropping down to the 219-pound weight class, the 218-pound Bryant benched 365 and lifted 315 in the clean and jerk for a 680 total.

For his efforts, Bryant is the Herald-Tribune Boys' Weightlifter of the Year.

"I knew it was a possibility," Bryant said of winning the state title. "If I didn't win the states, I would have been disappointed. I didn't want to wait another year."

Bryant said the "whole atmosphere" of competing in the state meet as a sophomore helped him prepare for the meet in 2009. When he returned this year as a junior, Bryant was not in awe of the surroundings.

Bryant, like many other athletes, uses weightlifting to enhance his primary sport: football.

A fullback last year who played some at linebacker, Bryant had to move to tailback for one game because some of his teammates were ill. All he did was rush for a school-record 269 yards on 33 carries and score three touchdowns in a win over Sebring High that moved the Pirates closer to their first football playoff berth. He will be their feature back in the fall.

When he is not lifting or running around or over defenders on a football field, Bryant likes to fish.