Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
The beginning of April has been big for weightlifting across Suwannee and Hamilton. The Florida Boys Weightlifting Regionals were held, and Branford, Hamilton County and Suwannee High Schools all saw athletes earn a shot at the state championship.
Branford High School:
In the Traditional competition, the Buccaneers saw four lifters place in the top 10. First, in the 119-pound weight class, Zander Hegenauer placed second with a lift of 365 pounds. Then, in the 139-pound weight class, Dante Rodriquez placed third with a lift of 430 pounds. The victories continued in the 154-pound weight class, where Tolby Terry placed eighth with a lift of 430 pounds. Finally, in the Unlimited weight class, Cole Peyton placed sixth with a lift of 585 pounds.
The competition didn't stop there; the Olympic competition was happening as well. Once again, in the 119-pound weight class, Hegenauer placed fourth with a lift of 285 pounds. Brian Bates placed ninth with a lift of 130 pounds. Then, in the 139-pound weight class, Rodriquez placed third with a lift of 385 pounds. Finally, in the Unlimited weight class, Peyton placed seventh with a lift of 455 pounds. Each athlete fought their hardest and earned a chance to battle for the state title.
Hamilton County High School:
Hamilton County High School competed in the Class 1A Region 1 Regional Championship and saw two lifters earn their spot. In the Traditional competition, the Trojans saw two lifters earn spots in the top 10. In the 154-pound weight class, Brandon Atwood placed third with a lift of 465 pounds. Directly behind him in fourth place was Sam Meldanado with a lift of 460 pounds. The two lifters continued their impressiveness in the Olympic event. Once again, in the 154-pound weight class, Atwood placed fifth with a lift of 385 pounds. Again, right behind him was Meldanado in sixth place with a lift of 380 pounds.
Suwannee High School:
The Bulldogs saw a plethora of lifters earn their spot. In the Traditional event, in the 119-pound weight class, Randy Garcia placed second with a lift of 380 pounds. Directly behind him was Rah'Darius Cray in third place with a lift of 355 pounds. The trend continued in the 129-pound weight class, where Chris Gonzalez placed second with a lift of 440 pounds. In the 139-pound weight class, Kamden Lang placed fourth with a lift of 445 pounds. Close behind was Mark Garcia in 10th place with a lift of 400 pounds. In the 154-pound weight class, Cyler Akins placed third with a lift of 515 pounds. Then, in the 169-pound weight class, Marshall White placed third with a lift of 535 pounds. Close behind was Noah Chauncey in fifth place with a lift of 520 pounds. Things didn't stop there; in the 183-pound weight class, Jayden Francis placed eighth with a lift of 520 pounds. Coming up right behind him was Clay Starling in ninth place with a lift of 515 pounds. In the 199-pound weight class, Reese Bronson placed fifth with a lift of 585 pounds. Gage Browning rounded out the class in 10th place with a lift of 545 pounds. In the 219-pound weight class, Brody Bean placed second with a lift of 585 pounds. Davian Ramirez followed in ninth place with a lift of 530 pounds. Then, in the 238-pound weight class, Colton Hagedorn placed fifth with a lift of 565 pounds. Finally, in the Unlimited weight class, Will Brown was placed fifth with a lift of 640 pounds.
The hard-fought battles continued during the Olympic event. In the 119-pound weight class, Randy placed second with a lift of 350 pounds. Again, right behind him in third place was Cray, with a lift of 320 pounds. In the 129-pound weight class, Gonzalez placed second with a lift of 430 pounds. In the 139-pound weight class, Lang reigned supreme with a lift of 395 pounds. Close behind, in third place, was Mark with a lift of 375 pounds. The competition continued in the 154-pound weight class, where Akins placed second with a lift of 470 pounds and Frank Brookins placed 10th with a lift of 400 pounds. In the 169-pound weight class, White placed third with a lift of 450 pounds. Xander McAlpin placed eighth with a lift of 405 pounds. In the 183-pound weight class, Starling placed first with a lift of 475 pounds. Jayden Francis placed seventh with a lift of 425 pounds. Then, in the 199-pound weight class, Bronson placed fourth with a lift of 505 pounds. Close behind was Browning in sixth place with a lift of 475 pounds. In the 219-pound weight class, Bean placed seventh with a lift of 455 pounds. Claiming ninth place in the same class was Ramirez with a lift of 450 pounds. In the 238-pound weight class, Hagedorn placed second with a lift of 500 pounds. Then, in eighth place was Ayden Marangoni with a lift of 425 pounds. Finally, in the Unlimited class, Brown placed fifth with a lift of 540 pounds.