-
St. Cloud's Mikey Ziss, with Bulldogs lifting coach Cory Aun, setting a state snatch record at the 119-pound class, lifting 205 pounds. PHOTO/SDOC -
St. Cloud’s Mike Ziss was a double gold medalist taking both the Olympic and Traditional disciplines at the FHSAA Class 3A State Weightlifting Championships in Lakeland Friday. PHOTO/ST. CLOUD HIGH -
Liberty’s Kevin Hill won the Class 2A State Title in the 169-pound class to become the first individual state champion in that school’s history. PHOTO/LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL
Osceola County has two new high school state champions.
St. Cloud’s Mikey Ziss set state records and won double gold medals at the FHSAA Class 3A weightlifting championships Friday, while Liberty’s Kevin Hill won the first individual state championship in school history winning the Class 2A 169-pound class title in the Olympic event.
For Ziss, it was just a continuation of his successes at both the high school and national levels. The junior sensation dominated in repeating as the 119-pound class in the Olympic (snatch and clean-and-Jerk) and traditional (clean and bench press).
In the Olympic competition, Ziss hit all six of his attempts, and his 460-pound total won his weight class by 60 pounds. In the traditional, his 480 total was 40 pounds better than second place.
Ziss is considered one of the nation’s top lifters in the Junior Division (under 17) in his weight class and is expected to compete in several national and world competitions over the spring and summer.
“Mikey had an absolutely sensational year,” St. Cloud coach Cory Aun said. “Given the high weights he has been lifting, the fact that he did not miss a single attempt in clean-and-jerk all season is beyond impressive. He broke two state snatch records, three Olympic records, and the state clean record. His work ethic is unmatched he definitely inspires and lifts the efforts of his teammates.”
Hill’s performance was also impressive. He hoisted 260 (snatch) and 320 (C&J) to total 580 pounds and win his weight class by 40 pounds.
Several other county lifters placed Friday. St. Cloud’s Jonathan Morales took second place finish in 154-pound traditional Class with a 550-pound total, losing to Oakleaf’s Elijah Shevchook by just 10 pounds.
The Rodriguez twins from Harmony also collected medals. Anthony Rodriguez hoisted 675 pounds in the Olympic and 580 in the traditional to earn third-place finishes. Brother Louis took silver in the traditional at 199 with a 645-pound effort.
St. Cloud senior Conner Howes finished fourth in the Unlimited weight traditional. Liberty’s Joshua Fabian finished fifth in the 2A,238-pound traditional.
“His competitive nature almost certainly cost Anthony a second-place finish,” Harmony coach Nick Lippert noted. “He had a choice of going for a lighter weight in his third and final attempt, which would have secured second place but he told me he ‘wanted to go for the state championship’ and just missed at the heavier weight.”
“I can’t say enough about what they have meant to our school and our program,” Lippert added of the Rodriguez brothers. “They are so incredibly dedicated, so competitive and work so hard yet everything they do is with total class and respect to their sport, their opponents, the coaches and the fans. They are terrific young men.”
As a team, St. Cloud finished fifth in the 3A Olympic and traditional standings. Liberty was 10th in 2A.
