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Osceola News-Gazette
Girls Weightlifting
As the 2019-20 season begins winding down, the St. Cloud Girls’ Weightlifting Team will look to extend their Orange Belt Conference winning streak to 10 when they host the conference championship event on Jan. 15.
“It’s been a really good season for us,” Head Coach Cory Aun noted. “We not only have some outstanding lifters, but we have some great depth on this year’s team. Still we know our work will be cut out for us. We haven’t seen Osceola in a competition yet, but we know they have some talented lifters. Harmony and Liberty also have some solid performers that will give us competition in certain weight classes. It should be a great meet.”
The Lady Bulldogs are led by eight different lifters that have all exceeded the 300-pound combined total in the bench press and clean and jerk this year. Senior Kaylin White is a two-time state runner-up at 110-pounds and will be looking to win that elusive state championship title in her final season.
Last year, White went 145 in the bench press and 165 in the clean and jerk for a 310-pound. total, finishing second to Hagerty’s Cheyenne DuCharme’s winning total of 335. As a team, the Lady Bulldogs finished tied for 10th in the state tournament.
“Kaylin has had a great senior campaign. She’s already surpassed the 300 mark on several occasions this year and our goal is to hit 320 in the post-season. She is the highest returning finisher in her class at states and I know her personal goal is to add state champion to her resume,” Aun said.
Other top lifters include Vanessa Davis
(139), Aimee Saitta (154), Savannah O’Niell
(169), Emily Enger (169), Hannah Wagner
(185), Mylie MacDonald (199) and Zyanna Henry (HWY). Henry qualified for the state meet a season ago. All but two of St. Cloud’s top eight performers are seniors, giving Aun an experienced group heading into the post-season.
Eight regional champions advance to the state meet, as well as 12 at-large competitors in each weight class based on regional results.
The district championships are slated for Jan. 24-25, with regional competitions scheduled for Jan. 31 – Feb. 1. The state championships for both Class 2A and 1A will be held at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach on Feb. 14-15.
“We have a well-seasoned group this year led by some outstanding seniors. We are hosting both districts and regionals and that should be an advantage,” Aun noted. “Our goal is to get all eight of our top kids to states and we think that is a realistic goal.”
