Oviedo seniors seek strong finish in FHSAA girls weightlifting state meet
The Oviedo girls weightlifting team, armed with six senior state qualifiers, has high hopes for this week’s FHSAA Class 3A championship in Lakeland.
The Lions placed third in the traditional competition last season and hope to go one better on Wednesday at the RP Funding Center.
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“We’ve had some good individuals over the years, but as an overall team, this is definitely the strongest team I’ve had,” Oviedo coach Danny Evans said.
Pace, a Panhandle power, has won five of six 3A titles over the past three years and is once again the heavy favorite. Evans said a second place finish for his Oviedo team would be “wonderful”.
The Lions won the district and region titles thanks to strong performances from Justice Sampson, Anna Ferrell, Marnee McCue and Olivia Chapman. Samantha Van Adelbert and Sofia Miller round out the state meet lineup.
This is McCue’s fourth state meet.
Miller is a qualified beginner for state weightlifting. She played golf for Oviedo in the fall and is also on the Lions lacrosse team.
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Other top contenders from the Orlando area include Gwyneth Jensen of Winter Springs, Caitlynn Carver of St. Cloud, Molly O’Hara of East Ridge, Gia Griffith of Faith Christian and Jayleen Sanchez of Tohopekaliga.
The 2A competition will take place on Thursday, followed by the 1A championships on Friday.
Here is a list of the top zone qualifiers by weight class with their best totals from district or region competitions. O: designates the Olympic style (snatch and clean and jerk); T: refers to the traditional (bench press and clean and jerk):
101 pounds
T: Lucy Ilano, Timber Creek, 235
T: Samantha Van Adelbert, 230
T: Gracie Patrick, Hagerty, 230
O: Gracie Patrick, Hagerty, 250
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O: Lucy Ilano, Timber Creek, 245
110 pounds
T: Jayleen Sanchez, Tohopekaliga, 275
T: Mariah Turner, Innovation, 265
O Sanchez, 275
O: Dudley Ferrer, Osceola, 250
119 pounds
T: Marnee McCue, Oviedo, 335
T: Valentina Rodriguez, Innovation, 290
W: Mariam Petit, Howell Lake, 300
O: McCue, 280
O: Carson Roden, Eustis, 280
129 pounds
T: Molly O’Hara, East Ridge, 350
T: Nariya Robertson, Lake Brantley, 325
O: Jordan Schwenneker, Horizon, 325
O: O’Hara, 315
139 pounds
T: Anna Ferrell, Oviedo, 360
T: Gia Griffith, Faith Christian, 350
O: Ferrell, 345
O: Griffith, 345
154 pounds
T: Gwyneth Jensen, Winter Springs, 375
T: Amirah Newton, East Ridge, 370
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O: Caitlynn Carver, Saint-Cloud, 370
O: Nia Flores, Harmany, 340
O: Victoria Barajas, Tavares, 340
169 pounds
T: Camila Mandujano, Lake Mary, 335
T: Aliyah Gibbons, Timber Creek, 320
T: Campbell Downing, Hagerty, 320
O: Mandujano, LM, 320
O: Sadie Lindner, Hagerty, 315
183 pounds
T: Ava Solberg, Boone, 330
T: Samantha Arscott, Harmony, 320
O: Jaliel Bellefleur, Ocoée, 290
O: Lilyana Saavedra, Winter Springs, 290
199 pounds
T: Olivia Chapman, Oviedo, 345
T: Jazera Elington, Seminole, 340
O: Elington, 310
O: Eva Guerrier, East River, 290
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T: Judge Sampson, Oviedo, 410
T: Autumn Frost, Saint-Cloud, 390
O: Sampson, 390
O: Frost, 340
Academic Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
