Photo: mihailomilovanovic / E+ / Getty Images
FLORIDA - South Florida high school girls’ weightlifting teams delivered standout performances at the recent Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) State Championships, securing top placements and setting new milestones.
The competition took place at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on February 14th and 15th, where teams from across the state competed in Olympic and Traditional weightlifting categories.
Doctors Charter School, led by coaches Randal Morales, Paul Behar, and Andrew Dodds, earned their first-ever State Runner-Up Trophy in the Olympic category, which includes the Snatch and Clean and Jerk lifts.
Coach Morales credited the team’s success to their discipline and teamwork, as well as support from their athletic director, Andrew Dodds.
Meanwhile, Marathon High School, coached by Jessie Schubert and Michelle James, secured the State Runner-Up title in the Traditional category, which consists of Clean and Jerk and Bench Press.
The team also saw multiple individual medalists, with standout performances contributing to their historic achievement.
Other South Florida schools also had impressive showings.
Keys Gate High School, coached by Chris Kim, celebrated an individual medalist, while Coral Shores High School, led by coach Erin Hamilton, had two athletes place among the top competitors.
In Class 2A, Archbishop McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, under the guidance of coach Heidi Bowser, had two lifters take home medals.
Altogether, over 20 athletes from Marathon High School, Coral Shores, Doctors Charter School, Keys Gate, and Archbishop McCarthy High School represented South Florida in the championship.
Coach Morales highlighted the rapid growth of girls’ weightlifting in the region, noting that the number of participating teams has doubled in recent years.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, only six schools from Broward County to the Florida Keys competed at this level, but interest has surged, leading to more athletes reaching the state stage and earning medals.