Five Keys athletes made the trip to Lakeland for the FHSAA 1A State Championship in boys weightlifting on April 15. When the final lift was complete, Coral Shores’ team of four earned fifth place in both the Olympic and traditional categories, solidifying the ’Canes’ top spot in Keys strongmen, particularly in the heavier categories. All five Keys lifters represented the four largest weight classes.
It’s no surprise that senior Xavyer Arrington made a trip to the podium. Arrington won the inaugural snatch competition in 2022 and was favored to win the Olympic category this season – which he did – but it was his final clean and jerk lift that pushed him into the top spot in the state. Arrington went on to combine his clean and jerk weight with a massive 365-pound bench press to take third place in the traditional category, giving him three total state medals in his past two years lifting for Coral Shores. Arrington competed in the Unlimited category, in which some competitors outweighed him by up to 70 pounds.
One weight class below, in the 238 pound division, Julian Juvier was not to be outdone by anyone. Juvier, a senior who joined the team for the first time this season, benched 375 pounds, which gave him a significant edge in the traditional category. His 235-pound snatch and 315-pound clean made it undeniable that he should be the champ in both categories. Juvier’s lifts were so big that he would have medaled in both categories in the next weight class.
The 219-pound class was represented by two Keys athletes: Marathon’s Thomas Eubank, the lone Fin to qualify for the event, and Coral Shores’ AJ Johnson. Eubank finished 15th in traditional lifts, ending a highly decorated athletic career for the senior Dolphin. Johnson cracked the top 10, finishing in ninth place in the Olympic category. Though he was three places from a medal, the junior will have another shot at hardware in 2024.
The lightest class represented at the championships was 199 pounds. Coral Shores’ Dantay Diorio finished in seventh place, one shy of a medal. Just a sophomore, the Keys’ youngest state-qualifying male lifter will no doubt come home a little bit heavier in the coming years with a medal or two around his neck. In the meantime, Diorio will have about a week’s rest before heading out to the football field for spring practices.
