Marathon, Somerset Silver Palms and Keys Gate traveled to Tavernier on Feb. 19 to join Coral Shores for a boys weightlifting quadmeet. The Fins and Hurricanes tied for first in Olympic lifts, with Marathon edging out Coral Shores for the win in the traditional event. The Keys teams won all but two of the 10 weight classes, with all eight winners taking first in both the traditional and Olympic events.
Coral Shores’ Nick Brown (119 pounds) and Xavier Johnson (183) won their respective weight classes. Marathon had winners in Chase Leird (129), Matthias Martinez-Velez (154), Damian Stasiewicz (169), Max Childress (199), Tanner Ross (219) and Braulio Garcia (238).
Though the girls just returned from their state championships, it is still early in the season for boys weightlifting in Florida. Consequently, most athletes are not yet maxing out, or lifting their top weights, for the individual events. In addition to growing stronger as the season progresses, athletes are coached to hold off on their maximum lifts as a measure of safety as they perfect their form and also to peak at the appropriate time, which is districts. Despite this, some of the more seasoned athletes’ numbers are looking very impressive. The top bench press last week was 170 pounds, achieved by Marathon’s Eduardo Garcia and Tanner Ross. The top weights in both snatch and clean also came from Ross, with a 185-pound snatch and 250-pound clean.
Districts for boys weightlifting begin the final week of March, with states scheduled for April 11 and 12 this year.
