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County Girls Perform Well In Sectional Qualifying Meet

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By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

Published: January 12, 2008

BUSHNELL - Brianna Hooker and Carmen Figueroa did precisely what they were expected to do.

River Ridge High's Hooker and Gulf's Figueroa were expected to win their weight classes, and that was what they did.

Pasco County girls won seven of the 10 weight classes Thursday at the FHSAA girls weightlifting sectional qualifying at South Sumter High.

Hooker had a 145-pound bench press and a 130-pound clean and jerk to win the 110-pound class with a 275-pound total.

"I was happy with her bench," River Ridge coach Mike DeGennaro said. "On the clean and jerk, we were hoping to get a little more. Jessica Diaz won her weight class. She did well. I expected her to do that."

Figueroa, lifting despite some pain in her chest, lifted 160 pounds in the bench and 140 pounds in the clean and jerk for a 300-pound total. She won the 129-pound class.

Figueroa, a senior, had pain near her sternum when she did the clean and jerk, but she toughed it out.

"It hurts when I do heavy weight," she said.

Gulf coach Steve Franks was happy with his girls' efforts.

"They did very well," Franks said. "We are the smallest team here, but we have a lot of heart. Carmen is the best lifter I've got. She's the last one to lift. There is no one here to cheer for her. She digs in deep and comes out on top every time."

The top three qualifiers in each class, based on the results of this and another qualifier at Belleview, will advance to the state meet at River Ridge in February. Many Pasco County lifters will have to compete at Belleview to earn the trip to state.
Wesley Chapel and River Ridge each had two class winners. For Wesley Chapel, Danielle Reardon won the 119-pound class and Kelly Daugherty won the unlimited class.

"We thought that she would be competitive," Wesley Chapel coach John Castelamare said of Reardon. "She did a heck of a job. She had a personal best."

River Ridge's Jessica Diaz won the 101-pound class and Ridgewood's Lauren Heymann won the 139-pound class.

"Breanne Monaco third in 129 and Lauren Heymann are doing very well," Ridgewood coach Brian Wachtel said. "I'm happy with how they did. I am looking forward to Chrystal Rose getting a chance to do better."

Zephyrhills High's Casey Rogers won the 169-pound class.

Despite winning that class, Coach Shannon Matthews expects some of her lifters to lift at the Belleview High qualifier and do better.

"Two of my strongest contenders had problems," Matthews said. "Jessica Davis did not make weight. Brook Sanders had three no-lifts on the bench. She had a problem with the bench. We will definitely go to Belleview."

Hudson's Brittany Foster took third in the 169-pound class.

"She would have gotten first place with her last lift, but she scratched it," Hudson coach Tim White said. "We will be taking possibly three or four of them to Belleview."

SECTIONAL QUALIFYING RESULTS

101 - 1. Jessica Diaz (RR) 110-90-200; 2. Becca Branch (Crystal River) 95-95-190; 3. Jillian Browne (RW) 80-65-145; 110 - 1. Brianna Hooker (RR) 145-130-275; 2. Ashley Mizrahi (Gu) 125-110-235; 3. Natalie Merenghi (RR) 130-95-225; 119 - 1. Danielle Reardon (WC) 130-125-255; 2. Tenisha Dixon (Mit) 125-130-255; 3. Taniqua Johnson (Crystal River) 115-115-230; 129 - 1. Carmen Figueroa (Gu) 160-140-300; 2. Summer Dupler (Lecanto) 150-130-280; 3. Breanne Monaco (RW) 150-130-280; 139 - 1. Lauren Heywood (RW) 130-130-260; 2. Jennifer Ross (Belleview) 120-130-250; 3. Annalise Sorvillo (Lecanto) 125-120-245; 154 - 1. Cori Padgett (Villages) 145-140-285; 2. Victoria Mele (Lecanto) 130-135-265; 169 - 1. Casey Rogers (ZH) 135-110-245; 2. Whitney Lewis (Belleview) 125-120-245; 3. Brittany Foster (Hud) 115-115-230; 183 - 1. Aysia Busbee (Lecanto) 125-135-260; 2. Katherine Patton (ZH) 135-110-245; 3. Alex Laton (RR) 115-115-230; 199 - 1. Kimberly Daniel (Springstead) 150-135-285; 2. Megan Shaun (RR) 140-115-255; 3. Breanna Nelson (Lecanto) 135-110-245; UNL - 1. Kelly Daugherty (WC) 145-140-285; 2. Cindy Etienne (Sunlake) 140-135-275; 3. Breanna Blalock (ZH) 135-130-265.

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