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Lifters Have To Cut Short Prom Night

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By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 9, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - To prom or not to prom.

For some local athletes, that is the question.

The River Ridge prom is tonight.

Saturday, many of the same boys and girls may be lifting for a possible national title at the NHSCA Checkers/Rally's National High School Weightlifting Championships at the River Ridge gymnasium. To weigh in, athletes will have to be there between 7 and 9 a.m.

That's early for some kids after a prom night.

For people like junior Brianna Hooker, Saturday's event means a chance to prove she is better than her third-place finish in the 110-pound class at the FHSAA state championship.

There were 70 lifters who already plan to lift Saturday. Florida and Mississippi are the only two states that have girls weightlifting as a sanctioned sport.

Both girls and boys will be competing in this event.

The championship is a chance for Hooker to gain a national title.

A fun fact is, according to tournament director Russ Schenk, the Daytona Beach Spruce Creek High lifters are not scheduled to compete.

A Spruce Creek lifter beat Hooker for the state title and Spruce Creek's girls have owned the team titles for years.
Hooker is champing at the bit for the national event, even if it means she has to leave the prom early and come home.

"With Spruce Creek not being there, it kind of ups my chances of winning," Hooker said. "I lift year-round."

Hooker, a first-team Tribune Pasco County girls weightlifter this season, had a bench press of 150 pounds and a clean and jerk of 135 pounds at the state meet. She tied for second place but the lifters' weight is the tiebreaker and Hooker weighed more than the girl who finished second.

"After state, I wasn't really too impressed," she said. "At first, it wasn't what I wanted. I tried really hard. You don't want to throw it away."
Hooker said nerves got to her.

"I missed a clean and jerk," she said. "It got to my head. It was nerves. That's what happened. A three-way tie for second brought me down to second."

A chance at a national title could make up for that disappointment at state.

"It was very disappointing to get that close," she said. "I am hoping it won't happen this time.

"Our whole girls team and whole guys team have been training for this. Prom is tonight. We are doing this Saturday morning.

"I'm going to prom. I am still going to the meet.

"I am going straight home after the dance. I am going to get some sleep and get up in the morning."

For many Pasco County lifters, that wakeup call could be real important.

For some of them, it may even be worth leaving prom early.

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: NHSCA Checkers/Rally's National High School Boys and Girls Weightlifting Championships

WHEN: Saturday, 9 a.m.

WHERE: River Ridge High School, 11646 Town Center Road, New Port Richey
DIVISIONS: Upper high school - grades 11-12; lower high school - grades 9-10

WEIGHT CLASSES: 103, 112, 119, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 152, 160, 171, 189, 215, 285, Hwt. An athlete can go up one weight class but not a division.

EVENTS: Bench press and clean and jerk

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