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Age Is Just A Number For Joyer

By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 28, 2008

WESLEY CHAPEL - Hunter Joyer impressed people when he lifted 445 pounds on the bench press during the Class 2A state boys weightlifting meet last month in Daytona Beach.

Many people were even more impressed with another number, 14, his age.

Joyer lifted 275 pounds for a 720-pound total. That was just five pounds short of the winning state total in the 238-pound weight class.

Wesley Chapel High weightlifting coach Able Robinson was naturally very proud of his freshman phenom.

"He works hard," Robinson said. "He has been working on weights since he was 12. I am proud to have the best weightlifter in the county. You forget that he is 14. I am real proud of him. He may not be excited but we are ecstatic that he took second."

There maybe something in the water at the Joyer household.

Kamran Joyer, Hunter's older brother, was ninth at state in the heavyweight class. He had a personal record of 415 pounds and a 270-pound clean and jerk for a 685-pound total.

Kamran is going to spend part of the coming year sorting out which Division I football team he wants to play for.

Hunter, now 5-10 and 225 pounds, may have that same problem in a few years.

Besides the fact that he practically lives in the weight room, there is another reason Joyer is The Tampa Tribune's Pasco County Boys Weightlifting Athlete of the Year.

His attitude is superb.

"He is self-effacing," said Kirsten Joyer, his mother and an assistant principal at Weightman Middle School. "He's just a sweet kid."

The younger Joyer doesn't have a "diva" bone in his body. His mother said he set a national record by lifting 375 pounds in Lakeland when he was just an eighth-grader and this didn't give him a big head.

Winner that he is, Joyer recently took home the Heavyweight Mr. Wesley Chapel after flexing in front of a boisterous crowd in the Center for the Arts.

Joyer said that flexing in front of that crowd was harder than lifting 445 pounds at state.

Joyer is grateful for that second place although his sights are set on the gold.

"It feels good to be almost a state champion," he said. "My goal is to get the state title next year."

He said he was disappointed immediately after taking second at the state meet.

Fortunately, Joyer has three more shots at a state title.

Robinson, who is a young coach at age 21, is grateful to have a very strong athlete with a perfect attitude.

"He is great," Robinson said. "He doesn't have an attitude. He's like a little kid. He loves to play around. He knows when it is time to get serious. He has three more years of lifting and three more years of football.

"We are real proud of him."

Blessed with tremendous strength, size and exquisite attitude, Hunter Joyer is probably going to be collecting lots of titles and honors for the next three years at Wesley Chapel High School.

BOYS WEIGHTLIFTING FIRST TEAM

Anthony Ayres, Mitchell

Jordan Holding, Gulf

Mario Stewart, River Ridge

Mike Mignon, River Ridge

Justin Russell, River Ridge

Devin Palumbo, Hudson

Devinlee Brown, Hudson

Justin Janney, Wiregrass Ranch

Hunter Joyer, Wesley Chapel

Travis Tindell, Hudson

Coach of the Year: Tim White, Hudson