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Cimino's success is no accident

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By LARRY BUGG

Tribune correspondent

Published: April 19, 2009

HUDSON - An unfortunate accident happened to Joe Cimino on the way to the 2008 state weightlifting meet.

The then-Hudson High junior had an accident in the weight room as he was lifting dumbbells. His left ring finger was caught and torn off. This happened around this time last year and prevented him from lifting in last year's state meet.

His finger was reattached, and this year the Dunedin native is seeking a gold medal. He has a best bench press of 240 pounds and a best clean-and-jerk of 205 pounds.

Cimino, who plays running back on the Hudson football team, won the 129-pound class at the Sunlake sub-sectional qualifier on March 25. He had a 230-pound bench and a 190-pound clean and jerk.

"Jo Jo has been special since his sophomore year," Hudson coach Tim White said. "He was a state qualifier as a sophomore. He had numbers in his first two meets that would have tied the state champion for his weight class. He tore his finger off working out in the weight room.

"He's back. He's a little bit better than he was last year. We have high hopes going into the state meet."

Cimino is a presence on the Hudson team.

"He is a very quiet leader," White said. "He never says anything. The kids all look up to him. They all respect him. Everybody on the team knows he is our best lifter."

After such a devastating end to his junior season, Cimino thinks he has something to prove this year.

"Last year, I should have placed," Cimino said. "This year, I want to do more than place. I want to get first."

This year, Cimino has his best friend, John Eaton, lifting in the same weight class. When Cimino placed first in the sub-sectional qualifier, Eaton was second with 400 pounds.

"We are pretty much the same," Cimino said of Eaton. "He was better than me. He dropped weight."

Cimino said he started lifting after football his freshman year.

"I started out lifting just because of football, but then I started getting good," he said. "Now, I do it because I love it. I just really enjoy it. After I have done it, I feel relaxed."

Cimino doesn't dwell on his injury.

"I put it completely out of my mind," he said. "I don't think of it unless someone talks to me about it."

Cimino plans to attend Pasco-Hernando Community College and eventually become a nurse practitioner.

But this year, he's hoping he can celebrate his senior year with a state title.

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