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Local Weightlifters Mine For Gold At State Meet

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By LARRY BUGG Tribune correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 12, 2009

NEW PORT RICHEY - Some of the strongest teenage girls in Florida will be doing some heavy lifting Saturday at the River Ridge High gym.

They will be doing the bench press and clean and jerk in the Florida High School Activities Association's girls weightlifting state meet.

Weigh-ins will be at 7 a.m., and lifting begins at 10:20 a.m.

There will be 18 Pasco County lifters among the 270 from around the state.
Port Orange Spruce Creek High is the favorite, having won five consecutive team titles.

River Ridge will have seven lifters, and the Royal Knights' coach is hoping his girls can bring home some of the medals that go to the top six finishers.

"My girls will go out and do their best," said River Ridge coach Mike DeGennaro. "Brianna Hooker was third last year at state. Of the seven we have, I think four have a shot at medals."

Hooker, a senior in the 119-pound weight class, is making her fourth and final trip to the state meet. She won the Belleview sectional qualifier with a 145-pound bench press and a 125-pound clean and jerk for a 270-pound total. Right behind her was Gulf senior Ashley Mizrahi with 265 pounds.

River Ridge's Natalie Marenghi is making her third trip to state after winning the 110-pound class during the qualifier with a 250-pound total. Hudson's Kalah St. Pierre, who recently earned a scholarship to run cross country at Pasco-Hernando Community College, was second at qualifiers with 240 pounds.

River Ridge's Jessica Diaz (101 pounds) and Megan Shoun (199 pounds) also are making their second trips to state.

Ridgewood senior Lauren Heymann, making her second and final trip, won the 139-pound class at Belleview with a 290-pound total. Zephyrhills' Emily Sanders was second at 275 pounds, and Pasco High's Alyssa Larson was third with 255.

Gulf's Jordyn Roberts won the 154-pound title with a 295-pound total, while Zephyrhills High's Tiffany Shepler was third with 240.
Casey Rogers and Katherina Patton, both of Zephyrhills, tied for the 183-pound title with 260 pounds, but Rogers earned the title because she weighed less than Patton.

Ridgewood's Elizabeth Clum was second in the 169-pound class with 280 pounds. River Ridge's Heather Muller also had 280 and was third in that class.

River Ridge's Amanda Becker was second in the unlimited weight class with 315 pounds.

Hudson's Tinna Perry was second in the 129-pound class with 250 pounds.

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