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Girls Weightlifting: Running Helps Keppel Become Winning Lifter

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By LARRY BUGG

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 14, 2009

LAND O’ LAKES - Someone watching Morgan Keppel might not have any idea that she is a weightlifter.

The 16-year-old junior at Land O' Lakes High School stands just 4-foot-11 and weighs around 97 pounds. Keppel looks more like the distance runner, who is the captain of the Gators cross country team.

Keppel, however, happens to be a runner and a lifter.

Last year, she surprised herself by qualifying for the girls weightlifting FHSAA Finals and finished 20th in the 101-pound class.

Today, the state meet is back at River Ridge High School, as it was last year, and she hopes to be there again.

She had a 105-pound bench press and lifted 80 pounds in the clean and jerk last year at state. On Jan. 24, she had a 90-pound clean and jerk to take second in the Sunshine Athletic Conference meet in her class.

For years, Keppel was the sort of girl who just seemed to be, like the Bruce Springsteen song, "Born To Run." Her father, Kris Keppel, is the cross country and track coach at Land O' Lakes High.

His daughter began running when she was four years old and still loves cross country especially. Unlike some distance runners, Morgan Keppel is really getting into the lifting and developing some muscles.

In track, she ran in the USA Track and Field Junior Olympics in Eugene, Oregon. At 11, she ran the 3,000 meter and finished 23rd.

Her father said his daughter has had a mixture of athletic training.

"She has done dancing, gymnastics and swimming,'' said Kris Keppel. "She has been cardiovascularly, muscularly fit. Swimming can be pretty demanding. It develops your overall body."

The younger Keppel started lifting her freshman year and she has grown to love pumping iron.

"It's something that has become an interest over the last year and a half," her father said. "It is something totally different. We are expecting a pretty good jump.

"I think lifting has rejuvenated her in the sports world. She is thinking about lifting in college. There are no scholarships. There are things that she would like to pursue."

Keppel impressed her lifting coach.

"I think Morgan has a really strong work ethic,'' said the Land O' Lakes coach Leslie Stanford. "Academically, she also does and she carries into her athletics. I really think it gives her an edge. She moves forward and comes out of the other side stronger. The first time she came out for weightlifting, I told her I thought it would only enhance her cross country and track experience.

"She has a cute, sweet personality about her but she has a very serious dedicated side to her and that gives her an edge."

It is a given that the young Keppel is going to college.

"Her first choice is to attend the University of Florida and study nursing," her father said.

Keppel has also done the heavy lifting in the classroom with her unweighted, 3.9 GPA. Her weighted average is 4.15.

As for the lifting in the weight room, it kind of crept up on the runner.

"I have always loved running,'' she said. "I fell in love with weightlifting. I was really surprised when I got to state. I was pretty lucky."

Keppel feels like she can compete in the weightlifting for years.

"I think there is no limit to how far you can go in the sport," she said. "There is nothing that can limit me. You don't have to be perfectly talented. I like challenging myself and seeing what I can do with my body.

"It's being able to test your body. I think you can always improve. My dad helps me."

Running has been known t produce the euphoric "runner's high." Weightlifting can also help work some emotions as well.

"You can take out your stress with weightlifting," she said. "I think it is enjoyable. Some people are jealous. Some people are surprised that I lift. I'm pretty small and don't look like a lifter. My goal is not to look like a macho woman. I just wanted to show that I am strong."

During a moment in the recent Sunshine Athletic Conference girls weightlifting meet, Keppel enjoyed flexing her biceps for a photographer.
That moment may mean she is truly hooked on that feeling one gets when there is something to flex.

Call it "flexer's high" and this girl may spend the rest of her life chasing it.

WHAT: Girls Weightlifting FHSAA Finals

WHERE/WHEN: River Ridge, 11646 Town Center Rd. New Port Richey/Weigh-ins, 7 to 9 a.m.; Judges meeting, 8:30 a.m.; Coaches meeting, 9 a.m.; Competition, 10:30 a.m.

ADMISSION: $7.00

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