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Suwannee's girls weightlifting team celebrates after winning the Region 1-1A titles in traditional and Olympic on Saturday. (PAUL BUCHANAN/Special to the Reporter)
LIVE OAK — Suwannee’s regional dominance continued Saturday.
The Bulldogs hoisted their sixth straight Region 1-1A traditional title in their home gym, while also adding their third straight Olympic regional crown too on a day where they had 19 lifters qualify for the state meet.
Suwannee totaled 52 points in the traditional event to top Wewahitchka (34) and Blountstown (24) behind three individual titles. The Bulldogs also had three individual winners in the Olympic portion as they finished with 54 points to Wewahitchka’s 36 and North Bay Haven’s 23.
Suwannee was led Saturday by Caroline Allen and Jordyn Rodriguez, who both won titles in both events. Allen totaled 255 pounds in the traditional and 230 in the Olympic to win the 101-pound class. Rodriguez topped the 119-pound division with lifts of 305 in the traditional and 285 in the Olympic.
The Bulldogs’ other titles came from Brianna McCullers in the traditional at 169, finishing with a 375 total, and Kaly Cuffy at 199 in the Olympic with a total of 345. McCullers added a third-place finish in Olympic with a 335, while Cuffy was second in traditional with a 355 total to also get at-large bids to state in those events.
Also scoring points for Suwannee in traditional were Samantha Turner (sixth, 110), Maddie McMillan (sixth, 119), Brianna Woods (fifth, 129), Johana Alicea (third, 139), Katherine Lansford (sixth, 139), Andlyn Lundy (third, 154), Calinn Daniel (fourth, 183), Jasmine Logan (third, 199), Savannah White (second, unlimited) and Melanee Jones (sixth, unlimited). That entire group, along with Hylan Hurst (seventh, 110), Emaysa Blue (seventh, 169), Lilly Garafola (eighth, 154) and Maylee Jo Gabey (seventh, 183) all received at-large bids to state in the traditional event.
Scoring for the Bulldogs in Olympic were Hurst (third, 110), Turner (sixth), McMillan (fourth), Alicea (fourth), Lansford (fifth), Lundy (fifth), Blue (sixth, 169), Logan (second), White (second) and Jordan Williams (fourth, unlimited). That entire group, along with Daniel (eighth, 183), received at-large bids to state in the Olympic event.
The Class 1A state meet is set for Feb. 17 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
COLUMBIA’S MERRIEX EDGED FOR REGION TITLES
Sakiya Merriex was Columbia’s lone state qualifier, moving on in both traditional and Olympic after finishing runner-up in both events at the Region 1-2A on Saturday, which was also held at Suwannee.
Columbia placed 10th as a team in Olympic at regionals with six points. Choctawhatchee won the event with 41 points, followed by Arnold (34) and host Gainesville (30). Gainesville won the traditional event with 32 points, followed by Fort Walton Beach and Choctaw, both finishing with 29.
Merriex was the Tigers’ top lifter, finishing second at 101 in Olympic with a 195 total, losing a tiebreaker to Riverside’s Mariah Shuford. Shuford also edged Merriex by a tiebreaker in the traditional event as both lifters finished with a 215 total along with Arnold’s Sandra Vega, who was third.
The only other CHS lifter to score points was Alex Collins, who was sixth at 169 pounds in Olympic.
The Class 2A state meet is also Feb. 17 at the RP Funding Center.
FORT WHITE, BRANFORD COMPETE AT REGIONALS
Fort White tied for 10th in traditional at the Region 2-1A meet at Chiefland, while Branford had lifters score in both events. Taylor won the traditional event with 23 points, followed by Palatka (22) and West Nassau and Baldwin (21). West Nassau won Olympic with 26 points, followed by Baldwin (23) and Taylor (18).
Abigail Lambert finished third in unlimited for the Indians, while Savannah Parnell placed fourth in the 101-pound division. Both received at-large bids to state.
Branford received a fifth-place finish from Ainsley Irby at 199 pounds and a sixth-place finish from Liberty Ward at 110 pounds in traditional, with both lifters moving on to state. In Olympic, the Bucs were led by fifth-place finishes from Morgan Brennan at 139 and Ansleigh Young at 169, while Payten Bates (119) and Haylee Adair (unlimited) finished sixth. Irby finished eighth (199) but it was good enough to receive a state bid, as was Adair’s sixth-place finish.