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Hurricanes lift Central from Gulf Coast throne

Citrus avenges a dual loss, breaking the Bears' two-year hold on the title.

By FRANK PASTOR
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 17, 2002

BROOKSVILLE -- Turnabout was fair play for the Citrus girls weightlifting team.

Little more than a month after losing a dual to Central by four points, the Hurricanes defeated the Bears by the same margin in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference meet.

Kathryn D'Ambrosio and Whitney Gelin each won their weight classes, and four Hurricanes set or tied school records as Citrus edged Central 63-59 to take the title Wednesday at Central.

The 'Canes captured their second GCAC championship and snapped the Bears' two-year hold on the crown in their final tuneup before next week's state meet.

"We really didn't peak today," Citrus coach Doug Patton said. "We'll peak for next week. This is like a speedbump in the highway to getting to the end."

D'Ambrosio had a bench press of 170 pounds and clean-and-jerk of 150 to score a team-high 320 points in the unlimited weight class. Gelin's 155-pound bench and 155-pound clean topped the 169-pound division.

Second-place finishers Christina Cepeda (101), Jessica Acosta (110), Julie Shott (119), Jessica Baum (129), Norma Jean Carlisle (139), Brittany Vitter (154) and Stephanie Bass (183) also earned all-conference patches.

Shott (240-pound total) and Vitter (320) set school records. Acosta (240) and Gelin (310) tied their own team marks.

The Hurricanes made up the most ground at 110 and 183.

Acosta and fourth-place performer Kristina Klauder combined to score nine points at 110. Bass and third-place finisher Megan Rall did the same at 183.

Liesl Eng (101), Tiffany Mobley (110), Elena Morales (119), Shanna Jager (139) and Alaya Smiley (154) won individual titles for Central.

Springstead got victories from Jackie Artura (129) and Carmen Santana (199). Crystal River's Melissa Coburn won at 183.

Morales (255-pound total) and Jager (290) established personal bests. Smiley's 325-pound performance was the meet's best and just five pounds off her state championship-winning total of a year ago.

"I figured it was going to be close," Central coach Sharon Elliott said. "I would be more disappointed if the margin was bigger and we lost by more than four points."

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