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2001 finish weighs on Hamner
By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer CRYSTAL RIVER -- Had Norman Hamner done his best in the 2001 state meet, he would have been satisfied. But that was not the case. Despite finishing second in the 119-pound class to Central's Viet Lam, Hamner, then at Williston, left with his head low. After posting overall totals in the 430-pound range during the latter part of the season, he recorded 395 with the championship on the line, 25 less than Lam. "I sort of felt like I let the whole team down," said Hamner, a Crystal River senior. "It was my worst meet of the entire season. ... I just blew it." With that performance in the back of his mind, Hamner has every intention of redeeming himself and claiming gold in Friday's Class A state meet in DeLand. He is among the favorites at 129 pounds. In last week's Citrus County event, Hamner topped his previous best with a 460-pound total (245 bench, 215 clean and jerk). That would have won state by 10 pounds last year. "He knows what he's doing," Pirates coach Jere DeFoor said. "He enjoys it. He competes hard and mentally gets ready." Hamner started lifting in the ninth grade. Because he played football at Williston, it was mandatory for him to hit the weightroom. Even though he was 4-foot-9 and about 85 pounds, Hamner lifted 95 pounds on his first bench-press attempt. "A lot of people picked on me because I was small," Hamner said. Not for long. As a 10th-grader, he qualified for state and placed fourth at 119. The 5-7, 123-pound Hamner has gone three consecutive regular seasons without losing a meet. "When people are in the weightroom, I tell them I can lift more than they can, and they look at me and laugh," Hamner said. "When I do it, they're impressed." So, what exactly went wrong in 2001? Hamner thinks improper training methods led to his disappointing effort. The week prior to the championships, he was advised not to lift, a reversal of the practice pattern he used throughout the season. This week, Hamner is training hard. "I'm treating this as a regular meet," he said. "I'm not going to do anything different. Why would I? I've been successful in every meet this year." He hopes to total 475 pounds at state. "I've always been a second-place kid in everything I've done," Hamner said. "First place would be something to finish my high school career with. "My sophomore year, I was happy because that was my best total of the year and the best I could do. Last year, I didn't do my best and I was really aggravated and looked down at myself. This year, as long as I get what I know is my best, I'll be happy."
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