NEW PORT RICHEY - River Ridge senior Gina Fredrickson won her fourth straight, and most memorable, Sunshine Athletic Conference crown at Wednesday's meet.
A first for Fredrickson was sharing that winning feeling with teammates, as River Ridge won its first title.
"That's a good way to end my senior year," said Fredrickson, who won the 129-pound class. "We won our senior year, and I'm glad to see it."
Seniors Heather Zolton (119) and Danielle Coyle (110) also won weight classes in helping the host Royal Knights edge defending champion Zephyrhills 47-43.
"I thought it would be hard for us to catch (Zephyrhills), but the girls lifted hard," River Ridge coach Mike DeGennaro said.
Zephyrhills' winners were Terri Grady (154) and Leann Carroll (101).
A tough break for Zephyrhills came when Susan Velasquez (119) scratched in the clean.
"Actually, even with the one who scratched, the all gave their best effort," Zephyrhills coach Joe Rinaldo said.
River Ridge and Zephyrhills each had three runners-up, which helped both teams amass key points. Second-place finishers for River Ridge were Michelle Miller (199), Stephanie Seaman (169) and Lauren Douglas (129). Tanya Bruton (unlimited), Cheri Graddy and Lauren Vollmer (110) were runners-up.
The most productive output of the meet came from Land O'Lakes, which finished last. But the Gators had just one lifter, Andrea Hay, who edged Seaman 255-250 for the 169 title.
Maureen Reynolds (unlimited) had the lone win for Ridgewood, which had won four consecutive SAC championships before Zephyrhills' team title last season.
"I was waiting for that (first-place finish)," said Reynolds, a senior who finished third in each of the previous two SAC meets.
Wesley Chapel's Brenna Lane (183) also won a conference title for the first time.
"It feels a lot better," said Lane, alluding to two past runner-up finishes. "I could have done a little bit more (weight), but I beat my max."
A second straight title for Zolton proved rewarding, she said, "because this year there's more competition. I really wanted to win it because I'm a senior."
