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By KEITH NIEBUHR
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 2, 2001
When the season began two weeks ago, Citrus coach Jonny Bishop had high expectations for the Hurricanes.
Nothing has changed.
After two meets, Citrus is 1-0-1, having soundly beaten Hernando and tied South Sumter, which placed eighth at state in 2000.
Five Citrus lifters have qualified for state -- two shy of the school-record number the 'Canes sent in 1996 and last season, when they were seventh.
"Our goal is to get 12 lifters to qualify," Bishop said. "I think we have a real good shot at getting about four more right now.
"We're working hard and tying to get started off on the right foot. Tying South Sumter is a good measuring stick because South Sumter is always strong."
Of the five Citrus lifters to post qualifying totals (bench press plus clean and jerk), senior Jordan Darga, who has a season-best total of 610 pounds, has the best shot of placing at state. As a junior, he won the title with a 565-pound total.
Greg Haight (199-pound division, 525-pound total), Dan Marinelli (238, 530 pounds), Mike Maxwell (238, 525 pounds) and Ryan McLure (139, 400 pounds) have qualified for state.
Marinelli and Maxwell, both sophomores, have been the most pleasant surprises.
"Those guys came in together last year, and their driving force is each other," Bishop said. "One always wants to top the other. And they're really feeding off Jordan's tutelage.
"I'm very pleased with their performances and progress. After meets, we get back (to school) at about 7:30 at night and they stay there and work out."
THREE'S COMPANY: At 2-1, Lecanto is about where coach Steve Sherland hoped the Panthers would be.
Harold Skidmore (139, 430 pounds), Nick Derise (119, 325 pounds) and James Crossley (219, 550) have qualified for state. Phillip Reed (183), Chris Reeves (HWT) and John Star (129) have qualifying totals within reach.
"We're very pleased," Sherland said. "We've got a fairly solid team from top to bottom, and we've already beaten Hernando and Springstead."
Skidmore is an interesting story.
This past weekend, he finished second in the Class A state wrestling meet. Wednesday, Skidmore lifted a state-qualifying total in his first competition of the 2001 season.
"He's a great kid with a great attitude," Sherland said. "He will get a lot better between now and state."
PIRATES PROGRESSING: As a team, Crystal River is 0-2, but the good news is that two lifters have qualified for state and three others are close.
The top lifter thus far has been junior Nathan Messier, who has a 350-pound total (25 pounds above what's needed to qualify for state) at 119 pounds.
Messier was a state-qualifier in 2000 and appears poised to make a medal run this season. "He's coming along," Pirates coach Jere DeFoor said.
Senior John Malott, who has a 520-pound total in the 238-pound division, is Crystal River's other state qualifier. A.J. Davis, Matt Hinman and Josh Edwards each are close to posting qualifying totals.
Davis, a senior, has a season-best total of 385 pounds. He competed in the 139-pound division this week, but is expected to drop to 129, where his current total would be enough to reach state.
Hinman, at 238 pounds, and Edwards, a heavyweight, are 20 and 15 pounds shy of qualifying, respectively. Hinman, who wrestled this winter, totaled 500 pounds in his first meet.
MEET THE COMPETITION: The Citrus/South Sumter Meet, one of the regular season's best, is Wednesday at South Sumter.
Citrus, Crystal River, Lecanto, South Sumter and Wildwood will take part. Up until now, most area team's have competed only in duals. Lifting begins at 3:45 p.m.
"It's a good meet," Citrus' Bishop said. "It gives everybody in Citrus and Sumter a chance to see each other for the first time."