Lifters fail to bring home state titles

By STEVE LEE

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 11, 2001

Girls weightlifting

Only three of Pasco County's nine teams bothered showing up for Saturday's state meet at Sarasota Booker.

And none of the county's 18 lifters came home with a championship.

Not even River Ridge's Emily Meyer. The reigning Times Pasco County Girls Lifter of the Year, who has won two state titles and three Sunshine Athletic Conference championships, finished as a runner-up Saturday in the 156-pound weight class.

Like Meyer, Land O'Lakes' Kara Garcia (144-pound class), a conference champion last week, also finished second. Two of Meyer's teammates, along with 11 girls from Land O'Lakes and four from Pasco, competed Saturday.

"It's a good experience for them and to see where they stand among other lifters throughout the state," Land O'Lakes coach Vicky King said.

Some county coaches attributed the relatively low turnout to the meet not being sanctioned by the Florida High School Activities Association. Ridgewood coach Kecia Starnes said part of the problem is that girls weightlifting in the southern half of the state takes place in the spring while it's a fall sport in the northern regions of Florida.

"We call it a state meet, but it really isn't," River Ridge coach Mike DeGennaro said. "It's a big invitational; an open meet."

Unlike the boys state meet in which lifters must qualify, there are no standards for the girls meet. Basically, the coaches said, it comes down to those who want to make the trip.

Three girls from Wesley Chapel -- Ashley Martin, Melissa Reed and Leigh McIlwaine -- won SAC championships, but coach John Castelamare decided not to take any of the Wildcats to the state meet because it's not sanctioned.

"I told my girls, "When it's sanctioned, we'll go,"' Castelamare said. "I'm going to probably wait until they have qualifications, like the guys."

Thirteen girls from River Ridge lifted in the SAC meet April 4, but DeGennaro offered three primary reasons why more Knights chose not to attend the state meet. Aside from not being sanctioned, the state competition came two days after the SAC track and field meet (many county lifters also participate in that sport) and the morning after the prom.

Land O'Lakes coach Vicky King said the three Pasco schools, which were among the 27 participating, cheered for one another's lifters.

"This is probably the only sport where River Ridge and Land O'Lakes (and Pasco) get along," King said. "We root for each other."

River Ridge's Sara Cooper (144) and Gina Fredrickson (123), who each finished third, were the only other county lifters to finish among the top three.

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