Meet the 2021-22 Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns All-Area Girls' Weightlifting team
The girls' weightlifting season concluded last month in Port St. Joe at the state championship meet.
Lifters from area programs consisted of three state champions, including defending 199-division champion Anniel Buchanan from Flagler Palm Coast and Spruce Creek's Genevieve Frangoulis.
The six nominees of the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns All-Area Girls' Weightlifting team are up for Girls' Weightlifter of the Year. The winner will be announced at the Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns High School Sports Awards this May, which is produced with support from Halifax Health.
During the live show, these nominees will be honored, and the Player of the Year will be selected. All official nominees can receive a free ticket. More details about the program are coming soon.
The Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns High School Sports Awards is part of the USA TODAY, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
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Nominees
Anniel Buchanan, Flagler Palm Coast: The reigning 199-division state champion picked up two first-place medals in Port St. Joe.
Genevieve Frangoulis, Spruce Creek: The junior from Spruce Creek also swept in her weight division (129), winning gold in both the traditional and snatch.
Aun'Yale Howard, Flagler Palm Coast: Howard won the bronze medal at the Class 3A meet in the 139-weight division, lifting a total of 125 pounds in the snatch. She also competed and placed fourth in the traditional lift (150 bench, 180c/j) for a total of 330 pounds.
Emily O'Mara, Creekside: O'Mara finished second in the Class 3A snatch, lifting 145 pounds in the 183-weight division. The Lady Knight also competed in the traditional bench and clean and jerk with a total lift of 320 pounds.
Kailey Papas, Creekside: Papas finished second in the 129-weight division in the snatch lift. Her 150-pound lift earned her the silver medal at the Class 3A meet.
Olivia Warrington, St. Augustine: Warrington was another area lifter to take home gold at the state championship. The senior lifted a total of 375 pounds (bench/clean) to take home first place for the Yellow Jackets in the 2A 169 division.
Other athletes of note
Isabella Fortin, New Smyrna Beach: The junior had another successful season in the 199-pound division, placing fourth in the traditional event with a 365 total — 35 pounds more than her silver-medal winning showing in 2021.
Caroline Hughes, Ponte Vedra: The senior, who became the first female athlete to play and score for the Sharks' football team earlier this school year, placed fifth in both the traditional and snatch events for the 154-pound division in Class 2A.
Ravina Patel, Ponte Vedra: Patel secured a pair of fifth-place showings at the state meet. She hit a 240 total in the traditional competition, and made a 15-pound leap from regionals with an 80-pound snatch.
Aryannah Rosa, Flagler Palm Coast: Rosa won the silver medal at the Class 3A meet in the 139-weight division, lifting a total of 125 pounds in the snatch. She also competed and placed fourth in the traditional lift (150 bench, 180c/j) for a total of 330 pounds.
Starla Talton, Spruce Creek: The second Hawk to shine at the state championship meet, Talton finished third in the snatch with a 115-pound lift.
Cara Zuaro, Menendez: Zuaro took home bronze with her 375-pound lift in the traditional competition at the Class 2A meet in the UNL-weight division. Her 215-pound bench press was the highest among all competitors in her weight class.
Top coach
Duane Hagstrom, Flagler Palm Coast: The Bulldogs tied for fourth place in the traditional team event with 15 points and added a solo fourth-place effort in snatch. FPC sent 11 lifters to the Class 3A finals.
Honorable mention
Atlantic: Fayth Benson, Ah'Sharia Hill, Kindsey Ingram, Sydney Irwin, Faith Isberner, Rashonda Shaw, Isabella Thomas
Bartram Trail: Ciara Bellanger, Haley Earnest, Raven Lovencin, Adrianna Matarelli
Creekside: Lily Alvarez, McKay England
DeLand: Zachiyah Banton-Dofflemeyer, Summer Rank, Jendaya Talton
Deltona: Alyssa Van Riper, Payton Woerner
Father Lopez: Bergyn Baliton, Sofia Bernal, Isabella Digon
Flagler Palm Coast: Charity Alonso, Diana Croft, Kelsey Gocking, Zoey Gotera, Colleen Haaf, Chloe Long, Midlyne Thomas, Brianna Tucker
Matanzas: Karissa Jackson, Andie Tice
Menendez: Rosie Carmichael
Nease: Olivia Carr, Izzy Knight, Hannah Sutter
New Smyrna Beach: Franchesca Gonzalez, Karma Richardson, Taylor Ruth, Mopelola Tofade, Olivia Wilson
Pine Ridge: Jamila Santana
Ponte Vedra: Emily Glod, Madison O'Reilly, Morgan Pratt
Seabreeze: Kelly Hall
Spruce Creek: Natalie Allen, Alyssa Green, Ava Jowdy, Angel Norton
Taylor: Adrianna Campusano, Cheyenne Chaves, Deana Cunningham, Taylor Lane, Riley LeBlanc, Amya Ramos, Ava Ramos
Tocoi Creek: Tatum McCool, Marielisa Ordonez, Emma Reed, Autumn West, Faith West
University: Sydney Amaral, Destiny David, Annalyn Duncan, Adrianna Sosa, Alexia Theodore, Hailey Theodore
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia-Flagler-St. Johns 2021-22 All-Area Girls' Weightlifting Team
