PREP ROUNDUP: Charlotte captures girls weightlifting regional title
PUNTA GORDA — Last year, Charlotte High’s six-year run as girls weightlifting regional champions ended.
It did not take the Tarpons long to regain the top spot.
Charlotte claimed the Class 2A-Region 4 tournament Thursday afternoon with 48 points. Port Charlotte High, which dethroned the Tarpons a year ago, finished second with 30 points. Fort Myers High was third with 25 points.
Charlotte also won the team title in the snatch competition, a new event added to the traditional bench and clean and jerk this year. The Tarpons picked up 37 points to edge runner-up Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy by a point and third-place Port Charlotte by 11 points.
“Absolutely,” Tarpons coach Matt Galley said if a regional title was a goal. “We love winning.”
Charlotte picked up three individual titles in the traditional meet and two more in the snatch. Regional champions automatically advance to the Class 2A state tournament Feb. 11 at Port St. Joe High School.
Tarpon champions were 101-pounder Madison McQueen (115 bench, 115 clean, 230 total), 119-pounder Marissa Schuler (155-145-300) and Unlimited Maelani Parkinson (185-190-375) in the traditional.
“Everybody had to do their part,” Galley said. “This was a meet where a lot of girls missed lifts because they were under pressure,” Galley said. “From what I’ve saw, most of the girls went 2-for-3 on their lifts, which is awesome for a regional meet. Everybody pulled their weight.”
Schuler (110) and Parkinson (120) doubled up in the snatch.
“It’s up in the air: You never know what it’s going to be right now,” Galley said of the snatch. “We don’t know if the numbers we put up are going to be good at states. We were happy because they did everything they needed to.”
Port Charlotte also picked up three individual champions in both the traditional and the snatch with 129-pounder Angelina Dabney, 139-pounder Alexa Estevez and 199-pounder Tara Yount all doubling up.
Dabney had a 170-190-360 traditional and 140 snatch. Estevez went 170-175-345 traditional and 140 snatch. Defending state champion Tara Young had meet highs of 205-215-420 traditional and 170 snatch.
“I’m so pleased with the second-place finish,” Port Charlotte second-year coach Jensen Moore said. “I’m thoroughly impressed.”
Along with winning the regional title last year, the Pirates finished second in the state with 19 points, three points behind champion Arnold and five points ahead of fourth-place Charlotte.
“I’m hoping for a pretty successful finish at states,” Moore said. “I don’t know about No. 1, but we’re looking around for No. 2 or No. 3. We need a first-place finish from Tara, Angelina and Alexa.”
The Tarpons also look to make waves at the state meet.
“We’re going to hit it hard next week and take it easy the week leading up to the states, work on technique and stuff like that,” Galley said. “Just do what we’ve got to do. We can put up some decent numbers at states.”
Fort Myers High 169-pounder Julia Knowler and Cape Coral High’s 183-pounder Chantel Ferrer both came away as double winners.
Knowler posted a traditional 160-170-330 and 115 snatch. Ferrer went 175-185-360 traditional and had a 125 snatch.
Southeast High’s Jade Fisher was a regional champion at 110 with a 120 bench and 135 clean for a 255 total.
First-place finishes:
Traditional
101-Madison McQueen, Charlotte 115-115-230
110-Jade Fisher, Southeast 120-135-255
119-Marissa Schuler, Charlotte 155-145-300
129-Angelina Dabney, Port Charlotte 170-190-360
139-Alexa Estevez, Port Charlotte 170-175-345
154-Angelina Belanger, Suncoast 145-175-320
169-Julia Knowler, Fort Myers 160-170-330
183-Chantel Ferrer, Cape Coral 175-185-360
199-Tara Yount, Port Charlotte 205-215-420
Unl.-Maelani Parkinson, Charlotte 185-190-375
Snatch
101-Gabrielle Gutierrez, Archbishop McCarthy 80
110-Anna Fiore, Suncoast 105
119-Mariss Schuler, Charlotte 110
129-Angelina Dabney, Port Charlotte 140
139-Alexa Estevez, Port Charlotte 140
154-Angelina Belanger, Suncoast 140
169-Julia Knowler, Fort Myers 115
183-Chantel Ferrer, Cape Coral 125
199-Tara Young, Port Charlotte 170
Unl.-Maelani Parkinson, Charlotte 120
GIRLS SOCCER
Class 5A-District 12
Cape Coral Ida Baker 8, Charlotte 8
Class 4A-District 11
DeSoto County 4, Bayshore 1
BOYS SOCCER
Class 7A-District 8
Venice 5, Sarasota 0
North Port 1, Lehigh Acres Lehigh Senior 1
Class 5A-District 11
Braden River 5, Gulfport Boca Ciega 0
Class 4A-District 11
Bayshore 4, Sebring 0
Parrish Community 1, Booker 0
Class 4A-District 12
Clewiston 7, Port Charlotte 0
BOYS BASKETBALL
Sarasota Christian 46, Imagine School at North Port 44
AT: Imagine School at North Port
TOP PLAYERS: SCS, Brian Hershberger (19 points), Adam Bassil (8 points), Tyler Klinger (7 points), Ben Papineau (7 points), Drew Yoder (5 points)
OF NOTE: Sarasota Christian sets a school record for winning 11 straight games.
RECORDS: Sarasota Christian (14-7), Imagine School at North Port (6-9)
UP NEXT: Port Charlotte Community Christian at Sarasota Christian, 7:15 p.m. Friday
Bradenton Christian 50, Booker 41
AT: Booker
TOP PLAYERS: BC, Jaden Baker (20 points), Aaron Clark (13 points)
RECORD: Bradenton Christian (18-5)
NEXT: IMG at Bradenton Christian, 7:30 p.m. Monday
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Manatee 50, Seminole 31
AT: Manatee
TOP PLAYERS: M, Ty Barclay (20 points,14 rebounds), Julia Vorbeck (10 points, 5 rebounds), Keile O'Dell (9 points, 7 rebounds), Jomia Robinson (5 points, 2 assists), Taylor Evans (4 points, 4 rebounds)
RECORDS: Manatee (14-6), Seminole (9-9)
NEXT: Manatee at Ruskin Lennard, 7 p.m. Tuesday
Dennis Maffezzoli is the deputy sports editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and chief reporter for Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by subscribing.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: PREP ROUNDUP: Charlotte captures girls weightlifting regional title
