Facing off against Lake Howell, the girls weightlifting team looked to rebound from their previous loss to Lake Brantley. In the end, the team walked away with a tie on Jan. 14, as the team won 53-16 in Olympic lifting, but fell 29-40 in traditional lifting.

The team dominated the Olympic portion of the meet, with several lifters securing top placements. 

Senior Isabella Cruz competed in the 183-pound weight class and finished first overall after competing in both Olympic lifting and the snatch and jerk. 

“I feel like it was a fun meet,” Cruz said. “I think we all did pretty good, and if we really put the practice in, we can only continue getting better.”

 The team has focused heavily on improving form and technique during daily practice, in order to strengthen their lifting.

Alongside Cruz, juniors Eliana Danze and Smrithi Rajesh finished first in the 139-pound and 199-pound weight class. Both lifters improved on their previous weights, with Danze increasing from 175kg to 180kg and Rajesh from 165kg to 175kg.

Despite the strong showing in Olympic lifting, the team was unable to secure any individual placements in traditional lifting. Training five days a week, the team plans to use this as a learning opportunity to adjust and target their weaknesses.

“We really want to improve before our next meet, ” senior McKinley Hilderbrandt said.

This meet was also an opportunity to test the team’s progress as they prepare for districts. With consistent training, the team is looking to carry their momentum into postseason competition, traveling to districts at Lyman High School on Jan. 21, where they will compete against several other teams.

“We have districts, so we’ll be going up against a bunch of schools,” Hilderbrandt said. “Training and making sure we’re staying focused is really crucial for this time of our season.”