WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM STRIVES PERSONAL BEST
By JESSICA MCCOY
Next Wednesday will be the fourth boys weightlifting match of the season. Taking place at home the boys will compete against Jones and Oak Ridge high schools.
The majority of the boys on the team lift to stay conditioned for football season.
Practicing everyday after school for one to two hours, the boys have a common goal to succeed as a team as well as on a personal level.
“I expect to improve my lifting by the end of the year. I’d like to improve to lifting 215 by practicing everyday and staying rested,” sophomore Dominick Cox, second year lifter, said. “We have a lot of hard workers that show up everyday and put their share of work in.”
The boys try every match to improve their personal best. Senior, Randall Short described it as, “you try to beat yourself”. Short is in the 300-pound weight class and his personal best of the clean and jerk and bench press
is 525 pound total.
“I increase my weight every week in hopes that I meet my goal for the end of the season, [which is] 600,” Short, third year lifter, said.
The boys won their first match against Winter Park High School on Wednesday, March 3. Their current record is 2-1.
“I look forward to every match, each one is a new beginning,” coach Paul Pope said.
The team has high goals for metros and finals as well. Pope’s goals for the team include winning the majority of their meets and to place in the top three in
the Metro Conference. The boys came in at fifth place last year and hope to do better this season.
“We want to do as best as we can do in every match; and place as high as possible in metros,” assistant coach Glenn Listort said. “[My personal goal is] to help the kids achieve their maximum potential.” In addition to assistant coaching the boys’ team, Listort also coaches the girls season in the winter.
With 24 lifters, the team is a predominately young team with eight seniors.
“[Our strength] is our youth and enthusiasm; we have a lot of young lifters, so we are excited about the possibilities,” Listort said.
The boys plan to meet their goals by practicing everyday and sticking to their workout plans.
“We’re young and we have a lot of growth ahead of us,” Pope said. “It’s not about me, it’s about [the team]; my personal goal is to see everyone do their best.”