The Ledger's 2023-24 all-Polk County girls weightlifting team
Girls weightlifting continues to grow in Polk County. County champion Lake Wales, Lakeland and Frostproof won district titles with Lake Wales adding a regional title. At the state meet, Polk County lifters won eight medals after winning 11 in the '22-'23 season and seven the year before that.
The 2023-24 All-County team includes just three repeat selections in Winter Haven's Alyvia Logan, who is a three-time, first-team selection; Lake Gibson's Alessandra Diaz; and Lakeland's Rhyan Parrish. Eight of the 11 first-teamers this year were seniors. This year's group of first-team selections include four underclassmen.
WEIGHTLIFTING ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Winter Haven's Logan finds new sport in high school, emerges as the best in senior year
Class 2A state meet: Auburndale's Rowe finishes 2nd, Lake Wales' Cobb, Styles take 3rd at state weightlifting
Class 3A state meet: Winter Haven's Logan wins 2 medals, finishes high school career on high note at state meet
All-Polk County Girls Weightlifter of the Year
Alyvia Logan
Winter Haven, Senior
154 pounds
Logan graduates as the top girls weightlifter from Winter Haven. As a senior, she won county, district and region titles in both Traditional and Olympic. At the Class 3A state meet, she had a total lifts of 365 pounds to finish third in Traditional and 320 to finish sixth in Olympic. Logan finished her career with three state medals. She is the second girls weightlifter of the year from Winter Haven. Karla Leon, the school's first state medalist, was honored seven years ago.
All-Polk County Girls Weightlifting Coach of the Year
Tashawn Williams
Lake Wales
The Highlanders graduated three first-team, all-county lifters, including weightlifter of the year Kayden Arliss, but Williams kept Lake Wales as the team in the county. The Highlanders won county and district titles in both Traditional and Olympic competitions, and they finished fifth in both competitions at the region meet.
All-Polk County Girls Weightlifting First Team
Alessandra Diaz
Lake Gibson, Senior
101 pounds
Finished fourth in Tradtional and sixth in Olympic at state.
Majesta Arnold
Lake Wales, Junior
110 pounds
Finished 10th in Traditional at state.
Jaycee Cobb
Lake Wales, Sophomore
119 pounds
Finished third in Olympic and seventh in Traditional at state.
Anniah Styles
Lake Wales, Senior
119 pounds
Finished third in Traditional and seventh in Olympic at state.
Rhyan Parrish
Lakeland, Junior
129 pounds
Finished seventh in Traditional and 10th in Olympic at state.
Samantha Hiller
Lake Wales, Senior
139 pounds
State qualifier.
Indiana Myers
Lakeland, Senior
169 pounds
Finished seventh in Tradtional and eighth in Olympic at state.
Cailyn Rowe
Auburndale, Junior
183 pounds
Finished second in Olympic at state.
Mia Luna
Haines, City, Senior
199 pounds
Finish seventh in Traditional at state.
Jennifer Morales
Lake Wales , Senior
Heavyweight
Finished fourth in Traditional and eighth in Olympic at state.
All-Polk County Girls Weightlifting Honorable Mention
Auburndale: Hailey Bradley (110), Alaney Hancock (119), Alyssa Wright (129), Zylia Parker (154), Mathea Wendle (139), Brianna Justice (169).
Bartow: Daniel’s Estevez (110), Angelina Whitaker (119), Sharon Parker (154).
Davenport: Lyric Pittman (199), Alondra Escaper (129), Desiree Antenor (183).
Frostproof: Jordan Brantley (169), Callie Brewer (101), Zayda Luman (110), Jamie Conner (119), Adrianna Thompson (139), Jordin Wilson (169), Moria Morales (154).
George Jenkins: Maya Williams (154), Ayana Ouzts (199).
Haines City: Ericka Cruz (101), Aiyana Ware-Rembert (110), Syriana Siqueira (129), Brearnna Farquhearson (139), Frida Salgado (169), Katherine Abadia (183), Lucianne Ayala (183), Janelle Quintana (199).
Lake Gibson: Alliana Small (Hwt), Jaidaah McQueen (Hwt).
Lake Region: Teziah Pierre-Louis (101), Margaret “Chic” Jenkins (139), Mya Lagares-Cascio (154).
Lake Wales: Dyani Martinez (110), Alexa Cross (169), Cecelia Soto (169), Phoebe Ebinger (183), Jazmine Borders (199), Susan Rivera (199).
Lakeland: Isabelle Annis (119), Sabrina St. Don (119), Mikiya Rucker (129), Arabella Morris (139), Salma Tirado (183), Tatianna Connell-Ayala.
Mulberry: Tatiana Rutledge (245), Emma Grace Gonya (Hwt).
Ridge Community: Camille Sly (183).
Winter Haven: Kamauni Hendrix (101), Riley Mathews (129), Heaven Brimmer (139), Carly Szucs (139), Hilary Jimenez (169), Nadia Roberts (Hwt).
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Ledger 2023-24 girls weightlifting team for Polk County
