Meet the 2023-24 Volusia-Flagler All-Area high school boys weightlifting team

Another boys weightlifting season in the books, another handful of freshly minted state champions from Volusia and Flagler counties.

Four individual lifters brought home gold medals last month from the Florida High School Athletic Association's championship meets in Lakeland. Additionally, a pair of local teams — Spruce Creek and New Smyrna Beach — claimed team trophies as runners-up in the team standings.

The time has come to recognize the best of the best, and to kick off the spring season of Volusia-Flagler All-Area Athlete of the Year nominations.

FHSAA weightlifting roundup: Volusia-Flagler area produces 4 state champs; NSB, Spruce Creek finish 2nd

The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the athlete of the year nominees for boys weightlifting. The winners will be announced during the live show on Monday, June 3, at the Ocean Center.

The show is presented with the support of Halifax Health.

During the live show, athletes of the year in 30 state-sanctioned sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors. Details on how additional tickets can be obtained will be available soon.

For more information about the show and to opt into email updates, visit its website and follow it on Facebook.

The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.

This year, one school from the area will win a $1,000 donation to its school’s athletic department through our School Spirit Contest. Vote here until April 1: Show Your School Spirit (gannettcontests.com).

Nominees

Zachary Caron, Spruce Creek: The area's lone state Olympic champion this spring, the 238-pound senior nearly had a perfect 9-for-9 run at states. Caron maxed out at 290 in the snatch, 360 in the clean and jerk and 365 on the bench.

Ryan Geary, New Smyrna Beach: The senior captured his third consecutive traditional championship, hitting his first bench press attempt at 345 and clinching a winning score of 620 — the top pound-for-pound mark in Class 2A.

Nick Groth, Flagler Palm Coast: The senior rewrote a handful of FPC's records during the season, swept the 183-pound division at the Five Star Conference meet and picked up a pair of bronzes (540 Olympic score, 585 traditional) after cutting down to 169 in time for states.

Isaiah McCloud, New Smyrna Beach: The junior picked up FHSAA gold for the second straight spring, winning the Class 2A, 219-pound traditional competition with a 720 total. He added a third-place showing in his first attempt in Olympic style (530).

Aiden Strong, New Smyrna Beach: The 139-pound senior took second place in both Olympic (465) and traditional (515) scoring in the Class 2A championships, finishing just 10 and five pounds behind the winning totals in those respective styles.

Elijah Walker, Mainland: The Bucs' first state weightlifting champion since 1995, senior Walker turned in a perfect day at the state finals. The future Alabama State offensive lineman hit all six of his lifts, with a 315 clean and jerk and a 440 bench press.

Other Athletes of Note

Jacob Adkins, Spruce Creek: The senior upped his traditional total at the state meet by 10 pounds to 545, and placed third in Class 3A via a three-way tiebreaker on body weight.

Bradley Bingham, Spruce Creek: The senior heavyweight earned a pair of podium finishes at the Class 3A state meet, taking third in Olympic (605) and fourth in traditional (720).

Cole Hash, Matanzas: A state champion as a junior, and a two-time All-Area football selection at linebacker, Hash returned to Lakeland and was fifth in both Olympic (520) and traditional (635).

Francisco Perez, Taylor: The senior produced one of the state's top 238-pound traditional scores during the Class 1A finals, hitting a 290 clean and jerk and a 370 bench press for a 660 total and a silver medal.

Alex Sebastien, Spruce Creek: The senior gave it a run for the Class 3A Olympic title at 183 pounds, finishing second following a clean run through the clean and jerk with a max lift of 305. Sebastien added a fifth-place showing in traditional (570)

Liam Valle, University: The junior grabbed Five Star gold in the 129 traditional division, dropped down to 119 and finished third with an impressive 415 score — going 5 for 6 at the state meet.

Top Coach

Tim McRae, New Smyrna Beach: The two-time Olympian guided the Barracudas to a runner-up finish in traditional scoring for Class 2A with 23 points, anchored by aforementioned state champions Geary and McCloud.

Honorable Mention

Atlantic: Winder Altinor

DeLand: Vincent Chen, Dante Mascio

Deltona: Thomas Berrios

Father Lopez: Maverick Grimm, Robbie Ridgeway

Flagler Palm Coast: Dylan Bennett, Cody Strawser

Matanzas: Maison Leanard, Jayden Sao

New Smyrna Beach: Thomas Anderson, Calvin Blount, Gage Brown, Isaiah Cotton, Lukas Gamble, Noah Lange, Josh McRae, Chris Murphy, Jackson Vella

Pine Ridge: Billy Faulk, Rylan Shroyer

Spruce Creek: Brian Begnoche, Chadwicke Cannon, Landon Diperri, Derrick Hanna, Christian Jones, Eli Novak, Luke Strickland, Sol Teschner, Jayden Torres, Jonaell Torres, Ryan Youngs

Taylor: Alex Gomez, Cooper Smith

Trinity Christian: Chandler Shacklette

University: Carlito Betancourt, Nick Cleavenger, Ethan Fournier, Ethan Hemke, Francis Hipolito, Austin Rosser, Nathan Thomas

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia-Flagler 2024 All-Area High School Boys Weightlifting Team