Meet the 2023-24 Volusia-Flagler All-Area high school girls weightlifting team
Volusia and Flagler counties maintained their reputation as a high school girls weightlifting stronghold in the 2023-24 season, producing five FHSAA state champions.
Spruce Creek kept hold of its Five Star Conference championship and won its district meet in both the Olympic and traditional styles. Matanzas swept through its district, Taylor scored an historic regional triumph and New Smyrna Beach gave it a run for the Class 2A team title behind a fabulous foursome of lifters.
The Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards is proud to announce the athlete of the year nominees for girls weightlifting. The winners will be announced during the live show on Monday, June 3, at the Ocean Center.
FHSAA Class 3A girls weightlifting: Spruce Creek's Jowdy wins Olympic heavyweight gold
FHSAA Class 2A/1A girls weightlifting: Bond-West, Manzueta set records for runner-up New Smyrna Beach
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 you can 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. Details on how to vote for your school will be coming soon.
Without further ado, here are the first All-Area selections of the winter high school sports season.
Nominees
Bergyn Baliton, Father Lopez: The junior moved up a weight class and still secured a state championship for the second straight season. Baliton hit her final clean and jerk attempt at 145 pounds and posted a 270 traditional total to win the Class 1A 110-pound title.
Olivia Bond-West, New Smyrna Beach: The sophomore crushed the Class 2A competition at 183 pounds, breaking an FHSAA clean and jerk record with a 260-pound lift. She posted identical 460 totals in Olympic and traditional scoring to secure a pair of individual golds.
Franchesca Gonzalez, New Smyrna Beach: The senior 110-pounder was one of the strongest pound-for-pound competitors in the area, putting up a 295 score in traditional and 260 in Olympic. Gonzalez placed second and fourth, respectively, in the Class 2A meet.
Asha-Mahri Manzueta, New Smyrna Beach: The junior rewrote the 199-pound FHSAA records in both the bench press (310 pounds) and total traditional score (540), the latter mark set seven years ago by Ocoee's Victoria Jefferson. Manzueta added a 180-pound lift in the snatch, picking up two gold medals at states.
Topelola Mofade, New Smyrna Beach: The last of the Barracudas' trio of state champions, the senior was successful in each of her first two lifts in the snatch (140), clean and jerk (195) and bench press (190) to claim championships in Olympic and traditional scoring.
Ava Jowdy, Spruce Creek: The senior, who will continue her weightlifting career at Lindenwood University in Missouri, capped a successful stint at Spruce Creek with her first individual state title. Jowdy matched her own school clean and jerk record (215) in the unlimited division and added a 180 in the snatch to win Class 3A Olympic gold.
Other Athletes of Note
Zoey Gotera, Flagler Palm Coast: A three-time state qualifier, the senior earned a spot on the Class 3A unlimited podium with a 335 Olympic total (140 snatch, 195 clean and jerk), good enough for third place.
Sofia James, Seabreeze: The junior completed identical 175-pound attempts in both the clean and jerk and the bench press to place fourth in Class 2A for the 169-pound traditional competition.
Alliyah Mills, Spruce Creek: In her first year competing with the Hawks, the senior won conference, district and regional titles before placing third in Class 3A in both Olympic (360) and traditional (380) at 169 pounds.
Amya Ramos, Taylor: The junior captured the Wildcats' lone individual regional title with a 305 traditional total, and finished among the top-10 in Class 1A for both the Olympic and traditional categories.
Hailey Theodore, University: The senior 119-pounder booked her third trip to states and turned in a ninth-place showing in traditional with a 295 total.
Nya Williams, Flagler Palm Coast: Williams stamped an impressive freshman season with a fifth-place effort at states in the Class 3A 110 Olympic event, hitting 115 in the snatch and 140 in the clean and jerk.
Top Coach
Bobby Dubberly, Taylor: The Wildcats, who sent seven competitors to the Class 1A final, captured their first regional girls weightlifting title in school history by toppling district winner Palatka by one point in traditional scoring.
Honorable Mention
Atlantic: Kindsay Ingram, Chloe Lambert, Helena Perez, Kenzie Perry
DeLand: Katyah Ross, Addison Ruocco
Deltona: Payton Woerner
Father Lopez: Isabella Digon, Thalia Perez
Flagler Palm Coast: Madeline Brinker, Chloe Long, Sherlande Paul, Leila Turner
Matanzas: Alicia Naticchione, Rilee Whitmore
Pine Ridge: Jamila Santana
New Smyrna Beach: Carli Hall
Spruce Creek: Jordan Bemis, Clair Callahan, Bella Cobb, Jana Holston, Alana Kargas, Alyssa McDaniels, Arabella Prince
Taylor: Jacky Bastidas, Teriauna Caruthers, Cheyenne Chaves, Jocelyn Garcia, Laila Harris, Taylor Lane
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: 2023-24 Volusia-Flagler high school All-Area girls weightlifting team
