BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School’s Quinn Raulerson won his second straight state championship, while teammate Christian Simmons won a title as well at the April 23 Class 1A boys weightlifting finals at Port St. Joe High School.
Raulerson admitted he felt like he didn’t perform to his best of his abilities at last year’s state finals, but he was satisfied with this year’s effort, which saw him win the 183-pound class with a 700-pound total (405 bench press, 295 clean and jerk).
“I’m thankful I got the numbers I did,” Raulerson said. “I couldn’t ask for a better performance.”
All the competitors had gotten all three of their bench-press attempts in before Raulerson attempted his first. He started out at 390, which was 65 pounds more than the best bench press at that point.
After getting 390, Raulerson bench pressed 405 — a total he had done in workouts, but never at a competition.
“It was a great day,” Raulerson said.
He attempted a state-record of 415 on his third bench-press attempt, but didn’t get it. Still, he’d go on to finish with an overall total that was 100 pounds better than class runner-up Tyler Jenkins of Keystone Heights.
According to the Schwartz formula, which takes body weight and amount of weight lifted into account, Raulerson was the top lifter in the traditional event (bench press and clean and jerk).
Simmons won the 119-pound class with a 430 total (230, 200), which put him 40 pounds ahead of The Villages’ Kristian Sarakinis.
Like Raulerson, Simmons didn’t attempt his first bench press until every other lifter in his class had done all three of their attempts. Simmons opened at 215, which was 15 pounds more than the best attempt at that point.
Simmons felt really good about his clean-and-jerk performance, though, which saw him set a personal record as he made a 15-pound jump from his second attempt to his final attempt.
His thanks for his performance goes first and foremost to God, Simmons said. Then he gave kudos to Raulerson.
“Quinn has helped me become better than I ever could’ve dreamed of,” Simmons said, adding, “I work out with him every single day. He’s been a blessing in my life and has helped me out tremendously.”
Raulerson said Simmons deserves the credit for his performance.
“He’s worked harder than anybody in the state and probably in the country, really,” Raulerson said.
The two lifters also competed in the snatch event, with Simmons placing second with a 135 total and Raulerson placing third with a 195 total.
Simmons tied for first with Wewahitchka’s Cole Williams and Palatka’s Ismael Foster, but Williams was awarded the championship due to weighing in at less weight than Simmons and Foster.
“Sometimes, it is what it is. God shuts a door, but He also opens another one,” Simmons said, adding, “Maybe I can win it next year.”
Raulerson said his late arrival to the meet didn’t allow him time to warm up for the snatch. He finished tied for second with Keystone’s Jenkins, who was officially awarded second place with the employment of the weigh-in tiebreaker.
The 195 total was what Raulerson got on his second attempt. He figured since he was going to earn a medal anyway (medals are given out for top-six finishes), he would attempt 15 pounds more on his third attempt in an effort to pass Keystone’s Bryar Schenck, who won the championship with a 205 total.
“I thought I might as well go for it,” Raulerson said.
Union had two other lifters competing in the traditional event: Tucker Baynard and Thomas Williams. Baynard was 10th in the unlimited class with a 610 total (365 bench press, 245 clean and jerk). Williams had a best bench press of 295 in the 183-pound class, but didn’t finish with an official total after scratching on all three of his clean-and-jerk attempts.
