BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School had four individuals win their weight classes as the Tornadoes captured the team runner-up trophy in the traditional event (bench press and clean and jerk) at the District 6-1A girls weightlifting meet, which was held Jan. 28 at St. Johns Country Day School.
As individual district champions, Takeirra Bakken, Rylie Blankenship, Brianna Brooks and Gabby Oliver automatically qualified for the Region 2 finals, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 4, at 9 a.m. at West Nassau High School.
At-large qualifiers in each weight class will be announced later.
Bakken, who was third at state in the 183 class last season, proved to be the district meet’s best pound-for-pound lifter. She had a bench press of 190 and a clean and jerk of 185 to finish with a 375 total, which put her in first in the 199 class by 70 pounds. She was one of only three lifters in the 12-member class to surpass 300 pounds.
“T has done an awesome job,” Bradford Coach David May said. “She plays softball as well. I can’t wait to watch her on the diamond. As strong as she is, she’ll hit that softball a long way.
“She works hard, too. She’s been a real pleasure to coach all year long.”
Oliver, who was the state runner-up in the 199 class last year, has dropped down two classes this season. She won the district title in the 169 class with a 340 total (180 bench press, 160 clean and jerk) and was the second-best pound-for-pound lifter. She actually tied with Keystone Heights’ Kaylee Wright, but was awarded the championship based on the weigh-in tiebreaker.
Blankenship, competing on the team for the first year after being encouraged to lift weights in preparation for softball, won the 110 class with an overall total of 200 (95, 105), which put her 75 pounds ahead of runner-up Contessa Herring of Keystone. She was the event’s sixth-best pound-for-pound lifter.
May said the day showed how dedicated Blankenship has become to the sport.
“Rylie came in 3 pounds overweight at 9:30 this morning,” May said. “She had to go outside and take care of business, so to speak. She came back in and was a pound under.”
Brianna Brooks, who was the 10th-best pound-for-pound lifter, had a total of 260 (130, 130) to win the unlimited class by 15 pounds.
Bradford, which had a score of 32 to finish behind champion Keystone (43 points) in the team standings, also got points from Allie McFarland, who placed third in the 169 class with a 285 total (150, 135).
Madison Sapp just missed out on earning points for the Tornadoes, with a seventh-place total of 190 (100, 90) in the 139 class.
Also competing for Bradford were Blakeleigh Smith, who had a 190 total (95, 95) in the 129 class, and Leah Tilton, who had a 170 total (85, 85) in the 199 class.
“I’m very proud of the girls,” May said, adding, “It’s really exciting to see the girls so excited about new (personal records). There were a bunch of those here today for each one of our girls.”
Bradford, which is coming off a 2021-22 season in which it won district, region and state championships, competed without two lifters who won state championships last year. Courtney Comer, who won two straight titles in the 169 class, didn’t make weight, while Brianna Jordan, after winning last year’s state title in the 154 class, left the team earlier this season.
