BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Takeirra Bakken won her weight class at the Region 2-1A girls weightlifting finals and is one of three from Bradford High School who’ll compete at the state finals.
Bakken automatically qualified for state by placing first in the 199-pound class. She had a 190 bench press and a 200 clean and jerk for a 390 total. That put her 65 pounds ahead of runner-up Hayden Herndon of Baldwin.
The champions of each weight class at each of the four regions in Class 1A qualified to go to state, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at RP Funding Center-Jenkins Arena in Lakeland.
An additional 16 lifters in each class received at-large bids based upon a comparison of region totals. Bradford’s Rylie Blankenship and Allie McFarland will advance and compete as well.
Blankenship was the Region 2 runner-up in the 110 class with a 210 total (105 bench press, 105 clean and jerk). That was tied for the fourth-best total among lifters competing for at-large bids.
McFarland placed fourth in the 169 class at the region meet with a 285 total (150, 135). That was tied for the sixth-best total among lifters competing for at-large bids.
Brianna Brooks also competed for Bradford, placing sixth in the unlimited class with a 275 total (140, 135).
The efforts of the four lifters gave Bradford a team score of 16, which placed the Tornadoes third behind Palatka (36) and Pierson Taylor (30).
Gabby Oliver, who was the District 6 champ in the 169 class, failed to make weight and didn’t compete.
It was the second straight week the Tornadoes had to compete without one of their state qualifiers from last year. Courtney Comer failed to make weight at the District 6 meet, which prevented her from going for a third straight state championship.
Oliver was a second-place finisher at state last year.
Bakken will be making her third trip to state. She competed in the 183 class the past two years, placing second in 2021 and third in 2022.
This will mark the first-ever trip for Blankenship and McFarland. In fact, this is Blankenship’s first year in competitive weightlifting.
Blankenship will lift during the morning session at the state finals, which will begin at 8 a.m. Bakken and McFarland will lift in the 1 p.m. session.
Admission is $9. Tickets can be purchased via rpfundingcenter.com.
The cost to park at the venue is $10.
