BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Trey Jeffries became Keystone Heights High School’s first-ever two-time state-champion boys weightlifter and was one of seven to earn medals in the traditional event to help the Indians capture the runner-up trophy at the April 20 Class 1A finals in Lakeland.
The meet consisted of plenty of accomplishments, including Tyler Duncan, Jayden Goodman, Ben Ulsch and Wyatt Van Zant joining Jeffires in earning medals in both the traditional and Olympic events, but there was some disappointment as the Indians’ string of team state championships came to an end. Keystone was attempting to win at least one title for the fourth straight year.
In the traditional event, Keystone was defeated by Suwannee, which had 43 points to the Indians’ 30.
Keystone placed third in the Olympic event with 21 points. Suwannee won the championship with 53 points, while South Sumter had 45 points.
“These kids are down because they didn’t get the win,” Head Coach Lantz Lowery said. “I get that, but you’ve got to look at the bigger picture. In this window of time (over the last 10 years), we’ve won five state championships and two runners-up. When I’m dead and gone, that’s pretty good.”
Still, Lowery couldn’t help but think about what his team could do at a state competition that didn’t include Suwannee. He said Suwannee, which dropped from Class 2A to Class 1A last season, is twice the size of Keystone.
“How is that supposed to be the way it works? I have nothing to do with that, but I don’t have to like it,” Lowery said.
The fact that Keystone does so well at the state level is incredible for Ulsch and Van Zant to think about.
“It’s something. We’re one of the smallest schools here, but pretty well-known.”
Ulsch said, “Having Keystone be as small as it is and being successful as it is just a testament to Coach Lowery and what he has done. He’s such a phenomenal head coach and a great motivator, and he makes sure that we work hard. Hard work does pay off.”
Jeffries wins again, makes history
Jeffries had no idea he had a chance to become his school’s first-ever two-time state champ in boys weightlifting.
“It was awesome when they told me that,” Jeffries said.
Jeffries topped the traditional event in the 238-pound class with a 730 total, placing him 70 pounds ahead of Pierson Taylor’s Francisco Perez. He went 3 for 3 on his clean-and-jerk attempts, lifting 300, 325 and 345. Jeffries missed his first bench attempt at 350, but successfully got it on his second try before then making a jump to 385 on his final attempt.
On being able to win by such a large margin, Jeffries said, “It just makes me grateful that God blessed me with such abilities and such great coaches.”
Jeffries was a state runner-up in the Olympic event last year, but he captured the championship this year with a 585 total, which put him 25 pounds ahead of Fernandina Beach’s Josh Modupe. Jeffries was successful on all three snatch attempts, with totals of 205, 225 and finally 240.
His performance at the state meet capped an undefeated season.
“My coaches really taught me how much mental it is in weightlifting,” Jeffries said. “I stayed focus. I was a little cocky last year. I wasn’t cocky at all this year. I was very much in the zone.”
It was quite a way for the senior to go out, adding incredible memories to his enjoyable time in the KHHS weightlifting program.
“It’s been awesome,” Jeffries said. “I would not have wanted to be with anyone other than this team. All of them are like my brothers. The coaches are like my fathers. I love them all to death.”
Van Zant a runner-up in traditional
Van Zant was the traditional runner-up in the 139 class and earned a second medal with a third-place Olympic finish.
“I was expecting a little more,” Van Zant said. “I didn’t get all of my lifts, but I just count my blessings and be thankful for what I’ve been given. That’s a lot more than most people get.”
Van Zant had a 490 traditional total, which left him trailing Hilliard’s Colton Conner by 35 pounds. He was 3 for 3 on his bench attempts (205, 230, 240) and successful on his first two clean-and-jerk attempts (225, 250) before missing 265 on his final attempt. Still, his attempt of 250 was best in the class.
In the Olympic event, Van Zant had a 405 total, which included one successful snatch attempt of 155. He missed 175 twice.
South Sumter’s Cody Zilkosky and Jaime Solano finished with Olympic totals of 430 and 415, respectively.
Like Jeffries, Van Zant is a senior who capped quite a career. Van Zant is the only member of the team to have competed at state for four straight years. He was a runner-up as a freshman, earned two fourth-place finishes as a sophomore and had two third-place finishes last year as a junior.
“He’s the second-greatest weightlifter in Keystone Heights history (behind Jeffries),” Lowery said.
Van Zant said he’ll miss hanging out and working out with his friends on the team.
“Being a part of something like this was great,” he said.
Ulsch shines in return from injury
Ulsch, who competes in the 169 class, was able to capture two third-place medals after his return from a knee injury that required two surgeries.
“I just feel so blessed and honored,” he said. “My whole situation with my knee last year and not being able to lift and coming back from surgery — I just feel honored. God’s been so good to me.”
Lowery said, “It’s just a testament to his work ethic.”
Ulsch finished tied with South Sumter’s Bobby Hill for second in the traditional event, but Hill was officially awarded second place due to the weigh-in tiebreaker. Each lifter had a 605 total, finishing 35 pounds behind Bozeman’s Evan Earnest.
In the Olympic event, Ulsch had a 505 total, finishing 40 pounds behind Hill, who was the champion, and Earnest, who was the runner-up.
“I met the goals that I wanted to get,” Ulsch said. He wanted to reach 500 pounds overall in Olympic and 600 overall in traditional.
Ulsch had a best snatch total of 205 and did 305 in the bench. He was 3 for 3 on his clean-and-jerk attempts with totals of 270, 285 and 300.
Duncan, Goodman earn 4 total medals
Besides Jeffries, Ulsch and Van Zant, Duncan and Goodman also earned two medals each, with Duncan placing third in the unlimited class in the traditional event. Duncan’s total of 505 left him trailing Blountstown’s Artavious Jones by 35 pounds and Fort White’s James Dimauro by 5 pounds.
Duncan, who was fifth in the Olympic event with a 505 total, was 8 for 9 on the day, missing just one clean-and-jerk attempt. His best totals were 195 in the snatch, 310 in the clean and jerk and 350 in the bench.
Goodman earned two fifth-place finishes in the 219 class with a traditional total of 620 and an Olympic total of 520. He went 3 for 3 in the snatch with a best total of 225 and 3 for 3 in the bench with a best total of 325. He missed his first two clean-and-jerk attempts at 295 before successfully getting that total on his final attempt.
Baxter makes most of his 1st year
Last year, as a junior, Tyson Baxter was an exhibition lifter only. This year, he not only competed for points, but set a school record in the bench press and made his way to state, placing third in the 119 class in the traditional event.
Baxter had a 365 traditional total, which left him trailing Suwannee’s Chris Gonzalez and Randy Garcia by 35 and 5 pounds, respectively. He had a 160 clean and jerk and a class-best 205 bench (tying his own school record). Baxter was unsuccessful on his final bench attempt of 210, which would made him the runner-up if he had gotten it.
In Olympic, Baxter, who had a 155 snatch, finished with a ninth-place total of 275.
3 additional lifters earn medals
Keystone earned a total of nine medals in the traditional event. Joining Baxter, Duncan, Goodman, Jeffries, Ulsch and Van Zant with top-six finishes were Colton Hollingsworth, Jed Tisdale and Bryson Wester.
Hollingsworth and Tisdale placed fifth and sixth, respectively in the 129 class. Hollingsworth had a 425 total (200 clean and jerk, 225 bench), while Tisdale, who was 3 for 3 on his bench attempts, had a 415 total (205, 210).
Wester placed fourth in the 219 class with a 635 total (280, 355). He was 3 for 3 on his bench attempts.
Tisdale fell one spot shy of earning a medal in Olympic with a seventh-place total of 350. He went 3 for 3 on his snatch attempts with a best total of 145.
Wester had the 14th-best total in his class in the Olympic event. He had a 165 snatch to finish with a 445 overall total.
Remaining totals
Davin Adams had a 405 total (175 snatch, 230 clean and jerk) to finished ninth in the 154 class in the Olympic event. He had a 235 bench to finish with a 12th-place total of 465 in the traditional event.
Declan Shine was ninth in the 139 class in the traditional even with a 440 total (205, 235). He also had a snatch of 145 for an Olympic total of 350 that placed him 12th.
Jackson Herman had a 10th-place total of 480 (215, 265) in the 238 class in the Olympic event.
Kyle Perkins was 12th in the 183 class in the Olympic event with a 415 total (175, 240).
Brayden Wester earned a pair of 14th-place finishes. He had a traditional total of 585 (260, 325) and, with a 175 snatch, an Olympic total of 435.
Brayden Hall was 17th in the 238 class in the traditional event with a 560 total (225, 335).
