BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Keystone Heights High School won five weight classes each in Olympic and traditional to win the championship trophies in both events for the fourth straight year at the District 6-1A girls weightlifting meet on Jan. 21 at KHHS.
The Indians had a team score of 83 in the Olympic event, putting them 33 points ahead of runner-up Fort White. In traditional, Keystone had a score of 78 to runner-up Fort White’s 37.
Winners in each weight class automatically qualified for the Region 3 meet, which will be held Saturday, Jan. 31, at 2:30 p.m. at West Nassau High School in Callahan. At-large qualifiers will be announced later.
Punching their tickets to regionals in the Olympic event were Ashlyn Brown, Kaylee Park, Alyssa Sanford, Chloe Still and and London Williams.
Brown, Park and Still were winners also in the traditional event. The Indians’ other champions were Ava Herman and Kylie Scott.
Olympic
The Indians had the champion and runner-up in four classes.
Williams won the 101-pound class with a 165-pound total (70 snatch, 95 clean and jerk), while Scott was second with a 135 total (55, 80).
The 119 class saw Sanford take first with a 210 total (90, 120), while Tayler Buchanan was second with a 180 total (75, 105).
Park’s 250 total (100, 150) was best in the 129 class. Natalie Layfield was runner-up with a 210 total (85, 125).
Brown and Morgan Wilson took the top two spots in the 169 class, with Brown lifting a 265 total (115, 150) and Wilson a 220 total (95, 125).
Still, who was Keystone’s other Olympic winner, finished with a 245 total (90, 155). She was 60 pounds ahead of runner-up Tina Duncan of Fort White.
Brown, Park, Sanford and Still were also district champions last season.
The Indians’ Tatum Hall was the runner-up in the 154 class with a 235 total (100, 135), while four lifters earned third-place finishes: Keira Miller with a 165 total (65, 100) in the 139 class, Xana Briley with a 155 total (60, 95) in the 183 class, Bella Woods with a 160 total (60, 100) in the 199 class and Herman with a 250 total (95, 155) in the unlimited class.
Virginia Baxter and Makenzi Brinson had fourth-place finishes for Keystone, with Baxter lifting a 120 total (50, 70) in the 110 class and Brinson a 215 total (90, 125) in the 154 class.
Annie Blair had a sixth-place total of 95 (40, 55) in the 110 class.
Utilizing the Schwartz/Malone Formula, which factors body weight vs. pounds lifted, Park was the event’s top overall lifter. The formula determined that Still was third overall, Sanford fourth overall, Brown fifth overall and Williams sixth overall.
Traditional
Scott and Williams flipped places in the traditional event, with Scott earning the top total in their class at 185 (80 clean and jerk, 105 bench press). Williams was second with a 175 total (95, 80).
Park took the win in her class with a 280 total (150, 130), which was 40 pounds better than runner-up Emma Handley of Union County.
Still also was a winner by 40 pounds with a 330 total (155, 175). Union’s Alexia Cyr was second with a 290 total.
Brown’s winning total of 290 (150, 140) placed her 35 pounds ahead of Sophie Tyre of Fort White, while Herman’s top total of 320 (155, 165) put her 20 pounds ahead of runner-up Kendall Elson of Baldwin.
Herman and Park were also district champs in 2025, while Stil won her third straight district title in traditional.
Besides Williams, Keystone’s other second-place finishes were from Sanford, who had a 215 total (120, 95), and Brinson, who had a 265 total (125, 140).
Four lifters earned third-place finishes: Buchanan with a 215 total (105, 110), Layfield with a 225 total (125, 100), Hall with a 260 total (135, 125) and Wilson with a 250 total (125, 125).
Placing fourth in their classes were Baxter with a 135 total (70, 65), Briley with a 195 total (95, 100) and Woods with a 205 total (100, 105).
Miller had a fifth-place finish with a 200 total (100, 100), while Blair had a sixth-place finish with a 115 total (55, 60).
Still was the event’s top overall lifter, while Park was second overall. Brown and Scott were sixth and seventh, respectively, while Herman was 10th.
