Telegraph Staff Writer
Students, family members and others from the community lined U.S. 301 in front of Bradford High School this morning to give members of the girls weightlifting team an enthusiastic sendoff as they began their journey to the Class 1A state finals, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 12, at Port St. Joe High School.
Bradford qualified eight for state, which is the most in school history. Two of those lifters are defending state champs, while another two were runners-up last season.
The Tornadoes are hoping they can win the team state title, but they should have multiple individual champs, for sure. Anything can happen, but barring injury, illness or just a bad day on the platform, three lifters seem to be in good position to win their weight classes.
Mahailya Reeves became a legend in just her first year in high school. As a Union County High School freshman, she won the state championship in the unlimited class, setting two records (bench press and overall total) for her weight class in the process.
Reeves has never lost a competition. In fact, no one has seriously come close to challenging her. She won the unlimited championship as a sophomore and junior at UCHS, breaking her own state records in 2020 with a bench press of 375 and an overall total of 600.
In each of the last three seasons, Reeves finished at least 90 pounds ahead of her nearest competitor at state.
This year, Reeves bench pressed 380 at the Region 2 finals and is heading to state off a Region 2 overall total of 565, which is 170 pounds better than the regional totals of anyone else in the unlimited class.
Courtney Comer, who lifts in the 169 class, has been almost as dominant as Reeves. The junior, who lifted for UCHS her first two years, has won every competition she’s been in but one, and that was when she was the state runner-up in 2020 as a freshman. Comer won state last season, finishing 75 pounds ahead of her class’ runner-up and setting the state record in her class in the bench press (245).
In looking at the regional overall totals of this year’s state participants, Comer’s total of 450 is the best by 110 pounds.
Since finishing as the state runner-up last year, junior Brianna Jordan has worked to put herself in the same position as Comer and Reeves — that is, no one is really giving her much of a challenge. Of the regional totals of the state participants in the 154 class, Jordan’s total of 420 is the best by 55 pounds.
Junior Gabbie Oliver, who competes in the 199 class, had a total of 350 at the Region 2 finals, which gives her the best total going into state by 20 pounds. It could be a battle between her, Bay’s Katerin Zacarias and Suwannee’s Kaly Cuffy. Cuffy and Zacarias each had a 330 total in regional competition.
The Tornadoes look to be in good position to earn points from two lifers in the unlimited class. Senior Jessica Traylor had a 395 total at the Region 2 finals. She’s well behind her teammate, Reeves, but has a total that’s 20 pounds better than the third-highest totals in the class (Marianna’s Kelis Garrett and Interlachen’s Marissa McKibbon each had a 375 total in regional competition).
Takeirra Bakken, a junior, was the state runner-up in the 183 class last season. This year, she’s going into state off the their-best total in her class at 365. Imagine’s Madison Atwood enters with a 430 total, while Fernandina Beach’s Marleah Dampier enters with a 380 total.
Senior Hannah McFarland enters state as the sixth seed in the 110 class, though her regional total of 250 is the fourth-highest in the class. One other lifter enters with a 250 total, one with a 260 total, one with a 280 total and two with 300 totals.
Seeding is based upon regional totals as well as what the lifters weighed in at regionals.
If McFarland can place in the top six, she’ll earn points for the Tornadoes as well as a medal. First place earns seven points, followed by five for second place, four for third place, three for fourth place, two for fifth place and one for sixth place.
Suwannee would seem to be Bradford’s most dangerous competitor for the team state title. The Bulldogs qualified 15 for state, with nine of those going in as top-six seeds.
