BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Keystone Heights High School Boys Weightlifting Coach Lantz Lowery was one of two to be named Best Overall Coach in Florida for the 2022-23 school year by the National Federation of High School Coaches Association.
The other Best Overall Coach of the Year is also from Clay County: Clay High School Girls Weightlifting Coach Rodney Keller.
Lowery and Keller received their awards from Florida High School Athletic Association Associate Executive Director Scott Jamison at the May 13 Clay County Athletics Award Show, which was held at Orange Park’s Thrasher-Horne Center.
The NFHSCA accepts nominations each fall for coaches and their accomplishments during the previous school year. Jamison said besides coaching performance, honorees are selected based on lifetime community involvement, school involvement and philosophy of coaching.
“Our award winners tonight have been recognized as those who are leading their sport, shaping their athletes and contributing in a positive way to their community,” Jamison said. “The FHSAA is very proud to recognize these two coaches as leaders and role models. Thank you for your contributions to the youth of our country and the community.”
Lowery led the Indians to a third straight Class 1A state championship in 2023. Keystone won the title in the traditional event (bench press and clean and jerk), while earning the runner-up trophy in the Olympic event (snatch and clean and jerk).
Keystone had two individual champions in the traditional event in Bo Overton (169-pound class) and Trey Jeffries (219). Reid Begue (139) and Landon Hovsepian (183) were runners-up.
The following also earned medals in traditional: third-place finishers Wyatt Van Zant (139), Sam Ulsch (154) and Tyler Anthony-Rozier (238), fourth-place finisher Dakota Roper (199) and fifth-place finisher Bryar Schenck (183).
Overton won his class in the Olympic event, while Schenck was a runner-up.
Individual medals in Olympic were also earned by third-place finishers Van Zant, Hovsepian and Jeffries, fourth-place finisher Begue and fifth-place finisher while Jayden Goodman (219).
En route to state, the Indians won the team district championships in both the traditional and Olympic events, while winning the regional title in the traditional event. They were the regional runner-up in the Olympic event.
Individual district champions in the traditional event were Anthony-Rozier, Begue, Hovsepian, Jeffries, Overton, Roper, Ulsch, Tyler Duncan (unlimited) and Colton Hollingsworth (119), while runners-up were Schenck, Van Zant, Jed Tisdale (119) and Bryson Wester (199).
Also placing in the top six (and scoring points) at the district level were Goodman, Damien Dunlap (154), Vernell Jackson (169), Brayden McCall (129), Declan Shine (129) and Brayden Wester (238).
The following were district champions in the Olympic event: Anthony-Rozier, Duncan, Hovsepian, Jeffries, Overton, Tisdale, Ulsch, Van Zant and Bryston Wester. Runners-up were Begue, Hollingsworth, Schenck, Jackson Herman (238) and Talan Messina (169).
Also placing were Adams (third), Goodman (third), McCall (sixth), Roper (third) and Shine (fourth).
At the regional level in the traditional event, Keystone had champions in Anthony-Rozier, Jeffries and Overton, while the following were runners-up: Begue, Hovsepian, Roper and Ulsch.
Also placing were Hollingsworth (fifth), Schenck (third), Van Zant (third), Brayden Wester (sixth) and Bryson Wester (third).
On the Olympic side, Keystone had the following champions: Anthony-Rozier and Overton. Jeffries, Schenck and Van Zant were runners-up, while the following also earned top-six finishes: Adams (sixth), Begue (fourth), Duncan (fourth), Goodman (third), Herman (third), Hovsepian (third), Tisdale (fifth), Ulsch (fifth) and Bryson Wester (fourth).
