The following is a look at the high school varsity teams and individuals that won championships at the district, regional or state levels, earned medals in state competition or that qualified to participate in regional and state competitions in 2021. Any omissions are unintentional.
BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Keystone Heights High school celebrated its third straight boys weightlifting state championship to highlight the 2023 year in athletics.
The Indians own the Class 1A title in the traditional event (bench press and clean and jerk), defeating Suwanee (the 2022 Class 2A champion) 41-35.
Keystone had two individual champions in Bo Overton, who won the 219 class with a 585 total, and Trey Jeffries, who won the 219 class with a 645 total. Reid Begue (505 total in the 139 class) and Landon Hovsepian (610 total in the 183 class) were runners-up.
Three lifters placed third: Wyatt Van Zant (470 total in the 139 class), Sam Ulsch (520 total in the 154 class) and Tyler Anthony-Rozier (565 total in the 238 class).
Dakota Roper was fourth in the 199 class, while Bryar Schenck was fifth in the 183 class. Each had a 580 total.
The Indians also had the following results: Bryson Wester ninth (199 class, 565 total), Declan Shine 11th (129 class, 395 total), Jayden Goodman 11th (219 class, 565 total), Jed Tisdale 12th (119 class, 320 total), Colton Hollingsworth 14th (119 class, 315 total) and Brayden Wester 13th (238 class, 550 total).
Keystone was also the state runner-up in the Olympic event (snatch and clean and jerk). The Indians and South Sumter each had 29 points to Suwannee’s 49.
Overton was his class’ champion in the Olympic event with a 500 total, while Schenck was a runner-up with a 525 total.
Three earned third-place finishes: Van Zant with a 415 total, Hovsepian with a 520 total and Jeffries with a 515 total.
Begue had a fourth-place total of 395 total, while Goodman had a fifth-place total of 490 total.
Other Olympic results: Tisdale eighth (265 total), Ulsch 10th (395), Anthony-Rozier 10th (450), Jackson Herman 11th (445 in the 238 class), Bryson Wester 12th (425), Hollingsworth 15th (245), Tyler Duncan 15th (440 in the unlimited class) and Davin Adams 18th (355 in the 154 class).
Individual medals were earned for top-six finishes.
En route to state, the Indians won 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 Hollingsworth, Begue, Ulsch, Overton, Hovsepian, Roper, Jeffries, Anthony-Rozier and Duncan, while runners-up were Tisdale, Van Zant, Schenck and Bryson Wester.
Also placing in the top six at the district level were Shine, Goodman, Damien Dunlap, Vernell Jackson, Brayden McCall and Brayden Wester.
The following were district champions in the Olympic event: Tisdale, Van Zant, Ulsch, Overton, Hovsepian, Jeffries, Anthony-Rozier, Duncan and Bryston Wester. Runners-up were Begue, Hollingsworth, Schenck, Herman and Talan Messina.
Also placing were Adams, Goodman, McCall, Roper and Shine.
At the regional level in the traditional event, Keystone had champions in Overton, Jeffries and Anthony-Rozier, while the following were runners-up: Begue, Ulsch, Hovsepian and Roper.
Also placing were Hollingsworth, Schenck Van Zant, Brayden Wester and Bryson Wester.
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, Begue, Duncan, Goodman, Herman, Hovsepian, Tisdale, Ulsch and Bryson Wester.
Wright, Griffin qualify for state
Keystone had two individuals who weren’t boys weightlifters also qualify for state-level competition: girls weightlifter Kaylee Wright and boys cross-country runner Tyler Griffin.
Wright, who lifted in the 169 class, won traditional and Olympic championships at the regional level and was a traditional champion and regional runner-up at the district level. At the Class 1A state finals, she earned two medals with a third-place total of 340 in the traditional event and a fourth-place total of 290 in the Olympic event.
Griffin placed 22nd out of 138 at the District 2-2A cross-country finals and went on to qualify for state with a 23rd-place time of 17:56 at the regional meet. At state, he placed 141st out of 240 with a time of 18:32.
It was the first time Keystone had a runner at state since Camryn Williams qualified in 2019. Griffin was the first from Keystone to compete in the boys state finals since Alex Guy in 2018.
It was a notable cross-country season besides Griffin’s accomplishments, with both boys and girls teams qualifying for regionals.
The boys team, which advanced for the ninth time in 10 years, placed seventh at the District 2 meet and was led by Griffin and Ryder Thomas, who placed 26th. Hunter Sheppard and Anthony Peak were 55th and 63rd, respectively, while Bryce Huntley placed 71st.
Jaden Park, Kipton Spence, Jason Parales, Josiah Durrenberger and Mason Gray also competed.
The girls team placed seventh and qualified for regionals for the first time since 2020. Olivia Griffin led Keystone, placing 40th out of 119. Cali Chamberlain and Melody Tyre were 54th and 63rd, respectively, while Brook Graudons was 83rd. Madilyn Miller finished 87th.
Alonah Neeld, Kirsten Lavin, Schiley Starling and Clara Beth Robinson also ran.
KHHS boys win 3rd straight title in golf
Keystone finished 32 strokes ahead of runner-up Madison County in capturing the District 3-1A boys golf championship.
Connor Guy won the individual district championship with a score of 72. Alex Addington and Ty Mitzel placed fourth and fifth, respectively, with scores of 80 and 82, while Nick Binet shot an 86 to finish in 10th.
Jacob Beach also played, finishing with a score of 100.
The Indians finished their season in seventh place at the Region 1 finals. Guy finished in a five-way tie for 12th with an 18-hole score of 78, while Addington and Mitzel finished in a four-way tie for 22nd, with each shooting a score of 81.
Beach and Binet also competed. Beach shot a 95, while Binet shot a 100.
Girls weightlifting and softball teams win district titles
The girls weightlifting team won the team district titles in both the traditional and Olympic events. Besides Wright, the Indians had the following individual champions: Ariel King with a 250 total in the 129 class (traditional), Kenly Chitty with a 220 total in the 154 class (Olympic) and Paige Harrington with a 210 total in the 183 class (Olympic).
Individual champions automatically qualified for regional competition.
Earning runner-up status (besides Wright) in the traditional event were Contessa Herring (110 class), Chloe Still (139) and Harrington, while Chitty and Lillian Mitchell (183) were third.
Also placing in the traditional event were Harmony Geiger (fourth in the 199 class), Ashlyn Brown (fifth in the 154 class), Regan Lee (sixth in the 139 class), Morgan Wilson (sixth in the 169 class) and Ava Herman (sixth in the unlimited class).
Brown, Chitty, Geiger, Harrington, Mitchell and Wilson earned at-large regional berths.
On the Olympic side, the following were runners-up: Geiger, Mitchell, Heidi Knapp (119) and Dakota Herring (unlimited). Placing third were Brown, Wilson and Abbigail Anthony-Rozier (119).
Also placing in the Olympic event were Alexys Schleeter (fourth in the 139 class) and Trista Harrison (fifth in the 129 class).
Anthony-Rozier, Brown, Geiger, Harrison, Herring, Knapp, Mitchell and Wilson were regional qualifiers.
Though not qualifying for state, the following placed at the Region 2 meet: Still (fourth, traditional), Harrington (fifth, Olympic), King (sixth, traditional) and Chitty (sixth, Olympic).
Aside from boys and girls weightlifting, the only other district title won by a Keystone team occurred in softball.
The Indians advanced to the District 3-3A tournament title game with wins over Beachside (11-0 in the quarterfinals) and Palatka (8-2 in the semifinals).
Keystone scored eight runs in the third inning in defeating Beachside, with Ashley Nugent hitting a three-run homer and Alaina Kinsall, who went 2 for 3, hitting a three-run double. Each batter finished with three RBI.
Abbie Roach went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Madallynn Glinski, who hit a solo homer, and Amber Wagner each had one RBI as well.
Pitcher Kadence Massey gave up three hits with eight strikeouts.
In the semifinals, Massey held Palatka scoreless until the seventh. She allowed six hits and one walk.
Kinsall went 3 for 4 with two RBI, while Wagner went 4 for 4 with an RBI.
Four other players had one RBI each, including Nugent, who hit a home run. The others were Massey, Kiley Channell and Caitlin Frampton.
The third seed Indians defeated top seed Pierson Taylor 10-0 in five innings to win the championship trophy.
Massey, who gave up one hit and no walks, was two outs away from pitching a no-hitter.
Wager hit a two-run single and a two-run triple to finish 2 for 3 with four RBI. Kinsall and Roach each went 2 for 4 with two RBI, while Channell and Nattallie Glinski had one RBI each. Madallynn Glinski went 2 for 3.
Keystone, which earned the seventh seed in the Region 1 playoffs, saw its season end with a 15-1 loss to Florida High.
Florida High hit three home runs (including a grand slam) in the second inning in building a 7-0 lead.
Nugent was the only Keystone batter with multiple hits, going 2 for 2.
The Indians ended the season with a 9-19 record.
Regional qualifiers in wrestling, girls soccer, track and field and girls golf
Steven Raab, who went 2-1, was the runner-up in the 220 class at the District 4-1A wrestling meet. He was one of four wrestlers to earn the right to advance to regionals.
Riley McGorty went 1-2 in placing fourth in the 120 class, while Alyx Nichols went 2-2 to finish fourth in the 170 class.
Atreyu Contes joined McGorty, Nichols and Raab as a regional qualifier, placing fifth in the 106 class after going 2-2.
The girls soccer team was the District 4-3A runner-up after a 6-1 loss to P.K. Yonge.
Keystone began the district tournament with a 5-0 quarterfinal win over Williston. Ella Hutchins and Kiersten Shaw each scored two goals, while Alee Horton scored one. Madeline Sweezy recorded an assist, while goalies Aspen Krohn and Miranda Yow made six and three saves, respectively.
The Indians reached the championship match off an 11-0 semifinal win over Interlachen. Shaw scored five goals and had one assist, while Hutchins had four goals and two assists. Sweezy Kendall Gagnon scored one goal each, with Sweezy also recording an assist.
Tinleigh Gubics had one assist as well.
Krohn was put on the defensive time and time again in the championship loss to P.K. Yonge, but she played admirably in making 20 saves before exiting in the 71st minute to applause from Keystone fans for her effort.
Keystone attempted only five shots on goal, with Shaw scoring the lone goal off a Dallas DeCrosta assist.
The Indians, who earned the seventh seed in the Region 1 playoffs, saw their season end with a 9-1 loss to Bolles. Hutchins scored off a Shaw assist, while Yow and Gagnon made 12 and six saves, respectively.
Keystone finished the season with a 19-6 record.
Three track-and-field athletes earned regional berths, including Kiersten Shaw, who was the District 3-2A runner-up in the high jump after clearing 4-9.75.
Marissa Dowell and boys team member Shepherd Rozier each earned a fourth-place finish to advance to regionals. Dowell placed in the long jump with a distance of 14-11.25, while Rozier placed in the 400m with a time of 51.92.
The girls golf team advanced to regionals after a third-place finish at the District 3-1A tournament. Keystone, which placed behind champion Branford and runner-up Taylor County, was led by Amber Cunningham, who finished tied for seventh with a score of 121. Aubrey Brooks shot a 132, followed by Ashylnn Duncan (168) and Jasmine Walls (170).
Football team gets back to the playoffs
Keystone bounced back from a 2-8 season, winning four of its final five regular-season games to earn the seventh seed in the Region 2-2S football playoffs.
The final game of the regular season saw the Indians go to Gainesville and defeat Class 1S P.K. Yonge 27-22. Cartez Daniels rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the second half, with his second score putting Keystone up (after Tyler Sapp’s extra point) 27-14 with 3:40 remaining in the game.
Quarterback Baylor Ford threw touchdown passes to Garrison Teague and Bryson Wester, finishing 8 of 21 for 133 yards. Teague caught two passes for 37 yards, while Wester had two catches for 17 yards.
Defensive back Bryce Hollingsworth made two interceptions.
The Indians ended their season with a 6-5 record after a 36-10 loss to Yulee in the Region 2 quarterfinals.
Yulee scored all of its points before Keystone’s Jackson Herman blocked a punt, which rolled out of the end zone for a safety in the fourth quarter. The Indians then scored on a five-play 65-yard drive that was capped by Colton Hollingsworth’s 5-yard touchdown run and subsequent two-point conversion.
