BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School’s Christian Simmons won his weight class in both the Olympic and traditional competitions at the District 7-1A boys weightlifting meet, which was held March 29 at Keystone Heights High School.
Simmons, who won a district championship for the third straight year, automatically qualified for the Region 2 meet, which will be hosted by Suwannee High School on Friday, April 7, at 10 a.m. At-large qualifiers will be selected from those who placed second through 10th at all of the district meets to round out the field.
Besides winning two titles, Simmons, who lifts in the 129 class, was also determined to be the event’s top pound-for-pound lifter in both the Olympic and traditional events.
Simmons had a snatch of 185 and a clean and jerk of 245 to finish with a 430 total in the Olympic competition. That put him 40 pounds ahead of second-place finisher Zack Warner of Eagle’s View.
A bench press of 265, when paired with his clean-and-jerk total, gave Simmons a total of 510 in the traditional competition. He finished in first by 70 pounds, again beating out Warner of Eagle’s View.
Union placed third as a team in the traditional event with 32 points, which left the Tigers trailing champion Keystone (103) and runner-up Palatka (35).
Rodney Barnett and Thomas Williams earned third-place finishes. Barnett had a 390 total (205 bench press, 185 clean and jerk) in the 154 class, while Williams had a 540 total (315, 225) in the 199 class.
Four lifters earned fourth-place finishes: Brycen Boney with a 410 total (225, 185) in the 169 class, Clifton Ivey with a 465 total (250, 215) in the 183 class, Maddox Wheeler with a 510 total (275, 235) in the 219 class and Connor Bresee with a 470 total (245, 225) in the 238 class.
Erich Seager and Jacob Jenkins each placed fifth, with Seager compiling a 480 total (265, 215) in the 219 class and Jenkins compiling a 450 total (255, 195) in the unlimited class.
Wyatt Elixson placed sixth in the 139 class with a 315 total (195, 120), while Jimmy Cox placed seventh in the 199 class with a 470 total (235, 235).
Simmons was the only Union lifter to compete in the Olympic event.
