BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Union County High School’s Riley Gibson remained undefeated in the postseason, winning her weight class at the Region 2-1A girls weightlifting meet, which was held Feb. 1 in Chiefland.
As a region champ, Gibson earned an automatic berth in the state finals, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 15, at R.P. Funding Center-Jenkins Arena in Lakeland. She is one of four Union lifters who’ll compete, with Alexia Cyr, Briena Haight and Taleya Smith earning at-large bids.
Gibson took first in the 119-pound class by 10 pounds at the Region 2 meet, finishing ahead of runner-up Victoria Vieira of Father Lopez. Gibson had a 245-pound total, which consisted of a 115-pound clean and jerk and a 130-pound bench press. She was 10 pounds out of first after the clean-and-jerk competition, but her bench-press total was the best in the class by 15 pounds.
The effort resulted in Gibson being the sixth-best pound-for-pound lifter at the event.
Cyr placed third in the 139 class with a 290 total (135 clean and jerk, 135 bench press), which surpassed her total at the District 6 event by 10 pounds — a 5-pound improvement in both the clean and jerk and bench press. She was successful on all six of her attempts (three in the clean and jerk and three in the bench press), with her bench-press total being the second-highest in the class.
Smith and Haight placed fifth and sixth, respectively, in the 169 class. Smith had a total of 300 (140, 160), while Haight had a total of 290 (135, 155). Their bench-press totals were third and fourth best in the class.
Haight’s total was 5 pounds better than the one she finished with at the District 6 meet.
The Tigers also had the following compete: Holly Halfacre, who had a 215 total (115, 100) in the 119 class, Emma Handley, who had a 210 total (110, 100) in the 129 class, Gracie Manning, who had a 210 total (105, 105) in the 154 class, and Allaya Blocker, who had a 260 total (120, 140) in the unlimited class.
Halfacre, Handley and Manning each improved her total from the District 6 meet by 5 pounds.
Cyr and Gibson, who were both state qualifiers last season, will lift during the morning session at state, which will begin at 9 a.m., while Haight and Smith will lift during the afternoon session, which begins at 3 p.m.
State tickets, which are $11 in advance and $14 the day of the event, can be purchased online at rpfundingcenter.com.
Parking at the event is $12.
Please note that R.P. Funding Center is a cashless facility.
