Flagler Palm Coast’s boys weightlifting team edged out Keystone Heights by one point in the Olympic competition at a tri-meet with Matanzas on February 5 at FPC.
The Bulldogs won the Olympic event with a score of 44, narrowly defeating Keystone Heights, which scored 43 points. Matanzas finished with 22 points. In the traditional competition, Keystone Heights took the lead with 46 points, while FPC finished second with 42 points, and Matanzas scored 21.
Five lifters from FPC claimed titles in both the Olympic and traditional categories. Cody Strawser led the pack with a 430-pound total in traditional and a 375-pound total in Olympic, both in the 129-pound class. Alex Huynh won both titles in the 139-pound class, lifting 315 pounds in Olympic and 375 pounds in traditional. Dylan Bennett triumphed in both categories at 169 pounds with a 465-pound Olympic total and a 480-pound traditional total. Landon Gates dominated at 183 pounds, lifting 465 pounds in Olympic and 490 pounds in traditional. Joseph Casanova rounded out the group with wins at 238 pounds, achieving totals of 475 pounds in Olympic and 530 pounds in traditional.
In other performances, Matanzas’ Jordan Theus-Vale claimed the traditional title in the 219-pound class with a 500-pound total and finished second in the Olympic event with a 435-pound total.
Matthew McFall from FPC secured the traditional title in the unlimited class with a 600-pound total, including a 285-pound clean and jerk and a 315-pound bench press. Jackson Fedun from FPC won the 154-pound Olympic competition with a 410-pound total.
Matanzas’ Anthony Giacobbe earned second place in Olympic in the 119-pound class with a 260-pound total. Matanzas lifters Jaden Sao and Maison Leonard both finished second behind Strawser in the 129-pound category. Sao placed second in traditional with a 410-pound total, while Leonard secured second in Olympic with a 320-pound total.
