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Highlands Today

AP Girls Take Third At Travis Todd

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Blue Streak senior Ashley Waldon steadies the weight during the clean and jerk portion of Thursday’s Travis Todd Invitational.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: February 2, 2008

AVON PARK — Not everything that glitters turns to gold.

"This event isn't about going for the gold," said former Avon Park state champion Anachelle Mejias. "You can't explain what it feels like when you've reached that personal best you've been going after all season. It's just an amazing feeling."

There was plenty of euphoria in Avon Park on Thursday, as eight girls weightlifting teams converged on APHS for the Travis Todd Invitational — an end-of-the-year testament to their hard work.

"It's been tough to schedule this meet the past few years," said former Avon Park weightlifting coach Don Hickman. "But the girls love coming here to this fun meet. It gives them one last chance to go after that personal best.

"For many, this will be the last time they lift competitively."

Personal bests fell like dominos, as the sweat and strain turned into cheers and jubilation rarely seen in weightlifting, a sport that's grown exponentially in recent years.

Sebring's Ashley Waldon, whose made her name on the volleyball court in the fall, placed third in the 119-pound class with a personal-best 220 total weight. She said she's has grown to the love sport and the different terrain to climb that volleyball doesn't offer.

"It's not that I don't love volleyball, but that's a team sport," Ashley said. "In weightlifting, it's just you and the weights. It makes you feel so good when you make it past the weight you've tried so many tries to conquer.

"I'm very proud of myself and had so much fun being here."

Wearing the gold that she earned after years of hard work, Mejias also showed off her coaching abilities, giving tips to the younger lifters who are yearning to wear her hardware one day.

"[This event] makes me feel like I'm inside a meet again," Mejias said. "It's wonderful to be back in this atmosphere again and I love giving the girls some pointers."

Mejias got to the pinnacle in weightlifting in her senior season, surpassing the 200-pound threshold in the bench and posting a state record 215-pound press at the state meet to grab the gold by a whopping 45 points and become the face of girls powerlifting in Highlands County.

But the life lessons that made her a champion has carried over into her post-high school days: Mejias studies architecture at South Florida Community College.

"I learned a lot about life and how to step up to challenges during my days in the weight room," Mejias said. "I accomplished a lot in weightlifting and it taught me that I can do anything.

"My heart will always be in the weight room."

Many first-year lifters enjoyed their taste of the camaraderie and competition that they may have lacked in other sports.

"I played basketball for three years and after lifting this year, I wish I would have done this all through high school," said Lake Placid senior Sarah Norris, who placed third and earned a personal best of 210 total weight in the unlimited class. "This kept me active in the winter, and I grew to love the practices and how the other girls push you to get better."

Some notable finishes by local lifters included Sebring's Samary Camuy and Avon Park's Tykeria Wiley took gold in the 101-pound and unlimited weight classes, respectively, while Avon Park's Andejoua Nixon placed third and Sebring's Michelle Bash finished fourth in the 169-pound class.
Shonkeria Laster earned silver in the 199-pound class to lift the Red Devils to a third-place finish in the team results.

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