Tarpons' Jacobs repeats as state champion

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KISSIMMEE

Breanna Jacobs knew even if she performed all her lifts flawlessly, it came with no guarantees.

“You can’t really predict what’s going to happen,” she said.

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Charlotte's Breanna Jacobs  competes in the clean and jerk at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

Charlotte's Breanna Jacobs competes in the clean and jerk at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

A decided favorite in the 129-pound weight class, the junior weightlifter at Charlotte High did not disappoint and turned in another golden performance.

There was no one even close.

Jacobs benched 190 pounds and lifted 175 in the clean and jerk for a 365 total, a whopping 40 pounds more than her closest competitor in capturing her second straight state title at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center.

She is and remains the only Charlotte weightlifting state champion in the sport.

A couple of Tarpons came close.

Seniors Kendall Chavarria and Loni Carmello finished as runners-up in the 183- and 199-pound weight classes, respectively.

Charlotte’s Jena Trainor also reached the medal stand in Flight A (the five lower weight classes) by taking fourth at 110.

Charlotte's Kendall Chavarria competes in the clean and jerk Saturday at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

Charlotte's Kendall Chavarria competes in the clean and jerk Saturday at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

The Tarpons, who finished third behind Navarre and Port Charlotte last year when there was only one team champion crowned, earned the second-place trophy, its highest finish in the team standings.

“That’s awesome. I’m so proud of everyone,” Carmello said. “Everyone pulled their weight and did what we needed to do. That’s a good feeling.”

“It’s so fun to complete, and it’s nice to come out where you hope to be,” Charlotte coach Angie Nolan said. “This is where we hoped to be today.”

The only other area lifter to reach the medal stand, Venice’s Natalie Deto, was inconsolable after finishing second by 15 pounds in the 119-pound weight class.

Jacobs began her bench press at 180 pounds and increased by five pounds. Her 190 gave her a 30-pound lead heading into the clean and jerk. With the big lead, Jacobs began at 155 instead of 160, increasing by 10 pounds, going from 155 to 165 to 175 with little effort.

Charlotte's Loni Carmello competes in the bench press Saturday at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

Charlotte's Loni Carmello competes in the bench press Saturday at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

“It feels unreal. It hasn’t hit me yet. It’s pretty crazy,” she said.

Jacobs admitted she was “a little nervous” at the start, but her first bench press calmed her.

A year after winning the 110-pound weight class as a sophomore, she moved up two classes, skipping 119 to compete at 129.

“They want me to go up two more because I need to eat and get stronger, because my muscles are always so hungry, so I’m hungry,” she said. “I have to feed my muscles and get stronger.”

All season, Jacobs jockeyed whether to move up one class to 119 or two classes.

That led to undue pressure.

Venice's Natalie Deto  competes in the bench press at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

Venice's Natalie Deto competes in the bench press at the FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

“There was. She puts a lot of pressure on herself,” Nolan said. “She worries maybe too much – like girls tend to do – about what weight class, what weight class, what weight class.  You can play that game, but you never know how it’s going to turn out.

“I told her, ‘Let’s just go get strong. Eat like a champion should eat. Let’s not suffer. Let’s see how strong we can get.’ And it paid off.”

After winning the state title a year ago, she took two weeks off before heading back into the weight room to train for a repeat.

Now, she is cutting that time in half as she goes for a three-peat. The gymnast and cheerleader plans to take one week off before hitting the irons again.

Seeded third at 183, Chavarria moved up one spot with a 170 in the bench and 195 in the clean and jerk.

Charlotte celebrates finishing second after receiving their medals at the Class 2A FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

Charlotte celebrates finishing second after receiving their medals at the Class 2A FHSAA Girls Weightlifting Championships on Saturday at the Kissimmee Civic Center. STAFF PHOTO / DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI

“I’m glad I did as well as I did,” Chavarria said. “I was expecting 185 bench and a 200 and 205. But I’m happy I beat out the one girl I had to beat out.”

After benching 215 and trailing by 35 pounds, Carmello figured she needed a 220 in the clean and jerk, a weight she never attained. Nevertheless, she tried it twice after cleaning 190 without success.

“How do you answer that? Yes but no,” Carmello said. “I needed 220 and would have won by weight. I might as well put it on the bar and give it some shots.”

“Those two seniors, I can’t say enough about them,” Nolan said. “We are going to miss them. They both went for it like a true champion should. We teach them to be competitors. They put everything they had into it.”

Trainor’s 260 (130-130) put her in a tie with St. Cloud’s Destiny Lachendro, but the Charlotte junior got fourth based on body weight, as she was five-tenths of a pound lighter at weigh-in.

“It’s really fun. It reinforced all the work you put into it over the summer,” Nolan said. “The good and the bad that comes with it is so worth it. You put your heart and soul into it. You make sacrifices. You spend less time with your family. Sometimes you want to pull your hair out. Sometimes you just want to enjoy it and soak it all up. It has been worth every second.

“It’s a wonderful day.”

Seeded third, Deto made her bench presses at 150 and 155, but failed at 165. She lifted 160 and 170, but could not lift 180. Her 325 trailed only the 340 posted by Savannah Diel of Navarre.

“I’m really upset about this,” Deto said.

 

Class 1A Meet

In the Class 1A meet Friday, Port Charlotte’s Maranda Eckhoff finished second in the 139-pound weight class.

Eckhoff lifted a total of 330 pounds with a 160 bench press and 170 in the clean and jerk to finish 10 pounds behind winner Samantha Traudt of Brooksville Nature Coast Tech.

Two other Pirates reached the medals podium for finishing sixth in their respective weight classes.

Sabrina Fultz was fourth in the 154-pound weight class, lifting a total of 310 pounds.

Zoeie Kaufman finished sixth in the 199-pound weight class with a 295 total. She lost out on a fifth-place finish on body weight.

Port Charlotte finished tied for sixth in the team scoring with nine points. New Port Richey River Ridge won the Class 1A state title with 27 points over runner-up Brooksville Nature Coast, which had 20 points.

 

Dennis Maffezzoli

Dennis Maffezzoli is the chief reporter for HT Preps. He can be reached by email or call (941) 315-0598.
Last modified: February 6, 2016
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