FPC boys weightlifters snatch a team trophy at conference

The snatch was one of Duane Hagstrom’s favorite lifts when he was a competitor.

It’s not surprising that his Flagler Palm Coast weightlifting teams have taken to the lift as well.

FPC won the snatch title at the Five Star Conference boys weightlifting championships March 23. It was the Bulldogs' first conference title in school history. The Bulldogs also finished second to Spruce Creek in the traditional competition, in a close race that came down to one lift.

“We’ve been second before, but I don’t think we’ve ever been that close,” said Hagstrom, who has coached the Bulldogs for 20 years.

This is the first year the FHSAA has adopted the snatch lift, and the FPC boys, like the FPC girls, have gotten a head start on their competitors.

“It’s a very technical lift,” Hagstrom said. “A lot of these coaches, I don’t think they’re comfortable with it yet. You can make up for a lack of strength with technique in certain areas of the lift.”

The Bulldogs defeated second-place University 51-40 in the snatch competition with FPC lifters winning six of the 10 weight classes.

The Hawks won the traditional bench press/clean and jerk competition, 52-50 over the host Bulldogs. The title came down to the second-place competition between Creek’s Kevin Minckler and FPC’s Nick Groth at 169 pounds. Minckler jumped 10 pounds to 285 on his final clean and jerk lift and edged Groth in total, 520 to 515, which was a difference of two points in the standings.

The Bulldogs, however, were happy with the results as they closed in on the postseason.

“My goal is just to get better, and they’ve been getting a lot better,” Hagstrom said. “The kids work really hard. It’s a great group of kids.”

Three FPC lifters won both snatch and traditional titles — Nick Lilavois at 119 pounds, Dom Bennett at 139 and Rigens Andre at 219.

Isaiah Rivers won the traditional competition at 154 pounds with a 540 total, tying the school bench press record along the way with a 305-pound lift — against the advice of his coach.

“I guess he told me to do 300,” said a sheepish Rivers.

The senior, who has had the record in his sights for a while, just hit 300 two weeks ago, Hagstrom said.

Rivers medaled at state last year with a fifth-place finish and is looking to move up.

“My goal is just to get better, and they’ve been getting a lot better. The kids work really hard. It’s a great group of kids.”

DUANE HAGSTROM, FPC weightlifting coach

He joined Bennett as a school-record holder. Bennett set school records in the clean and jerk (260) and total (515) earlier this season. Bennett finished second at state in the 129-pound class last year, moving up to 139 this year.

“Our boys' records are pretty ridiculous,” Hagstrom said. “So it's not easy.”

Bennett lifted 500 at conference to win his weight class by 90 pounds. He won the snatch title with a 180-pound lift.

Groth (169), Ron Proctor (183 pounds) and Kobe Murphy (unlimited) also won first-place medals in snatch.

Andre lifted a 650 total to win the traditional competition and 165 to win snatch. Hagstrom said Andre learned the snatch lift just two days before conference.

Lilavois won snatch with a 145 and the traditional bench/clean and jerk with a 385 total.

Wood Registe (183) placed second, while Chris Doremy (199), Murphy and Groth placed third in the traditional competition.

“Coach is the reason why we’ve gotten as far as we have, but there’s always room for improvement,” Lilavois said. “Our goal this year is to get as many people to state as possible.”