Matanzas wins boys weightlifting season opener

Palm Coast Observer

Matanzas defeated defending Class 3A state champ Flagler Palm Coast and Atlantic High School in a season-opening boys weightlifting meet Jan. 31 at the Pirates' gym.

The Pirates won both competitions. They won the traditional title with 58 points, while FPC had 39 points and Atlantic totaled 9 points. In the Olympic competition, Matanzas compiled 56 points, FPC had 41 and Atlantic 9.

The traditional total adds the lifters' top clean and jerk and bench press lifts. The Olympic competition combines the snatch and clean and jerk totals. Each lifter gets three attempts at each of the three lifts.

In all but one weight class, the same lifters won both competitions. Matanzas' double winners included: Maison Leonard at 119 pounds with a 175 Olympic total and a 255 traditional total; Aiden Schissler at 139 with a 375 Olympic and a 460 traditional; Aiden Langford at 154 pounds with a 285 Olympic and a 460 traditional; Seth Clarke at 169 pounds with a 300 Olympic and a 400 traditional; and Cole Hash at 199 pounds with a 415 Olympic and a 570 traditional.

Matanzas' Luke Doner won the Olympic title at 219 with a 340 total. Ahmad Louis-Charles of Matanzas won the traditional title at 219 with a 500 total.

FPC's winners were Nick Lilavois at 129 pounds with a 410 Olympic total and a 440 traditional total; Nick Groth at 183 pounds with a 510 Olympic and a 545 traditional; Malachi Mitchell at 238 pounds with a 345 Olympic and a 400 traditional; and Kobe Murphy at heavyweight with a 465 Olympic and a 610 traditional.

Groth had the top Olympic total at the meet, while Murphy had the top traditional total. Murphy had the top bench press at 350 pounds, while Hash was next with a 315-pound bench. Groth had the best clean and jerk lift (290 pounds) and the best snatch (220 pounds).

Hash, Schissler, Lilavois, Groth and Murphy were all state qualifiers last year. Lilavois was the runner-up in the traditional competition and the snatch champ at 110 pounds at the 3A state championships. Hash finished third at 183 pounds in the traditional competition at the Class 2A meet. Groth finished third in snatch and seventh in traditional at 169 pounds. Murphy finished eighth at snatch at heavyweight, and Schissler finished 10th at snatch at 139.