- June 27, 2026
Four Flagler Palm Coast High School weightlifters won gold, silver and bronze medals at the USA Weightlifting National Championships in Colorado Springs. Jackson Fedun earned the biggest award of all of them. The rising senior won the the national championship in the men’s youth U-17 division, 79-kilogram weight class (174.2 pounds) on Monday, June 22.
Fedun successfully lifted 291 pounds in his final clean and jerk attempt to win the title by one kilogram (2.2 pounds) with a 238-kilogram total (524.7 pounds) for the snatch and clean and jerk.
After completing his winning lift, Fedun celebrated by jumping into the arms of FPC coach Duane Hagstrom. Fedun won two gold medals for clean and jerk and overall, and a silver medal in the snatch.
Rising senior Nya Williams — who won a national championship last year in the women’s youth division, earning all three gold medals in her weight class — moved up to the junior division this year and was the runner-up in the 53-kilogram (116.8 pounds class) on June 23. Williams won all three silver medals.
Cody Strawser, who is also a rising senior, won a bronze medal in snatch in the men’s junior 60- kilogram (132.3 pounds) class with a lift of 92 kilograms (202.8 pounds). Strawser placed fourth overall on June 24.
And FPC graduate Matt McFall, who has received a full weightlifting scholarship at Tusculum University, placed third in the men's junior 110-plus kilogram weight class (242.5-plus pounds) and was third in snatch (282.2-pound lift) to win two bronze medals on Thursday, June 25. His snatch and clean-and-jerk total was 696.7 pounds.
FPC's TTP WLifting team (Trust the Process Weightlifting) tied for fourth place overall in the men's junior division.
Other members of the team to place among the top eight included Joseph Casanova; who earned fourth place in the men's junior 110 kilogram weight class; Landon Gates, who placed sixth in the men’s junior 88 kilogram class (194 pounds); Alex Huynh, who was sixth in the men’s youth 65 kilogram class (143.3 pounds); and Gage Anderson, who placed eighth in the men’s junior 71 kilogram class (156.5 pounds).
"The medals, podium finishes, national rankings, and the title of National Champion are incredible accomplishments, but they aren’t what I’m most proud of," Hagstrom said in a social media post. "I’m proud of the early mornings, the countless hours in the gym, the sacrifices made, the adversity overcome, and the way these athletes represented our program, their families, and themselves throughout the week. This team showed what “Trust the Process” truly means. They competed with heart, handled both success and disappointment with class, supported one another every step of the way, and left everything they had on the platform. Our results speak for themselves."
Williams won two girls high school state weightlifting championships for the Bulldogs in February. Strawser and McFall also won state championships this past season.
Williams, 17, could have defended her youth title, but she automatically moved up to the junior division as a prospective USA Weightlifting National Team member. She placed second behind National Junior Team member Jade Morales.
Williams totaled 155 kilograms (341.7 pounds) in her two lifts. Morales, who lifts for the powerhouse Hassle Free Barbell Club of Belmont, California, and has competed for USA Weightlifting on the international stage, totaled 176 kilograms (388 pounds).
