All-Area boys weight lifting: Eric Strikand and Sam Jansen, Seminole Ridge

Saturday, June 04, 2011
by Paul Ivice

After a disappointing finish at the 2010 state championships, Seminole Ridge's weight lifting team decided to worry about themselves more than their competition.

That strategy paid off as the Hawks - led by seniors Eric Strickland (183 pounds) and Sam Jansen (heavyweight) - became the first southeast Florida team to win a state title.

"Our goal was not to compete with other lifters, but rather compete with ourselves," coach Justin Hilliker said. "We can't control what the other lifters are doing. Once we came to terms with that, we could just focus on ourselves and our lifts."

"We all worked out a little bit harder this year and noticed how bad we did last year," said Jansen, who won the state heavyweight title by tiebreaker.

Strickland won the 183-pound title also by tiebreaker. Strickland and Springstead's Armando Noury both lifted a combined 640 pounds, but Strickland weighed 1.4 pounds less to earn the title.

After finishing second at state in 2009, the Hawks went to the 2010 state tournament with high hopes, but earned only one point.

"We missed almost all of our third lifts," Hilliker said. "If we would have gotten those lifts, we could have been in the top two."

That memory was still fresh for the five returning state qualifiers, who spread it among the rest of the senior-strong team. That motivated them to win this year's state title.

Along with Jansen and Strickland, five other Seminole Ridge lifters contributed points at state.

"We all worked out for four years really hard, so it was nice for it to pay off, and also nice to have those big championship rings," Jansen said.

FIRST TEAM

Dominic DeCesare

Seminole Ridge

Jr.

119 pounds

Lifted combined 410 pounds at states for bronze medal.

Austin Rodriguez

Seminole Ridge

Sr.

129 pounds

Four-time qualifier for states; lost in three-way tie for biggest combined lift.

Angel Rodriguez

Seminole Ridge

Sr.

139 pounds

Three-time qualifier for states lifted 515-pound total, barely missing a medal.

Brandon Maitland

Seminole Ridge

Jr.

154 pounds

Combined lifts of 520 pounds earned him 9th at states.

Tim Haynes

Park Vista

Jr.

169 pounds

Combined 510- pound lifts landed him 13th at states.

Andrew Perkins

Seminole Ridge

Sr.

183 pounds

605-pound total at states (6th); second Hawk lifter to medal in 183-pound class.

Alex Santacroce

Seminole Ridge

Jr.

199 pounds

Placed 13th at states with combined lifts of 580 pounds.

Steven McPherson

Seminole Ridge

Sr.

219 pounds

Total lift of 635 pounds earned him 6th place at states.

Fred Grunwald

Seminole Ridge

Sr.

238 pounds

570-pound combined lift equal to second place, but placed third .

Dean Allmon

Park Vista

Sr.

Heavyweight

585-pound combined lift placed him 15th at states.

SECOND TEAM

119: Martin Dacelin, Boynton Beach, Sr.

129: Frederick Mackey, Pope John Paul II, Sr.

139: Jarryd Klaffka, Seminole Ridge, Sr.

154: Vinny Piazza, Park Vista, Sr.

169: Zach Shepard, Seminole Ridge, Jr.

183: Justin Danca, Park Vista, Sr.

199: Paul Bricketto, Park Vista, Sr.

219: Audrey Dieujuste, Boynton Beach, Jr.

238: Kenneth Stephens, Boynton Beach, Sr.

HWT: Brynjar Gundmunssen, Wellington, Sr.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Justin Hilliker

Seminole Ridge

Used experience of failure at states the previous year to motivate the Hawks to win southeast Florida's first state title in weight-lifting.

HONORABLE MENTION

Park Vista – Luciano Mellonne, Alexander Barris, Devin Vanwieringen, Matt Rodriguez; Boca Raton – Mark Daniele; Seminole Ridge -- Thomas Fragale, Zach Shepard, Bryan Poblano; Boynton Beach -- Jery Ceance; Palm Beach Central -- Nick Dorobiala; Atlantic – Justin Stine.

BEST OF THE TREASURE COAST

South Fork – Darren Morales, Alex Gannon, Kody Stripling; Jensen Beach – Kevin Young.