December 13, 2023
Leesburg Girls Weightlifter E’mia Jones Unofficially Breaks State Record
By Kyle Coppola
Leesburg Girls Weightlifter E’mia Jones Unofficially Breaks State Record
E’mia Jones is one of the most dominant female weightlifters in the state of Florida. Jones has been having a terrific start of the year but she recently accomplished something that no other female had ever been able to do. Lift 400lbs in a single competition combined.
Jones is motivated. Coach Boyer who has been the leader of the boys and girls weightlifting program at Leesburg High has been singing this girls praises for years and it shows why. Jones went to states last year and finished in 3rd place for the Olympic class and 5th place in the Traditional 183lb class as junior.
Jones came into the 2023/2024 season bigger and stronger than anyone has ever seen her. Just a week ago she helped her team to victory but the real victory was just how much weight that E’mia Jones put up.
Incredibly she put up 230lbs of total weight in the Clean & Jerk and then went on to put up another 170lbs in the Snatch for a total unofficial weight of 400lbs. This was an amazing accomplishment not only for Jones but for the sport of women’s weightlifting at the high school level.
The past few years, weightlifting has been one of the fastest growing sports at the high school level. Last year the boys team won a state championship and coach Boyer thinks that both girls and boys’ teams have a shot at it this year the way the teams are lifting.
The girls also have Kaitlynn Brady who is off to another hot start. Brady is one of the smallest lifters on the team but she puts up some incredible numbers. Brady is coming off a double state championship which she won in Olympic and Traditional in the 101lb weight class.
As a team Leesburg is moving like a well-oiled machine. That is thanks to the teachings of coach Boyer who has instilled a prestige within the weightlifting program that has been unmatched in recent years.
While the weight remains unofficial due to it not being a regional or district meet, the fact that Jones is putting up 400 pounds should strike fear into opponents. What is even more amazing is that Jones might be capable of putting up even more weight as the season moves along. Very exciting times to be a Yellow Jackets fan!
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
