The Leesburg High School Boys Weightlifting team had an impressive showing at the Regional Championships this weekend. The boys’ team took home 1st place in Olympic Weightlifting and 2nd in Traditional. Let’s see how the team did.

Traditional Weightlifting –

New Smyrna Beach came in and dominated with 48 points. Leesburg kept it close with 38 points to finish 2nd. Lecanto finished 3rd, and a shoutout to Mount Dora High, which finished 9th.

119 Weight Class

Jeremy Lacey of Leesburg High won this class by nearly 100 pounds over Citrus High’s Tyson Phanor. Lacey put up 430 pounds, which is over 3 1/2 times his own body weight. He is an incredible competitor and will be a favorite to win it all at States. Other notables included Andrew Stanton of Mount Dora High finishing 8th and Tavares’ Dylan Angora finishing 10th.

129 Weight Class

This class was very competitive with the top three only separated by 20 pounds. Kian Fullon of Bishop Moore took first place with 420 pounds. Jaden Sao was 2nd for Matanzas with 410 pounds, and 3rd was Kayden Adams of Leesburg with 400 pounds. This should be one of the closest classes to watch at States. Other notable finishes include Tavares’ Kason Cole finishing 7th with 360 pounds and Belleview’s Eldridge Ray finishing 10th.

139 Weight Class

No Lake County athletes would finish inside the top 10 in this class. The class was won by Aiden Strong of New Smyrna Beach with 520 pounds.

154 Weight Class

Once again, no Lake County athletes would place in the top 10. The class was won by Ryan Geary of New Smyrna Beach with 605 pounds.

169 Weight Class

This class was won by New Smyrna’s Isaiah Cotton with 570 pounds, but Jason Nguyen of Leesburg was just 5 pounds shy at 565 pounds. Danny Englerth was also close with 550 pounds. Nguyen should be able to push hard and make up 5 pounds. It will be tough, but he is right there. What a battle at States it will be!

183 Weight Class

A shoutout to Mount Dora High’s Hayes O’Hara, who put in a great performance and finished 2nd with 535 pounds of weight, qualifying him for States. Chris Murphy for New Smyrna Beach finished 1st with 565 pounds. Other notables were Leesburg’s Ryan Thompson finishing with 495 pounds and Leesburg’s Victor Villasmil finishing with 495 pounds. Both athletes would finish 6th and 7th.

199 Weight Class

Zach Field would get the 2nd and final victory individually for Leesburg in the Traditional category. Field finished with 670 pounds of weight. He will certainly be a favorite for the state championships. 2nd was Cole Hash with Matanzas with 635 pounds. Dunnellon’s Dylan Donahoe finished 3rd with 615 pounds. Leesburg’s Savion Latimore finished 4th with 580 pounds. Other notables in this class were Mount Dora’s Josh Collins with 475 pounds finishing 7th and Tavares’ Jelani Bentley finishing 10th with 450 pounds.

219 Weight Class

Mount Dora’s Russell Fickett put in a great performance, but it was no match for Isaiah Mccloud, who put up 730 pounds compared to Fickett’s 600 pounds. Making up that much weight will be tough for Fickett. Still, a very respectable performance, and anything can happen at States. Finishing 3rd was Dunellon’s Danny Richeson with 590 pounds. Leesburg’s Jamahr Williams finished 4th with 565 Pounds. Also, a shoutout to Tavares’ John Gray finishing 6th with 520 pounds. Eustis’s Nick Chandler finished 8th with 495 pounds, and Tavares’ Ari Bentley finished 9th with 485 pounds.

238 Weight Class

This class was dominated by North Marion’s Antwuan Hampton, who is a beast to say the least. He put up 710 pounds of weight to take 1st place. Leesburg’s Logan Thompson finished 3rd with 620 pounds.

Unlimited Weight Class

Elijah Walker of Mainland took first place with 715 pounds of weight. The only Lake County athlete to place was Leesburg High’s Xavier Ford, who finished 9th with 535 pounds.

Olympic Weightlifting

Olympic Weightlifting is where Leesburg High School shined. They would win the Olympic class with 56 points compared to New Smyrna, who finished with 43 points.

119 Weight Class

This class saw Leesburg’s Jeremy Lacey dominate, as he has done all season. Lacey put up 335 pounds of weight to beat out Citrus High’s Tyson Phanor.

129 Weight Class

Kayden Adams of Leesburg High took the win in the 129 weight class. Adams put up 390 pounds of weight, while Kian Fullon of Bishop Moore put up 360 pounds. Kason Cole from Tavares would finish a respectable 8th.

139 Weight Class

This class was dominated by Lecanto. Trevor Rueck beat Aiden Strong by just 5 pounds of weight. Rueck finished with 460 pounds, while Strong finished with 455 pounds. Leesburg’s Gage Anderson finished 8th with 335 pounds.

154 Weight Class

Jeremiah Nealy finished 8th for Leesburg with 340 pounds as the only notable Lake County finisher.

169 Weight Class

This was a great class, and Lake County was well represented. Danny Englerth from Leesburg put up 500 pounds to finish 2nd. Taking 1st was Isaiah Cotton of New Smyrna Beach, who finished with 525 pounds. Jason Nguyen for Leesburg finished 5th with 450 pounds, while Ethan Mentz of Tavares finished 6th with 440 pounds.

183 Weight Class

Ryan Thompson of Leesburg won this class with 465 pounds of weight. He beat out Jake Conti of Bishop Moore by 15 pounds. A great showing for Thompson. He will be one of the favorites to win this class at States.

199 Weight Class

This class was dominated by Leesburg High. Zach Field finished 1st with 550 pounds of weight, followed closely by Savion Latimore who finished 2nd with 540 pounds. Only 10 pounds of weight separate these two, so this week should be interesting in the weight room as they prepare to do battle at states with 1st place on the line.

219 Weight Class

Leesburg’s Jamahr Williams finished 2nd to New Smyrna Beach’s Isaiah Mccloud. Williams put up 510 pounds. Also finishing 4th for Leesburg was Theo Prater with 425 pounds.

238 Weight Class

Colton Mcneely of Lecanto would best Logan Thompson of Leesburg by 25 pounds. Mcneely put up 580 pounds, while Thompson put up 555 pounds. Not an insurmountable amount of weight for Thompson to make up at States.”

Unlimited Weight Class