LEESBURG, Fla. — The Leesburg High School girls weightlifting team secured the Regional Championship in Olympic weightlifting and finished as the regional runner-up in Traditional, proving their dominance in a hard-fought battle against New Smyrna Beach. Despite sending just five lifters to the upcoming state championships, Coach Josh Boyer believes his team has a legitimate shot at taking home the state title.

“It’s a small goal of mine, but if we can win the state championship with just five weightlifters, that would be a huge accomplishment,” Boyer said. “Regardless, I am very proud of the way the girls have pushed themselves all year long.”

(Nevaeh Wells puts up big weight at a recent competition. She is looking for another state championship. Photo Credit – Jeanelle Henderson.)

Leading the charge for Leesburg is Mileysa Lebron-Escudero, a strong favorite to win both the Olympic and Traditional state titles in the 101-pound class. Lebron-Escudero is also aiming for a state championship record attempt in Snatch, having unofficially broken the record earlier this season with a 125-pound lift. Additionally, she is in contention to break the Olympic Total record and possibly the Clean & Jerk state record of 165 pounds, having successfully cleaned 165 pounds in training but narrowly missing the jerk.

Kayla Nord is also poised for a standout performance and is expected to contend for a top-three finish. She will likely battle for runner-up behind three-time defending champion Emma Heck of Clay High School.

(Leesburg High School weightlifting coach Josh Boyer has created an amazing weightlifting program at Leesburg High. His teams are always among the top in the state. Photo Credit – Jeanelle Henderson.)

Jossinys Parilla could be in medal contention in the 101-pound class, while Hannah Stubbs is also within striking distance of a podium finish in the 139-pound class alongside Nord.

Defending Traditional state champion Nevaeh Wells is in strong position to repeat but faces stiff competition from a lifter out of LaBelle High School, whose Olympic total is close to hers.

“It’s going to be a great state championship, and it will likely come down to who handles the pressure best and performs in the moment,” Boyer said. “Although we don’t have the depth we had last season, these girls have given it their all at every competition. It will be tough to win the state championship as a team, but we are going to give it everything we have. Small teams have won before, and we certainly have a chance to make a run at it.”

With a talented group of lifters and a determined mindset, Leesburg High School is set to make waves at the state championship, proving that quality can sometimes outweigh quantity in the pursuit of victory.