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Hernando Today

Catch That Tiger!

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By MARTY MILLER

Hernando Today correspondent

Published: February 9, 2008

It is very easy when you first see Hernando senior weightlifter Kristian Stephens to see where she wants to attend college beginning next fall.

This past week during the Hernando County Girls Weightlifting Championships, Stephens was walking around with a Louisiana State University baseball cap.

"I've applied to some colleges, but my dream college to go to would be to LSU," said Stephens. "But we'll see what happens."

Another state trip

Stephens recently qualified for today's State Finals, when she won the Section V meet qualifier at 183 pounds.

Stephens, who last year finished 12th in the same weight class, also captured this year's county tournament title at the same weight.

In the sectional, she finished first with lifts of 195 in the bench press and 135 in the clean-and-jerk.

The following week, the Hernando senior won again with lifts of 200-125--325 and is seeded sixth entering states.

"I won the regional, but as far as states go, I think I'm sixth," Stephens commented. "So if I do my best, I'm looking at something like third place there."

Last year in the state meet, Stephens bench pressed 150 pounds and cleared 125 pounds in the clean-and-jerk.

Compare that to this year where Stephens won the sectional with lifts of 195 and 135.

"I had a weightlifting class last year," recalled Stephens. "But over the summer I joined a gym and worked out hard because I love it."

Stephen's coach, Judi Decker, says that the Leopard senior is a workout fool.

"She has weightlifting class every day. Then she goes to Gold's Gym and works out there and comes back every day and works out with us at night," remarked Decker. "Plus, she holds down a job and has a great grade point average."

Stephens says that she really enjoys lifting weights.

"It's trying to see how far you can push your body and whether you can take it past its limits," shared Stephens. "It's also the competition. There are a lot more girls getting into the sport and it's making the competition tougher. When I started out we didn't have a lot of people. I'm somewhat surprised because it doesn't seem to be a sport a lot of girls would be interested in, so that's good."

Medal in the works?

With a chance this weekend of placing at states, Stephens thinks a top-three finish would be nice.

"It would be great, you work so hard to get there that getting a medal at states would be a nice reward," Stephens said.

While her parents, Kathy and Robert Stephens were surprised when she first told them she wanted to be a weightlifter, the Leopard senior says they are fine with it now.

"They're pretty proud," she said last week at the county championships. "They think it's pretty amazing at what I've accomplished."

Stephens also says that at times, she has lifted more weight than boys in her class.

"It's not really a surprise because some of the girls can lift more weight than the guys," added Stephens. "It's a competitive sport since girls work just as hard as the guys do."

She also says that she likes the feeling she gets by winning.

"Probably it's the adrenaline rush. I'm not going to lie about it," she declared. "I love it when I can beat my opponents by 60 or 70 pounds. I think it's just a high."

But in the end, Stephens really wants to go to Baton Rouge and earn a business major.

"I would like to open my own business of some kind," she added. "I really don't know what kind of business, but I would like to have one of my own. We'll just have to wait and see."

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