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Hernando Today

Good Things Come In Threes

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: January 31, 2009

BELLEVIEW - Six girls from Hernando County will have a little different kind of Valentine's Day plans this year.

At Saturday's Section V Qualifying Meet at Belleview High, three lifters apiece from Hernando and three-time county champion Springstead advanced to the FHSAA Finals on Feb. 14 at River Ridge High.

Lindsay Kuhn (101 pounds), Caroline Monzo (110) and Frances Pagan (199) from the Lady Eagles will join the Lady Leopards' Melinda Blount (129), Jasmine Sharpe (199) and Ava Baylor (UNL).

Nature Coast had three girls finish fourth, one place short of earning a state berth, while Central also failed to advance anyone.

"I'd like to give congratulations to (Springstead) Coach (Mike) Garofano for having his girls go to states," Hernando Head Shawn Bingham said. "I wish we could have had all four schools go but us and Springstead are going to go represent Hernando pretty well."

Sharpe repeats

Of the six county state qualifiers, only the junior Sharpe is not a senior. Yet she's also the only one who has gone to states before, doing so last year and finishing 12th.

Unlike last year she did not win the section for her weight class, but still came in second with a 155 bench and 145 clean-and-jerk for a 300 total. River Ridge's Megan Shum took first with a 155-150—305.

"I feel great that I made it back," Sharpe said. "I had tough competition. I almost had a heart attack but it turned out good. I had to pray. I had to trust in God and know his will would be done.

"I feel I did OK, but I can always do better. I want to get at least 310 at states."

Baylor, who finished third in her class, had one of the more dramatic lifts of the meet on her final clean and second attempt at 140.

Taking her time and with her teammates gathered around to cheer her on, she stuck the lift to go along with a 175 bench, giving her a 315 total that bested Zephyrhills' Breanna Blolock by five pounds.

"It was a close one. A real, real close one," Baylor said. "I had to pray. God helped me get it up.

"Bench-wise I did good but when it came to my cleans I did terrible. This week will be hard work. I've got to be the first one to get to practice and the last one to leave practice."

Blount came in third with a 125-120—245, beating out two other girls based on weight.

"At first I didn't think I was going to make it because I had a scratch on my clean," Blount said. "When I went over there to look I was so excited.

"…I can do at least 255. I know everything will be high (at states). I have to work hard the next two weeks."

"Last year they had three," Bingham said. "This year I said my goal was to take five, but I'm good with three.

"I'm proud of all the girls that came here to compete. For the young girls, I'm glad they saw this type of setting. Now they know what to shoot for next year."

Record performance

Coming into this season, Springstead had only pushed two lifters through to states in the program's history. The Lady Eagles surpassed that total in one day with a trio of third-place finishers.

Kuhn (90-110—200) and Monzo (110-115—225) maintained Springstead's dominance in lighter weights.

"It's awesome, especially our senior year," Kuhn said. "I feel like my bench could have been better. I wanted 205, I only had 200. But I'm still proud."

"I think my bench could have been a lot better as well," Monzo said. "I'm happy with my overall total but I know I could have been a whole lot better. I'm going to work on it for states."

Pagan (140-125—265) finished behind Sharpe, but edged out Nature Coast's Kiara Diaz (130-125—255).

"Thank God is all I've got to say," Pagan said. "It's amazing.

"Coach pushed me and he gave it all he's got. He really trained me well. I've got to thank him 100 percent for it. I knew I could do it so I just put my mind to it."

Springstead nearly had a fourth qualifier, as Jennifer Rosino fell five pounds short at 169 with a fourth-place 140-135—275.

Courtney Toles missed out by the same amount at 101 with a fifth-place 100-95—195 and at 129 Jenn Draganchuck lost a third-place tiebreaker to Blount on weight despite a 120-125—245.

"I was really happy with the totals we had," Garofano said. "Even the girls that didn't make it were real competitive.

"…Of the three girls that made it, they all had to get their last attempt to secure a spot and they all did. We've taken two ever and we're taking three this year, so that speaks volumes about the program."

As for Nature Coast, Marissa Perez (105-125—230 at 119) and Casey Pelaez (100-140—240 at 139) came in fourth along with Diaz.

Kelly Nelson had the best showing for Central, placing ninth at 169 with a 120-115—235.

Section V Qualifying Meet
at Belleview
Top 3 in each weight class advance to states
101 – 1. Diaz (RR) 125-105—230, 2. Branch (CR) 100-105—205, 3. Kuhn (SPG) 90-110—200, 5. Toles (SPG) 100-95—195, 7. Calamari (HER) 90-95—185.
110 – 1. Marenghi (RR) 135-115—250, 2. St. Pierre (HUD) 115-125—240, 3. Monzo (SPG) 110-115—225, 12. Goodwin (CEN) 100-0—100.
119 – 1. Hooker (RR) 145-125—270, 2. Mizrahi (GUL) 140-125—265, 3. DiMarte (RR) 125-115—240, 4. Perez (NCT) 105-125—230, 9. Morgan (SPG) 95-115—210, 11. D. Maldonado (HER) 100-100—200, 13. E. Maldonado (HER) 95-100—195.
129 – 1. Dupler (LEC) 135-135—270, 2. Perry (HUD) 130-120—250, 3. Blount (HER) 125-120—245, 5. Draganchuck (SPG) 120-125—245, 8. Thomas (HER) 115-115—230, 19. Hamilton (CEN) 120-0—120.
139 – 1. Heymann (RW) 140-150—290, 2. Sanders (ZEP) 155-120—275, 3. Larsen (PAS) 135-120—255, 4. Pelaez (NCT) 100-140—240, 5. Lehman (NCT) 115-120—235.
154 – 1. Roberts (GUL) 145-150—295, 2. Cook (VIL) 130-135—265, 3. Shepler (ZEP) 120-120—240, 9. Hayden (HER) 100-100—200, 12. Maner (HER) 95-80—175, 15. Bichouti (NCT) 130-0—130.
169 – 1. Goodfellow (CIT) 145-140—285, 2. Clum (RW) 145-135—280, 3. Muller (RR) 140-140—280, 4. Rosino (SPG) 140-135—275, 9. Nelson (CEN) 120-115—235, 11. Proctor (HER) 100-105—205, 13. Schwab (HER) 90-95—185.
183 – 1. Rogers (ZEP) 150-110—260, 2. Patton (ZEP) 135-125—260, 3. Payne (CIT) 125-115—240.
199 – 1. Shum (RR) 155-150—305, 2. Sharpe (HER) 155-145—300, 3. Pagan (SPG) 140-125—265, 4. Diaz (NCT) 130-125—255, 9. Duquette (HER) 115-0—115.
UNL – 1. McAfee (CIT) 170-150—320, 2. Becker (RR) 190-125—315, 3. Baylor (HER) 175-140—315, 6. Bennett (HER) 160-130—290, 15. Stephens (CEN) 140-0—140.
Key: Central (CEN), Citrus (CIT), Crystal River (CR), Gulf (GUL), Hernando (HER), Hudson (HUD), Lecanto (LEC), Nature Coast (NCT), Pasco (PAS), River Ridge (RR), Ridgewood (RW), Springstead (SPG), The Villages (VIL), Zephyrhills (ZEP).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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