FPC's Gotera and Williams, Seabreeze's James and Matanzas' Whitmore win medals at weightlifting championships

Zoey Gotera placed third, James placed fourth and Williams and Whitmore each earned a fifth-place medal.

By Brent Woronoff
| 7:00 a.m. February 20, 2024

Flagler Palm Coast senior Zoey Gotera (left) poses with the other medal winners in the unlimited Olympic competition at the Class 3A girls state weightlifting championships. Gotera placed third. Courtesy photo

Flagler Palm Coast freshman Nya Williams (left) with the other medal winners in the 110-pound Olympic competition at the Class 3A girls state weightlifting championships. Williams placed fifth. Courtesy photo

Seabreeze junior Sofia James shows off her medal after finishing fourth in the 169-pound traditional competition at the Class 2A girls state weightlifting championships. Courtesy photo

Matanzas senior Rilee Whitmore placed fifth in the 169-pound traditional competition at the Class 2A girls state weightlifting championships. Courtesy photo

Ormond Beach Observer
Sports

Flagler Palm Coast senior Zoey Gotera wanted to earn a state weightlifting medal to wear at her graduation ceremony. Now she has a bronze medal to go with her cap and gown.

Gotera was one of four local lifters to reach the podium at the Class 2A and 3A girls state weightlifting championships on Feb. 16-17 in Lakeland.

Gotera placed third in the unlimited Olympic competition at the 3A championships, lifting a total of 335 pounds with 140 in the snatch and 195 in the clean and jerk.

FPC freshman Nya Williams placed fifth in the 110-pound Olympic competition with a 255 total (115 snatch, 140 clean and jerk). Williams just missed a second medal, finishing seventh in the traditional competition. She tied Mackenzie Lamm of Navarre with a 260 total, but Lamm won the tiebreaker for sixth place on body weight.

Seabreeze junior Sofia James and Matanzas senior Rilee Whitmore placed fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 169-pound traditional competition at the Class 2A championships. James lifted a total of 350 pounds (175 in both clean and jerk and bench press), while Whitmore lifted 345 (185 clean and jerk, 160 bench).

“It was quite competitive. She was very happy with herself,” Seabreeze coach Tarisa Craig-Craggy said of James. “We didn’t realize how strong the competition was. In the other regions, the girls didn’t have to max out (at their regional meets). She has kind of made a pact with herself to get back on the podium (next year) in both categories, not just one (James finished eighth in Olympic).”

Seabreeze and Matanzas were in the strongest region among 169-pounders with three lifters, including state champ Mopelola Tofade of New Smyrna Beach, placing among the top five. Mopeola lifted a total of 385 pounds to win the traditional title by 25 pounds. Mopeola also won the Olympic title.

Matanzas coach Jeremy Ossler said Whitmore’s fifth-place finish was the highest a Pirate has placed at the girls championships in his five years as the head coach.

“She did really well,” Ossler said. “She tied her personal best for the clean and jerk).”

FPC’s Madeline Brinker, Shey Paul and Chloe Long and Matanzas’ Alicia Natticchione also competed at state. Paul placed 10th in the 154-pound Olympic competition with a 300-pound total.

Brinker placed 12th in the 110-pound Olympic competition with a 200 pound total. Long, competing in the 183-pound class, finished 14th in Olympic (295 pounds) and 17th in traditional (295). Naticchione placed 14th in the 199-pound traditional competition with a 295 total.

FPC placed 12th as a team in the Olympic competition.