March 2O21
Sports
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GIRLS WEIGHTLIFTING RETURNS TO STATES Article by Oliver Johnson Photo by Ella Craghill
The Girls Varsity Weightlifting team had a strong year, with five lifters from the team qualifying for states. Clara Dowdy, Gabriella Cochran, Alexia Steinberg, Hannah Yared and Morgan Cox were all of the qualifiers for the state meet which took place on February 12th. The state meet was held in Suwannee with around 200 lifters competing. Unlike the rest of the season, the state meet remained fairly similar to previous years. Masks were required to follow COVID-19 protocols, and there were two lifting periods during the day. According to seniors Clara Dowdy and Gabriella Cochran, making it to states was a huge accomplishment. Cochran had come a long way since joining the team. She started weightlifting four years ago and has been on varsity since then. During her time on varsity, Cochran had made the regional competition twice, but wanted to have a better performance to qualify for states. After regionals this year, she was seeded in the top 15 and qualified for states, where she ended up 13th in her weight class. Cochran attended the state meet on the
12th and was able to break a couple school re- ever, Dowdy said she was unable to attend the cords while there. state meet due to COVID-19 complications. “I feel like I did well,” Cochran said. “I went Prior to the meet, she was contact traced and in hoping to break one school record and end- quarantined for two weeks. ed up breaking two.” “I was really disappointed,” said Dowdy afOne of her goals was to have her name on ter learning she couldn’t make the state meet the record book, and this year she was able to and needed to quarantine. accomplish that. Although Dowdy was saddened that she had “It’s a great way to end the season on a high to miss the meet, she understood she must take note,” she said, “When you precautions and was still dedicate yourself to a sport happy for her teammates so much, it’s rewarding to “I feel like I did well. I who went and competed. see the results.” went in hoping to break Both senior state qualiAnother state qualifiCochran and Dowdy one school record and fiers er was Clara Dowdy. Just gave high praise to their like Cochran, she started ended up breaking two.” coaches and those who weightlifting her freshman helped along the way. - Gabriela Cochran, Senior year and has been compet“My coaches have been ing at the varsity level ever with me since my first year since. on the team and have always pushed me to go “Qualifying for states has been a goal of the extra mile when it came to lifting,” Dowdy mine since my first year on the team so to be said. able to finally do that as a senior was a very Dowdy recognizes the effect that her coaches emotional moment for me and my coaches,” have had on her performance and how much Dowdy said. work they have put in to making not just her She was very excited about being able to better, but the whole team better. She also accompete at such a high level and watch all the knowledged her friends who stuck by her side other top ranked lifters go head to head. How- throughout the year as a key to becoming the lifter she is today. As for Cochran, she is thankful for the coaches working with her to succeed and pushing her to work her hardest. “I always get in my head and psych myself out when lifting in a competition, but with help from my coaches, going in with the right intentions and not being intimidated by other lifters truly helped with my performance,” Cochran said. She is also grateful for her teammates who motivated her throughout the season on her road to being a state qualifier. “The whole team is encouraging during practices and meets and we always cheer for each other when one of us surpasses our goals,” Cochran said. Amanda Dean, the Girls Varsity Weightlifting coach, also recognized the team’s accomplishments this year. “It’s been a different year, but the girls have worked hard and it paid off,” Dean said.
Junior Alexia Steinberg lifts in preparation for the postseason. Steinberg was one of five girls to qualify for the state meet.
