PANAMA CITY – After coming up one-point short of a state title last year, Baker County was determined to get back to state and claim what was theirs.
Mission accomplished as the Wildcats easily won their tenth overall boys weightlifting state title Friday at Panama Arnold.
The Wildcats won the Class 1A state title with 34 points, well ahead of Labelle, Bradford County and Madison County, which finished in a three-way tie for second with 13 points.
So happy for all of the athletes that have been apart of the Baker County Weightlifting program 2008-2017!! What an accomplishment!!!! pic.twitter.com/rkhMHTJDjD
— Scott McDonald (@Sc0ttymac71) April 9, 2017
Last year, the Wildcats finished one-point behind Madison County to finish as state runner-ups, there would be no drama this weekend.
Two individual state titles helped the Wildcats get out to the early lead with 20 points as Marcus Dialo won the 139 class with a total of 500, after benching 235 and cleaning 265 and Dalton Simon won the 169 class with a total of 675 after benching 365 and cleaning 310.
Other top six finishes for the Wildcats were: John Green (third, 154), Carson Padgett (fourth, 119), Josh Dialo (sixth, 129), William Bloodsaw (fourth, 169), Brandon Combs (fourth, 199), Kyle Griffis (fifth, 238) and Cooper Hodges (third, heavyweight).
Ironically both individual state titles for the Wildcats came at the expense of beating an arch-rival as Dialo held off Brandon Spivey from Keystone to win the 139 tille; while Simon held off Zion Barber from Bradford to win the 169 class.
Bradford tied with Labelle and Madison County for second with 13 points thanks to top six finishes from Barber and Taro Ward (sixth, 169).
It was a sweep for the area in the heavyweight class as Jakob Alvarez from Bradford County won the class with a total of 775, after benching 465 and cleaning 310.
Angelu Nunu from Union County was second with a total of 770 after benching 480 and cleaning 290, while Hodges was third with a total of 735 after benching 370 and cleaning 365.
Other top six finishes in the area were Kunsuwan Narongsak (fifth, 119) from Ridgeview, Chase Clark (third, 129) from Suwannee, Nick Toney (fifth, 169) from Bishop Kenny, Chance Terrell (second, 183), Marcun Robinson (third, 183) from Clay, Trent Coleman (fifth, 183), Hunter Cole (third, 199) from Interlachen, David Araujo (fifth, 199) from Orange Park, Ryan Rice (sixth, 199) from Menendez, Ian McBride (fifth, 219) from Hilliard, Evan Loadholtz (fourth, 238) from Bishop Kenny, Kedrick Davis (sixth, 238) from Palatka.
@FCN2go FHSAA 1A State weightlifting Champions Baker County Wildcats #teamsideline pic.twitter.com/tHa5yWvkw9
— Scott McDonald (@Sc0ttymac71) April 15, 2016
Class 1A
1. Baker County 34
2. Labelle 13
Bradford County 13
Madison County 13
5. Citrus 12
6. Anclote 7
Blountstown 7
Pensacola Catholic 7
Gulf 7
Bronson 7
Lemon Bay 7
12. Altha 6
13. Tavares 5
Keystone Heights 5
Northview 5
Suwannee 5
Arnold 5
Father Lopez 5
Bishop Kenny 5
Union County 5
Vernon 5
West Nassau 5
23. Zephyrhills 4
Bay 4
Ridgeview 4
Clay 4
Interlachen 4
28. Fort Meade 3
Taylor County 3
30. Hilliard 2
American Heritage 2
Orange Park 2
Rickards 1
Belleview 1
Mosley 1
Palatka 1
Pedro Menendez 1
State titles (Since 1974)
Baker County 10
Palatka 8
Columbia 3
Bradford 1
Crescent City 1
Interlachen 1
Keystone 1
St. Augustine 1
Union County 1
State Champions
1979: Union County (2A)
1987: Palatka (3A)
1988: Baker County (2A)
1989: Bradford County (3A)
1989: Baker County (2A)
1991: Palatka (3A)
1991: Interlachen (2A)
1992: Palatka (3A)
1993: Palatka (3A)
1993: Baker County (2A)
1994: Palatka (4A)
1995: Palatka (5A)
1995: Crescent City (3A)
1996: Columbia (6A)
1998: Columbia (6A)
1999: Columbia (6A)
2000: Palatka (1A)
2003: St. Augustine (1A)
2007: Palatka (2A)
2008: Baker County (1A)
2009: Baker County (1A)
2010: Baker County (1A)
2011: Baker County (1A)
2014: Baker County (1A)
2014: Keystone Heights (1A)
2016: Baker County (1A)
2018: Baker County (1A)
State Runnerups
1979: Bishop Kenny (3A)
1982: West Nassau (2A)
1983: West Nassau (2A)
1984: Palatka (3A)
1985: Palatka (3A)
1988: Palatka (3A)
1994: Nease (3A)
1995: Columbia (6A)
1995: Baker County (4A)
1996: Palatka (5A)
1997: Columbia (6A)
1997: Palatka (5A)
1999: Palatka (5A)
2002: Bradford County (2A)
2002: St. Augustine (2A)
2010: St. Augustine (2A)
2012: Baker County (1A)
2013: Baker County (1A)
2013: University Christian (1A)
2015: Baker County (1A)
2016: Palm Coast (2A)
2016: Bradford County (1A)
2017: Columbia (2A)
2017: Baker County (1A)
2018: Bradford County (1A)
