Fort Meade freshman Emma Repsress tied for sixth place at the FHSAA Class 1A girls weightlifting state championships but lost the post-lift weigh-out by 4.2 pounds, which is the deciding tie-breaker and had to settle for seventh place.

WINTER HAVEN — Emma Respress loaded on enough pounds, she just couldn’t take any off at the last minute.

The Fort Meade freshman tied for sixth place at the FHSAA Class 1A girls weightlifting state championship meet but lost the post-lift weigh-out by 4.2 pounds, which is the deciding tie-breaker, and had to settle for seventh place. The top six lifters in each of the 10 weight division are awarded state medals.

Respress, competing in the 101-pound division at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach on Friday, finished with a 215-pound lift which included an 100-pound bench press and an 115-pound clean and jerk on her first attempts.

Emily Berry, from Tavares, posted the same numbers but weighed-out at 95.8 pounds and Respress tipped the scale at an even 100.

“We lost the weigh-off,” Fort Meade coach Jon Spradlin said. “She missed her second and third lifts and those would have made a difference.”

Spradlin, who filled the vacated girls weightlifting position this year when no one else was able to coach, said he caught the girls weightlifting bug and will remain the head coach next season along with his normal duties as athletic director and baseball head coach.

“I’m all in. I am going to do it,” Spradlin said. “I honestly did (catch the bug) because with the girls weightlifting, they pull for each other so much. I will be honest, from what I saw today and I only saw the five lighter classifications, it was impressive how strong these girls are.”

Frostproof sent five lifters to the meet. Valentina Escalante finished 11th in the 110-pound division with a 225-pound total, and Gabby Sams was 12th in the 139-pound class with a 280 total lift. Alisa Mendes was 18th in the 129-pound division with a 230 and Amaya Mosley finished 20th at 119.

In the second flight, which featured lifters in classes 154 to unlimited, Frostproof’s Cheyanne Canner was 20th with a 245 total.

Ta’Miracle Powell from Lake Wales did not qualify in the unlimited division.

Union County won the state championship, racking up 28 points while Baker County was second with 16.

- Bill Kemp can be reached at Bill.Kemp@newschief.com; follow him on Twitter @BillKempSports