PANAMA CITY BEACH — Perhaps it was fitting that with the Class 2A girls weightlifting championships moving to the Panhandle for the first time the team title stayed in Northwest Florida.
Navarre ensured that destination by using quantity to claim its fourth consecutive team title and fifth in the last seven years on Saturday at Arnold High School.
The Raiders didn’t have an individual champion and placed only one girl as high as second in her weight division, but with 15 lifters competing compiled points at six of 10 divisions, including four of five in the afternoon session.
Navarre totaled 25 points to runner-up Vero Beach with 20. New Smyrna Beach managed third with 17 points and boasted champion Hannah Goodrich at 154 pounds.
Rebuilding Spruce Creek wasn’t a threat with 7 points, but also produced a state champion as Summer Daraio-Rivera dazzled a capacity crowd in the Arnold gymnasium by equaling two state records at 110 pounds.
But again, Navarre had just too many lifters to overcome.
"Our strength is in the second flight, and we had a freshman Alexis Prather do 10 more pounds in her bench press which is big," Navarre coach Garrett Bagley said during the break between rotations in the afternoon.
Prather wound up in fifth in the unlimited division, one rung below teammate Tionne Thomas helping the Raiders clinch the title.
After the morning session that included the five lowest weight divisions Charlotte and Winter Springs were tied with 11 points. New Smyrna Beach, which had most of its lifters compete in that session, was alone in third with 10 and Spruce Creek was in a logjam of schools with 7.
That was because of Daraio-Rivera’s win at 110 pounds, and Alexis Oravets of New Smyrna Beach also shared in the spotlight. Both lifters, who faced each other in district and region meets prior to Saturday, broke the state record in the bench press for that weight at 165 pounds.
When Daraio-Rivera went on to clean and jerk 160, it ensured that she not only won the division but equaled the state record for the 110 combined total. It was the second state title for the senior at 110.
Not bad for an athlete who took up weightlifting at the behest of some Hawks coaches, and her motivation being to help her make the varsity softball team. Daraio-Rivera became enamored with her new sport and finished eighth in the state as a sophomore.
"I did my makeup today to match my medal — gold," said Daraio-Rivera, also wearing gold shoes. "I didn’t hit all of my lifts, but I can’t be too mad with two records.
"I’m trying to pass on my work ethic to some of our younger girls. I always stay focused and do one lift at a time."
Unlike some female athletes in the sport who are done with competitive weightlifting after high school, Daraio-Rivera plans to attend college and wants to enter a pre-Olympic training program.
Oravets had a 140 clean and jerk to place third at 110. Teammate Goodrich gave the Barracudas a state champion at 154 pounds.
Goodrich produced lifts of 185 pounds in each discipline to win her division by 20 pounds over Lexi Perez of Oakleaf.
Amaya Craig gave Navarre its top point-getter with a runner-up to Samantha Jefferson of Ocoee at 183 pounds. When teammate Julia McMaster added a third, it gave the Raiders nine team points.
That was more than enough to help them overcome a disadvantage from the morning session where they were in eighth place with 6 points.