The NHS Girls Weightlifting team started their season with a meet against Golden Gate and Lely High School on Nov. 30. With a victory in their first match, the weightlifters set out to continue this pattern in the following competitions. Under Coach Emanuel Morgan and Coach Marcelino Charles’s leadership, the competitors felt they could achieve this.
“It’s a lot easier to work with the coaches this year because they’re in the school and if you have any questions, you can go find them on campus,” junior weightlifter Mary McMullin said. “They’ve also coached football, so I know that they’re going to be able to communicate and teach us well.”
The positive environment of the girls weightlifting team largely facilitates the athletes’ success during and off the season. Encouragement during competition, group work and collaboration fosters this important aspect of the team.
“The community and a sense of community between the girls on the team just really happens naturally,” Coach Morgan said. “I can tell you nothing is a better feeling than having the heavy weight on bench or clean, really any type of movement that we are doing, and your teammate yelling up. It just gives you a little extra push or boost to get it up to finish.”
The girls weightlifting team had a recent win against Gulf Coast High School in which the NHS weightlifters defeated them with a score of 101 to 56. This was a significant feat as GCHS was considered a major competitor.
“[A team] I really can’t wait for the girls to compete against during this season will be Gulf Coast. The reason for it is because I heard that’s the team to beat,” Coach Morgan said. “That was my first time watching the girls weightlifting team compete last year, but not as their coach as a helper being a spotter for the meet and the previous coach.”
The girls weightlifting team continues to prepare for the district meet in hopes of earning a district title. This requires an extra level of dedication and determination as the weightlifters may have to adjust their schedules to ensure that they are as ready as possible for the Jan. 25 meet.
“We lengthened our practices for three weeks up until districts. This weekend, we have CCAC. Next week, we have a meet against Barron Collier and Aubrey Rodgers,” weightlifting captain Catalina Sigmond said. “In two weeks, it’s going to be districts on the 25th. We have added Saturday practices in addition to a full week of practice.”
