The Orlando area was well-represented with a team title and seven individual state champions at the Florida High School Athletic Association boys weightlifting tournament in April.
Among the standouts during the 2023 season was Windermere junior Andres Giron, who is the Orlando Sentinel Varsity weightlifter of the year. He is also the Florida Dairy Farmers state lifter of the year. Giron leads a talented group of Sentinel All-Area team selections that includes two lifters each from St. Cloud, Lake Minneola and Lake Howell.
Leesburg brought home Lake County’s first boys weightlifting team title as the strongest team in the Class 2A Olympic division. The Yellow Jackets finished fourth in Traditional. In 3A, St. Cloud placed third in Olympic style and Lake Minneola was fifth in Traditional.
All-Area teams consist of participants from FHSAA state series schools in Orange, Seminole, Osceola, Lake and southwest Volusia counties. Selections were made by the Sentinel staff in consultation with area coaches.
Weightlifter of the Year
Andres Giron
Windermere, Jr.
Buzz: It was a repeat season for Giron in multiple ways but with much bigger lifts this time. The Wolverines’ junior repeated as a state champion but this time he was a dual winner, claiming titles in the Class 3A Traditional and Olympic styles in the 169-pound weight class. He bench pressed 320 pounds and lifted a huge 335 in the clean and jerk plus 245 in the snatch. He totaled 655 in Traditional (bench and clean and jerk), 50 pounds over his winning 2022 total, and hoisted 580 in Olympic (snatch and clean-and-jerk). His efforts would have been good enough to also win state titles in the 183-pound and 199-pounds weight classes.
All-Area lifters
Sylvester Latimore
Leesburg, Sr.
Buzz: Led the Yellow Jackets to the 2A Olympic team crown by sweeping Traditional (total of 420 pounds) and Olympic (395) state titles in the 119-pound weight class.
Michael Ziss
St. Cloud, Soph.
Buzz: He won a pair of Class 3A state titles in the 119-pound weight class with 405 pound total in Traditional and 380 mark in Olympic to help the Bulldogs place third.
Elvie Valmores
Timber Creek, Jr.
Buzz: Won the Class 3A Olympic state title with 425 total in the 129-pound weight class. Placed fifth in Traditional with 460, just 20 pounds behind first place.
Nico Aviles
Lake Howell, Sr.
Buzz: He finished his high school career with a runner-up in Class 3A Olympic with 420 total in the 139-pound weight class, and third place in Traditional with 520.
David Izquierdo
Lake Howell, Sr.
Buzz: He earned a second straight Sentinel all-area honor after winning both the Traditional (585) and Olympic (520) state titles in the Class 3A 154-pound weight class.
Malaqauias Coronado
Lyman, Sr.
Buzz: Closed high school career with a runner-up finish in Class 3A Olympic with 545 total in the 169-pound weight class; fourth in Traditional at 615.
Kody Taylor
Winter Springs, Jr.
Buzz: Placed third in Class 3A Traditional with 620 pounds lifted in the 169-pound weight class. Notched third in the Olympic division with 525 pounds.
Roy Wiggins
Lake Minneola, Sr.
Buzz: Repeat state champ won the 3A Traditional title in the 219-pound weight class with 705 pound total. Wiggins was runner-up in Olympic technique with a 565 total.
Noah Carr
St. Cloud, Sr.
Buzz: He contributed to the Bulldogs’ third place Olympic effort in 3A with third place total of 645 in the 219-pound weight class. Also totaled 645 in Traditional to place fourth.
Dylan Thomaselli
Lake Minneola, Sr.
Buzz: Second Lake Minneola state champ won the 3A Olympic title with 580 pounds in the 238-pound weight class, while finishing third in Traditional at 685.
Honorable mention
Brayden Adams, Harmony, Sr.
Austin Hammons, East River, Jr.
Jaycee Kane, DeLand, Sr.
Samir Murray, Tohopekaliga, Sr.
Roman Rosado, Timber Creek, Sr.
This report was first published at Orlandosentinel.com. Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
