- November 4, 2024
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Make room, Matanzas gym; there are more championship banners to hang up, thanks to the Matanzas Lady Pirates, who not only won the district championship last week, but also dominated the 1A-4 Regional Weightlifting Meet Wednesday, Jan. 20, at Pedro Menendez High School.
“There was really this overwhelming feeling, when we won,” coach Sara Novak said. “I was able to see all of our lifters’ and coaches’ hard work pay off.”
Novak pushed for a weightlifting program five years ago, desiring to make all of Matanzas’ female athletes stronger, and in hopes of providing another sport for girls, who didn’t participate in other activities, but needed something positive in their lives.
“I truly believe weightlifting builds self-confidence," she said.
Novak's Lady Pirates are cruising in confidence, as they head to the Class 1A Florida High School Girls Weightlifting State Championships, which will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 5, at the Kissimmee Civic Center.
After all 20 Matanzas lifters placed in the Top 6 at districts to compete in the regional, six girls won championships, automatically placing their bids in the state competition, but the other 12 girls, who placed from runner-up to sixth, will be placed in a region pool, where the Top 11 strongest girls of eight different regions will win a bid to the state meet.
No matter the state outcomes, Novak and the Lady Pirates have already surpassed expectations, but they will look to fulfill team dreams.
“I could not have done it though without my other coaches’ help and all the parents’ support we have for this program,” Novak said. “Winning regionals and then going to states is always a coach's goal at the start of the season, but this year it was the girls’ goal too, and we all made it happen together.”
