- December 26, 2024
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Two Matanzas High School athletes who are in their second season on the girls weightlifting team are breaking school records.
Ryann Parkinson, the Pirates’ 101-pounder, set two team records in a home dual meet against DeLand on Wednesday, Nov. 13. The senior broke the snatch record with a 70-pound lift and the Olympic total record at 170 pounds. Her 100-pound clean and jerk was just 10 pounds short of matching the record of 110 set by Jaden Marsala in 2020.
Jordyn Crews, the Pirates’ 139-pounder, broke two school records and tied another against DeLand. She set the snatch record at 110 pounds and the Olympic total record at 255 and tied Karissa Jackson’s clean and jerk record set in 2022 of 145 pounds.
Parkinson used to be on the wrestling team but switched to weightlifting last year.
“It's just a different environment. It's more personalized,” she said. “Especially in wrestling when you’re going out fighting someone, it's a lot more stressful. In weightlifting, what you put in, you get out. So, if you spend extra hours in the practice room, you'll see the results on the platform.”
Crews, a junior, was on the weightlifting team as a freshman but stepped away last year to concentrate on softball. Now that she’s back, she's motivated than ever.
“I missed it so much,” she said. “I missed the team. I missed the enjoyment of being like, ‘Wow, I just lifted that weight.’”
Crews said she was proud of herself for succeeding on the three record lifts as well as setting another personal record, 125 on the bench press.
“It took me a while to get 125,” she said. “And for the snatch where I got 110, sometimes I would have technical difficulties, but I finally got it.”
Parkinson said she worked hard over the summer on her form and technique and the results are starting to pay off.
“I think (weightlifting) is empowering being a young woman, especially my size, and being able to push myself past limits that I didn't think I could,” she said.
Crews’ main goal is to advance to regional and state competition. She said her parents provide her with inspiration.
“Every time I look in the stands, and I see them, they really help me push up that weight. They inspire me, they motivate me,” she said.
