- December 25, 2024
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When Flagler Palm Coast High School sophomore Nya Williams set four school records at the Bulldogs’ girls weightlifting meet on Wednesday, Nov. 13, her cousin, Brianna Tucker, was the judge for Williams’ platform.
Tucker was the reason Williams joined the weightlifting team as an incoming freshman.
“I remember looking up to her a lot and thinking of her as an inspiration, and I was like, ‘I want to do that too. It seems cool,’” Williams said.
Williams said she lifted a weight for the first time in June 2023 at the start of coach Duane Hagstrom’s summer program. About eight months later, she placed in both events — fifth in Olympic competition, seventh in traditional — at the Class 3A state championships.
She is just the fourth FPC girls weightlifter to win a state medal as a freshman.
I kind of knew she was special about halfway through the year last year. She made significant progress really fast.
— DUANE HAGSTROM, FPC weightlifting coach
“I kind of knew she was special about halfway through the year last year,” Hagstrom said. “She made significant progress really fast.”
Williams moved up this year from the 110-pound weight class to 119 pounds. In the Nov. 13 home meet, FPC won both competitions against Palatka, Menendez and Father Lopez, and Williams set school records in the snatch (130 pounds), clean and jerk (175 pounds), Olympic total (305 pounds) and traditional total (315 pounds).
The only 119-pound record she doesn’t have is bench press. Her 140-pound bench is just five pounds short of the record. She plans to match or surpass that at The Villages Invitational on Thursday, Nov. 21.
Williams said she would like to win a state championship before she graduates in 2027. Hagstrom said she has a good chance to win a state title this season in the Olympic competition.
“She’s definitely going to be in the top two or three,” he said.
When Williams snatched 130 in front of her cousin, Tucker had lifted 135 in the snatch at state as a senior two years ago in the 129-pound class. Hagstrom told her that her younger cousin is “getting ready to outdo you.”
“I know it,” Tucker answered.
While Williams has been making it all look easy, she said there are always rough stretches.
“The hardest thing is probably understanding that nothing's going to happen in an instant,” she said. “You have to trust the process. Nothing’s going to be immediate, nothing's going to come in a heartbeat. You have to keep going and realize that this is for the long run. You have to keep working to get what you want.”
Williams said she is excited to see how far the Bulldogs can advance as a team.
“I feel like this year is going to be a big accomplishment for us,” she said. “Even if we don’t place (at state), I feel like it’s going to be a good head start where we can continue to grow.”
Williams has the future in her sights. She is in interested in majoring in sports management and is looking at East Tennessee State University. She wants to continue to compete in weightlifting after she graduates with the ultimate goal of making it to the Olympics.
“It’s a dream of mine,” she said.
“She's very determined,” Hagstrom said. “When she sets her mind to something she's going to get it done. She's that kind of kid in all aspects. She’s an awesome student, she's a leader, she takes charge. I mean, she's all around. She's just a good kid from top to bottom.”
