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slideshow

Wes McCard

Sports Editor

On Friday night, Upson-Lee hosted the 2013 GACA State weightlifting competition. Eleven high schools earned invitations to the event, where athletes were broken down in to 10 weight classes. Each competitor competed in the bench, power clean, and squat. The combined weight of three lifts were tallied to give each competitor a total weight lifted.

Some of the highlights of the competition consisted of lifts from UL’s Nick Kennedy (189 lbs), West Laurens’ Johnny O’Neal (253 lbs) and Ajavious Wiley (162 lbs), and Monroe Area’s Travis Butts (419 lbs).

Butts finished in first place in the heavyweight division, with a total weight lifted of 1,260 pounds. Butts, who had nearly every competitor at the event watching his every move, finished with a bench press of 405 pounds, a squat of 600 pounds, and a power clean of 255 pounds.

Future UGA linebacker Johnny O’Neal, from West Laurens, showed his raw strength with a bench press of 400 pounds, a squat of 540 pounds, and a power clean of 315 pounds. Another competitor from West Laurens, Ajavious Wiley, impressed the judges with his natural strength at 162 pounds. Wiley benched an impressive 315 pounds, finished with a squat of 375 pounds, and a power clean of 255 pounds.

Upson-Lee’s Nick Kennedy joined P.J. Searcy and Donterrius Harris as Weightlifting State Champions from Upson-Lee. Kennedy won the 181-190 weight class with a bench of 245, an impressive power clean of 300 pounds, and an amazing squat of 485 pounds.

Here is a break down of how the competition turned out:

Team Totals-

1. West Laurens: 127 points (State Champs)

2. Carrollton: 66 points

3. Upson-Lee: 27 points

4. Northwest Whitfield: 24 points

5. Gilmer: 18 points

6. Cairo: 14 points

7. Howards: 12 points

8. Monroe Area: 10 points

9. South Effingham: 8 points

10. Troup County: 4 points

140 pounds and below-

1. Brandon Geter (Carrollton): 785 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Tevin McDaniel (NW Whitfield): 760 total pounds

3. Luke Shadrix (Carrollton): 740 total pounds

4. Mailque Gallon (Carrollton): 735 total pounds

5. Cameron Landon (West Laurens): 730 total pounds

6. Terrance Williams (Upson-Lee): 720 total pounds

141-150 pounds-

1. Jalen Gordon (West Laurens): 875 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Ramel Mason (West Laurens): 865 total pounds

3. Hunter Ware (Carrollton): 800 total pounds

4. Alex Molina (Carrollton): 790 total pounds

5. Trey Gilbert (Upson-Lee): 785 total pounds

6. Kyle Fleming (NW Whitfield): 765 total pounds

151-160 pounds-

1. Gerald Carr (West Laurens): 925 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Tre Moye (West Laurens): 860 pounds

3. Joseph Choy (Upson-Lee): 795 total pounds

4. Thomas Brandon (West Laurens): 790 total pounds

5. Will Smith (Troup County): 705 total pounds

6. Connor Beard (NW Whitfield): 705 total pounds

161-170 pounds-

1. Ajavious Wiley (West Laurens): 945 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Matthew Turner (West Laurens): 915 total pounds

3. Tay Moye (West Laurens): 910 total pounds

4. Jacob Webb (NW Whitfield): 900 total pounds

5. Jalen Searcy (Upson-Lee): 850 total pounds

6. Jahmir Huff-Curry (Carrollton): 820 total pounds

171-180 pounds-

1. Marcus Woodard (West Laurens): 950 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Paxton Coney (West Laurens): 920 total pounds

3. Ben Kersey (Carrollton): 880 total pounds

4. Brandon Hines (West Laurens): 850 total pounds

5. Austin Davis (Gilmer): 795 total pounds

6. Dexter Stamper (NW Whitfield): 780 total pounds

181-190 pounds-

1. Nick Kennedy (Upson-Lee): 1030 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Jaylin Robinson (Carrollton): 1025 total pounds

3. Frank Floyd (Howard): 955 total pounds

4. Hank Miller (NW Whitfield): 915 total pounds

5. Jacob Gross (Upson-Lee): 890 total pounds

6. Travosier Mitchell (West Laurens): 870 total pounds

191-205 pounds-

1. Murphy Hagen (Carrollton): 1015 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Carvin Burnett (West Laurens): 980 total pounds

3. Alex Currie (West Laurens): 950 total pounds

4. Josh Aaron (Gilmer): 905 total pounds

5. Devonte Cofield (Troup County): 900 total pounds

6. David Wagner (NW Whitfield): 890 total pounds

206-225 pounds-

1. Paul Davis (Cairo): 1095 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Legarian Young (West Laurens): 1005 total pounds

3. Casey Collins (Carrollton): 985 total pounds

4. Marcus Bussey (Upson-Lee): 980 total pounds

5. Tyler Bertolini (Gilmer): 970 total pounds

6. Jamario Gamble (Carrollton): 935 total pounds

226-245 pounds-

1. Cody Richards (Gilmer): 1185 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Robert Scott (South Effingham): 1115 total pounds

3. Marchello Lewis (West Laurens): 995 total pounds

4. Isaiah Mack (NW Whitfield): 980 total pounds

5. Trevor Newsome (Carrollton): 860 total pounds

6. Josh Norman (Carrollton): 840 total pounds

246 pounds & up-

1. Travis Butts (Monroe Area): 1260 total pounds (State Champion)

2. Johnny O’Neal (West Laurens): 1255 total pounds

3. Keonte Simmons (Howard): 1140 total pounds

4. Brantavis Vicks (Cairo): 1130 total points

5. Okie Bracewell (West Laurens): 1090 total pounds

6. Dontavious Russell (Carrollton): 1085 total pounds