Lady Gators weightlifting off to a strong start
Wewahitchka girls weightlifting coach David Peavy has good reason to be excited about this year’s team, which is currently 7-1 “after posting impressive wins over Liberty County and Port St. Joe this week.”
The Lady Gators’ only loss came at the “hands” of two-time 2A state champion Arnold. Peavy’s roster is made up of the following:
Seventh grader Deanna Davis; eighth graders McKenzie Hatcher (a returning state qualifier), Bryanna Robison, and Eden Rustin; and ninth grader Emma Rustin.
Six sophomores are on the squad, including returning state qualifiers Ashlyn and Zoey Ake, and returning state medalist Katelyn Kemp.
Jalyan Badillo, Riley Book, and Harley Boyatt complete the strong sophomore class. Four juniors include Taniya Foster, twin sisters Ashley and Hope Thompson, and Angel Williams.
Rounding out the Gator squad are senior co-captains Sarah Bailey, a returning state qualifier, and Hailey McDaniel.
McDaniel competed in the 2022 USA Weightlifting Championships this past June in Las Vegas, where she achieved a personal best in the snatch competition.
Peavy and his Gator lifters hope to continue their winning ways next Friday, December 9, at the River Ridge Invitational in New Port Richey.
Following that competition, Wewa will host Liberty County on Wednesday, December 14, and then lift at the Power of Christmas Tournament in Live Oak on Friday, December 16.
Meet the Editor
Wendy Weitzel, The Star’s digital editor, joined the news outlet in August 2021, as a reporter covering primarily Gulf County.
Prior to then, she interned for Oklahoma-based news wire service Gaylord News and for Oklahoma City-based online newspaper NonDoc.com during her four years at the University of Oklahoma, from which she graduated in May with degrees in online journalism and political science.
While at OU, Weitzel was selected as Carnegie-Knight News21 Investigative Fellow among 30 top journalism students from around the country. She also was senior editor managing a 12-person newsroom in coordination with Oklahoma Watch, a non-profit news organization in eastern Oklahoma.