Wewa girl weightlifters make school history
It was a historic achievement last week for the Wewahitchka Lady Gators weightlifting program, as they finished as state runners-up in both the Olympic and Traditional competition for Class 1A at the FHSAA state weightlifting championships.
“This is the first time in the history of our program, boys or girls, that a team has brought home a trophy from state,” said coach David Peavy. “And we’re bringing home two.
“I am proud but we have yet to reach our ultimate goal of being state champions,” he said, “We will be back next year even more determined to bring home gold to our hometown that means the world to us. We Are Wewa!”
The competition was at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland Feb. 17 and 18, hosted by the Polk County Public Schools.
In the Olympic category, with 23 points Wewa finished second to Live Oak Suwannee, which won that category with 39 points.
In the Traditional category, Wewa also finished second to Live Oak, with 17 points, to 32 for the winner.
For the Olympic discipline, in the 101-pound weight class, Paisley Bidwell was tied for ninth with 170 pounds.
In the 119-pound weight class, Ashley Thompson was fourth with 255 pounds.
In the 139-pound weight class, Riley Book was second with 310 pounds.
In the 154-pound weight class, McKenzie Hatcher finished third with 350 pounds.
In the 169-pound weight class, Ashlyn Ake was third with 320 pounds, and Emma Rustin was fifth with 315 pounds.
In the 183-pound weight class, Katlyn Kemp was second with 305 pounds.
For the Traditional competition, in the 119-pound weight class, Ashley Thompson was third with 280 pounds, and Hope Thompson was seventh with 270 pounds.
In the 139-pound weight class, Riley Book was seventh with 310 pounds.
In the 154-pound weight class, McKenzie Hatcher finished second with 345 pounds.
In the 169-pound weight class, Emma Rustin was fourth with 330 pounds and Ashlyn Ake was seventh with 325 pounds.
In the 183-pound weight class, Katlyn Kemp was second with 355 pounds.
Meet the Editor
David Adlerstein, The Apalachicola Times’ digital editor, started with the news outlet in January 2002 as a reporter.
Prior to then, David Adlerstein began as a newspaperman with a small Boston weekly, after graduating magna cum laude from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. He later edited the weekly Bellville Times, and as business reporter for the daily Marion Star, both not far from his hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
In 1995, he moved to South Florida, and worked as a business reporter and editor of Medical Business newspaper. In Jan. 2002, he began with the Apalachicola Times, first as reporter and later as editor, and in Oct. 2020, also began editing the Port St. Joe Star.