The UHS Girl’s Weightlifting team attended their final meet on January 10th, which was held at Boone High School. Individuals competed in events that included the snatch, clean and jerk, and Bench during this competition. 

    The team showcased both collaborative growth and individual improvement at their meet. One athlete increased her personal best on the snatch, which requires the athlete to lift the weights from the floor to overhead in one movement,  by 30 pounds, while another went from 75 pounds to 120 pounds on her clean and jerk event. “The meet went well. It was thrilling to see what position my teammates received. Meets show us where we rank compared to other schools and I was happy with our final score.” said senior athlete Leylanie Reyes-Ruiz. 

   Anaiah Lopez earned 2nd in unlimited weight class, Ella Livingston 3rd in 154 weight class, Julissa Williams 2nd in 119 weight class, Aryana Lockett 2nd in 119 weight class, and Jeslyn Candelario 1st in 129 weight class. “Our girls have been working extremely hard in the weight room and they have come a long way with their strength. This was our last meet before heading into Metros, and we had several girls hit new personal goals,” said Coach Jill Whitesell.

   As the team heads off to Districts, they continue to build on their abilities through training. “We are extremely proud of this group of athletes and are especially proud of their teamwork and sportsmanship when we attend meets. They represent University High School well!” said Whitesell.