Lakeland wins boys weightlifting county title

Lakeland had three individual champions and placed eight lifters overall in the top three on Friday to win the Polk County Boys Weightlifting Championship at Auburndale High School.

Lakeland finished with 60 points. Winter Haven, with two county champions, was second with 45 points, and Haines City, also with two county champions, was third with 26 points.

David Ascencio, Champ Johnson and Eric Ford all won their weight classes for Lakeland.

Ford set a school record for the 129-pound weight class with a total lift of 410 pounds. Ascencio (169) had a total lift of 555 pounds, and Johnson (199) had a total lift of 605 pounds.

Larry Jones finished second at 238 pounds, and Kyle Lopes (119), Brett Nutting (199), Ken Bowers (238) and Gee Milford (unlimited) all finished third in their classes for the Dreadnaughts.

Winter Haven's Zane Bowers had a total lift of 485 pounds to win the 154-pound class, and Justin Samaro won at 219 with a total lift of 525 pounds.

Ja'Darian Valentine (119) and Antonio Marcus (139) won individual titles for Haines City. Valentine had a total lift of 365 pounds, and Marcus had a total lift of 415 pounds. 

Also winning titles were Ridge Community's Gregory Hendrix (183), Bartow's Derrick Floyd (238) and Auburndale's Arquis Ward (heavyweight).