Hart's 2-year prep career ended with state title
Roy Fuoco
Emily Hart had hoped to lift 190 pounds in the clean-and-jerk at the Class 2A girls weightlifting state meet. In her final lift of her high school career, she lost her balance as she began her attempt and landed on her backside with a big grin on her face.
In two years of high school girls weightlifting, missing on the attempt at 190 pounds was the only thing Hart didn't accomplish.
The Ledger's 2020-21 All-County Girls Weightlifting
Hart's joy when she missed on the lift was understandable, because by then she had already easily cliched the state title at 119 pounds to give Polk County its first state champion in the sport.
Hart is The Ledger's 2020-21 Girls Weightlifter of the Year.
The Auburndale senior couldn't have asked for a better year. In addition to dominating at the county, district and region meets, she set a record in the clean-and-jerk at the 119-pound weight class when she lifted 185 pounds.
"I think it's super crazy because I never thought I'd be lifting 185 and now 190, and I did that in the gym the other day," Hart said. "I wish I got at at state now, but I feel like I pushed myself way farther than I ever thought I could go. I'm real proud of myself. It's because of hard work, because of my family. They pushed me to be the best I could be. I'm so happy I started last year because I never would have been able to start doing this, win first, without my friends surrounding me, telling me I could do it."
Hart made a tremendous improvement from last year when she finished fourth at state with a total lift of 300 pounds (135 bench, 165 in the clean-and-jerk).
This year, she had a total lift of 330 pounds (150-180) and the state title by 35 pounds. The girl whom Hart expected to be her top competitor didn't make weight.
"But I was ready to go," she said. "I was hoping for first, and I still was going to push myself to get all I could do. I wasn't like I've got it in the bag until I saw she was out. Then I was like I'll just got for whatever I can do. I'll hit whatever I possibly can, push my limits."
Hart thrived during the two years she competed in high school, and did whatever she could to be ready.
The mental part of the sport is one area she focused heavily on improving.
"I had the strength, and I had the willpower, but it was in my head that I didn't have all I needed," she said. "I didn't have all mental stuff I needed, so I got people to work on that with me. That was the one thing I lacked. It's hard when you don't see a lot of improvement and you've been at the same weight forever. After I got the mental stuff better, I went up 15 pounds on my bench in a week."
Improving on her bench press is something she wants to improve.
Even though her high school career has ended, Hart is continuing to train. She laughed as she said she took one day off after winning the state meet.
A couple of weeks after the state meet, Hart lifted 190 pounds in the clean-and-jerk. She is looking to compete in Olympic lifting competitions. She's also plans to compete in AAU meets throughout the summer as well as CrossFit competitions.
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