Female Weightlifters Advance to States

Two Lely students, Brooke Bledsoe and Sophia Aparacio-Campos, have advanced to the state championships in high school Olympic weightlifting.

Bledsoe won CCAC, district, and regional championships in her weight class, and Aparacio-Campos finished second. The two will compete in the state tournament on Thursday, February 12, in Lakeland.

In the Olympic category, the winner is determined by the combined total of weight lifted in the snatch and clean and jerk.

“This sport is amazing for young women,” said Jennifer Bledsoe, Lely principal and mother of Brooke. “Our coaches have done a great job to grow the sport here at Lely. It’s empowering and so encouraging to watch the young women from all of the schools at these meets. There are friendships and bonds formed, even with competitors, that you don’t see in many other sports.”

Brooke, an outstanding shortstop on the Lely softball team, will continue her softball career at Southeastern University in Lakeland.