Port St. Joe girls capture double state weightlifting titles; district honors team at school board meeting

Coach John, coach of the Port St. Joe girls weightlifting team, and members of the district'''s state championship squad were honored at the Gulf County School Board meeting on March 24, 2025, after the team won state titles in both the Olympic and traditional weightlifting divisions.

The recognition came near the start of the board meeting, where Coach John described the team'''s season and competitive results. "Two years later we're standing here and you don't get an opportunity to do something for the first time very often," he said, noting the district's first-ever girls state championship in weightlifting and the program's first state titles of any kind for girls at the district.

The team scored 38 points in the Olympic competition, about double the runner-up's 19 points, Coach John said, and also won the traditional division with 22 points to the runner-up'''s roughly 16. He told the board the squad included three seniors and several underclassmen, with two eighth graders placing at the state meet and one seventh grader finishing in the top 15 for the state as a seventh grader. "Ten of 11 of our girls all medaled at the state meet," he said.

Why it matters: the victory marks a milestone for the district'''s athletics program, with school and community leaders saying the accomplishment will be permanently recognized at the school. The board heard that two state championship banners and commemorative signage will be placed in the gymnasium and that Centennial Bank purchased championship rings for the team.

Supporting details: Coach John said the state competition includes roughly 380 schools statewide, with about 125 in the team'''s classification, and described differences between Olympic events (snatch; clean and jerk) and traditional events (clean and jerk plus bench). He said the district hosted a rural state championship this year with 26 participating rural schools and that Port St. Joe won both events there as well.

Board members and attendees offered congratulations during the recognition. Board member Knox said, "We're so proud of y'all." Board member Gaynor described herself as a "forever fan" of girls weightlifting after hosting competitions locally. The superintendent and other school staff thanked the athletes and coaches for the achievement.

The meeting record shows the board will display trophies, medals and two state banners in the school gymnasium; additional FHSAA state plaques provided at the event also will be displayed. Coach John said some athletes will receive two rings because they were champions in both Olympic and traditional divisions.

The board did not take any formal policy action tied to the recognition; the agenda item was ceremonial. The district plans to add banners and display awards in the gymnasium as described at the meeting.