BAKER — Mykala McCranie, facing Friday’s Class 1A state girls weightlifting championships in Kissimmee, is second to none.
The Baker School senior competes in the unlimited class, where her lifts are 40 pounds better than the state's second-best lifter. If all goes as planned, by the end of Friday, McCranie will stand on the podium as a state champion.
Gator girls weightlifting Coach David Oglesby said McCranie is everything a coach could hope for in a lifter.
“In a nutshell, you could say about Mykala, that she’s a silent leader, but she does everything right,” he said. “She works hard and people see that.
“She has been to state every time since eighth grade.”
McCranie is the rare lifter whose bench press and clean are almost equal.
“The funny thing is she’s 210 on the bench and 205 clean so she’s right there,” Oglesby said. “I think she can do 220 at the state in the bench and I think she might be able to do 220 in the power clean.
“I think she’s not where she’s going to be when she gets to state. I think she’s going to have personal records at state.”
We now catch up with Mykala McCranie.
How old were you when you started weightlifting?
I want to say I was 14. I was in the eighth grade.
What's the best part of weightlifting?
Coming in and spending time with the girls and having fun.
What's the worst part of weightlifting?
Whenever we have to run.
What are your expectations this season?
Hopefully to win a state championship.
If you had to pick a different sport to play, what would it be?
Soccer, because it’s a lot of fun.
What is your favorite weightlifting experience?
Probably last year at state, spending time with the girls that went down there. We had a lot of fun.
What are your hobbies outside weightlifting?
Hunting, fishing, softball.
What's your dream career?
A neonatal nurse.
Do you want to lift weights in college?
I think it would be fun.
What is your favorite movie?
“The Lion King.”
Who is your favorite singer?
Seventh Time Down, a Christian group.
If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be?
Sponge Bob, because that was the last one I watched.
If you could live in any other period in history, which one would you choose?
I would probably go 20 or 25 years into the future to see how things turned out.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 13 things you didn't know about Baker's Mykala McCranie