CRESTVIEW — Standing 5-foot-4 or 5-foot-5 and weighing just less than 130 pounds, Crestview High School’s Jordan Rogers doesn’t fit the mold that most people might have for a weight lifter.
But the senior, who competed in the Bulldogs' 129-pound weight class, is a force to be reckoned with. He was undefeated during the regular season, winning his weight class by close to 40 pounds each meet.
Rogerscapped his senior season earning a 10th place finish during the April 25 state weightlifting championships in Kissimmee.
Going to state
“This was my first chance to go to state and it was an awesome experience,” he said. “I got to stay in a real nice hotel, but the whole weightlifting experience was fun.
“I still think about it today and how I wish I had done better. But the experience was well worth it.”
Bulldog weightlifting Coach Thomas Grant wasn’t surprised by Rogers’ success.
“He’s a great weightlifter and an even better kid,” Grant said. “He’s a great competitor and he worked his butt off; … that’s what got him to state this year was his work ethic.
“I saw him from day one and I knew he was going to be a force just by the way he came in here and worked.”
Different environment
Rogersbench pressed 235 at state and lifted 190 in the clean and jerk. The bench press was just 5 pounds under his personal best and the 190 clean tied his record.
The state meet, he said, was fast-paced and something he will always remember.
“I definitely tried my best,” he said. “It wasn’t my personal best, but I have done better before. I just think experiencing the different environment was kind of hard for me.”
Although Rogers didn’t place at state, Grant said he’s proven himself to be a winner throughout the year.
“He came in here five days a week and lifted an hour-and-half to two hours,” Grant said. “From day one to now, he’s probably gained 40 or 50 pounds on his bench press and 30 or 40 pounds on his clean and jerk. He really puts his time in and that’s a testament to himself.”
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Rogers shines for CHS weightlifting team