National Champion: SP’s Ella Grizzle Soars To Youth Olympic Weightlifting Records

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The last time the Severna Park Voice brought readers news of Severna Park High School student Ella Grizzle, she was breaking state weightlifting records while winning the Baltimore Open Olympic weightlifting competition in Millersville.

Turns out Maryland just isn’t a big enough stage for Grizzle and her abilities.

Grizzle recently returned from the USA Weightlifting National Youth Championships in Olympic weightlifting in Michigan in mid-June, where she earned national championships in snatch, clean and jerk, and combined total.

Competing in Michigan in the 53 kilogram youth women (ages 14 and 15) division against 19 competitors from various parts of the United States and Canada, Grizzle dominated. She set a new American record for her division with a snatch weight of 67 kg (the previous record was 66 kg), then improved on her own new record with a best-lift weight of 68 kg to win the event. In clean and jerk, Grizzle’s best lift was 83 kg, just shy of the American record of 84 kg and good enough to earn her a national championship in that event as well. Her national-best scores in the two categories earned her a third championship in overall weight with a combined total of 151 kg, also a new American record.

That’s three national championship medals and two new American records for the rising Severna Park sophomore, who said she pursued her training with her goals in mind.

“I’ve been training really hard, so I am super happy that all of my hard work paid off,” said Grizzle. “[Winning a national title] has always been a goal of mine, but it really became realistic after last year’s nationals when I started training harder. The most important factors for me were trusting my coach and being confident that I could make my lifts.”

Grizzle will conclude her competitive weightlifting season at the American Open in late July outside Philadelphia.

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