Athlete of the Week: Cherlinda Polynice

The Booker senior currently participates in four sports at the school — track and field in the spring, volleyball in the fall, and basketball and weightlifting in the winter.

In addition to her busy sports schedule, Polynice has a 3.7 grade-point average and is in dual-enrollment courses to prepare for college. Polynice hopes to attend Louisiana State University next fall and compete on the track and field team. She plans to major in either business or psychology.

Why did you decide to get into weightlifting?
It actually just kind of happened one day over the summer of 2010. (My friend and I) were talking and realized we didn’t have a sport between volleyball and track and we thought, “Let’s try it!” because we already like to lift weights.

Do you have a favorite event in weightlifting?
I prefer to do bench, because I feel like bench is easier than the clean-and-jerk. But at the same time, you have to really, really focus. I like the challenge clean-and-jerk brings me, though.

What is the most difficult part about weightlifting?
The clean-and-jerk. Oh, and practice every single day is probably the hardest, especially playing basketball and getting home late from games.

How much can you actually lift?
I bench 145, and on record, I can clean-and-jerk 170.

What have you gained from weightlifting?
I’ve gained a lot of perseverance, determination. It is so discouraging when you miss a weight, and it makes you want to go back more and more and more and more. I’ve become more of a better leader, and people tell me they look up to me, so I have to do my best.

What is the biggest challenge of playing two sports in one season?
The biggest challenge is juggling school between them.

When you head off to college, do you still want to do weightlifting?
I want to weightlift in general, because I love it no matter what

Do you know somone who would make for a great "Athlete of the Week"? Email Rachel O'Hara.