How High School Weightlifter Tessa Johnston Found Her Gains At D1 Gainesville | D1 Daily

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When D1 Gainesville (Fla.) athlete Tessa Johnston competed in her first ever USA Weightlifting competition, she didn't feel nervous.

Instead, she felt excitement. 

"I have a really great support system. My coach is awesome, so there's really not any need for me to be nervous," she said. "I know I'm gonna do well, and if I don't, then that's okay because in my mind, not every day can be your best day."

But Tessa crushed it during the competition, placing second in the 63kg weight class.

As he watched her walk on the podium, D1 Gainesville head coach Luke Levasseur could only feel pride.

"It brings me an incredible amount of joy watching my lifters perform and do well on the platform," he said. "To have Tessa place second in her first meet ever with USAW and bring home her first medal is all the satisfaction I could ask for as her coach."

Coach Luke is also Tessa's competitive weightlifting head coach at Buchholz High School, having seen her grow as she heads into her junior year. 

He even named her captain of the team, making her one of the youngest captains in school history.

Her freshman season, Tessa said she set a goal to reach state by her senior year. 

Now, that goal is to reach state as a junior.

She credits that success to Coach Luke and D1 Gainesville.

"I was able to lift sometimes in the offseason, but I don't have a whole lot of equipment at my house. So having this space that D1 has given me and their support has been beyond helpful to me," she said. 

"Coach Luke has been the first coach of mine to see that I have like this natural ability to lift these weights. He has spent a lot of time helping me get to where I'm at now, and I'm just really appreciative of him for that."

Now, Tessa's focus shifts to her second ever USAW meet in October.

Her goal?

"I really want to focus on my snatch and get a 115 PR. I think I will because of D1 Gainesville's support."

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