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Two win top medals at Georgia State Games
weightlifters
Cynthia Kornegay earned a silver medal and Brandi Alvin earned gold at the 2012 Georgia State Games on Aug. 11 in Kennesaw. - photo by Patty Leon

Brandi Alvin and Cynthia Kornegay earned gold and silver medals, respectively, at the 2012 Georgia State Games on Aug. 11 in Kennesaw.
Both girls competed in Olympic-style weightlifting in the 63-kilogram-weight class. Alvin, a senior at Liberty County High School, and Kornegay, a former Liberty student now at Georgia Southern University, said they owe their dedication and success to Liberty County strength and conditioning coach Keith McGee.
“Coach is the best, and he actually goes on diets with us,” Alvin said. “When I first started, I was a sophomore and I got sore and I never came back. Then in my junior year, I tried it again, and it was weird because when you start it, you eat, think and sleep weightlifting and diets.”
Kornegay said she comes home from Statesboro whenever she can to train under McGee’s tutelage. She started training in her senior year of high school and said the coach makes it enjoyable. In addition to cleaning up her diet, Kornegay said she feels great after giving up soft drinks.
“I stopped drinking soda, and I used to drink soda every day,” she said. “I don’t even want it anymore.”
McGee said the girls cleared 65 kilograms in the clean and jerk and 45 kilograms in the snatch. Alvin weighed in at 61.4 kilograms, giving her the gold-medal advantage over Kornegay, who weighed in at 62.2 kilograms.
Alvin said she tried 70K in the clean and jerk and 51K in the snatch, but couldn’t finish the lifts. She said her lifts were personal bests.
The girls were both in the LCHS weight room Labor Day morning, along with the Panther football team, pumping iron and performing squats.
The girls are getting set for their next meet on Sept. 22 in Savannah.

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