Saint Stephen’s launched its competitive weightlifting program for boys and girls during the 2022-23 school year, and in just two seasons the Falcons have already collected three district championship trophies.

The girls hosted the program’s inaugural meet at the Falcon Field House on Oct. 26, 2022 against Parrish Community School and it was the start of a magical first season that eventually included capturing the seven-team Class 1A-District 13 championships in Olympic Lift and Traditional Lift. The Falcons then repeated that feat to go back-to-back in 2023.

The boys followed their female counterparts by winning a district title in just their second season of competition in 2023. The Falcons eventually finished as regional runners-up and collected the program’s first-ever state medals when junior Corbin Franklin and senior Jake Clulow both placed sixth in the Olympic category in their respective weight classes.

The team is coached by Saint Stephen’s alum Erik Schulz, who also works with all of the Falcons’ student-athletes as the school’s strength and conditioning coach. Schulz was recognized by the National High School Strength Coaches Association as its 2022-23 Florida Coach of the Year.