OAKLEAF - Oakleaf High senior weightlifter and cheerleader Ivy Gunn, amongst the plethora of top tier college athletic scholarship being awarded on National Signing Day last week in Clay County, put herself in the history books with the first weightlifting full ride scholarship for Oakleaf High School.

“I will be attending Mars Hill University on a full scholarship for weightlifting,” said Gunn, who is a week away from competing at the FHSAA Class 3A championship meet as a top five contender. “Weightlifting coach Benjamin White saw me at cheerleading just last year and just asked me to come to the weightlifting room and give it a try. I loved it.”

Clay High’s Alexandra Hamilton, a two-time state champion for the Lady Blue Devils, was the first Clay County signee with a scholarship to compete at East Tennessee State University in 2015.

Joining Gunn on the National Signing Day were Oakleaf softball’s duo of Mariyah Sanchez and Ciara Gibson with Sanchez heading to Mercer University and Gibson heading to Liberty University. Gibson has been a four year varsity outfielder with blazing speed that has recently displayed a powerful bat for coaches Christina Thompson and Heather Han.

Sanchez is one of the best infielders in the state; mainly shortstop, with quick feet and a cannon arm to complete double play turnovers with aplomb.

From the Oakleaf football team, wide receiver Taylor Bradshaw will take his uncanny leaping and long, strong fingers to Georgia Southern University.

And, finally, the Dynamic Duo of Oakleaf girls basketball, on the verge of a repeat to the Final Four tournament after a 23-2 regular season and a recent blowout in the district championship game, guards Fantasia James and Kaylah Turner signed to continue playing at Florida International University and Alabama A & M University, respectively.

Gunn, who is following the tradition of two-time champion Tamira Briley into the Oakleaf sports history annals, recalled her decision to take on weightlifting as part of her athleticism as the base cheerleader for the competitive cheerleading team at Oakleaf.

“I decided in my senior year that I would be a weightlifter that cheers

instead of a cheerleader that lifts weights,” said Gunn. “I was really pushed last week at Flagler Palm Coast, a meet with three Class 3A powerhouses, and I was pushed. I knew then I could push at the state meet.”

From there, her father, Todd Gunn, quickly decided to find a technique coach and give his daughter the best path to success.

For Gunn and, for White, the building up of the program from a few lifters to a team of nearly 40 athletes makes the endeavor well worth the time in the gym.

“I’m glad to be a part of the season that will build the program up to encourage more girls to compete,” said Gunn. “Tamira started it and won two state titles to put us on the map. I’d like to have my name as part of that conversation.”

Gunn commented that the weightlifting team idea kind of came as a surprise to her dad, Todd, but they eventually watched a few meets, crunched the lift numbers and were “all in.”

“Everyone knew she was strong as the base of the cheerleader and coach White finally asked her,” said Todd Gunn. “She tried it, was winning a few meets and, finally, said, I like this.”

White commented that Todd Gunn’s “allowing” of his team to borrow his daughter was the key to getting her on the team in full compete mode.

“I go to all the meets and, I remember, last year, she won regions and was like five pounds out of state and that’s when we got the technique coach,” said Gunn. “I never realized how critical the technique is in her events.”