New head coach takes over the Braden River High girls weightlifting program

Returning to Braden River High for the 2026-27 girls weightlifting season wasn’t a no-brainer for Ashley Avellan-Knutson. The four-year assistant had some concerns.

First among them was the fact she would give birth in August. She questioned if childcare, coaching, and her day job as a preschool teacher could be balanced.

On top of that, the self-described introvert had never led a high school athletics program before. The program she would be taking over had just won a state championship.

It wasn’t an easy decision, but she ultimately decided to go for it.

Avellan-Knutson was named the new Braden River girls weightlifting coach May 21. She takes over the role on the heels of the greatest season in program history, in which the Pirates won the FHSAA Class 2A team state title in Olympic style — their very first.

Then-senior Payton Mangay-Ayam became the program’s first individual state champion, sweeping Traditional and Olympic style in the 129-pound weight class. Six different lifters medaled at the state meet.

Their triumph also represented the first state championship for any team in the 21-year history of Braden River athletics.

“I was a little nervous about coming back. I feel like there's a very high expectation, because we did win states,” Avellan-Knutson said. “My goal is to shift that mindset. We all start from step one or from somewhere... We have to work for it.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Former Pirates girls weightlifting coach Jordan Borges advocated heavily for her as his successor. He decided before the 2025-26 season it would be his last with the program on the girls side in the interest of spending more time with family.

He stepped down with a winning legacy — three regional championships, four district championships and four consecutive undefeated regular seasons, as well as that unprecedented state title. He will remain as the school's boys weightlifting coach.

Avellan-Knutson was right by his side throughout his tenure coaching the girls. The Pirates' success came under the watch of both of them.

“It wasn't just me who developed that standard years ago. Ashley was a part of that, so the expectations remain the same,” Borges said. “When people think of shoes to fill, my hope is that she creates her own path and her own mark in this sport."

Matt Nesser has watched the program’s success build from year to year. The Braden River athletic director was responsible for Borges' hiring, awarding him that all-important first head-coaching opportunity.

He’s also become familiar with Avellan-Knutson’s coaching style. He saw how she built relationships with lifters and made an impact on their respective athletic journeys.

There was no better person for the position, in his eyes.

“She's done a great job every time I've watched her coach. She has a good rapport with the athletes, and they seem to respect her,” Nesser said. “It was a great transition. If anybody was going to take over, it would’ve been and should’ve been her.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Borges believed she was ready. Nesser believed she was ready. Avellan-Knutson, though, wasn’t ready to believe it at first.

For a time, she thought both Borges and herself would ride off into the sunset after Braden River’s state title — departing the program to pursue other opportunities. They had a pact, she said, where if he left, she would leave, too.

What ultimately convinced her to take the job was knowing that Borges would still be around the school. He won’t coach the girls team in any official capacity, but he will be there to offer a helping hand whenever Avellan-Knutson might need it.

So she decided to trust in her experience at the school and therefore chose to embrace a new opportunity.

“I’ve realized that being a part of a program like weightlifting makes me feel like I have a purpose,” Avellan-Knutson said. “When I was in high school, (weightlifting) wasn't as big as it is today. I get to experience what I didn't get to — through a different perspective — and it makes me happy to watch the kids grow and achieve their goals.”

Photo by Jack Nelson

Weightlifting is a sport she, too, did in high school. She competed for Manatee High under coach Rich Lansky and graduated from there in 2018.

Lansky served as the Braden River girls weightlifting coach from 2018-22. He became a mentor to Borges, who worked as an assistant under him then.

Avellan-Knutson wasn’t ready to give up weightlifting after graduation, so she reached out to Lansky about joining Team Florida Gulf Coast. It was in that weightlifting club where she met Borges, sparking a friendship which eventually blossomed into a coaching partnership with the Pirates.

Her high school and post-grad days were a period of learning from both of them. They showed her what it looks like to be a great weightlifting coach.

“They’ve always taught to focus on yourself, and in order to get results, you have to put in the work,” Avellan-Knutson said. “Don't focus on other people. (If you do), then you're just focusing on other stuff instead of you, so then you lose track (of yourself)."

The student has become the teacher. Now, it’s her who will be the lead voice for the Pirates.

Braden River will be without several key contributors from last season’s title run. Four of its six lifters who medaled at the state meet have since graduated, leaving Avellan-Knutson with a younger roster to manage.