DAYTONA BEACH — Molding three individual state champions and guiding New Smyrna Beach to a runner-up finish in the FHSAA's Class 2A weightlifting meet, Tim McRae was honored as Volusia-Flagler's High School Girls Coach of the Year earlier this month.

McRae knows what it takes to compete at weightlifting's highest level. The Spruce Creek grad won back-to-back 123½-pound state championships in 1988-89, picked up a pair of bronze medals at the Pan American Games and represented the United States twice at the Summer Olympics.

He's built a similarly strong coaching résumé over more than a decade in charge of the Barracudas, bringing home three boys weightlifting state championships (2010, '14 and '15). The 'Cudas girls' team placed second for the third time in meet history, dating back to 2004, as Olivia Bond-West and Asha-Mahri Manzueta rewrote state records in their respective weight classes.

See who won: Winners announced at Volusia-Flagler High School Sports Awards

McRae reflected upon the honor and his weightlifting memories, and took a brief look ahead at New Smyrna Beach's promising future in a Q&A for The News-Journal.

What does the Coach of the Year honor mean to you, and what was your reaction upon hearing your name called?

McRae: It means a lot. To me, basically, all the hard work you try to put in with the kids and that you spend with the kids means something. We're always trying to build the program continuously and make it better for the kids, and to just be there so there are no excuses for practices not being available. We're always there trying to give them an opportunity to get better.

I was definitely surprised. There are a lot of good coaches out there, a lot of good teams out there. The girls have been so close to winning it. We just always feel like we're short because we never have enough. Hopefully we can get some more committed younger girls to push us over the top. I was elated, really happy.

When did you feel like this could be a special season for your girls' team and its core four lifters?

McRae: We always knew, especially when you have Asha and Olivia. With them two, we just had to add onto it. We just need more to help these girls out. We've been trying for two years now. Leesburg has definitely got our number, and they know they need at least four or five girls every year to stay on top of New Smyrna. We're such a small team, and it's so hard trying to get five tough girls. Things are getting tougher, and we're a part of that.

What are the most important traits in scouting and developing a championship-level weightlifter?

McRae: That's a good question. I would say consistency, and you definitely have to be committed. Showing up all the time and letting us know that you want it. The coaches are always there for the kids. We want them to want it.

For those unfamiliar with the sport, what are the keys for proper form in the snatch and the clean and jerk?

McRae: The snatch and the clean and jerk involve a lot. You break it down the best way you can, and the more times the kids come in, we just harp on it. You need lower body strength, and you need upper body strength. And we pound them with the technique, trying to get them better at it and more confident in it. Competition is the easy part. When you compete, that's the result of practicing and putting in the work.

The snatch involves a lot more balance. You've got to bring the bar from the ground straight overhead. We start from the hang to the floor. … The clean and jerk, you teach how to do the hook grip so kids don't touch their elbows to their knees, making sure they are flexible and efficient with it. It's a two-part lift. Then we work on splitting their feet for the jerk, pushing (the bar) up overhead with their shoulders.

What are your best memories from your Olympic experiences in Barcelona and Atlanta?

McRae: Oh man. They were different. With Barcelona, it was my first Olympics. It was about being in Spain. I had never really been anywhere overseas. I just wanted to do the best I could. What made Atlanta special to me was my parents. It was the first time ever that my parents got a chance to see me lift. Both of them were working parents; my mom did housekeeping, and my dad cooked at Halifax Health for 45 years or so. Not only did my parents come, I had my grandma, my uncles, cousins. They didn't really know how good I was.

Outside of weightlifting, what are your favorite sports to watch during the Summer Olympics?

McRae: I usually watch it all. Track and field is one, wrestling, basketball — men's and women's — swimming, diving. And then in the winter, I'll watch curling. I try to watch all of it. That's what made me get Peacock.

Of all the athletes you encountered at the Olympics, weightlifting or other, who were you most impressed by?

McRae: Naim Süleymanoğlu. He was a weightlifter when I was coming up. What impressed me about him was that he was shorter than me (4-foot-10, 137 pounds). It was impressive to see a guy of that stature lift as much as he lifted. He was short, small and lifted a lot of damn weight.

Your former coach, Dragomir Cioroslan, represented Romania at the Olympics. What was the best piece of advice he gave you that has helped in your coaching career?

McRae: Never give up, and always believe in yourself. If you do that, the sky is the limit. And I always instill that in my kids. Believe in yourself, and the rest will take care of itself.

What was your routine before competitions? Did you have a go-to meal before or after meets?

McRae: What I used to do when I was younger before competition was to get weightlifting off my mind. When you think about it, it makes you nervous. You've got plenty of time to think about it because it's going to happen. I would fall asleep before competition and try to be as relaxed as possible. The coach would come and wake me up when it was time to start warming up. That's when weightlifting was on my mind. Kids get nervous because they want to do good, and they start thinking about weight. That's the last thing I want them thinking about.

I ate whatever I wanted, hitting the carbs real hard for energy. Beforehand, it had to be spaghetti, or pasta, or something without a lot of grease in it so it was easy on the stomach. After the meets, I was pigging out, especially if I did good — pizza, hamburgers, steaks, wings.

Early predictions: What do you expect Olivia Bond-West and Asha-Mahri Manzueta to accomplish at the 2025 FHSAA championships?

McRae: They are phenomenal girls. They both have state records. They feed off each other. I'm just blessed, and I tell them that all the time, to be a part of it. The goal is just to be better than they are now, and I'm sure they are now. I know Asha wants to clean and jerk 300 pounds. I don't know if any girl has ever done that. I'm sure if Asha does it, Olivia is going to want to.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Q&A with Tim McRae, the Volusia-Flagler Girls Coach of the Year