“Self-Discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don’t talk back.” - W. K. Hope
Congratulations to both Goddard and Eisenhower High School Powerlifting on their success this season! On February 25th, both teams competed at State in Pittsburg, KS, in three events testing their strength and endurance, coming home with new personal records and placements.
Powerlifting is a strength sport made up of three attempts at maximal weight for three different lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. The goal is to lift the most weight possible for each of the three lifts. Led by Coach Joel Condray, Goddard High School (GHS) has hosted their powerlifting club for the past fifteen years, bringing home several individual state champions. Eisenhower High School (EHS) joined in 2019, led by Coach Darrin Fisher, and has seen great success in a short period of time.
Like any sport or club, there are many reasons USD 265 students have joined the team, whether it be for personal improvement or making new friends. Julissa Lawerence from EHS said, “I went out for powerlifting because my friends were in it. I saw it as a chance to build team comradery and get extra training. I am so proud of how far I’ve come, building my strength and confidence because of it.”
Many athletes take powerlifting between seasons to help keep them in shape. Alex Carpenter from GHS said, “I enjoyed lifting weights in football, so I decided to join powerlifting. It really is a great way to stay in shape during the off season.”
Tai Ho from EHS had a similar mindset, expressing that he wanted to improve on his physique and push his limits.
When asked about their training regiments, most students commented on the fact there is less agility training than other sports. Allyson Doucet from EHS said, “I found that I was pretty good at it through training my freshman year. There is a lot less cardio and more weight training, building onto the strength you already have. You need discipline and determination to put in the work and it does not come easy.”
Both schools provide training facilities with one hour practices, three days a week. Training outside of practice is also encouraged and it looks different for everyone. Training among students ranges from 3 days per week, to working out all 7 days of the week. Isaac Wells from EHS trains 2 hours per day, 6 days per week outside of practice. He said, “It all depends on how fast you want to build muscle and how consistent you want to maintain your gains.”
Not only is this sport physically challenging, it takes a lot of mental strength as well. Bradley Bond from GHS commented, “Sometimes, it's more about getting out of your head and overcoming that mental block, telling yourself that you can beat this next challenge and get better every day.”
The sportsmanship seen by both GHS and EHS was truly inspiring, as well as the support from the other schools. Julissa commented again saying, “There is true sportsmanship in this craft. It is all about beating your personal best. You cheer for others, and others will cheer for you in your endeavor. Other teams cheer for you as you make your attempts, shouting for you to keep going and make your goal.”
Maddie Perez from GHS agreed, saying, “You need to have energy and be encouraging to others throughout this sport. We are working on our own PRs (Personal Records), but we want other to exceed their own as well.”
Once again, a huge congratulations to both GHS and EHS! your dedication and hard work make all #265Family proud.
Below you will find both schools' results.
GHS TEAM RESULTS (out of 14 teams):
Women - 5th overall
Men - 4th overall
INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (out of 423 lifters):
Women's Individual
Olivia Wilson - 6th overall
Alyssa Rising - 3rd overall
Amelia Young - 6th overall
Natalie Klenda - 1st overall
Maddyn Snyder - 6th overall
Men's Individual Placements
Brody Cole - 2nd overall
Ethan Simpson - 3rd overall
Alfredo DeLoera - 4th overall
Jaden Cohens - 5th overall
Brodi Boatright - 5th overall
Jackson Baldwin - 1st overall
Micah Johnson - 6th overall
Alex Carpenter - 3rd overall
Jacob Esparza - 6th overall
Brad Bond - 3rd overall
INDIVIDUAL STATE CHAMPS
Tyson Wallace - Best Bench
Alex Carpenter - Best Bench
Alex Carpenter - Best Squat
Maddie Perez - Best Squat
Jackson Baldwin - Best Bench
Jackson Baldwin - Best Squat
Jackson Baldwin - Best Overall Power Ratio
Natalie Klenda - Best Bench
Natalie Klenda - Best Squat
Natalie Klenda - Best Clean
** Natalie Klenda - Best Overall Lifter
EHS Team Results:
Girls - 2nd in State
Boys - 3rd in State
Female Individual Placements:
Jenna Kasprick - 4th place - 1st place Bench
Daniella Johnson - 5th place
Julissa Lawerence - 6th place
Brooklyn Freund - 4th place
Destiny Fierro - 5th place
Karlee Ford - 4th place
Bell Molina - 2nd place - 1st place Squat
Maddie Gumm - 5th place
Braylie Murrey- 4th place
Rae’ua Lyons - 5th place
Ally Doucet - 3rd place
Langley Barger - 3rd place
Macey Kress - 2nd place - 1st place Bench and Clean
Taryne Nolan - 4th place
Men's Individual Placers:
Trevor Watson - 3rd place
Colton Doll- 4th place
Luke Penner - 1st place - 1st place Bench and Squat - 3x State Champion
Jeter Milledge - 6th place
Lucas Dickman - 2nd place - 1st place Clean (State Record)
Brody Hall - 4th place
Britton Cline - 5th place
Corbin Gillen - 2nd place
Carson Jobe - 2nd place - 1st place Bench (State Record)
Tai Ho - 3rd place
Isaac Wells - 1st place Best overall Power Ratio
Nolan Graupman - 5th place - 1st place Squat
Travis Nicholson - 2nd place