COLLEGE STATION — On her first year at Texas A&M University, Viviana Flores has risen to become a champion.
The former Raymondville High School state record-holder took home her first college crown this past month at the 2016 USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals in Providence, R.I.
Flores, 19, who competed in the 185-pound-plus division, posted a 551-pound squat, a 292-pound bench press and a 292-pound deadlift at the national competition April 17.
“I feel great,” Flores, the daughter of Olivia Garza, said last week. “I worked hard trying to maintain those numbers.”
Flores qualified for the championships after lifting a total of 639 pounds at the 2015 Louisiana Collegiate Regionals in Abbeville, La., last November.
“It went pretty well,” Flores said of her first season on Texas A&M’s powerlifting team. “It was a new experience in a different environment.”
Flores, who is studying to become a nurse, said she plans to train this summer before competing this fall.
On Raymondville High School’s powerlifting team, Flores twice won the state championship, setting a Texas record with a 625-pound squat.
