Donna North’s Louie Cavazos enters this week’s Texas High School Powerlifting Association state championships as the No. 1-ranked 123-pound lifter in the state.
His position inspires confidence, but it also places a target on him as all other competitors in the 123-pound weight class have their sights set on Cavazos.
“It’s a game, it’s a competition and at the end of the day, it’s what we do. You’re first so everyone wants to beat you,” he said. “Any given day, anything can happen. So you got to go with the mindset that it’s going to be a fight every time.”
Cavazos and the top powerlifters across Texas will put their strength to the test at the THSPA state championships Friday and Saturday at Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene. Division IV starts at 5 p.m. Friday, while Division I-III begins at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Powerlifters qualified for the state meet by finishing first or second in their respective weight class at the regional meet or by posting a qualifying total set for each weight class at regionals. Totals are determined by the combined weight successfully lifted in three events: squat, bench press and deadlift.
Cavazos won gold at the Region V Division I meet March 12 at South Middle School in Edinburg to punch his ticket to state. He posted a 1,170 total — 445 squat, 285 bench press, 440 deadlift.
He’s one of several local powerlifters who have legitimate shots at winning state titles this weekend.
PSJA High’s Ramiro Yanez finished fourth in the 132-pound weight class at last year’s state meet with a 1,200 total. He bulked up to compete in the 165-pound weight class this season and holds the top mark in Texas with a 1,525 total.
Edinburg Vela’s Justin Chapa is the No. 1-ranked powerlifter in the 114-pound weight class with a 1,125 total, as is Edcouch-Elsa’s Ever Crispin in the 148-pound weight class with a 1,425 total.
Weslaco High’s Sergio Lerma’s focus is to go back-to-back and win a second state title in the 181-pound weight class. Lerma won gold at last year’s state meet with a 1,575 total — 700 squat, 290 bench, 585 deadlift. This year, Lerma has upped his total to 1,680 with a 700-pound squat, 325-pound bench and 635-pound deadlift.
“In his mind, he understands that once you set a benchmark, the plan is to repeat and he wants to do that,” Weslaco powerlifting head coach Heriberto Ramirez said about Lerma. “Now that he has his sights set pretty high and he wants to improve on the success that he had last year. He’s going to make some noise at the 181-pound weight division.”
Mercedes’ Miguel Jimenez is looking to put his name in the record books this weekend.
Jimenez broke the Region V squat record on March 12 in the 198-pound weight class with a 705-pound lift. The state record in the 198-pound weight class is 705 pounds, set by Edcouch-Elsa’s Seth Garcia in 2016. If Jimenez can match or top his 705-pound squat Saturday, he’ll own a new state record.
“My plan is to go to state and go and break that record again,” Jimenez said.
BOYS POWERLIFTING STATE QUALIFIERS
Division I
114 lb. – Justin Chapa, Edinburg Vela (1,125 total); Felipe Garza, McAllen High (1,045); Jay Vasquez, Weslaco East (1,030); Deandre Moody, Donna North (960); Jacob Martinez, Donna North (925); Erik Orta, Victoria West (905); Ethan Hernandez, Harlingen South (905); Kody Estes, Donna High (855); Dante Silva, Sharyland High (850)
123 lb. – Louie Cavazos, Donna North (1,170); Nate Martinez, Weslaco East (1,110); Joe Hernandez, Los Fresnos (1,070); Jorge Martinez, Los Fresnos (1,070); Luis Garcia, Sharyland Pioneer (1,030); Thomas Sandoval, Los Fresnos (1,025); Shiv Ranchhod, Gregory-Portland (975); Josh Perez, Los Fresnos (950)
132 lb. – Gabriel Garza, Brownsville Lopez (1,170); Ceyth Grevey, Victoria East (1,140); Francisco Villarreal, Laredo Nixon (1,130); Michael Morgan, PSJA Memorial (1,100)
148 lb. – Ever Crispin, Edcouch-Elsa (1,425); Nick Moreno, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1,295); Marcus Saenz, Weslaco High (1,285); Dylan Ybarra, San Benito (1,235); Kyle Yanez, Edinburg Vela (1,220); Tyler Rosales, PSJA North (1,215); Gilbert Garcia, Brownsville Hanna (1,210); Isaiah Perales, Harlingen High (1,210); Evan Zamora, Weslaco High (1,205); Jesus Pardo, Brownsville Rivera (1,200); Israel Ramos, Brownsville Pace (1,200)
165. lb – Ramiro Yanez, PSJA High (1,525); Allan Benavides, Edinburg North (1,415); Angel Cantu, La Joya Palmview (1,400); Marckopolo Cavazos, Mission Veterans (1,355); Justin Rosas, Brownsville Veterans (1,340); Harley Rios, Weslaco High (1,330; Devin Aguilar, Edinburg North (1,315); Jacob Broussard, Brownsville Hanna (1,310); Jonah Villarreal, Edinburg Vela (1,300); Jose E. Hernandez, Brownsville Rivera (1,300)
181 lb. – Sergio Lerma, Weslaco High (1,680); Josue Ceron, Los Fresnos (1,455); Juan Saenz, Edinburg North (1,440); Javier Ornelas, Mission Veterans (1,365); Fidencio Ortega, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln (1,365); Randal Delgado, Victoria East (1,350); Daniel Martinez, Victoria East (1,350); Izaac Parra, Harlingen South (1,350)
198 lb. – Miguel Jimenez, Mercedes (1,655); Seth Neibrandt, Victoria West (1,545); John Vasquez, Edinburg Vela (1,455); Jose Zavala, Weslaco East (1,455); Bobby Flores, Edinburg High (1,455); Zeke Aguilar, Los Fresnos (1,450); Zeke Cuadros, Mission High (1,430); Jose Cavazos, McAllen Rowe (1,400); Sebastian Lozano, Brownsville Hanna (1,400); Anthony Del Angel, Sharyland Pioneer (1,400); Gerado Enriquez, Laredo Alexander (1,400)
220 lb. – Anthony Elvir, Los Fresnos (1,840); Roan Galvan, Mercedes (1,650); Yael Herrera, Edinburg High (1,525); Nathan Evans, Los Fresnos (1,475); Santos Avalos, Brownsville Hanna (1,450); Josue Moralez, Weslaco East (1,450)
242 lb. – Noe Castillo, Weslaco East (1,675); Ryan Cain, Victoria East (1,660); Justyn Esquivel, Edcouch-Elsa (1,610); Ryan Creasy, McAllen Rowe (1,605); Kelvin Flores, Weslaco East (1,580); Mark Lara, Gregory-Portland (1,565); Joseph Guerra, Edinburg Economedes (1,550); Christoval Villarreal, McAllen High (1,550); Jesus Hernandez, Brownsville Rivera (1,530)
275 lb. – Dante Ramones, Edinburg North (1,690); Carlos Rodriguez, McAllen Memorial (1,650); Aiden Safford, Rio Grande City (1,585); Anthony Garcia, PSJA North (1,565); John Avila, Brownsville Hanna (1,565; Edgar Otero, Donna North (1,550)
308 lb. – Matthew Ybarbo, Brownsville Rivera (1,665); Jaime Palafox, Los Fresnos (1,640); Abisai Tijerina, Edinburg Economedes (1,625); Thomas Santillan, Weslaco High (1,615); Ray Holloman, Brownsville Veterans (1,600); Oscar De La Cruz, PSJA Southwest (1,600)
Super Heavyweight lb. – Caleb Davis, Harlingen South (1,850); German Woo, Brownsville Hanna (1,670); Manny Torres, Laredo Cigarroa (1,650); Jamarion Owens, Mercedes (1,650).
Division II
114 lb. – Juventino Guerrero, Hidalgo (910); Leo Ruiz, Hidalgo (880)
148 lb. – David Hernandez, Port Isabel (1,275)
181 lb. – Travis Menchaca, La Feria (1,350); Evan Sanchez, La Feria (1,350)
220 lb. – Orlando Morales, La Feria (1,550)
242 lb. – Antonio Marroquin, La Feria, (1,605)
275 lb. – Matthew Lopez, Rio Hondo (1,775)
308 lb. – Scott Atkinson, Rio Hondo (1,715)
Super Heavyweight lb. – Nick Gomez, Raymondville (1,695)
Division III
114 lb. – Fabian Solis, Edinburg IDEA (940)
132 lb. – Gabriel Chavez, Lyford (1,130)
148 lb. – Oscar Garza, Edinburg IDEA (1,200)
220 lb. – Carlos Martinez, Lyford (1,380)
Division IV
132 lb. – Jacob Espericueta, La Villa (1,000)
148 lb. – Jayden Silguero, La Villa (1,110)
198 lb. – Jerry Reyes, La Villa (1,400)
308 lb. – Jaime Elissetche, La Villa (1,580)
