EDINBURG — Any time the words “record-breaking attempt” are spoken through a PA system at a powerlifting meet, the normally fast-paced and intense atmosphere comes to a standstill. All eyes — coaches, spectators and powerlifters from all weight classes — shift their attention to the respective platform where the record-breaking attempt is happening.
“At first, it’s very nerve-wracking because everyone is looking at you and now you’re over here thinking, ‘Damn, if I don’t get it, I’m going to look funny.’ But then as soon as you get under there, all the adrenaline kicks in,” Mercedes senior 198-pound powerlifter Miguel Jimenez said.
Nine regional records were shattered and two more were tied at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association (THSPA) Region V Division I championships Saturday at South Middle School in Edinburg.
Jimenez broke the squat record in the 198-pound weight class with a 705-pound lift, surpassing the previous mark of 700 held by Comal Canyon’s Ian Bell since 2010. Jimenez, who won gold in his weight class, and 91 other powerlifters punched their tickets to state Saturday.
Powerlifters qualified for the THSPA State Championships, scheduled for March 25 and 26 at Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene, 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.
Los Fresnos took home the team title with 24 points coming from six powerlifters finishing in the top five of their respective weight classes. Weslaco East earned a second-place team finish with 18 points, followed by Edinburg North in third with 15 points. Points are awarded for the top five finishes in this manner — 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1.
Donna North senior Louie Cavazos finished first in the 123-pound weight class with a state-leading 1,170 total and broke the bench press record with a 285-pound lift. Cavazos now has his eyes set on winning a state championship.
“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.”
Edinburg Vela’s Justin Chapa topped McAllen High’s Felipe Garza to win the 114-pound weight class with a 1,125 total, but Garza put his name in the record books with a 275-pound bench press, breaking the previous record of 270 set by Donna High’s Robbie Nieto in 2007.
“As I’m going in, I’m going in with straight focus trying to go hard and break that bench press record. There was a thought in my mind thinking the attention is coming to me, I might get a little bit nervous, but it actually helped me more,” Garza said. “It’s intense, but it’s not as intense as my coach, coach (Daniel) Rodriguez. He got me fired up and ready to go and kill it.”
Weslaco High powerlifters Sergio Lerma (181-pound weight class) and Thomas Santillan (308-pound weight class) combined to break three regional records. Lerma broke his own squat record of 675, set last year, with a 700-pound squat. That led to breaking Weslaco East’s Imanol Ordonez’s record of 1,660 set in 2019 with a new 1,680 total. Santillan’s 740-pound squat beat PSJA Memorial’s Kevin Lopez’s 700-pound lift accomplished last year.
The 148-pound weight class was so strong, all 12 competitors qualified for the state meet by hitting the qualifying weight total of 1,200 pounds. Edcouch-Elsa’s Ever Crispin, who leads the state in the weight class, posted a 1,425 total with a 550 squat, 340 bench and 535 deadlift.
Harlingen South’s Caleb Davis finished first in the super heavyweight class with a 1,850 total. which included an 800-pound squat. The regional record is 875 pounds set by Laredo United South’s Rudy Flores in 2015.
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)
198 lb. – Jerry Reyes, La Vlla (1,400)
308 lb. – Jaime Elissetche, La Villa (1,580)
