SETTING THE BAR FOR STATE

Earning a trip to the state powerlifting championships, Meridian Lady Jacket Ramirez captures THSWPA regional gold in “unequipped” category, while three Meridian boys compete at THSPA Div. 4 regional

With four powerlifters advancing to the regional championships last week, the Meridian boys and girls knew they would have to raise the bar. And why not. After all, the Meridian boys and girls powerlifting teams have improved throughout the season by setting new personal records meet after meet.

That’s exactly what Lady Jackets Raechel Ramirez did to capture the gold medal at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association’s Region 2 Unequipped Championships March 3 in Bosqueville. And in the process, Ramirez earned a trip to the THSWPA State Meet held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the Comerica Center in Frisco.

“Raechel did an amazing job and has worked extremely hard to get this accomplishment,” Meridian powerlifting head coach Chaz Spivey said. “Many days have been committed to powerlifting, and her dedication shows. We are more than proud of her.”

Last Saturday, the Meridian boys qualified Cesar Ramos, Zach Smith and John Wyatt to compete at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association’s Division 4 Region 2 Championships March 9 in West.

Ramos placed eighth followed by Smith in ninth in the 114-pound weight class, while Wyatt finished in ninth place in the 198-pound weight class.

“We are extremely proud of these young men and their amazing season,” Spivey said. “The group I have this year is absolutely amazing. We came in with some veterans that knew the field and functioned very well. We also came in with many that had not been in powerlifting at all. And yet, they managed to progress in the weight room tremendously. I could not have truly predicted how much growth we would see this year across the board. “

Competing in the THSWPA’s new “unequipped” category, Ramirez won the 165-pound weight class by putting up a total weight of 700 pounds to surpass runner-up and state qualifier Raquel Oziran of Liberty Hill with 670 pounds. Ramirez topped the 165-pound class with a 275-pound squat and 315-pound dead lift while bench pressing 110 pounds.

“Bosqueville ran an amazing meet,” Spivey said. “It is a brand-new way to lift within THSWPA. All it entails is that the girls lift without the use of a bench top, squat suit or wraps. It is a true “raw” lift. This makes rising in ranks fairly difficult without assistance.”

After the highlight of the regular season when Meridian hosted the Yellowjacket Invitational Feb. 10, Ramirez earned a trip to regional in the 165-pound weight class with a total lift weight of 725 pounds, combining a squat of 295, a bench press of 115, and a dead lift of 315.

“Raechel has made amazing strides this year,” Spivey said. “She will go a long way, I am sure of it.”

With the boys getting an extra week of work before regional qualifiers were announced, Ramos and Smith advanced in the 114-pound weight class, while Wyatt qualified in the 198-pound weight class.

“We rolled into the season strong and ready,” Spivey said. “Every one of our athletes came into powerlifting with big goals. The even greater thing is that we managed to surpass many of those goals. That has truly been the greatest thing to see this year. Watching these young men and women strive for better at every turn. We have not seen any stop in the progress, which we all hope continues for more than just powerlifting.”

At the Yellowjacket Invitational boys division, Wyatt won the 198-pound weight class with a total weight of 1,120 pounds, Bradly Perry took the silver medal in the 220-pound class with a total weight of 975 pounds, and Austin Pogue claimed the bronze in the 165-pound class with a total weight of 1,035 as the Jackets finished third place as a team behind champion Troy and runner-up Whitney.

In the girls division, Ramirez proved to be Meridian’s only medalist with a second place finish in the 165-pound class, while Brianna Rosales finished fourth in the 148-pound class with a total weight of 515 pounds.

“It’s incredibly hard to pick any one performance over another,” Spivey said. “Each and every one of our lifters made sure we represented Meridian in the best ways. We had many PRs, a very great system of support within and outside of our team, and very good attitudes towards our lifts. It is so easy to get caught up in the stress. Yet, our lifters do a fantastic job of pushing that stress to the side and tacking care of business.”

While powerlifting can play a role in improving performance in all athletic programs, Spivey believes it’s much more.

“Powerlifting is one of those programs that teaches many things,” Spivey said. “Arguably, one of the most important things it teaches is confidence. Some go a long time without realizing how strong they are and can be. An athlete can find themselves fighting with lower weight lifts for a while.

Powerlifting is simply a grind that teaches that with patience and dedication you can surpass those previous numbers. Then once you do, it breaks down those mental walls that told you “I cannot get that lift.” Once that doubt is broken, all you want is more weight, and you know all you have to do is work for it. You can’t buy that kind of confidence.”

Photos by SIMONE WICHERS-VOSS & WENDY OROZCO