Powerlifting Team Has Improved
By John Earp
Last Saturday in Lovington, the JHS Varsity Powerlifting Team completed their final meet of the regular season. Head Coach Dusty Loftis said, “It’s such a short season, but we saw a lot of improvements in all our powerlifters. The last meet that we went, for those that went, everybody had a gain in their total weight lifted. I’m talking about from like anywhere from 20 pounds total improvement to some kids had upwards to 95 pounds improvement in their lift totals. Powerlifting consists of three classic lifts; the squat, the deadlift, and the bench press. Loftis says the team also grew in number from the beginning of the season, to a total of ten lifters, including one eighth grader.
Ebany Aguilar and Elijah Chavez will be returning to the state meet this year, with both ranking high enough to qualify. Aguilar (Junior) and Chavez (Senior) have both been very consistent in their high achievements as powerlifters for the past several seasons. Aguilar is ranked second in state in A-AAA Girls. Chavez is tied for second in state on the boys’ side. Loftis says, “It’s pretty difficult to make it to the state competitions. You’re competing with three separate classes into one classification.
Loftis says powerlifting is very similar to track in that it’s primarily an individual sport with a team aspect as well. He said, “If you win the weight class, that’s worth seven points to your overall team score and five points for second place and so on and so forth. And so, at the end of the meet it’ll just total up all your team points or individual points into your team score and if you got the top score, then you come out on top and get the state title. Jal High Powerlifting won the girls’ state championship in 2020 and 2021. The JHS Boys won state in 2021 as well. During the COVID lockdowns, basically all normal winter team sports like basketball were shut down due to Governor Lujan-Grisham’s draconian restrictions on congregant meetings, but powerlifting took off as a new sport during that time, with all meets being held remotely and numbers of people in close proximity being quite limited.
Loftis says, “Powerlifting is one of those sports where it doesn’t get all the glory because it’s not really a team sport and you’re doing it in closed environments and weightrooms where spectators aren’t usually allowed to come and so it doesn’t get the recognition that it should, but hopefully those kids will see their improvements over the season and will continue to lift all year. And like I told them, you know, powerlifting is that one sport that can help you in every sport that you do and also is just a good thing that you can do the rest of your life. I mean, if you’re stronger, you’re going to be better at most sports. In most sports, the stronger kids are usually coming out on top, not always, but, you know, you have a big step up if you’re the stronger team out there.”
The Jal High School Powerlifting Team this season consists of Valeria Acosta, Ebany Aguilar, Yahaira Amaro, Leilene Chavez, Danna Castillo, Elijah Chavez, David Gaytan, Luis Lujan, Rodrigo Villa, and Jayden Walker.
The NMAA Powerlifting State Meet is scheduled for next Friday (Girls) and Saturday (Boys) in Rio Rancho.