By Clara Sandoval
The 830 Times
The Del Rio boys Powerlifting team is sending a slew of lifters that qualified to the Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Championships in Abilene on March 24 and 25 at the Taylor County Expo Center.
The Rams will be represented by six lifters who either finished in first or second place to get an automatic bid or hit the state qualifying marks for their total weight.
“I’m extremely proud of these boys and the way they performed at Regionals,” Del Rio Powerlifting coach David Gomez Jr. “We knew what we had to do to qualify for state and they focused in and got the job done.”
Del Rio’s state qualifier consists of Sammy Flores (165 pounds), Alex Cardenas (148 pounds), Ruben Cardenas (148 pounds), Adrian Cardenas (165 pounds), Cesar Diaz (198 pounds), and Roel Barrera (132 pounds). Caleb Rodríguez also competed in the 275 pound class but did not qualify for regionals.
In order to earn a state bid they competed at the THSPA Region V Division 1 Championships Saturday March 11 at Edinburg High School in the Rio Grande Valley. As a team Del Rio finished in sixth place overall among 28 teams that competed at the regional meet.
Adrian Cardenas recorded the highest finish at the regional meet by taking second place in the 165 pound class. Ruben Cardenas and Diaz finished in fourth place to punch their tickets to the state meet that brings together the best lifters in the Lone Star state.
Adrian Cardenas started off with a 575 pounds in squat before ripping a 380 on the bench press, 515 pounds on the deadlift for a total of 1,470 in the competition. Ruben Cardenas had a 510 in squat, 290 on the bench press and 500 on deadlift for a total of 1,300.
Diaz had a 620 in squat, 350 on the bench press and 530 on deadlift to accumulate 1,500 pounds. Barrera had a 435 on squat, 290 on the bench press and 360 on the deadlift. He had a grand total of 1,1105 for the Rams.
Alex Cardenas started off with a 455 pound lift in squat, then 315 on the bench press and 450. Cardenas finished with 1,220 total pounds. Flores massed 535 on squat, then 380 in bench press and finished with 515 on the deadlift for a total of 1,360.
The lifters are busy preparing for the state championship that is this weekend in Abilene.
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