More than two dozen Killeen ISD athletes entered Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association regional meets over the weekend and six have more heavy lifting to do after qualifying for state.
Of those six, four earned their spots via the title-town route and became regional champions.
Shoemaker’s Ashlynn Famule, the defending unequipped 181-pound state champion, is on her way back to the final meet of the year after securing the Class 6A Division I Region II championship Thursday night at Del Valle High School.
Famule hoisted a combined 935 pounds after recording a 375-pound squat, 145-pound bench press and 415-pounud deadlift.
Lifters who participate in the unequipped category are permitted to utilize only a weight belt, singlet, wrist wraps and chalk, if they choose. That differs from competitors in the equipped portion of powerlifting who can use knee wraps, squat and deadlift bodysuits, and a bench shirt, plus the items above.
Famule will be joined in the unequipped state competition by Killeen High’s Meleana Price, who finished second in the 242-pound weight class. Price posted an 825 total, including a 335 squat, 135 bench and 355 deadlift.
On Friday, two more Killeen Kangaroos secured their state spots in the equipped competition.
Terriny Pace left no doubt in the 242-pound-plus division, squatting 530 pounds, bench pressing 240 pounds and deadlifting 455 pounds for a 1,225-pound total that was plenty to claim the 6A Division I Region II championship.
Teammate Precious Tauiliili finished second behind Pace, posting a 340 squat, 150 bench press and 280 deadlift for 770.
The gold rush continued Saturday in Del Valle during the 5A Division I equipped competition as Chaparral’s Alondra Rosario-Cartagena and Avery Wiltzius claimed regional crowns and advanced to state.
Rosario-Cartagena, a state silver medalist last year, won the 105-pound weight class Saturday with a 655 total that included a 245-pound squat, 150-pound bench press and 255-pound deadlift.
Wiltzius earned the top prize in the 123-pound class with a 280-pound squat, 180-pound bench press and 300-pound deadlift for a 760 total.
The THSWPA state meet runs March 12-15 at Bert Ogden Arena in Edinburg. A link to the schedule can be found here.
A list of all the lifters who participated at regional meets over the weekend is below.
Chaparral: Alondra Rosario-Cartagena; Avery Wiltzius; Valencia Cavazos; Aireanna Jones; Gianellie Hernandez; Kendal Macklin
Killeen: Marianita Sanchez; Alicia Gomez ; Olijana Gabble; Cadens White; K'liyah Triplett; Yesenia Viveros; Meleana Price; Precious Tauiliili; Olivia Byers; Terriny Pace; Olivia Harris (Alternate); Mackeila Angrand (Alternate)
Harker Heights: O’ttavia Denton; Mi’sha Brownlee; A’aliyah Harris; Gabrielle Simmons; Emma Godfrey; Katelyn Flores; Braelyn Woodard; Emilie Morris (Alternate)
Shoemaker: Ashlynn Famule; Desiree Van Dorn; Samaria Wright
Note: Photos provided by Shoemaker, Killeen and Chaparral.
