Marble Falls powerlifting wins WABDL federation state title, advances to world meet

CAPTION: The Marble Falls High School boys powerlifting team guided by strength-and-conditioning coach Richard Scales (back row, left) with the numerous awards the Mustangs won at the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters. Courtesy photo

The Marble Falls High School boys powerlifting team won the state championship of the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters April 22.

MFHS strength-and-conditioning coach Richard Scales said the Mustangs broke 15 state and world records at a meet that was unlike any other in which the Mustangs competed beginning with the fact that athletes only performed in the deadlift and bench press and had to do so without the aid of equipment suits that help the lifters compress and make them stronger.

“I was extremely proud of the boys,” he said. “And It wasn’t on the lifts. I was prouder of how they represented the school and community, They showed respect to the meet, the sport. The co-directors and the state directors mentioned that constantly. They were very impressed with how they represented themselves and the community.”

That means the Mustangs have earned the right to represent the state at the world meet in Las Vegas in December.

Most of the Mustangs, who are all juniors, competed in the teen male division ages 16 and 17. Each team had to have a certain number of athletes competing in the deadlift and bench press. If an athlete competed in one lift but not the other, coaches had to have another athlete compete in the other lift.

Xavier Lopez led the way by setting a state and world record in the deadlift in the men’s open (all ages) and teen males division for those competing in the 198-pound weight class. He deadlifted a weight of 644.7 pounds.

“He was lifting against 40-to-50-year-old men,” Scales said. “He did very well.”

Jose Solorzano, who also competed in the 198-pound division, set a state record in the bench press for teen males by lifting 259 pounds. He also deadlifted 418 pounds.

Chase Richard bench pressed 187.2 pounds in the 132-pound division to finish in first place.

Aaron Dominguez, who competed in the same division, won the deadlift by lifting 385.7 pounds and finished second in the bench press by lifting 165.2 pounds. His combined push/pull total of those two lifts — that equal 550.9 pounds — set state and world records.

In the 148-pound teen division, Adan Lopez set a state record in the the bench press by lifting 236.7 pounds and state and world records in the deadlift by lifting 424.2 pounds. Both earned him two gold medals. Lopez’s push/pull total of 644.4 pounds set state and world records.

Noah Escandon, who competed in the 198-pound weight class, set a state record in the bench press by lifting 253.5 pounds and deadlifted 457.2 pounds to finish second in that division.

Jose Solorzano-Aldava, who competed in the 220-pound weight division, had a push/pull total of 661.2 pounds to set state and world records.

Josue Garcia set state records in both the bench press and deadlift in the teen male’s 18 and 19-year-old division weighing 181 pounds by lifting 264.5 pounds and 501.5 pounds respectively.

“I’m pretty certain everybody had new personal bests,” Scales said.

This federation has different rules from the Texas High School Powerlifting Association, which governs the sport in the state.

“This is a different federation with slightly different rules,” the coach said. “The boys who were able to attend lifted in the teen raw division.”

That means athletes used their own natural strength and training without the body suits that help them lift more weight while competing during the early spring.

“The equipment suits give more compression,” Scales said. “The better your suit, the more you can lift. At this meet, it was what you could do physically.”

The Mustangs were invited to compete in this meet because of their success during the powerlifting season, which begins early in the spring semester and ends in March.

“I want the boys to keep training,” the coach said. “It was good for us to work on technical things. It was a good experience, going to see veteran lifters who have been lifting for longer than they’ve been alive. There were power lifting legends they were able to see. Everyone had a good experience.”

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