Marble Falls powerlifters show their might to begin 2025
CAPTION: Arnulfo Salazar is ranked No. 1 in his weight class after three powerlifting meets. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
The Marble Falls High School powerlifting program is performing well through three meets, and the Mustangs have the rankings to prove it.
The Mustangs have several lifters ranked in the Region 2, Division 2 standings. The top 12 in each weight class advance to regional meets. Marble Falls has 17 boys and 4 girls in the program.
Arnulfo Salazar and Oswaldo Sanchez are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, while Braden Potter is No. 12 in the 181-pound division.
Tyler McIntyre is ranked third in the 114-pound weight class, while Clinton Pope is ranked 12th in the 123-pound weight class.
David Dominguez is ranked No. 3 and Adrian Arredondo is ranked No. 9 in the region in the 132-pound weight class.
Josue Fonseca is ranked No. 5, while Joshua Fonseca is ranked No. 9 in the 165-pound weight class.
Keaton Proctor is ranked No. 11 in the 242-pound weight class, and Zane Matlock is ranked No. 7 in the super heavyweight division.
“I feel good with where we are,” new head coach Karl “Beef” Bielfeldt said. “Our lifters are working, they’re supporting each other.”
At the latest meet, the Lampasas Invitational Jan. 23, Dominguez showed why he is ranked near top of his weight class. He won his division with a squat of 410 pounds, a bench press of 200 pounds, and a dead lift of 435 pounds for a total of 1,045 pounds. He earned the best overall lifter award at the meet.
Potter was second in his weight class thanks to a squat of 370 pounds, a bench press of 265 pounds, and a deadlift of 420 pounds for a total of 1,175.
Pope was seventh in his weight class with a squat of 225 pounds, a bench press of 135 pounds, and a deadlift of 235 pounds for a total of 595 pounds. Marlon Marichalar was seventh in the same division with a squat of 295 pounds, a bench press of 150 pounds, and a deadlift of 245 pounds for a total weight of 690 pounds.
Xavier Soza was sixth in the 198-pound division with a squat of 410 pounds, a bench press of 265 pounds, and a deadlift of 435 pounds for a total of 1,110 pounds.
Marley Smith was seventh in the 148-pound division with a squat of 240 pounds, a bench press of 145 pounds, and a dead lift of 315 pounds for a total of 690 pounds. Hayden Liscum was eighth in the same division with a squat of 195 pounds, a bench press of 185 pounds, and a dead lift of 240 pounds for a total of 620 pounds.
Travis Skinner was seventh in the 220-pound weight division with a squat of 360 pounds, a bench press of 235 pounds, and a deadlift of 385 pounds for a total of 980 pounds.
Bielfeldt noted that what the newcomers learned at this meet was invaluable to them because they had to learn how to listen to commands from the judges, how to use the proper footwork and other technical portions in the sport that is the difference between earning a score and not earning one.
“They learned what a powerlifting meet looks like,” he said.
One meet rule is that teams can only bring a total of 12 lifters. So Bielfeldt must shuffle which lifters to bring.
Marble Falls has one more meet, the Aggie Showdown at Texas A&M Feb. 8, and Bielfeldt said he is looking for another meet after that one since the girls regional meet is Feb. 28 and the boys regional meet is March 8.
“Generally you try to space them out,” Bielfeldt said. “You compete in a meet and take a week off. That way you have time to recover and get ready for the next one.”
CAPTION: Oswaldo Sanchez is another Mustang who is ranked in his weight class thanks to putting together performances that show his strength and technique. Photo by Martelle Luedecke/Luedecke Photography
