Lowry High School traveled to Reno on Friday, May 25 to compete in the Northern Nevada Weightlifting Championships at Reno High School.
“We took 30 kids to this competition, our biggest group yet,” said LHS coach and teacher Taua Cabatbat. They competed with schools from Reno, Reed, McQueen, Spanish Springs, Hug, Wooster, Galena, Fernley, Coral Academy, Manogue, Sparks, Truckee and North Valleys.
“The girls stole the show,” Cabatbat said. Julia (Laird) nabbed her third overall win in as many years in the lower division (overall weight lifted and pound-for-pound champion). Whitney (Willey) set the Northern Nevada Bench Press record with 180 pounds in the upper division. Heather Hall had a personal record in the dead lift with 185 pounds on her way to finishing first in the middle division.
“JV boys did really well, the best showing since we started competing,” Cabatbat added. “They were led by freshman Anthony (Peterson) with a first- place finish in the 185 pound division. The varsity boys did really well and held it together, especially since it was a long night and they were sitting around most of the day. Raymond (Orzech) had a good showing with pound-for-pound best lifter and overall weight lifted in the 125 and under varsity division. Ryan (Johnson) finished first in the 185-pound varsity division.”
LHS won first and second place in the girls lower division. Laird came in first overall with 595 pounds total weight lifted. Her 275 pounds lifted in the squat, 165 pounds in the bench press and 170 pounds in the dead lift gave her the win in all events. Shelby Garrison finished second overall with 470 pounds total weight lifted.
In the girls middle division, Hall finished first overall with 580 pounds total weight lifted.
Her 155 pounds lifted in the bench press and 185 pounds in the dead lift gave her first place in both events. Rachel Garrison finished fifth overall with 500 pounds total weight lifted. Tatyana Carlson finished sixth and Claudia Magana finished eighth.
The Buckaroos took four of the top five spots in the girls upper division. Jazmin Dozal took second overall with 640 pounds total weight lifted, as well as tying for first in the dead lift with 170 pounds.
Willey finished third overall with 600 pounds total weight lifted, in addition to winning the bench press with 180 pounds. Victoria Tirado finished fourth overall with 565 pounds total weight lifted, and Sierra Maestrejuan finished fifth overall with 530 pounds total weight lifted.
The JV boys represented LHS well, winning one weight class and posting top three finishes in three other weight divisions. James Vankuiken finished second in the 145-pound division with 730 pounds total weight lifted, and his 225 pounds in the bench press earned him first place in that event.
Jace Mentaberry finished third with 715 pounds total weight lifted.
Derrek Espinoza finished seventh. In the 165-pound division, Alberto Medina finished sixth. Peterson finished first in the 185-pound division with 930 pounds total weight lifted, and his 270 pounds gave him first place in the bench press. Gratian Dawson finished seventh and Jeremiah Good finished ninth. The 205-pound division saw Preston Snow finish second with 890 pounds total weight lifted. Snow finished first in the bench press with 260 pounds, and first in the dead lift with 270 pounds. Seth Whitted finished third in the 225+ division with 890 pounds total weight lifted, and his 275 pounds in the bench press tied him for first place.
The Varsity boys posted wins in two weight divisions. Orzech finished first in the 125-pound division with 685 pounds total weight lifted.
He also tied for first with 295 pounds in the squat, won first in the bench press with 205 pounds and won first in the dead lift with 220 pounds. In the 165-pound division, Jacob Frazier finished fourth with 845 pounds total weight lifted, and Heath Hall finished 11th. Ryan Johnson finished first in the 185-pound division with 940 pounds total weight lifted. He won the bench press with 295 pounds, and tied for first in the dead lift with 285 pounds.
James Richardson finished third with 915 pounds total weight lifted, and he tied for first in the dead lift with 285 pounds. Caleb Sanchez finished seventh.
Victor Rosas finished eighth in the 205-pound division. Josiah Chapman finished fifth in the 225-pound division with 860 pounds total weight lifted. The 225+ division saw Mateo Flores finish eighth.
