Matt Vines
Twenty-one powerlifters from Mansfield and North DeSoto high schools will descend upon UL Lafayette’s Cajundome to compete in the LHSAA Powerlifting State Championships on Friday and Saturday.
Mansfield, who competes in Division IV, is sending eight boys and six girls to the state championships.
North DeSoto, who competes in Division II, will be represented by five girls and two boys.
The girls in both divisions will compete Friday with the boys lifting Saturday.
The Mansfield girls team is in their first season of competition, and coach Ryan Stewart said his freshman- and sophomore-laden roster has been a joy to coach.
“Not everybody plays basketball, so these are a bunch of girls who wanted to do something to give back to their school during this time, and this is that avenue,” Stewart said. “Almost everybody on our team that qualified is a baby – four freshmen and zero seniors.”
“Regionals was an eye-opener for us, and the girls got to understand what a meet like that felt like. It lit a fire under most of our team, and they worked to get stronger and wanted to compete at an elite level all the time.”
The boys powerlifting team is in its second season since being reinstated, something that head football coach Darrell Barbay wanted to implement upon arriving at Mansfield.
While powerlifting is often used as weight training for athletes in other sports, Stewart said the competition aspect adds incentive to weights.
“The competition is paramount because any time you get kids who want to compete – these kids want to compete in everything they do from the classroom to every sport they play,” said Stewart, who serves as the football defensive coordinator. “We have competition days built into our (football) offseason stuff, activities like flipping tires tug-of-war and even 3-on-3 basketball.
“Powerlifting is another way to compete.”
Mansfield’s Terrance Pegues is the reigning Division III champion at 275 pounds, and the senior is looking to add a second title.
North DeSoto’s male lifters occupy the lighter weight classes with Blake Chambers (148 pounds) and Jacob Haley (132 pounds). Haley is the only freshman in his Division II weight class to qualify for state.
“Haley worked his butt off in football, and his powerlifting success is a by-product of that work continuing,” said North DeSoto coach Christopher Wilson, who accepted the head football position at North Webster this past week. “Chambers is a really strong kid, and if you’re strong, you’re strong.
“There is a skill element involved as well. But these guys come into the weight room three times as week and haven’t deviated from their plans.”
Joining Pegues from Mansfield’s boys squad is Darrien Wells (242), Deanthony Chambers (242), William Phoenix (220), Derrick Mitchell (165), Jaden Ross (148), Lavel Claudio (123) and Omar Thomas (114).
The Mansfield girls are sending freshman Karlee Combs (97), freshman Charlene Jackson (181), freshman Kynsleigh Hooper (198), junior Nydia Clay (220), freshman Nyriah Hensley (220) and sophomore Christini Addison (SHW).
The North DeSoto girls will be represented by five lifters. Senior Briley Pendleton (105), junior Abby McInnis (114), junior Anna Giddens (123), junior Kinsey Reynolds (132) and freshman Jaliyah Brown (165).
To qualify for state, lifters had to finish in the top 10 in their respective division’s weight class.