Wise County Messenger Online

In one of the best powerlifting seasons ever for Wise County, eight standouts are on their way to Abilene this weekend for the Texas High School Powerlifting Association's state championship. It's the only high school event in the state where size doesn't matter as all five classifications compete together.

Paradise will send a county-high six athletes to the event. However, Decatur and Boyd high schools will also be represented as they each send one competitor to the state finals. The top two performers in each weight class from the regional meet earlier this month qualified for the state championship meet.

Decatur's Carlos Huerta was spectacular in the 123.5-pound division at regionals where he won the championship by 95 pounds. The senior finished with a total of 1,015 pounds to beat Pilot Point's Payton Ward at 920.

Huerta won regionals with a 405-pound squat, a 230 bench press and a 380 deadlift. He is trying to become the fourth state champion for Decatur in the last four years.

Boyd senior Colton Sims was second in the 242 weight class where he finished with 1,305 pounds, 60 shy of winner Lance Covington of Henrietta.

Sims recorded a 500-pound squat, a 305 bench press and a 500 deadlift to secure his state ticket.

The state-bound Paradise Panthers are bringing several friends who will also compete. The state qualifiers include Zach Smith, Nick Pike, Kendall Dethloff, Cody Webber and Zach Strand who finished first or second in their weight classes.

Smith won the regional championship for the 148.5 weight class where he had the top regional total all year and did not disappoint at the finals. He tied a personal best and broke two other records to win the title with 1,090 pounds. The standout matched his season-best squat with 435 pounds. He set new marks in bench press at 335 and deadlift at 425.

The other four Panthers took second-place honors to secure their state tickets.

Dethloff had a personal record total of 1,310 pounds in the 181.5 division. He set a personal record on squat with 520 pounds and matched his season best in bench of (310) and deadlift of (480) for a record total of 1,310 pounds.

Pike also dominated in the 198.5 competition where he tied his record of 1,335 pounds. The standout broke the Division III regional bench press record at 330 pounds, squatted a personal best 530 and also pulled a season-best-tying 475 deadlift.

The 220.5 class was the surprise of the day. Webber entered the meet ranked third in the region but set personal records in all four totals to take second. He squatted 510, bench pressed 350 pounds and deadlifted 470 pounds on his way to a new personal record total of 1,330 pounds.

Strand lived up to his ranking as he took the silver medal in the 275.5 weight class.

He got off to a rocky start on squat after missing his opening lift but nailed 530 pounds on his second try.

He recovered in the next lift when he landed a personal record of 350 on the bench press and matched his season best of 480 pounds in deadlift. The lifts also gave him a new personal best total of 1,360 pounds.