Record-shattering day belongs to Paradise en route to regional title
By Robert Morgan | Published Thursday, March 19, 2009
Queen's hit song "We Are The Champions" fits the Paradise High School boys' powerlifting team to a tee. The Panthers have worked tirelessly in a season that was no bed of roses. They paid their dues, and they kept fighting 'til the end.
It all paid off Saturday at the Region VI, Division III powerlifting meet at Paradise High School in what was the most challenging event in its history as 25 of the 44 regional records were broken. Despite the tough competition, the Panthers triumphed and ran away with the regional team championship for the second straight year.
For the Panthers, it's their third team title in five years, and they won it all this time with 41 points. Leonard was the next closest team with 26 points and third-place Pilot Point tallied 18.
An added bonus is that Paradise also had five lifters qualify for the state championship meet March 28 in Abilene. Justin Tucker, Caleb Read, Nick Pike, Cody Webber and Jackson Cunningham earned their ticket to state by placing first or second in their weight class or achieving a qualifying total.
The top five lifters in each division earned a medal for their effort, which meant 10 of Paradise's 12 competitors took home hardware. The two biggest prizes went to Tucker and Pike who won individual regional titles.
Pike accounted for two of the broken records, which helped propel him to first place in the 198.5-pound weight class with a total of 1,440 pounds. He shattered the bench press record by 55 pounds as he was perfect on 385, and he beat the old mark in squat by 10 pounds when he landed a 560. The senior also posted a 485 deadlift to complete his golden day.
Tucker was the region's best in the 148.5 division where he took the gold with a total of 1,180 pounds. He finished with a 470 squat, 260 bench press and a 450 deadlift.
Three other Panthers finished second to secure their trip to Abilene next week. In the 181.5 weight class, Page tallied a 495 squat, 380 bench press and a 460 deadlift for a total of 1,335 pounds. His bench press beat the old regional record by 5 pounds.
Webber finished with a team-high 1,530 pounds in the 220.5 division where he recorded a 630 squat, 400 bench press and a 500 deadlift. Cunningham is the final state qualifier in the 242.5 division where he landed a 500 squat, 365 bench press (tied record) and a 475 deadlift for 1,340 pounds.
Scotty Lancaster, Corgan Andrews and Clayton Pittman finished third at regionals and are alternates for state. Lancaster, who battled in the 181.5 action, racked up 1,250 pounds with a 470 squat, 300 bench press and a 480 deadlift.
Andrews competed in the 220.5 weight class where he had a 550 squat, 280 bench press and a 500 deadlift for 1,330 pounds. In the 242.5 division, Pittman tallied a 540 squat, 265 bench press and a 520 deadlift for 1,325 pounds.
Tyler Ishmael was fourth in the 242.5 division where he finished with 1,305 pounds, which included a 480 squat, 325 bench press and a 500 deadlift. P.J. Fuller ended his short, but successful, season after returning from surgery with a fifth-place finish in the 165.5 group. He had a 450 squat, 260 bench press and a 445 deadlift for 1,155.
Jonathan Lee finished one place and 5 pounds behind Fuller in the same division where he had a 475 squat, 275 bench press and a 400 deadlift for 1,150 pounds. Gage Langley was eighth in the 148.5 weight class where he lifted 975 pounds, which included a 375 squat, 210 bench press and a 390 deadlift.
Regional record-setters
(Old record in parenthesis)
114.5 Class - Taylor Nowlin, Leonard - Squat 360(335), Bench Press 200(195), Total 890(885)
123.5 Class - Payton Ward, Pilot Point - Squat 375(360), Bench Press 270(225), Total 1,030(990)
132.5 Class - Eymarth Rodriguez, Aubrey -Squat 410(385), Dead Lift 480(420), Total 1,090(1,020)
181.5 Class - Curt Allen, Oak Ridge -Squat 550(530), Dead Lift 560(550), Total 1,400(1,365)
181.5 Class - Caleb Page, Paradise - Bench Press 380(375)
198.5 Class - Nick Pike, Paradise - Squat 560(550), Bench Press 385(330)
220.5 Class - Mike Ladner, Blue Ridge - Squat 700(625), Bench Press 465(425), Dead Lift 590(575), Total 1,755(1,625)
242.5 Class - Pete Miller, Jacksboro - Squat 615(610)
242.5 Class - Jackson Cunningham, Paradise - Bench Press 365(tied 365)
275.5 Class - Seth Mize, Pilot Point -Squat 610(600), Bench Press 400(360), Total 1,535(1,505)
275.5 Class - Ryan Smith, Callisburg - Dead Lift 565(545)
