Lifting the stigma

By: Temi Ikudayisi

SAN MARCOS-  Trading in oven mitts and aprons for chalked hands and metal weights, the 2017 Texas State powerlifting team shatters society’s notions of women being delicate, feeble- creatures incapable of exuding mass amounts of physical strength. This new image of strength and empowerment boasts brawny muscle and places an emphasis on being legitimately strong, and ultimately, kind of badass.

A group of 5 ladies decided to take a departure from the delicate, unassuming treadmill walker, and take a chance with something more hardcore, joining the powerlifting team at Texas State.

For a lot of the ladies, powerlifting is not only a new and exciting experience, but a liberating one as well.

“A lot of girls feel like they can’t lift weights because they do not want to get bulky or they do not want to be masculine, but I think that lifting weights is so empowering,” said junior Valerie Rendon. “In a time now where women are looking to the future, we have to be able to stand up for ourselves.”

Breaking in to a typically male-dominated sport, this small group of ladies knew to expect adversity at every step.

Star athlete and freshman, Alexis Ortiz says despite having lifting experience prior to joining the Texas State team, still found herself having to prove something to the males on the team.

“It was really hard,” Ortiz said. “A lot of the guys see me as much younger and on top of that I’m a girl. They just assume I don’t know anything, despite having competed before.”

These ladies continue to lift the stigmatization placed upon them and turn tribulations into success.

Ortiz, despite being the youngest member on the team and one of only five girls, recently broke an American world record. Squatting 385 pounds of metal with ease, she is already setting goals to break 400 pounds.

“I did not even know at the time,” she said. I went to a qualifier for Nationals and squatted 385 pounds, and everyone was just like, yeah you broke a record!”

Through numerous challenges, these ladies have built a support system, strong enough for anyone of them to lean on. Collectively they’ve decided the love of powerlifting to be greater than the stigma placed on them for competing.

“Being women, I think people are going to have stigmas about everything we do,” says team veteran Melyssa Alvarez. We’ve just decided not to let that stop us from doing what we love!”

For more information regarding these ladies and the Texas State powerlifting team, visit txstweigtlifting.wordpress.com.

New Powerlifting Team Prepares for New Season after Successful First Year

By Samantha Burdick

SAN MARCOS — After making a National appearance in their first year, the powerlifting team is starting their new season by becoming an official club in hopes to gain funding and a gym to practice in on campus.

The team is hoping that the Jowers’ building expansion will allow one of the previous athletic spaces to open up since the team members each currently pay a monthly membership at Texas Health and Racquet Club (THRC) where they have been allowed a room to practice in.

“Currently the funding process is just us,” organization president Blake Wright said. “Once our paperwork goes through with sports/clubs on campus and we meet their requirements, we will be able to get funds through the university.”

Since the organization is completely student run, Wright said that another goal is to gain an advisor or coach. Wright and vice president Justin Revilla are the current head coaches and help motivate the new and current members.

“It is definitely difficult. You have to be able to adjust to the different experience levels,” Revilla said. “I want them to make goals, reach their goals and make new goals.”

Although the team made an appearance in their first year, a big goal for both Revilla and Wright is getting the team ready for competitions, qualifiers, and being able to place at Nationals.

“This summer is about getting a good, solid group, rank higher at meets, and get back to nationals and gain some titles as a team, as individuals and set some records state, country and worldwide,” Wright said.

The current team members are all working towards these goals as well and push each other to succeed.

“The energy is always very high, and there is a lot of accountability,” team member Preston Bethea said. “Everyone holds everyone to the same standards, and if you slack off, you are going to hear about it.”

To watch the powerlifting team accomplish their goals, follow them on Instagram: txst_powerlifting.

First Appearance of Powerlifting Organization is Successful

By: John Martinez

SAN MARCOS – Stepping up to the platform, Blake Wright rubbed the excess chalk off his hands. A daunting 655lbs in total was loaded on the bar. Going through the steps in his head, he wrapped his fingers around the cold metal. Deep breath, dip and pull. Locking out at the top, he could not help but smile as his teammates yelled and cheered for his new personal record.

Wright has been powerlifting on his own for a few years, but him and previous organization president, Issac Vela, decided to create a powerlifting team back in September 2016 to fill a void that they felt was missing from Texas State. Although they are not yet an official club of Texas State, they are on the fast track to becoming one by the end of summer.

The Powerlifting organization has been up and running for less than a year, but they have already had some success with the team earning medals at the 2016 Southern Regional Championships and 2017 USA Powerlifting Aggie Showdown where 211 lifters competed.

During the Southern Regional Championships, the team won three medals when Matthew Conner placed first in the 83 kilograms division, James Worhty placed second and Blake wright placed third. Three more medals were won at the Aggie Showdown where Vela placed first in the raw junior event and placed third in the raw collegiate event, while Jordan Pitts placed second.

The team’s participation in the Southern Regional Championships and the Aggie Showdown lead to them competing in the 2017 Collegiate National Championships where the team didn’t do as well as they had originally thought, placing 19^th out of 23 teams. Despite their performance at nationals the team is preparing for next year and working harder with hopes for a better outcome.

When it comes to his personal goals and the goals for his team for next year, Pitts said he wants the team to make nationals and would like to become stronger himself.

“I want the whole team to actually make the nationals.” said Pitts, “Personally my biggest goal right now is increasing my bench; I wanna get 405 by the end of the summer and break 600 for deadlift and squat by December.”

During powerlifting competitions, team members compete individually, but it is still a team sport. Before, during and after competitions, team members are constantly supporting each, trying to push one another to the next level. As someone who is somewhat of a coach for the team, Revilla said that he want’s his team members to keep pushing themselves by reaching personal goals and creating new ones.

“I want them to know to never get discouraged if they see somebody doing better because your biggest opponent is you, so I just want them to make goals, reach their goals and then make new goals.” said Revilla “One step at a time.”

Powerlifting club looks to put Texas State University on the map

By:Andrew Meaux

SAN MARCOS–Dedication. Passion. Self-improvement. Pushing limits. Comradery.

These are the terms used to describe the dedicated members of the powerlifting club at Texas State University.  Whether people have had experience with powerlifting or have never been in a gym before, the powerlifting club welcomes anyone with open arms.

Powerlifting club provides students with an opportunity to compete in Olympic Powerlifting,  a sport that pushes limits and builds physical and mental strength. Not only does powerlifting club help people achieve personal goals, but the club also is built on a strong foundation of teamwork and  family-like atmosphere.

“At first we were all just a group of guys that would get together and powerlift, but we decided to make it official and go through the university and make an actual team,” said Blake Wright, president and head coach of the club.

Even though the powerlifting club only entered the campus recreational atmosphere in September of 2016 the team has already placed in the top three of every local meet that they have attended.Powerlifting club has made a future goal of sending as many lifters to nationals as possible.

“The energy is always very high. There is a lot of accountability. Everyone holds everyone to the same standards. If you slack off, you are going to hear about it. It’s a beautiful thing to watch,” said powerlifting club member Preston Bethea.

In order to join powerlifting club, students need to submit dues of $100 for the semester and $75 the following semester. The club uses the proceeds from these dues to pay for new equipment and any travel fees that the club may incur. Since the club is completely student run, the club often initiates fundraisers in order to help member expenses.

“Currently the funding process is just us. We share most of our equipment. The main thing is the monthly membership to our current gym,” said Wright.

Members currently workout and maintain a membership at Texas Health & Racquet Club. However, the expansion of Jowers is predicted to provide the club with a new place to practice.

Join Texas State’s powerlifting club today and get in on the ground floor of an amazing opportunity to build oneself and relationships with other student in an already successful campus club.  For more information regarding powerlifting club visit www.campusrecreation.txstate.edu/sport-clubs/club-pages/Weightlifting.html.