On Saturday, February 19, 2011, bright and early at 7:00 AM, the power lifting team arrived at Highland Park to participate in the 7th annual Highland Park Power Lifting Invitational along with Waxahachie, Bishop Lynch, Coppell, Ranchview, Berkner, and J. J. Pierce. The team consisted of 15 members : Juniors Preston Martin, Luke Olinger, Michael Stephens, Akuda Esin, Hayden Williams, John Euart; Sophomores Chris Koskovic, J. J. Gustafoson, Aiden Johnson, Gabriel Bibbs, Paul Parris, Chris Mavor, Conner Freeze; and Freshman Jack Summers.
After arriving at Highland Park High School, the team attended the required weigh-in before going to eat a quick breakfast at McDonalds. The weigh-in is required in order to put each individual in his respective weight class. When they returned, the team had to put on their power lifting suits and warm up in the Highland Park weight room. When warm-ups had been completed at 8:45, it was time to start the meet.
The first lift of the meet was back squat, in which each competitor had three chances to successfully complete a back squat in order to qualify for the next round. After completing at least one squat, the competitor moved on to the next lift, the bench press. As in the back squat, each competitor had three attempts to record a bench press and then move on to the next lift, the dead lift. After each competitor completed the dead lift, the officials of the tournament totaled all of the weights and ranked each individual in his respective weight class.
Akuda Esin finished third in the under 220 weight class and qualified as an alternate for the regional power lifting meet. Paul Parris also medaled, finishing in fifth place in the super heavy weight class. One Jesuit competitor, however, caught a tough break in the middle weight class. Michael Stephens, situated in third place at the time, pulled up a 360 pound dead lift that would have given him fourth place in his weight class. In order for a lift to count, however, a competitor must receive at least two out of three green lights from the judges. Stephens’ dead lift received only one out of three green lights, surprising the cheering power lifting team. After the meet Stephens said, “I came here to lift big weights, and I did my best to lift those weights.”
The competitors enjoyed themselves and the coaches were pleased. Coach Brandon Hickman, the power lifting head coach said, “It was a good experience, a good way to compete in the off season and another way to prepare the team for what really matters this upcoming football season.” Preston Martin also weighed in on the power lifting meet, saying, “It was quite the competition with an array of interesting characters.”
The power lifting team is made up of athletes participating in off-season football workouts. All football players who do not play another sport are required to run in the morning with the coaches doing a variety of agility and conditioning drills as well as some team competitions on Thursdays. On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday the off-season players lift after school.
Power lifting is a chance for the football players, or anyone else who is looking to stay in shape, to increase in strength, power, and speed during the offseason. Nick Ackels, a junior who does not play football but attends the power lifting workouts said, “Even though I quit football, I like to lift weights because it’s fun and a good workout. A great man once told me that if I eat, sleep, and lift weights that God would take care of the rest. This changed my life.”
The workouts last about an hour in the morning and an hour after school and prepare the team for the upcoming power lifting meets and more importantly the next football season. The workouts are hard but fun and it’s good bonding and preparation for spring ball which then leads into the fall season. Outside linebacker Luke Olinger said, “The workouts are tough, but I believe they will help me in the fall season.”
