Three lifts. Three attempts. Twenty-one contestants. One state champion. On Saturday in Abilene, Texas, Akuda Esin ‘12 took the state title in the 2012 Texas High School Powerlifting Association (THSPA) tournament in the 220 pound weight-class. Esin is the first Jesuit student athlete to ever compete in the THSPA state tournament, and also became the Rangers’ first state champion powerlifter.
For those not quite familiar with powerlifting, here is how the tournaments work. Powerlifting meets consist of three different lifts: squat, bench press, and dead lift. Lifters get three attempts at each lift. Akuda described the first attempt as “an opener, and it’s supposed to be easy so they can just put an initial weight down on paper.” The officials take your highest weight out of the 3 attempts and then record it for that event. The lifter with the highest cumulative weight of all 3 lifts wins the tournament for their weight class.
In this year’s regional tournament on March 3, Esin squatted 635 pounds, benched 385 pounds, and dead lifted 600 pounds. These weights added up to 1,620 pounds, earning Esin third place honors. In the state tournament, Esin squatted 675 pounds, benched 385 pounds, and then dead lifted 630 pounds. These outstanding numbers added up to a stunning cumulative score of 1,690 pounds, good enough to earn him first place. (See the Jesuit Iron link below to view all 3 videos of Akuda’s best lifts in the tournament.)
Akuda set two personal records for his dead lift and squat, as he had never lifted that much during training or during a tournament. He also had the highest squat weight in his weight class. His total score of 1,690 pounds was just five pounds better than the second place contender, Nathan Ferrara from Lewisville Marcus.
Before the third and final event, the dead lift, Esin was in second place behind Ferrara, who led by 20 pounds. First up was Ferrara, whose highest weight was 605 pounds, giving him a final score of 1,685. Esin came up behind him, lifting 630 pounds to put him over Ferrara with a score of 1,690. The third place contender followed, but was unsuccessful in lifting a higher weight. When asked what it felt like to lift a weight never accomplished before, Akuda said, “It was really easy because I had so much adrenaline running through me. I started freaking out; it just felt really good.”
When asked about how it felt to be Jesuit’s first athlete to make it to the state tournament and win, Esin couldn’t help but grin. “It feels good, man. It feels good that I’m the first one to ever do it, but at the same time, I know other Jesuit athletes have the capability of making it, and I really want them to have the experience that I’ve had. This really has been a great experience.”
Esin’s powerlifting coach, Coach Logan Lacy, who trained Akuda throughout the entire powerlifting season, beamed when speaking about Akuda and his state title. “It almost feels surreal in a way because I always knew there was something about Akuda,” Lacy said. “He wanted it; he was really hungry for it, and it showed throughout the entire competition. He’s really a weight-room warrior. Only one guy truly wanted it, and that was Akuda.”
Lacy, a former professional powerlifter, was able to give Esin helpful tips and instructions. However, Lacy was very humble about Akuda’s state title. “It really wasn’t me,” he remarked. “I’ve had coaches and kids come up to me to say congrats, but honestly, I want them to make a big deal about Akuda. He’s the one who went after it, and he’s the one who had the strong mentality. It was all him, and I was just there to enjoy the ride. I’m so proud of Akuda.”
How did Esin jump from third place at regionals to first place at the state competition? Esin claimed that from regionals to state, he developed a different mindset. “It took a lot of technique, a lot of focus, and a lot of dedication. I told myself I was going to do it, and I did.” His perseverance showed as his squat and deadlift increased by a combined 70 pounds. Without this newly-developed mindset, Esin may not have been capable of winning the tournament. “Akuda really is a fighter,” said Lacy. “He knew what he had to do, and he went out and accomplished it.”
When asked what his initial impression of Akuda was, Coach Lacy smiled and laughed. “When I first met Akuda, honestly, I thought he was a senior just trying to get out of here. However, I do remember thinking, ‘Man, that kid is just strong.’ I didn’t know if he had a mentality, but he sure proved me wrong. One thing that stands out now, though, from any other athlete I’ve trained with is his resilience. It didn’t matter what was on the bar, because when it came down to it, Akuda said he was going to do it.”
Together, Akuda Esin and Coach Lacy made the perfect team to bring home Jesuit’s first powerlifting state title.
Jesuit Iron link:
http://jesuitiron.com/2012/03/26/esin-takes-state-title/
