Power World – A look at KHS power-lifting and state rankings

1/22/2013?

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? ? ?If you ever walked in on power-lifting meet at a high school for the first time, you would think that you had just walked into chaos. There are hundreds of athletes and their coaches on a gym floor, tables and weight benches scattered throughout, kids struggling into and out of what seems to be tights that have been through a hot dyer and are now three sizes too small. You see huge athletes, legs like trees and shoulders broader than daylight and then you see athletes as skinny as a wire and wonder if they turned sideways, would they disappear. ?{{more}} However, as you stand trying to comprehend what you are seeing, it slowly comes into focus. There is organization to this madness, in fact, it is really highly choreographed. In this particular situation, it was the KHS Iron Kat Invitational?which the high school hosted on January 12, 2013. This event attracted 17 boys? teams and 11 girls? teams and included 3A, 4A and 5A schools from around DFW area.

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? ? ?Like clockwork athletes move into and out of competition area in a series of lifting events. At any one time there are 4 to 6 events happening. With cheers from parents in the stands, their coaches and their team-mates, each competitor comes forward in this most of highly individualized sport. It is one the few sports at the high school level in which you are able to compete regardless of your size. It depends on your weight and your own grit. Along with the football players and big and brawny athletes, you have band students, P.E. students, theater students and students who do are not on any team or squad and may never be on any other. And, as much as anything these students are competing against themselves.

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? ? ?Kennedale got into competitive lifting years ago after Athletic Director Richard Barrett came to the district. Kennedale never had the biggest athletes but it could have the strongest. In the years since, both the Wildcat Lifters and the Lady Kat Lifters have won state titles. The sport has grown and almost every school in the area has a program. Boys?Coach Mike Burke along with?Girls Coach Ken Jowers and?Strength and Conditioning Coach Brian Barrett?organized this year?s event with dozens of KHS athletes and coaches helping to keep the meet going. Even the Athletic Director was manhandling 100 lbs weights into place Saturday afternoon. If you ever get a chance to watch an event, it is worth the price of admission.

? ? ?Current Boys state rankings for Kennedale in Divison 2:

Rank ????????????Name ???????????????????????????Weight Class ??????Total of all lifts?

• 17^th? WILLIAMS, DERRICK ?114lbs ? ? ? ? ? ? 620lbs
• 4^th ???HUYNH, KEVIN? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?132 lbs ? ? ? ? ? ?940lbs
• 9^th ???ASMATY, SHAFIG?? ? ? ? ? 132lbs ? ? ? ? ? ? 895lbs
• 23^rd? ?ALI, FOUAD? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?165lbs ? ? ? ? ? 1090lbs
• 22^nd? ?BROOKS, LEO ?????????????198lbs ? ? ? ? ? ? 1180lbs
• 4^th? ? ?McGAHAN, TREY ? ? ? ? ?220lbs ? ? ? ? ? ?1345lbs
• 16^th? ?WARD, NATHAN ??????????242lbs???????? ???1200 lbs
• 18^th ???REED, BRENT ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 275lbs ? ? ? ? ???1260lbs?

? ? ? Girls state rankings?

• 3^rd JIMENEZ, JESSICA? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?123lbs ? ? ? ? ? ? 460lbs

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