At a regional THSPA powerlifting meet held at Decatur High School on March 7, 2023, Kennedale High School finished 18th overall out of 29 teams entered. There were 145 lifters at the meet.
The four-member regional Wildcat team was composed of Arath Herrera, John Lawing, Sebastian Pegan, and Nathan Porras. KHS Powerlifting Coach is J.W. Scott.
- John Lawing finished 9th in the 123 WTC (weight class) with a Squat of 260 lbs; Bench of 145 lbs; Deadlift of 285 lbs for a total of 690 lbs.
- Sebastian Pegan finished 9th in the 132 WTC: Squat 320 lbs (personal record); Bench 185 lbs; Deadlift 340 lbs (personal record) for a total of 845 lbs.
- Nathan Porras finished 11th in the 181 WTC: Squat 420 lbs; Bench Press 280 lbs; Deadlift 480 lbs for a total of 1180 lbs.
- But it was Arath Herrera who had the big day with a total of 1300 lbs, finishing 4th overall in the 165 lbs WTC. He had a squat of 515 lbs, a bench press of 285 lbs, and a deadlift of 500 lbs.
It is usually the top 2 finishers in each weight class that advances to the state meet, however, Herrera’s lift put him in the category that automatically qualifies. According to updated stats, Herrera is 4th in the state in the deadlift category. The Texas High School Powerlifting Association State Meet will be held on March 24 and 25th in Abilene, Texas.
Glen Rose won the meet followed by Decatur, Gainesville, and Lake Worth. See overall results.
Other Wildcat Lifters who competed earlier this year were Avery Manuel, Avery Cox, Brian Cox, Brandon Heutzenroeder, Robert Johnson, Johnathan Frausto, Hayden Marin, Mitchell McBroom, Brendon Turner, Branden Turner, Justin Valle, Seth Barriga, Landon Ledgler, Luis Hernandez, and Christopher Favela.
A three-title district …
Herrera is not the first from Kennedale to represent the Wildcats at state. While powerlifting is not for everyone, Kennedale has had enough to win 3 state titles over the years – 2007, 2008, and 2014. THSPA Team Championship Records.
Several Wildcats had earned multiple individual state titles – Lance Canter 220 WTC (2005, 2006); T. J. Sabando 181 & 196 WTC (2007, 2008); Justin Lindsay 114 WTC (2015, 2016, 2017). THSPA Individual State Titles
Good luck to Herrera at state!
