Athens powerlifters headed to state meet

(We are working on getting a photo of the state qualifiers)

Athens Hornet Jose Rodriguez won the 123-pound Regional title, lifting at total of 985 pounds in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association (THSPA) Region 3, Division 2 meet yesterday in Rusk.

John Arellano finished second in the SHW class with a total of 1,475 pounds lifted.

The effort qualifies Rodriguez and Arellano to compete in the state powerlifting meet in Abilene Saturday, March 23. This will mark Rodriguez’s second trip to the state meet.

The 18 lifters Athens took to the Regional meet Wednesday finished 5th overall in the event, which featured 26 schools. Texarkana Liberty-Eylau took first.

Other notable finishers for Athens included:

  • Ricardo Rodriguez placed 5th in the 114-pound class with a total of 735 pounds.
  • Brian Gutierrez placed 8th in the 275-pound class with a total of 1,235 pounds.

Complete rankings for the team can be found here.