By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
There appears to be a bright future ahead in powerlifting for Hanna freshman Alexandra Chavez.
For the moment, she’s pretty happy to be a qualifier for this weekend’s THSWPA state meet at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi. Weigh-ins are Friday and the competition is Saturday.
Chavez is new to powerlifting this school year. Yet, here she is going to state.
“It’s my first year in high school, and I just wanted to try something new,” said Chavez, who competes in the 148-pound weight class. “One day I came to practice and I ended up liking it.
“I didn’t think I would do as well as I’ve done,” she added. “I have teammates and a really good coach who push me. Everybody is there to help. My parents (Dino and Odelia Chavez) are supporting me also, so I think the support I have is one of the reasons why (I’ve done well).”
Chavez qualified for state with a 760-pound total weight lifted in the bench press, squat and dead lift events at a regional meet March 7 at Edcouch-Elsa. That total was a personal best. The standard to qualify for state in her weight division was 735 pounds.
Mike Chavez, the second-year Hanna powerlifting coach who is no relation, said the goal for his lifter this weekend is to achieve a new set of personal bests in her three lifting events.
“Alexandra started lifting for us in November, and from then until now, she’s made a lot of progress,” said Chavez, who also coaches the defensive line in football. “Every week she’s been going up (in weight lifted at meets).
“In the beginning, our expectations for her were only to enjoy the sport and to get a taste for it, and obviously, she’s exceeded that now by going to regionals and state,” he added. “Now our expectations for her are to place at state this year, and hopefully our goals will be bigger than that down the road. Before she graduates, she’d like to be a state champion. If she keeps working hard the way she’s been working and keeps setting her goals high, I think she will be able to attain that goal.”
The Hanna coach said there are a number of admirable qualities about his standout female lifter that contribute to her success.
“She’s naturally strong, she’s got good technique and she’s very coachable,” he said. “The main thing about Alexandra is she’s very motivated. She has real high expectations of herself. She sets her goals and she goes after them, so that’s what I think is her best quality.
“She’s been a pleasure to coach, and she’s a very hard worker,” he added. “The way she works in and out of the classroom, she’s just an all-around good kid.”
The Lady Eagles’ lifter said she wants to finish in the top 10 at state.
“Right now I have a 760 total, and I want to raise it to an 800 total,” she said. “For me to do well at state would be super motivating. It would make me want to go back to state and place higher in the years to follow.”
She’s now become an advocate for the sport.
“I would just say that people often think it’s just a sport for guys, but it’s for girls, too,” she said. “Girls may think they’re going to get really buff and look all manly, but that’s not true. My (female) teammates and I don’t look like that at all. It’s something that’s good for you.”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess.