Weslaco High’s Sergio Lerma set a state record in the squat and captured the state championship, one of four boys to do so Saturday, at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Division I state meet at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.
Lerma, a sophomore, competed in the 181-pound weight class. Also winning state titles were McAllen High’s Hugo Rodriguez at 148, PSJA’s Javier Pichardo at 165 and La Joya Palmview’s Alberto Vargas at 220.
PSJA High, Weslaco High and McAllen High finished fifth, sixth and seventh as a team, respectively. Kyle Lehman won the team event in a highly competitive event with about 100 schools represented following their respective regionals.
Lerma broke his own record in the squat, which he set two weeks ago at regionals with a lift of 675 pounds. He shattered that mark Saturday with a 700-pound squat. Lerma said following his regional squat that he had never attempted the 675-pound lift.
He won the regional title in dominating fashion, winning is weight class by 145 pounds. He did the same Saturday. His combined weight between the squat (700), bench press (290) and deadlift (585) gave him a total of 1,575 pounds, 105 pounds ahead of his nearest competitor at 1,470.
McHi’s Rodriguez combined to lift 1,330 pounds (565 squat, 305 bench, 460 deadlift). His 565 pound squat was the heaviest lift among competitors in that weight class.
The Bears’ Pichardo had the top squat (655) and top deadlift (560) in the 165 weight class. He added 355 in the bench for a 1,570 total. He and Jordan McKenzie of Midlothian were the only two to surpass a total lift of 1,500 pounds in that weight class.
Palmview’s Vargas came off his state record 465-pound bench at the regional meet to have a great all-around day in each lift category. He pushed the best mark in the weight class at the bench with 450 pounds, was second in the squat at 655 pounds, fifth in the deadlift at 610 for a total of 1,715 pounds, 15 pounds more than he lifted to win the regional title.
There were 172 lifters competing at the Division I event Saturday.