By ROY HESS | Staff Writer
After finishing second as a team a year ago at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Class 5A State Meet, the Lopez Lady Lobos are eager to do even better March 16 in Waco.
They gained confidence for state by winning Saturday’s Region 5 Meet at PSJA Southwest. The Lopez girls, who qualified nine lifters for state, won the combined Class 6A/5A meet in Pharr with 22 points. The runner-up team was Los Fresnos with 19 points and Hanna was third with 15. Port Lavaca, the defending 5A state champion, had 14 points.
The Lady Lobos now are preparing to have another strong showing in Waco against a field of strictly 5A competitors from around the state.
“To edge out a reigning championship team like Los Fresnos (at the Region 5 meet) means we’re taking steps in the right direction,” said Lopez powerlifting coach Matthew Barba, who is assisted by Bruce Castro. “We’re trying to put our girls in the best spot possible so they can be successful (at state).
“All nine of our state qualifiers are ranked in the top five (in their weight classifications) going into the state meet,” Barba added. “We expect all nine to be bringing in points and to be in the running for medals.”
The nine girls going to the state meet in Waco for Lopez are Norma Lee Vega, Lexi Davila and Esmeralda Saldana (all 105 pounds), Alexa Vega (114 pounds), Annahi Pizana (123 pounds), Lizette De La Fuente and Jennifer Cisneros (both 148 pounds), Melanie Quintero (198 pounds) and Julieann Delgado (259-plus pounds).
“We always help each other and bring each other up when we’re having bad days,” said Norma Vega, a junior who finished second in her 105-pound weight division at the Region 5 meet and broke a regional record for the dead lift with a 320-pound clearance. “We take care of everyone.”
Added De La Fuente, a junior who also finished second at the regional meet, “I feel honored to go to state. It’s amazing. It motivates me a lot to see the ones who are (ranked) above me because it gets me fired up to do even more and push myself to do better (so I can beat them).”
Delgado, a senior, highlighted the day Saturday for the Lady Lobos by winning her division at the Region 5 meet.
“I felt I did well by placing first on Saturday and I’m hoping to place first again at state,” she said. “I have a lot of motivation, especially from my parents, coaches and teammates.
“We put in as much hard work as we possibly can in the mornings and afternoons,” Delgado added. “It would mean so much to me for us to win a state title because I’ve been a part of powerlifting since my freshman year. My goal has always been to win a state title, not individually, but as a team. It would really make me happy.”
Also at the Region 5 meet, De La Fuente broke a squat lift regional record with a 445-pound clearance in the 148-pound division.
Alexa Vega and Melanie Quintero each tied a regional record. Alexa Vega recorded a 180-pound bench press in the 114-pound division and Quintero had a 415-pound dead lift in the 198-pound division.
“I’m excited, but nervous (to go to state),” said Quintero, a senior who took second Saturday at PSJA Southwest. “We’re pretty sure we can get first as a team at state. We’re very dedicated and we’ve been putting in the time (necessary to do well).”
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess