By ROY HESS, Staff Writer
With each successful lift, the Lopez Lobos are emerging as one of the top powerlifting programs in the Rio Grande Valley.
That statement is particularly true concerning the Lopez boys squad, which won its own meet last Saturday against 23 other teams. Individually, the Lobos had six first-place finishers, two second-place lifters and another competitor take third.
“It’s an honor (to be a part of this program at Lopez),” said Hugo Salas, a senior who placed first in the 148-pound weight division at Saturday’s meet. “It’s not an everyday thing somebody can say that they get to be on this team.”
Salas won his division at the Lopez meet with a combined total of 1,375 pounds for the squad lift, bench press and dead lift.
He has set a goal to break the state record in his weight class of 620 pounds for the squad lift. Salas hopes to lift 630 pounds in the coming months leading up to the state meet for boys in March. So far, he’s lifting close to 600 pounds in the event.
“I’m looking forward to that big (state) meet,” Salas said.
The Lopez boys took first at Saturday’s meet with 55 points. Weslaco East was second with 23 and Pace was third with 22.
Besides Salas, other first-place finishers for the Lobos were Leo Alaniz with a 1,065-pound total in the 123-pound division, Jose Alvarado with a 1,325 total in the 132-pound division, Ramses Ramos with a 1,270 total in the 165-pound division, Jesse Luna with a 1,385 total in the 198-pound division and Josh Trevino with a 1,750 total in the super heavyweight division.
Alvarado was named the meet’s outstanding male lifter. His 1,325 total in the 132-pound weight division included a 565-pound squad lift, a 280-pound bench press and a 480-pound dead lift.
Alaniz said winning the meet just adds to the team’s motivation for a state title.
“I was feeling pretty confident (that I might get first place in my division),” said Alaniz, a junior. “I was also a little disappointed because I didn’t get all my lifts (and achieve the weight totals I wanted). I didn’t reach some of my goals, but it’s OK because we still have a long way to go (before regional and state competition).
“It feels good to be part of something that is known around the state and even nationally (as a strong powerlifting team),” Alaniz added. “It’s also a humbling feeling. This past meet was pretty big and had a lot of schools from around the Valley, so that makes us feel pretty confident after we did so well. We’re just hoping for the best and hopefully we’ll win it all this year.”
Taking second for the Lobos were Omar Salazar with a 1,375 total in the 198-pound division and Leo Diaz with a 1,245 total in the 154-pound division. Teammate Christian Godinez was third in the 220-pound division with a total of 1,490 pounds.
Most, if not all, the members of the Lopez boys powerlifting team also played football in the fall and were on the Lobos squad that returned to the playoffs in November for the first time in a decade.
Lopez also has some standout female lifters, including Julieann Delgado, who is the defending state champion at 220 pounds and currently ranks first in Texas with her 1,050-pound total. Other strong female lifters for Lopez are Lexy Davila, Norma Vega and Alexis Rivas, who is expected to be Lopez’s valedictorian this school year. Davila is a 97-pound freshman with a 505-pound lift total to her credit.
Matt Barba has taken over for Hugo Ramirez as the head coach for powerlifting at Lopez. Barba came to the Lobos from a successful Los Fresnos program, where he mentored under coach Dan Smith.
“I feel that we have grown as a program from when ‘Coach Ram’ (Ramirez) started this boys program to now,” Barba said. “It’s grown exponentially. The main thing has been initiating a girls team because being known as ‘The Program’ is to have both your boys and girls teams be successful.”
In the girls division at Saturday’s meet, Hanna was the top team with 37 points followed by Los Fresnos with 29 and Edinburg Vela with 27.
The outstanding female lifter was Rio Hondo’s Andrea Ramirez from the 148-pound weight division. She had a 970-pound total that included a 334-pound squat lift and a 185-pound bench press.
Upcoming meets for local powerlifters include Jan. 28 at Pace, Feb. 4 at Brownsville Veterans Memorial (the city meet) and Feb. 25 at Hanna.
The girls state meet is March 17-18 in Waco and the state meet for boys is March 24-25 in Abilene.
Valley schools all want to make an impact at the state level, and Barba believes Brownsville ISD is getting there.
“(Right now,) Hanna has the top girls team and Lopez has the top boys team, so Brownsville must be doing something right (in powerlifting),” Barba said.
Roy Hess covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @HessRgehess