By ADAM KUJAWSKI, Staff Writer
There is a first time for everything.
Three members of the Lopez boys powerlifting team — Alex Berrones, Rogelio Pulido and Danny Diaz — will represent the Lobos in the state meet for the first time in school history Saturday.
They will each look to improve upon the Region 5 Division 1 totals that earned them a trip to Abilene.
Lopez coach Hugo Ramirez is proud of the growth he’s seen from his state-caliber athletes, a process that began when Ramirez chose them.
“I hand-picked them,” coach Hugo Ramirez said. “I saw their dedication and I thought, ‘I could use that in the weight room.’ They fell in love with the workouts, and they wanted to be successful so I knew they’d make it to state. I’m not surprised.”
One example of Ramirez’s eye for hard work can be found in Pulido, a lifter in the 148-pound weight class.
Pulido, now a junior, was once a Lopez soccer player. When Ramirez suggested he give the weight room a try, he wasn’t sure it was a fit. Now he’s hooked.
“(Pulido) said ‘I’m not that big,’ and I told him to give me a chance,” Ramirez said. “But now, he’s the type of kid where you have to tell him ‘Go home, already.’”
At this year’s regional meet in Weslaco, Pulido set a regional record in the deadlift that helped punch his ticket to Abilene.
Once he completed his squat and bench press, Pulido was in sixth place. But when he lifted a record 560 pounds in the deadlift, he shot up to second place in his class.
“I was very happy inside and happy for the school itself,” Pulido said when he learned his lift had secured him a place at the state meet.
Berrones, a sophomore, will compete in the 114-pound weight class. He surpassed the qualifying total of 850 pounds necessary to earn a spot in the state and was ecstatic that he’d advanced with a fourth-place total of 905 (330 squat, 175 bench press, 400 deadlift).
“I was shocked,” he said. “Once I got my qualifying total, I was shocked because I didn’t imagine going to state my sophomore year.”
His teammate, Diaz, lifts in the 132-pound weight class and finished third at the regional competition. His total of 1,175 pounds (460-275-440) is the result of three years of dedication. He started lifting as a freshman and has been devoted to the weight room ever since.
“I love the weight room,” Diaz said. “I come at 6 in the morning, school starts at 8 and I just work out for two hours. Then, after school we come to the weight room again.
“It’s really exciting to know that we’re the first ones to make it (to state), and it should be a nice experience.”
Ramirez couldn’t be more proud of the strides his team has taken. Numerous hours working toward a goal have paid off.
“We expect to medal. All three of them,” Ramirez said. “Hopefully as a team we finish top five in state. It’s very competitive, but with their hard work and dedication, we should be up there.”
Adam Kujawski covers sports for The Brownsville Herald. You can reach him at (956) 982-6663 or via email at [email protected]. On Twitter he’s @adamkujo1.