When Amaris Garza stepped up for her final lift of the day, she didn’t know how significant that deadlift was — both for her and the Edinburg IDEA Eagles.
It won her a state title and it clinched the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Class 3A state championship for her and the Eagles last Saturday at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, their second crown in the past four years. The Eagles had four individual champions and totaled 28 points, just enough to squeak by Natalia, which finished second with 27 points.
Had Garza, a sophomore, not successfully lifted her personal best 310 in the deadlift, set at regionals two weeks earlier, she would’ve received five points for second instead of seven for first and her team would’ve finished second with 26 points.
Edinburg IDEA was one of three teams to come home with a trophy from the event. Edcouch-Elsa also won the championship in the Class 5A small school division with three individual champions and a dominating performance in the meet. The Yellow Jackets collected 42 points to outdistance second place Sharyland Pioneer, with two individual state champions, with 17 points. Perennial power Los Fresnos capture the 6A title
Points are awarded for the top-five finishes in this manner — 7, 5, 3, 2 and 1. E-E not only had three firsts, but three second places, one third, one fourth and one fifth for their 42 points.
“Amaris put us on top,” head coach Aida Gonzalez said. “We knew it was going to be a nail-biter and a close one with us and Natalia. She was nervous but she’s very tough mentally. It was a pretty smooth and steady lift. She had to fight a little at the end. I tell all the girls there’s one word to remember — focus. Don’t lose focus and you can get it done.
“After that lift, the rest just needed to finish.”
Each lifter goes through three different sets of lifts — the squat, bench press and deadlift. Total weight successfully lifted then determines the winner. Garza finished at 765 total pounds, 10 pounds ahead of the second-place overall finisher.
Garza, who turned 16 the week before the event, said her sister, assistant coach Priscilla Garza, was also a powerlifter and a member on the 2018 state championship squad. The program has been in existence just since 2016.
Junior Isis Sandiford dominated her weight class with a state-record total weight of 980 pounds in the 132-pound division. Her closest competitor totaled 870 pounds. She also set a state mark in her weight division and class with a 245-pound bench press, the nearest competitor clearing 190.
Sandiford and sophomore Mia Rincones, who won the state title with 960 total pounds in the 165 class earned the lifters of the meet award. Sandiford also earned a bench press award.
Senior Samantha Gonzalez was the only lifter in the 181 division to reach the 1,000-pound lift mark with a squat of 405, bench of 205 and a 390 deadlift.
“It all comes down to dedication,” Coach Garza said. “It works. Set your goals, work for them and get it done.”
Anabel Martinez (97 pound division), Deena Flores (123) and Georgina Alaniz (132) all captured state titles in the 5A small school division for Edcouch-Elsa, a regular state championship contender.
Other Valley state champs include: Pioneer’s Daniela Roman (148 pounds, 5A small school), Sharyland High’s Natalia Davila (265, 5A small school), Pioneer’s Crystal Palafox (259, 5A small school), McAllen Memorial’s Kassandra Mendiola (148, 5A large school), Brownsville Lopez’s Marleen Salazar (259, 5A large school), Los Fresnos’ Sindy Aguilera (105, 6A), Mission High’s Erika Guerrero (259, 6A) and the Edinburg Economedes trio of Princess Rios (132, 6A), Ashley Chavez (181, 6A) and Anahi Garcia (220, 6A).