March 5, 2003
Athletes attempt heavy lifting
Traverse City West High holds regional power lifting tournament
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Traverse City West High School hosted a regional power lifting tournament Saturday that drew 176 students from 17 high schools around the state.
Hefting hundreds of pounds at a time, students competed in three events: squat lift, bench press and dead lift. Participating schools included Benzie Central, Kingsley and Newaygo as well as Alpena, Grayling and McBain. The 35-member team from West High School won the meet.
Organizer Matt Prisk said students relish both the physical and mental challenges of power lifting.
"Ninety-nine percent of the kids involved in power lifting are self-motivated and there because they want to be there, because they enjoy the competition and camaraderie," said Prisk, a physical education teacher at West who teaches strength training.
"Our kids get to know a bunch of kids from all around the state, from schools that are smaller than us that we don't compete against. They make friends from all over."
Six stations hummed all afternoon as students groaned and strained, striving for their personal best to the cheers and shouts of supporters. A support staff including a judge, two plate loaders, side judges and spotters kept each station running smoothly. Dozens of other parent and student volunteers helped with everything from scorekeeping and food to judging and T-shirt sales.
While an increasingly popular sport at the high school level, power lifting is a club sport in Michigan. The school's head football coach, Prisk said power lifters are often football players staying in shape and building muscle.
"In a lot of other states it is a sanctioned sport, recognized and supported by the state athletic organization and it is a very popular sport down south," Prisk said. "Here in Michigan it is primarily supported by football coaches who want their athletes not involved in winter or spring sports to have another form of competition and a reason to strength train."
Clarkston High School fielded nine lifters Saturday, whose sports background varied from baseball and soccer to football and golf. The school began the team two years ago and now has more than 20 members. Nine students will compete in the state on March 15 in Muskegon.
Despite the four-hour drive to Traverse City, Jono Moehlig, an 11th grade student at the school, said the time is well spent.
"It helps a lot to see what the other schools are doing," noted Moehlig, a baseball player who lifts in the 181 pound class.
Participants in a power lifting meet have nine lifts, three in each of the competitive categories. While power lifting is an individual sport, Moehlig said it has a team spirit because of shared training time and the encouragement at the meets.
"Like wrestling, if you do good individually here, you help out the team," he said.
Moehlig's favorite of the three events is the squat, a pursuit that requires perfect balance even while lifting up hundreds of pounds.
"You have to have great balance because if you move any part of the body that's not lifting, you are disqualified," he noted.
The Roscommon High School team fielded nine girls lifting at the meet. The club began three years ago and the team's core members have competed every year. They train in strength and conditioning during gym class and also during after school practices twice a week.
The Roscommon girls team members collectively pointed to the adrenaline rush power lifters get from competition, where they lift as much or more than their body weights. Plus, they like showing that girls can flourish in this formerly macho territory.
"Power lifting is a sport that people cannot say that women aren't good at," said Carol Nixon, a ninth-grade student from Roscommon and first-year power competitor.
Female lifters are making their mark on the sport and at Saturday's event, 23 of the 176 participants were girls. The Clarkston team Saturday also included one girl, Sara Horne, who has six gold medals to her credit.
Ashley Saenz, a senior from Farwell High School, broke the state record for dead lift earlier this season. Now completing her second season of power lifting, she hoisted the record-breaking 355 pounds at a previous meet.
"Lifting is definitely fun," said Saenz, who also participates in track and previously played softball and volleyball.
While it may seem like brute strength would rule in power lifting, power lifting is also a mental sport.
"I visualize the bar and how much weight is on it and doing the lift," said Moehlig of his pre-lift preps. "If you're not ready to lift it feels heavier than it should."