Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
The Logan High School boys last week captured the small-schools title in the inaugural NMAA powerlifting state championships.
Logan freshman Izaiah Kneitz also won an individual state title in the 123-pound weight class.
The Logan girls team finished sixth of seven teams in the event.
Weightlifting in the championships was conducted virtually the previous week, but results weren’t announced until Wednesday.
Competing against large and small schools from across the state, Logan boys racked up 22 points in the team scores to defeat small-school runner-up Jal’s 13 points.
Rio Rancho won the large-school title with 66 points. Farmington was second with 41.
Logan coach Dwayne Roberts said his boys were more motivated once they found out they were going against larger schools at the finals.
“Because they threw us in against 1A through 4A, it made the boys work a little harder. We knew we were going to have a little more competition. I don’t know if we expected to win, but it definitely was a goal to win,” he said.
“It was neat to see them get fired up again,” Roberts added. “They hadn’t had anything to be really excited about for so long. Just to have them in an actual competition, even though it was virtual, they were fired up.”
Kneitz completed lifts of 220 pounds in the squat, 135 pounds in the bench press and 300 pounds in the dead lift for a total of 655 pounds. That was enough to beat runner-up Adi Garcia of Texico’s 595 pounds for the individual state crown.
Other Logan competitors by weight class:
• 114 pounds: Bryce Merrill, fifth, 260 pounds total;
• 132 pounds: Mark Rose, sixth, 650 pounds; Brock Burns, seventh, 480 pounds;
• 148 pounds: Nick Brown, second, 930 pounds; Tyler Harris, third, 905 pounds;
• 165 pounds: Kaden Riggs, fifth, 845 pounds; Zack Byrd, sixth, 820 pounds;
• 181 pounds: Austin Earle, fifth, 955 pounds;
• 198 pounds: Wyatt Wright, 10th, 810 pounds;
• 220 pounds: Park Strong, fourth, 1,035 pounds.
San Jon also competed but didn’t score. Its lone entrant, Chad Becerra, finished ninth in the 181-pound weight class.
The Logan girls team totaled six points during their state competition. Silver won the overall girls crown with 41 points, and Jal won the small-school title with 36 points.
Logan’s Jayden Stewart finished third in the 123-pound competition with lifts totaling 330 pounds.
In the 198-pound competition, Kate Earle finished fourth (490 pounds) and Laramee Shields fifth (410 pounds).