(Courtesy photo/Hector Avila)
By ALBERT VILLEGAS
Special to the NEWS
EDINBURG, TEXAS—The Lady Greyhound Powerlifting squad placed fourth as a team, with one athlete earning an individual title following Class 6A competition of the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association State Championship Finals at Bert Ogden Arena.
Two hundred thirty seven lifters competed representing 55 schools, some traveled to the Valley from West and Central Texas, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, the greater Houston area, and San Antonio.
Wylie (32 team points) won the team title, followed by Royce City (23 team points), Del Rio (20 team points), and then San Benito (18 team points).
Five other Valley squads placed in the Top 10, including Harlingen (fifth), Edinburg (sixth), Los Fresnos (eighth), Edinburg North (ninth), and Weslaco (10).
San Benito was led by Leandra Machuca in the 132 lbs. class. The junior earned first place after lifting a combined weight of 1,060 pounds, which is a state record in that individual weight class.
She broke her own state record in the squat category when she reached 450 pounds. She bettered it by 20 pounds.
Machuca also tied the state deadlift record with 385 pounds.
San Benito earned fourth as a team through the other powerlifters who competed to give them their 18-point score.
Senior Alyssa Niño (148 lbs. class) was in a three-way tie for first place. She had a total weight of 1,170 pounds.
Senior Alyssa Baker (105 lbs. class) placed fourth with a total weight of 710 pounds.
Junior Hailey Galarza (114 lbs. class) placed fifth with a total weight of 1,060 pounds.
Freshman Laurabella Sanchez (242 lbs. class) placed third with a combined weight of 1,170 pounds.
The following are other San Benito lifters who competed: Narelin Gutierrez (97 lbs.) 12th place, Maria Delgado (105 lbs.) sixth place, Jordin Garza (123 lbs.) sixth place, Kylee Torres (165 lbs.) seventh place, and Annette Monjaraz (165 lbs.) sixth place.
Greg Blanco is the San Benito head coach and Mario Marmolejo is the assistant coach.
Wrappers were Marc Sanchez, Ethan Ruiz, and Alex Rojas.
See page 5 for more details.