2015 Collegiate Nationals Preview – MEN

In a sport renowned for individual performances, collegiate powerlifting remains a TEAM sport. Every lifter approaches the platform knowing that they’re not just approaching the bar for individual glory, but for the glory of all those standing behind them with matching shirts and a shared dream. The raw emotion that is generated by the team aspect of collegiate powerlifting is unlike anything you will see at a typical meet. With 377 individual entries and 22 registered teams for the 2015 USAPL Collegiate National Championships, it will be the biggest, fiercest, and most celebrated event in the 40+ years of collegiate powerlifting. Adding to the excitement, is the fact that more than ever, the men’s competition is WIDE OPEN. There is no clear winner. Truth is, nobody knows how it is going to play out. Let’s take a look at the contenders in the men’s division….

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Odds: 3 to 1

UL was the proud home to some of the most dominant teams in the history of collegiate powerlifting, but slipped out of title contention for several years after their 2011 National Championship season. Four years later, not a single lifter remains from the glory days….but UL is BACK with a whole new roster that is thirsty for a return to the throne!

Team president Derek Ward decided that he was willing to go to any length for a team win and starved himself into the 116-pound class over several months of cardio and calorie restriction that would make a competitive bodybuilder cringe. Ward will join All-American Ricky Hu, a double- whammy at 116!

Moving in the opposite direction as Ward is Andre Sigure. Several years ago, Sigure entered UL after a below average high school campaign in the 198 class. Sigure ate his way to 264-pounds and added 200+ pounds to his total every year along the way! If he can hang close enough to Texas A&M’s Scott Dobbins through the subtotal, look for the winning pull to be loaded up on Sigure’s final deadlift attempt. It’ll take 2000+ to bring home the gold at 264 and neither Dobbins nor Sigure has plans to go home with a distasteful silver medal.

Rounding out UL’s roster is top-seeded Brennan Riche. Riche has patiently waited in the wing for 4 years, with the gold medal always slightly out of reach. In his final year as a Cajun, Riche is at his peak and primed for a gold, at last. The Cajuns are laying it all on the line in Atlanta.

University of Texas

Odds: 3 to 1

Over the past several years the Texas Longhorns were the most devastating team in the history of collegiate powerlifting, led by the two best individual lifters to ever compete on a collegiate platform: Ian Bell and Preston Turner. Under Bell and Turner’s tenure, no other team was even in contention for a title. It wasn’t a competition, it was a UT domination! What would become of the Longhorns post-Bell and Turner? Another AMAZING squad and a possible third consecutive national championship!

Veteran Mario Leos is the top-seeded lifter of the 130 pound class, but will have his hands full with Louisiana Tech’s Josue Leon. Leos and Leon went to battle in the 116 class two years ago, with Leos finishing on top. If the Longhorns hope to win again, this will be a critical win.

Rounding out their roster is top seeded Charles Okpoko (145 class) and fast-rising Aaron Pomerantz (163-class). Okpoko will have to outpace Houston-Downtown’s elite bench presser, Kenny Nguyen, if he hopes to bring home the gold and Pomerantz will have to go to battle in the most competitive weight class of the whole meet if he hopes to reign supreme. One thing is for sure, Texas did NOT need a rebuilding season to make it back to the top after Bell and Turner. They stayed on top!

Northeastern University

Odds: 4 to 1

Northeastern is home of the Superheavyweight. Between their program’s first great lifter (Joe Cappellino), head coach Mike Zawilinski, and defending SHW Champion Stephen King, it appears that perhaps Paul Bunyan was actually from Boston and his descendants have all enrolled at Northeastern. 800-pound squats and 700-pound bench presses have become the norm for the huskies and one thing is for certain about the Superheavyweight division this year….it’s good to be KING!

If Matt Cassista (205) or Vahe Misserian (231) can back up King with another gold medal, we could be looking at the first Championship team from the north in decades!

Texas A&M

Odds: 5 to 1

Scott Dobbins is stronger than ever as the leader of the Aggies. While we can count on Dobbins to bring his A-game, it’ll take an elite performance from his underclassmen to bring home the team Championship to College Station. If Blake Lehew (third seed at 163) or Abram Guerra (top seed at 205) can claw their way to a gold medal, Texas A&M will definitely be in the title hunt.

University of Texas – San Antonio

Odds: 6 to 1

Led by veteran Richard Pena as the top-seeded 205-pound competitor and the one-two punch of Mauricio Valdez and Coy Jorden at 182-pounds, the Roadrunners definitely have some heavy weapons in their arsenal. While it may appear that their roster lacks the supporting cast necessary to back up their big guns, I caution anyone that might take UTSA for granted.  Coach Wes Zunker is at the top of the recruiting game and something tells me that he has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Other Great Lifters

• Scranton’s Dalton LaCoe bursted onto the powerlifting scene two years ago and hasn’t slowed down. He’s untouchable at 116-pounds and his 1207 qualifying should allow him to cruise to victory.
•  Louisiana Tech’s Josue Leon is the defending 116-pound champion, but has bulked to 130-pounds in 2015. Look for some insane numbers from the leader of collegiate powerlifting’s most storied program.
•  Benjamin Etringer (Navy) and Thomas Evans (Army) are the premiere lifters from the United States Service Academies. Look for an epic battle at 163-pounds!

2015 Collegiate Nationals Preview – WOMEN

It’s time. For one weekend, every April, hundreds of the nation’s premiere collegiate powerlifters gather to battle. There is no meet as electrifying, exhilarating, or ear-piercingly intense as the USAPL Collegiate National Championships. When the dust finally settles on April 13, tears will flow…some in glory, many in disappointment. Only one team will leave Atlanta as the champions, the others will tip their hats to the winners as they scatter across the nation for another year of training, and a new dream. Let’s take a look at the contenders in the Women’s division…

The University of Texas San Antonio

Odds: 1 to 1

For nearly 30 years, collegiate powerlifting was dominated by the state of Louisiana. Many of those years, Louisiana schools placed first through third, leaving only scraps for their neighbors to the west. Deep down, everyone knew that it wouldn’t last forever. There was so much talent rising in Texas High School Powerlifting that we knew it was only a matter of time before someone would find a way to put together a devastating collegiate squad. The day is finally here and the man is Coach Wes Zunker of UTSA. We are looking at the most dominant female squad of the modern collegiate era and unless the Roadrunners make some serious mistakes, they are primed to repeat as the Women’s national champions.

UTSA is led by the #1 ranked (overall) collegiate lifter, Victoria Vargas. In 2014, Vargas defeated the defending national champion of the 114-class as a freshman, and backed it up with even more mind-boggling numbers in the Texas Regionals this past November. To give you an idea of just how dominant Vargas is, she broke the collegiate bench press record in the 114 class….and it also exceeded the men’s 114 record! She’s unstoppable. Other talented lifters have steered clear of the 114-class in acceptance of her talent.

Increasing the odds for the roadrunners was their recruit of the #1 ranked high school lifter in the nation, Jaelyn Clark (1284 total) of the 185+ class. Clark is the probable gold medalist in her freshman campaign if she can outpace the crafty veteran from Texas A&M, Ashleigh Andrews.

If getting hit by the one-two punch of Vargas and Clark wasn’t enough, UTSA has more potential gold medalists in defending 94-pound champion (lifting 103 in 2015) Allegra Hudson and the top-seeded 138-class lifter, Giovanna Ortega. Only major mistakes could open the door for another team to overtake the roadrunners and that is unlikely to occur under the watchful eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Zunker.

Northeastern University

Odds: 4 to 1

Last year’s article claimed “the north is coming”. Well….they’re here! NEUPL is big, dominant, and LOUD! With the biggest squad (and biggest traveling fan base) of all the collegiate programs, Coach Mike Zawilinski’s team is an intimidating presence come meet day. This year, they’re closer to their dream than ever.

Led by veteran All-American Erika Myers as the likely gold medalist of the 158-class, the Huskies are loaded with several potential winners in the heavier classes. Look for All-American Monet Bland (185-class) to have 500+ loaded on her final deadlift in an attempt overtake defending champion Mariah Hamm (Wisconsin-Eau Claire). If Bland pulls for the gold at 185, Myers follows through with gold at 158, and veteran teammate Emily Leibert leapfrogs her way to a win at 125…..UTSA will be in hot water!!

University of Texas

Odds: 5 to 1

The Longhorns finished in third place last year and it was obvious that they’d be a contender in 2015. Led by 3-time All-American and top seeded 94-pound lifter, Tiffany Vu, the Longhorns return nearly all of their talent from last year’s successful run. Whereas the Northeastern team is heavy on talent in the higher weight classes, UTA has nearly identical striking power in the lower classes. With 5 potential All-Americans in the first three weight classes, the Longhorns will come out swinging in day one. If freshman Bryanna Ybarra can pull off the upset win at 103 or Dominique McGaha can sneak up on Northeastern’s Erika Meyers at 158, this might just be the year of TEXAS!

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

Odds: 10 to 1

After being hit heavily with graduation in 2014, the Lady Cajuns weren’t ready to roll over and accept a rebuilding year in 2015. Team Captain and defending national champion, Lauren Deniger, dropped two weight classes (from 125 to 103) since last April. She is leaner, stronger, and more determined than ever to keep her squad at the top of the food chain. Backing up Deniger is Louisiana’s top high school recruit, freshman sensation Denisha Melancon (138 class). If Deniger and Melancon pull their way to gold, the only question is the Cajun’s inexperienced supporting cast. The Cajuns are an outside shot at the title this year, but UL seems to always be near the top or hot on the trail.

Penn State University

Odds: 20 to 1

When a team has depth, they always have hope. The Nittany Lions lack a true superstar which will limit their chances at a title, but they have lifters hungrily sitting in the wing for nearly every class. If another team slips, there is a Lion waiting to pounce. They’re a longshot, but PSU is definitely in it to win it!

Other Great Lifters

• Erin Stevenson (Boise State) and Kimberly Johnson (Wisconsin-Green Bay) are two unattached lifters that are primed for an epic battle at 125!
•  Mariah Hamm has marched her way through all the top meets: Collegiate’s, Women’s Nationals, and IPF Junior Worlds. She is a seasoned veteran and will surely put together another astounding display of strength in Atlanta

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Picture: 2014 University of Louisiana at Lafayette Powerlifting Team

Top Ten Mistakes Made by Powerlifters (Part 2)

5. Calling yourself a “national champion” when deep down you know that you aren’t—If you multiply all the federations, by every weight class, by every possible division that now exists….you’ll find that there are over 100,000 potential national champions in this country, which far exceeds the total number of active powerlifters. Most of those potential “national champion” titles can be obtained just by mailing off an entry fee and lifting an empty barbell. Powerlifting is pretty broken and the powers-that-be are never going to settle their differences, but that doesn’t mean that Joe Average lifter has to lie to his 900 facebook friends and claim a false title. Be proud of what you can lift and if you really want to be the national champion, I’m sure you’ll figure out which meet you need to attend.

4. Saying “I’m going to total……”—I hear this all the time from younger lifters. They tell me exactly how much they are going to lift at their next meet. More times than not, this number is about as real as the tooth fairy. This number is only going to happen if they go 9/9, hit a PR on every lift, and have every planet in the solar system line up perfectly at the right moment. C’mon man, we’ll see what you can lift soon enough. The greatest victim of this ego-driven approach is the lifter themselves. They’ve set themselves up for disappointment. There’s nothing wrong with a goal, but be realistic. You see a lot of young lifters hanging their heads after meets when they should actually be celebrating all that they have worked for.

3. Saying “I was supposed to total..…”—Here’s the beauty of our sport: There are only 2 colors of lights, red and white. There is no pink. You add up your highest successful squat, bench press, and deadlift and that is what you totaled. Period. Don’t murky up the water with excuses; your real total is still stronger than 99% of the people at the local Anytime Fitness!

2. Seeking a “special exercise” to correct poor form—Little Billy Powerlifter can squat 150 perfectly, but anything over that causes him to hunch over and perform a good morning-style squat. Like many novice powerlifters, Billy is sure that there is some secret exercise that’ll correct this. And there is a secret exercise to fix this….it’s called taking weight off the bar and only training with weights that you can move with proper form. If Billy can only squat 150 with an upright chest, then there is no reason to go heavier. The best way to correct an imbalance is by humbly training with appropriate poundages and perfect form. If you do this, whatever muscle group is the limiting factor will naturally be forced to work harder and grow stronger. If you abort the good form, you’re relying on your stronger muscle group to compensate for your lagging muscle group….which only creates more imbalance.

1. Wearing jean shorts and a fanny pack—Only Wade Hooper can do this…because he is Wade Hooper. Unless you’ve won a junior, open, and masters world championship, don’t’ attempt this advanced power-fashion.

Top Ten Mistakes Made by Powerlifters

10) Weighing in light—While at the collegiate powerlifting championships this year, I had several lifters tell me that they were weighing in light so that they would have the advantage in the case of a tie. This is a horrible strategy that only provides a 2.5 kilo advantage. If you show up light, you’re surely sacrificing more than 2.5 kilos on your total, making the whole strategy counterproductive. If your weight class limit is 105, the best strategy is to weigh as close to 105 as possible.

9) Entering the submaster category —Over the past 15 years, powerlifting federations in the United States have been selling out the integrity of the sport in order to obtain more members. One way that this has been done is the creation of thousands of divisions that allow everyone in the meet to go home a champion. The most offensive of all the new divisions is “submaster”, which is a special age bracket for lifters aged 33-39 to avoid the open category. In our sport, 33-39 are the prime years for a lifter and any lifter that thinks they’re at a disadvantage because they are in their mid thirties needs to be shaken back to reality. Be proud of your lifts no matter how much weight you can move and never enter this absurd division.

8) Opening up RAW and then adding a suit/shirt for your second attempt —the goal here is to avoid bombing out because of extremely tight gear that may or may not allow you to get a lift in. While this sounds good in theory, it rarely works. It takes several warm-up attempts to get the gear seated properly. The chances of this working out in your favor simply aren’t worth it. Have your gear on for your last warm-up or two and open up with confidence. If you miss your opener, don’t panic…you still have two more attempts.

7) Squatting high in training —You see it all the time thanks to modern day social media. Lifters train high on the squat and say “it’s just a training squat, I’ll dunk it at the meet”. This is a very poor approach that is being dictated by the lifter’s ego. The lifter wants to use more weight than they are capable of, so they cut their squats high. Then, after wasting many squat workouts by not training to proper depth, the lifter either bombs out or has a disappointing performance on meet day. If you don’t consistently train the bottom portion of the squat, get ready to be shocked by how heavy your opening weight feels on meet day when/if you really do dunk it.

6) Wearing Chuck Taylors and not knowing why you are wearing them—In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Westside Barbell was the hottest trend in powerlifting. Every lifter wore Chuck Taylors because anything written by Lou Simmons was considered gospel. The problem is, Lou Simmons was coaching multi-ply lifters and multi-ply squatting is a totally different movement than RAW (or single-ply) squatting. A flat sole is perfect for wide stance squatters that keep an upright back and do not have to break parallel. But squatting below parallel is a totally different animal. Your knees will have to come forward a bit more and you will not be able to stay as upright as your triple-ply canvas counterpart. The “Chuck Taylors for All” approach doesn’t translate into modern powerlifting. RAW squatting has taken over and multi-ply powerlifting has all but died. With RAW squatting (to proper depth), a heel is usually ideal.  The height of the heel depends on squat style and individual lever lengths of the lifter. Some lifters will prefer an aggressive ¾” heel (Nike Romaleos and Adidias Adistars) and others will need a shorter heel to avoid being pitched forward when ascending.  And still some lifters will be best-suited in a flat-soled Chuck Taylor shoe. But post a question on bodybuilding.com about what type of shoe to wear and every novice that has ever read a Westside Barbell article will chime in with the cliché “Chuck Taylor” response.

Stay tuned for the top 5 mistakes….

Top 10 Collegiate Powerlifters of 2014!

Place	Name	School	Total	Weight	Wilkes
1	Victoria Vargas	UT-San Antonio	876	110	510
2	Molly Zunker	UT-San Antonio	832	103	508
3	Kayli Alphonso	LSU	854	111	493
4	Allegra Hudson	UT-San Antonio	744	93	487
5	Ashleigh Andrews	Texas A&M	1190	183	484
6	Alex Jackson	UL-Lafayette	1091	158	483
7	Brittany Flores	Palo Alto	898	126	469
8	Mykeal Maes	UL-Lafayette	1041	156	465
9	Heather Heath	TCC	1102	177	456
10	Erika Myers	Northeastern	1008	154	455

 

Place	Name	School	Total	Weight	Wilkes
1	Ian Bell	Texas	2088	201	600
2	Preston Turner	Texas	2281	262	596
3	Jordan Dunn	La Tech	1719	162	563
4	William Leblanc	Texas St.	1973	229	537
5	James Vang	Georgia	1477	144	529
6	Jerry Alaniz	LCC	1438	141	523
7	Charles Okpoko	Texas	1444	142	522
8	Gregory Johnson	Angelo State	1884	219	521
9	Stephen King	Northeastern	2061	316	521
10	Scott Dobbins	Texas A&M	2000	271	519

 

 

2014 Collegiate Nationals Preview – MEN

There is a war coming. 200 of the strongest collegiate men in the nation, representing 36 Universities, will square off in Orlando in less than a week. Hearts will pound, skin will bleed, and thunderous roars of triumph and failure will echo through the Orlando Airport. When the dust finally settles next Sunday evening, only one team can be the 2014 Collegiate National Champions. The rest will hang their head and make a solemn oath to come back stronger next year. Let’s look at the top contenders…

 

University of Texas – Austin
Ladies and gentlemen, the UTA Longhorns are amazing. They could very well be the first team to win back-to-back National Championships since the great Louisiana Tech reign of power. Four years ago, we were introduced to two remarkable freshmen, Ian Bell and Preston Turner. These gentlemen have ruled supreme in collegiate powerlifting ever since. From dismantling the record book, to dominating the international powerlifting scene, to taking the UTA program to new heights….Bell and Turner have accomplished something truly special. Best of all, they’ve done it with class and humility. They’ve been a great asset to collegiate powerlifting and I’d like to extend a sincere “thank you” to them for their contributions. In less than a week, they’ll both have their fourth gold medal. That is the equivalent of a 300 point game in bowling or a hole-in-one in golf. It is a rare accomplishment. Under the wing of Bell and Turner, the Longhorns cleaned the clock of all would-be challengers last year and my early speculation was that they would do it again this year. With returning 116-pound champion Mario Leos (1052-pound total) and fourth-seeded Aaron Pomerantz (1372-pounds) at 163, it’s hard to imagine a Texas loss, but this year is not in the bag just yet. While Turner and Bell are locks for gold, Leos has a serious threat at 116: Josue Leon of Louisiana Tech. I speculate that whichever team wins the 116 class on Day 1, walks away with a championship on Day 3.

 

Louisiana Tech
When Tech’s legendary coach ( Dr. Billy Jack Talton) retired a decade ago, most wondered if the great empire of domination would collapse. As the years rolled by, and with Tech’s swapping out of coaches faster than most schools replace knee wraps, their talent and depth gradually decreased as well. National championship years became increasingly further apart and other Louisiana schools began to take over. But don’t put that final nail in the coffin just yet…..LA TECH IS BACK! They are hungry, they are strong, and they are overflowing with talent in 2014! If any team has a chance of taking down the goliaths from Texas, it’s the great Louisiana Tech Iron Dawgs. Led by 2-time gold medalist and IPF junior world champion Jordan Dunn (1763-pounds) at 163, Louisiana Tech has the ability to walk away with three gold medals in Orlando. If they accomplish triple gold, it’s all over for Texas. La Tech will have stopped the Longhorns dead in their tracks just as everyone expected Turner and Bell to sail off into the sunset with one final team win. The secret to Tech winning is a bigger bench press by second-seeded Josue Leon (1025 total at 116) and a consistent performance by hit-and-miss lifter, Garth Sullivan (1118 total at 130). Josue Leon has a monstrous squat and deadlift, but he lost the national championship last year by being out-benched by 71-pounds. If Leon shows up with an improved bench press, Leon wins gold. The other key to winning is top-seeded Garth Sullivan. Garth is an experienced lifter and clearly the strongest lifter at 130, but Garth’s lifts are inconsistent. If Garth and Josue bring their A-game, the La Tech empire will have returned!

 

Texas A&M
I’ve always said “the only way to win Nationals is for your team to win at least two gold medals”. This year, the only team outside of UTA and La Tech that has that kind of fire power is the Aggies of Texas A&M. Their best lifter is fast-rising (and fast-growing) Scott Dobbins. Just a few short years ago, Dobbins was a marginal 220-pound lifter….today he is the top-seeded Superheavyweight with an elite total (1940 pounds). Texas A&M also recruited some phenomenal high school athletes and will bring freshmen sensations Blake Lehew (1455 at 163) and Abram Guerra (1658 at 182). If it weren’t for La Tech’s Jordan Dunn owning sole control of the 163 class, Texas A&M would be your 2014 champion. I suspect a third place finish by A&M in 2014, but look out in 2015! This is your Men’s team of the future…

 

Other GREAT schools and lifters

University of Louisiana-Lafayette—UL won the title in 2009 and 2011, but has been under the shadow of Preston Turner and Ian Bell ever since. Once again, UL will have two of their best lifters taking a frustrating silver medal to these giants. If Turner or Bell were to bomb, UL would be in the title hunt as well. Problem for UL is, Turner and Bell are as consistent as the sunrise. UL is led by senior sub-total sensation, Phil Richard, at 231 (1860 total).

University of Texas-San Antonio—UTSA is loaded with depth, but short on superstars. Eduardo Estrada (1069 at 130), Dallas Dela Cruz (1355 at 145), Mauricio Valdez (1570 at 182), and Richard Pena (1658 at 205) are all potential All-Americans. While UTSA may slightly lack the fire power for a win in 2014, this young team will be a sure contender in the years that follow. This program has been developed very methodically and successfully under Coach Wes Zunker and if there was still a combined men’s and women’s championship, this would be the top team.

Northeastern—Coach Zawilinkski and Coach Cooper will have to suffer the same fate at UL-Lafayette and UTSA in 2014. With potential All-Americans Daniel Haskin (1565 at 182), Matt Cassista (1658 at 205), and Stephen King (1884 at SHW), Northeastern is a little too thin in the lightweight classes to win it all. Nonetheless, this is only their 7th year as a program and they are clearly the most talented of the young collegiate programs. I also predict that they will be the first northern school in 20+ years to win a national championship. Every year, they move closer to that goal.

Texas State—With the one-two punch of national champion Ryan Carrillo (1890 at SHW) and top-seeded Will Leblanc (1960 at 231), the Bobcats have the potential to walk away with two gold medals. Long and lean, Will Leblanc is an exceptionally powerful athlete and will likely break the collegiate American deadlift record. If these two gentlemen had a larger supporting cast, Texas State would be competing for a title as well.

2014 Collegiate Nationals Preview – WOMEN

The 2014 Collegiate National Championships is less than a week away and the excitement is building! With 320 lifters (representing 36 Universities), Rob Keller will break his own 2010 record for the largest collegiate meet in the history of the sport! With large crowds, ear-piercing cheering, and classes that can be 40+ lifters deep, Collegiate Nationals is truly the most electrifying meet that you are likely to encounter. Let’s look at the contenders….

 

University of Texas—San Antonio

When the meet kicks off on Friday morning, the UTSA Roadrunners will come out swinging! If they successfully win gold in the first three weight classes, that’ll be all she wrote….they’ll be going home with San Antonio’s first national championship. It all starts with LSU-transfer, Allegra Hudson, in the 94-pound class (738-pound total). Allegra won gold at 103 last year, but will dip down a class in 2014. Why would Allegra drop a class? Because UTSA has two other lifters in the 103 pound class that will likely win the gold and silver, including multi-national champion Molly Zunker (804-pounds)! Not to be outdone by Allegra and Molly, UTSA also has the top-seeded 114-pound lifter in Victoria Vargas (821-pounds). How could UTSA possibly let the title slip away with that kind of talent? There are two keys to defeating UTSA:
1. LSU will bring defending national champion, Kayli Alphonso, to the 114 class. If she wins the 114 class, UTSA loses critical points.
2. UTSA has 4 of the most talented women in the entire competition, but scoring is based on 5 lifters. UTSA may have difficulty earning substantial points with their 5th scorer.

 

University of Louisiana—Lafayette

Speaking of losing a meet from the lack of a fifth point-scorer, the Ragin Cajuns suffered that exact fate in 2013! Even with a stunning arsenal of talent that won the team title in 2012, the Cajuns failed to repeat in 2013 because a coaching error allowed their final point-scorer to bomb out. Subsequently, UL was forced to use an 8th place finisher for point scoring purposes, and the title was lost. Fortunately for the Cajuns, nearly every lifter on their roster is returning in 2014 as upperclassmen and they are all at their strongest ever! Best of all, the Cajuns bring more depth than in previous years and it could all come down to that fifth point scorer as they battle UTSA for the coveted title. UL is led by two- time collegiate champion Dana Wallace (620-pounds) in the flyweight class, top-seeded Lauren Deniger (766-pounds) at 125, and 2013 Junior World’s bronze medalist, Alex Jackson (1058-pounds) in the 158 class.

 

Northeastern University

Look out! The North is coming…..and they’re closer to a win than you might think! After 20 years of domination by Louisiana and Texas schools, Boston’s own Northeastern University has grown into the largest team in the nation. Led by an All-Star coaching duo and a state-of- the- art training facility, Northeastern is so close to a championship that they can taste it. After finishing in second place in 2013, Northeastern will return with an even bigger team in 2014. Their greatest strength is their depth. If any class doesn’t have a dominant winner, Northeastern will be waiting patiently with several females ready to pounce. Their greatest weakness, however, is their lack of a dominant superstar. Northeastern lost two of the most dominant female lifters in collegiate powerlifting (to graduation) and it may take several years to replace them. This year, Northeastern will be led by fast-rising Erika Myers (1014-pounds) in the 158 class.

 

Texas A&M

Whereas UTSA will start the meet with a bang, the Aggies will finish with a bang on Sunday. Led by defending gold medalists Ashleigh Andrews (1168-pounds) at 185 and Jennifer Moran (1113-pounds) at Super, Texas A&M is also a heavy contender for their first team title since 2011! They also have three other females that are ranked in the top-6 of their respective classes (Zamora, Krodle, and Malcomb) and this is the secret to A&M’s potential win. If these three ladies can work their way to some silver or bronze medals, it should be enough points for a team national championship. The question is: Will the Aggies be able to move with the smooth strategy that they once had under Coach Cort Spellman? I guess we’ll see!

 

Other GREAT Lifters and Teams

• LSU may be a little short on the talent needed to defend their 2013 national championship, but they return gold medalist Kayli Alphonso for her sophomore season. Kayli lifted raw at Collegiate Regionals in November and appears stronger than ever!

• Beverly Crawford (Auburn) also returns for another gold medal season. With a 990 total at 138, Beverly should easily cruise to another win.

• Penn State—This is undoubtedly the Nittany Lions’ greatest female roster ever. While they lack the gold-medal superstars needed for a win, Penn State has incredible depth. They will bring a top-5 lifter (or two) into most classes.

Video: Werner totals 1631 Raw with knee wraps

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=101mJWBCFe8&feature=youtu.be