Angelo State Ram Powerlifting Club Excels at Longhorn Open

Angelo State University’s Ram Powerlifting Club brought home a host of awards from the U.S.A. Powerlifting 2016 Longhorn Open competition held Nov. 19 at the University of Texas at Austin.

Competing against teams from colleges and universities across Texas, the ASU team notched nine individual first-place finishes and four second-places in various categories of both “equipped” and “raw” contests. Equipped contests allow competitors to wear special clothing, including bench shirts, squat suits and knee wraps, that allow them to lift heavier weights. Raw contests are conducted without any special clothing.

Lifters complete three attempts each at squat, bench press and deadlift. The qualifying total is the sum of the highest weight lifted in each of the three disciplines.

ASU’s top finishers by category and weight class were:

Men

• Donald Baker of Sweetwater:  First Place, Equipped Collegiate Category, 183 pounds
• Josh Fisher of Katy:  First Place, Raw Collegiate, 183 pounds
• Nate Guzman of Sterling City:  First Place, Raw Teen, 265+ pounds
• Phillip Wilson of Pflugerville:  First Place, Equipped Teen, 205 pounds
  Third Place, Equipped Collegiate, 205 pounds
• Eddie Zapata of San Antonio:  First Place, Raw Collegiate, 265 pounds
• Carolos Ochoa of San Antonio:  Second Place, Raw Collegiate, 265+ pounds
• Haddon Stokes of San Antonio:  Second Place, Equipped Collegiate, 265 pounds
• Josh Williams of Azle:  Second Place, Raw Collegiate, 183 pounds

Women

• Brittany Barksdale of Burnet:  First Place, Raw Junior Category, 185 pounds
• Alyssa Gaitan of Kyle:  First Place, Raw Collegiate, 138 pounds
• Kali Mendez of Sonora:  First Place, Equipped Collegiate, 138 pounds
• Tori Reyna of Midland:  First Place, Raw Collegiate, 185+ pounds
• Ashley Kemp of Christoval:  Second Place, Raw Collegiate, 185 pounds

Additionally, Gaitan was named Best Female Lightweight Raw Lifter, and Barksdale was named Best Female Heavyweight Raw Lifter.

Unlike intramural teams, ASU club sports teams are registered student organizations that are directed and funded by the Office of Student Life and overseen by the Sports Club Council. Graduate student Caitlyn Buck is president of the Ram Powerlifting Club, and the faculty sponsor is Dr. Adam Parker, assistant professor of kinesiology.