Marble Falls boys powerlifters are regional champions

CAPTION: The 2024 Marble Falls High School boys powerlifting team includes Daniel Dominguez, Xavier Lopez, Josue Garcia, Jeremiah Bales, Chase Richard, Noah Luckie, Adan Lopez, Tyler Pistole-Davis, Aaron Arredondo, Keaton Proctor, Josue Fonseca, Aaron Dominguez, Joey Galvan, Noah Escandon, Christian Sein, Oswaldo Sanchez, Aaron Eyman, Mynor Flores, Arnulfo Salazar, Jose Solorzano, David Dominguez. Courtesy photo

The Marble Falls High School boys powerlifting team is the Region 2, Division 2 champion thanks to scoring 38 points March 9.

Last year the Mustangs finished third at the regional meet.

The Mustangs earned four gold medals led by Xavier Lopez, who swept all the individual awards: overall best lifter heavy platform and heavy platform best lifter in the squat, bench press and deadlift and won the 198-pound division. In addition, Lopez set the record for the most weight lifted that totaled 1,730. The old record set in 2010 by Marble Falls graduate Colby Wollin, was 1,605 pounds.

Other gold medalists winners were Christian Sein in the 123-pound weight division, Adan Lopez in the 132-pound weight division, and Aaron Arredondo in the 148-pound weight division. Lopez also won the best lifter light platform.

Head coach Richard Scales noted the point total could have been more.

“We had a couple of mishaps,” he said. “I was predicting us to be in the 40s. We still won in a dominant performance.”

Waco La Vega was the runner-up with 25 points.

The top five finishers in each weight class score points for the overall team total. While the Mustangs didn’t have a silver medalist, Marble Falls had a couple of bronze medalists. They are Daniel Dominguez in the 123-pound weight division and Jose Solorzano in the 242-pound weight division.

Fourth-place finishers included Oswaldo Sanchez in the 181-pound weight class, Josue Garcia in the 198-pound weight division, and Mynor Flores in the 220-pound weight division.

Josue Fonseca was fifth in the 148-pound weight division.

Marble Falls took 17 lifters to the meet.

“It’s a team effort,” Scales said. “Everyone has a role and a job to do. There are always adversities and stuff you have to deal with. We did what we needed to do. Everyone knew their job and their role.”

Twins Daniel and David Dominguez surprised their coach, who noted the two “improved quite a bit.”

“Daniel improved enough to place third in his weight class,” he said.

Scales noted the Mustangs lifted enough to qualify for the state meet. Lifters must finish in the top two of their weight class to advance to the state meet or hit a qualifying standard at the regional meet.

“We were pretty conservative on our stuff,” he said. “Our goal was to make it to state. On some of it, we were pretty conservative. We didn’t go all out. Our No. 1 goal was to get to state. Regionals is a different animal. If you try to go full meal deal and you miss it, you miss your opportunity to go to state. We wanted to finish first or second or hit our qualifying totals to get to state.”

A good example was Arredondo, who squatted 465 pounds, just enough to win gold and qualify for the state meet.

“He can squat more,” Scales said. “Everybody does their job and role to the best of their ability.”

The coach pointed out that some Mustangs were disqualified or “bombed out” because they messed up on a technical portion of the meet. Each platform has three judges who are observing something different. One Mustang “let the bar down one inch above the ground. He just opened his hands and let it go. Because he did that, they disqualified him,” Scales said.

The Mustangs also had five helpers and assistant coach George Bermudez, who ensured the lifters could concentrate completely on the task at hand.

“Without them, I don’t know if we could have pulled it off,” Scales said. “Coach Bermudez helped navigate and coordinate travel and doing a lot of paperwork and reporting it. We wouldn’t be as successful as we were. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without him helping out. I’m very proud of the team and very proud of everything they did.”

The state meet is March 22 at the Taylor County Expo Center in Abilene.

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RESULTS

Region 2, Division 2 (squat- bench press-deadlift–total)

Boys

123 pounds – 1, Christian Sein, 365-210-375-950, 3, Daniel Dominguez, 360-160-380–900; 132 pounds — 1, Adan Lopez, 425-235-485–1,145, 8, David Dominguez, 375-185-400–960; 148 pounds — 1, Aaron Arredondo, 465-330-400–1,215, 5, Josue Fonseca, 410-245-390–1,045; 181 pounds — 4, Oswaldo Sanchez, 480-285-460–1,225; 198 pounds — 1, Xavier Lopez, 640-415-645–1,730, 4, Josue Garcia, 500-405-530–1,435, 8, Noah Escandon, 560-325-515–1,400; 220 pounds — 4, Minor Flores, 640-335-475–1,450; 242 pounds — 3, Jose Solorzano, 655-360-500–1,515

CAPTION: Marble Falls powerlifter Xavier Lopez wears his gold medal for winning the 198-pound weight class at holds the four plaques that signify he is the overall best lifter heavy platform and the best lifter heavy platform in squat, bench press and dead lift. Photo by Marble Falls High School’s Aaron Eyman/Luedecke Photography