One year later, Marble Falls’ Lopez has his state title

CAPTION: Marble Falls senior powerlifter Xavier Lopez with his medals and plaques he’s won during his four years competing in the sport, including his state title medal that he’s wearing. Courtesy photo

When Marble Falls senior powerlifter Xavier Lopez walked into the Taylor County Expo Center March 22, he was so close to fulfilling one of his goals.

Hoisting an individual state championship.

“It’s a huge accomplishment,” he said of winning the 198-pound weight division. “It’s been a goal of mine since freshman year. It’ a lot of sacrifice. It’s really mental. I was getting what was mine.”

To say he was close to accomplishing that goal in 2023 is an understatement.

On that day a year ago, Lopez walked in as the No. 2 lifter in the 181-pound weight class. Andrews senior Indiana Taylor was the favorite to win it.

The two battled back and forth throughout the squat and the bench press. Lopez equaled the state record in the squat with a 690-pound lift.

Finally it came down to the dead lift.

The dead lift happens to be Marble Falls head coach Richard Scales’ specialty. So the Mustangs weren’t surprised when Lopez lifted the weight to win the crown.

But Andrews lifted more, 690 pounds, which is the state record.

“I had to pull even more weight,” Lopez said. “On the third one, I couldn’t get it up.”

He took the outcome especially hard.

“After getting second place last year, I gave up on myself,” he said. “I had to come out of a hole to pull through it.”

He credits God for getting him out of it.

“God, first of all, helped me get through many hardships,” the lifter said. “No one was there to see me except God and myself.”

Why was winning the state title in this sport that important? Because of how the sport has transformed the way Lopez views himself.

“My freshman year I didn’t have any confidence in myself,” he said. “I saw all the powerlifters, and I wanted to be better than them. My coach (Scales) got me interested. I see him as a teacher, as a mentor. He’s much more than a teacher and coach. No matter what, he makes the powerlifting team feel like family. It’s like love and family.”

And in the year leading up to the 2024 state meet, Lopez experienced a sports truth.

“In the moment it gets to you,” he said. “When people fail on the first lift, they give up. I know it’s the first lift. Failure does not mean you failed. One loss doesn’t define you.”

At this year’s state meet, Lopez, who was ranked No. 1 in his weight class and the favorite to win it all, broke the state record in the deadlift by lifting 710 pounds. He had a squat of 710 pounds and a bench press of 440 pounds to lift a total of 1,785 pounds.

Lopez said this year’s meet was playing out a lot like a year earlier.

“My opponent was ahead of me at state,” he said. “I felt like the underdog. I enjoy being the underdog even more than being the favorite. It wouldn’t faze me.”

Lopez said he didn’t know the number of medals and plaques he’s won in the sport in the last four years. He keeps the medals in a frame.

But he needs another one, he said.

“I’ve gotten first in every single meet (that’s not state that last two years),” he said. “As a junior, I was first in all the meets except state. As a senior I was first in three meets plus regionals plus state.”

His name is among the Mustang greats who’ve won state titles in golf, tennis and track and field that include Josh Price, Bailey Goggans, Ashley Laughlin and Leonel Manzano.

“I’ve heard those names,” he said. “It’s pretty surreal.”

He said winning a state title is better than he imagined.

“It felt amazing,” he said. “It’s as mix of everything. I can easily adapt to that. If someone wants it, they’ll find the strength to overcome challenges.”

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