After one year, Marble Falls athletes’ weight gains are obvious

CAPTION: Rising junior Arnulfo Salazar shows he has no issues in pulling a heavy sled during the Linemen’s Challenge hosted by Burnet May 20 thanks to his offseason work and commitment to getting stronger. Staff photos by Jennifer Fierro

A transformed group of Marble Falls High School athletes are competing in several summer league activities thanks to spending almost a year in the strength-and-conditioning program led by coordinator Karl “Beef” Bielfeldt.

Transformed because those players simply don’t look like they did last year when athletic director and football head coach Keri Timmerman had been on the job for five months.

Back then, the Mustangs were explosive but weren’t strong enough to fight for positions on the field or on the court, a key part of battling for the ball on a play.

This summer, the Mustangs are stronger, running faster and are showing they can hold their positions better on the basketball hardwood and on the football gridiron.

And Bielfeldt was equally enthusiastic about the Lady Mustangs. He pointed out they are more explosive on the volleyball court where they are moving better and jumping higher to challenge for more balls at the net.

He has been pleased with the sweat equity they are all putting in during weight room sessions, noting the gains in the squat and the bench press are significant.

It’s no secret that a bigger commitment to weight lifting and conditioning was on Timmerman’s lengthy to do list in the January 2024, shortly after he began evaluating the department after he after accepted the job in December 2023.

Head coaches in other sports have said the athletic director emphasized to them the importance of getting in the weight room and having productive sessions.

The boys soccer team is a great example of the balance of explosive speed — where players must outrun each other as they chase down the ball from one end of the 100-yard field to the other — and strength — where players are battling for 50-50 balls while dribbling and using their bodies to keep the opponents away from them.

And even then, the Mustangs continued to be near the top of the District 26-4A standings where district member Fredericksburg lost to eventual state champion Austin Achieve in the Division II playoffs. The Mustangs and the Billies split their head-to-head matches.

CAPTION: Rising senior linebacker Doak Field closes in quickly to make a play against a Llano receiver during 7 on 7. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro

Bielfeldt also noted the basketball head coaches John Berkman and Adley Canales have been pleased with how well their players are moving on the court especially when it comes to “change of direction and acceleration.”

The athletes have gained between 15-20 pounds of muscle mass in the last several months.

“They’re moving, they’re cutting better. That’ll help us,” Bielfeldt said. “Our kids are thicker and moving faster. Coach Timmerman has done a great job of making it a priority.”

And it’s not just lifting weights. Bielfeldt mixes in familiar drills that include vertical jumps and broad jumps — still standard at the NFL Combine — along with yoga stretches and exercises designed to keep the Mustangs and Lady Mustangs flexible.

Because very few sports allow an athlete to run in a straight line, having loose hips lets these athletes plant and turn in a tenth of a second. That is critical when trying to get open or trying to score quickly.

Bielfeldt’s favorite moment remains the same – when the “light bulb” turns on the moment the athlete realizes why the coordinator has created the program that helps them perform at their maximum best.

“We can see who is and who is not,” he said.

One such moment happened for Noah Lyon, who recently signed to play football for Schreiner University. He chuckled when he said that Bielfeldt’s methods “are a little weird, but they work.”

Bielfeldt chuckled himself when told of the conversation.

“It’s not what they have been used to in the past,” he said. “I pull from all disciplines. I have powerlifting concepts, we do Olympic weight lifting. My job is to make them better all-around.”

Case in point an afternoon after school in the Max Copeland Gym. Several Lady Mustang basketball players emerged from the locker room and sat down on the floor. Then the lights were turned off as Bielfeldt guided them through a yoga session for 30 minutes.

These same athletes have been playing in tournaments together on weekends and have been practicing since the season ended in February.

The strength-and-conditioning coordinator and the athletic director have worked closely in creating Forge ’25, summer program that continues to build on the work the athletes have done the last several months. It will begin June 2 and is for athletes at Marble Falls Middle School and Marble Falls High School.

“We’re looking forward as we go through the summer and build up that athlete,” he said. “I’m excited over the next level of it. The department is aligned from the sixth grade to the 12th grade.”

CAPTION: Rising senior tight end Kaleb Bielfeldt holds tight to the ball anticipating a Llano defensive back trying to swat it away. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro