The Columbus High School powerlifting team is making progress.
A year ago, the Falcons advanced four athletes to the North Half State meet. The number was a start for a program that was beginning to understand the benefits of weight training.
This year, Columbus nearly doubled that number at the Region 1-6A meet on Feb. 12 at Calhoun City High.
The Falcons placed seven competitors in the top three spots and finished with 43 points, just behind champion Tupelo (44 points).
Columbus High”s Chris Richardson and Justin Verner won their weight classes. Richardson took first in the 181-pound weight class with a combined weight total in the squat, bench press, and dead lift of 1,225 pounds.
Verner, competing in the 242-pound weight class, edged teammate Ryan McDonald with a total weight of 1,340 pounds. McDonald took second at 1,280.
Donterrio Thomas (455 pounds, 114-pound weight class, 455 pounds), DeAnthony Harris (1,075 pounds, 165), and Lavorus Petty (1,405, 308) finished second, while Rickey Knox (1,345, 308 and above) took third.
Columbus coach Grady McCluskey, who is an assistant football coach at the school, said the powerlifting team has made significant strides from last season.
“They have been working hard,” McCluskey said. “We have a lot of 10th-graders and a few 11th-graders who are going and one senior. We try to get them started in the ninth grade.
“We are working harder in the weight room as anybody I have ever been around. They have bought in and they want to win.
Other finishers for the Falcons were: Emmanuel Edens (fifth, 148, 805), Deon Taylor and Tyler Calvert (fourth and fifth, 198, 1,135 and 1,115), Chris Wolfe (fourth, 275, 1,115), and Kenny Avehart (sixth, 308, 1,405 and 1,150).
The top finishers will compete at the North Half State meet on March 5 at DeSoto Central High.
Starkville High (sixth, 19 points) was the only other local team at the meet.
Raphael McClain took second in the 123-pound weight class for the Yellow Jackets with a total weight of 650 pounds.
Other finishers for Starkville were: Billy Shed (third, 148-pound weight class, 855 pounds), Sam Moore (seventh, 148, 715), Ken Barlow (third, 165, 1,070), Adonis Scales (fifth, 181, 1,020), Devin Mitchell (seventh, 181, 985), Princeton Henderson (eighth, 198, 1.075), Tevin Hodges (fourth, 220, 1,095), Chris Prater (ninth, 220, no total), Martavious Foster (seventh, 242, no total), Marcus Tate (second, 275, 1,360), and Jarrod Atterberry (seventh, 308 and over, 1,250).
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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