Arabian powerlifters gear up for Regionals

Devine’s Arabian powerlifting team must feel like the gym at Texas Strength System is their home away from home. This is the fourth time that the Arabians have competed on the campus of UTSA, and once again, they brought home some hardware, placing third overall as a team. Felicity Diaz (1st), Jessie Ramirez (2nd), Kylie Rodriguez (2nd), Jeanette Rios (3rd), Kristiana Ortiz (3rd), and Khali Key (4th) all finished in the top five of their respective weight divisions.
“Our girls did a great job competing and laying it all on the line,” Head Coach Paul Gomez stated. “We had a lot of PR’S from our Arabian lifters which was really good to see. These girls work so hard at workouts and, to me, it is very gratifying watching them improve and succeed.
As of now, we have six out of the 13 girls on the team that will qualify for regionals. That is a strong number knowing there is only one senior on the team in Jesse Ramirez.
These girls are excited and ready to keep working and getting stronger these next two weeks as they prepare for the Regional Powerlifting Meet in PSJA Memorial High School in the Valley on Friday, March 1st. Coach Rotramel and I are very proud of the Arabian Powerlifting team and ready to keep this thing rolling.”
Team rankings: 1st-Bandera-45, 2nd-Natalia-43, 3rd-Devine-27, 4th-Pleasanton-26, 5th-Knippa-10, 6th-Blanco-10, 7th-San Antonio Southwest-8, 8th-San Antonio Jubilee-7, 9th-Seguin-3, 10th-San Antonio Kennedy-2, 11th-Marion-1.
Arabian results (place-name-weight category-squat-bench-dead lift-total): 4th-Trinity Garza-105-235-95-225-555; 3rd-Jeanette Rios-114-205-135-260-600; 7th-Alexis Shook-114-165-95-195-455; 2nd-Jessie Ramirez-148-300-145-300-745; 10th-Clarissa Ybanez-148-230-150-210-590; 14th-Brianna Torres-148-185-90-225-500; 2nd-Kylie Rodriguez-181-210-105-240-555; 4th-Khali Key-198-300-185-330-815; 6th-Brooke Schott-198-200-115-240-555; 1st-Felicity Diaz-220-305-165-300-770; 3rd-Kristiana Ortiz-259-215-120-255-590.
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer