Mustangs win T.S.S. powerlifting meet

The Natalia Mustangs had an impressive showing in San Antonio at the Texas Strength System Gym. Natalia used two 1st place individual finishes and five 2nd place finishes to fuel the boys in blue to a 1st place team finish out of 13 teams in attendance. Natalia finished with 43 team points, which was far ahead of the competition including 2nd place Marion (23 points) and 3rd place Southwest (20).
“I am extremely proud of our effort and was pleased with the results by our lifters,” Natalia Head Coach Kasey Crowther said.
Other team finishes aside from the top three included: Blanco (19 team points), Devine (16), Canyon Lake (14), Del Rio (12), Bandera (8), San Antonio Jubilee (7), Center Point (4), Holy Cross (4), Kennedy (3) and Southwest Legacy (2).
Note: Twelve athletes were a part of the Natalia “A” team and contributed points toward the 1st place team finish. Members of the “B” team could win medals for placing, but their points did not contribute toward the team finish.
State lifter Manny Padilla led the way for the Stangs as he compiled another gold medal performance with his 1,180 lb. total. This total in the 132 lb. weight class included a 475 lb. squat, a 235 lb. bench press and a 470 lb. dead lift.
Uriel Arellano also finished as a gold medal winner in his 242 lb. weight class thanks to a 1,440 lb. total. This total included a 500 lb. squat, a 400 lb. bench press and a 540 lb. dead lift.
Noah Gilkey (Natalia B team) was the final Mustang to finish in 1st place as he did so in the 123 lb. weight class thanks to a 690 lb. total. This total included a 280 lb. squat, a 145 lb. bench press and a 265 lb. dead lift.
Other “A Team” Finishes: 114 lb. wc: Donovan Hawkins 3rd place-285 lb. squat, 140 lb. bench press, 285 lb. dead lift-710 lb. total; Wyatt Owens 5th place-210 lb. squat, 110 lb. bench press, 265 lb. dead lift-585 lb. total. 132 lb. wc: Ryan Juarez 2nd place- 355 lb. squat, 205 lb. bench press, 400 lb. dead lift-960 lb. total. 165 lb. wc: Adrian Vasquez 2nd place- 425 lb. squat, 205 lb. bench press, 475 lb. dead lift-1,105 lb. total. 181 lb. wc: Joel Rios 2nd place- 425 lb. squat, 240 lb. bench press, 460 lb. dead lift-1,125 lb. total; Matthew Contreras 6th place- 405 lb. squat, 225 lb. bench press, 385 lb. dead lift-1,015 lb. total. 220 lb. wc: Michael Martinez 2nd place- 600 lb. squat, 280 lb. bench press, 485 lb. dead lift-1,365 lb. total; Jeremiah Gomez 6th place- 460 lb. squat, 275 lb. bench press, 500 lb. dead lift-1,235 lb. total. Super Heavy Weight Class: Paul Billalobos 2nd place- 595 lb. squat, 275 lb. bench press, 515 lb. dead lift-1,385 lb. total; Joaquin Munoz 6th place- 380 lb. squat, 275 lb. bench press, 390 lb. dead lift-985 lb. total.
When it came to members of the Natalia “B” team, there were a total of 20 Mustangs who competed extremely well. Here is a look at what the Stangs placed as well as their total for each weight class:
132 lb. wc: Nate Banda-5th place 850 lb. total. 148 lb. wc: Bartolo Gregorio 4th place-990 lb. total; Roberto Curiel 7th place-925 lb. total. 165 lb. wc: Xavier Vasquez 5th place-995 lb. total; Saul Valadez 7th place-980 lb. total; Isaac Rios 9th place-930 lb. total; Jared Stallworth 12th place-875 lb. total; Isaac Duenez 12th place-870 lb. total; Landon McDole 15th place-805 lb. total. 181 lb. wc: Joel Mendez 7th place-975 lb. total; Brad Martin 8th place-970 lb. total. 198 lb. wc: Gregorio Mendez 4th place-1,070 lb. total; Fabian Ruiz 7th place-1,025 lb. total; Isaiah Santoya 10th place-875 lb. total; Austin Guzman 11th place- 875 lb. total. 220 lb. wc: Isaiah Sanchez 14th place-1,025 lb. total. 242 lb. wc: Dustin Soto 5th place-1,230 lb. total; Diego Hernandez 10th place-970 lb. total. 275 lb. wc: Juan Vera 10th place-905 lb. total.
Upcoming Meet
The Natalia Mustangs will have their final meet on February 21st as they will have one final shot to qualify for the Regional Meet which is scheduled for March 9th.
By Eric Smith