The Cardinals powerlifting team brought home hardware across the board at Saturday’s state championship, including the girls team claiming its second straight top-three finish.
But the day didn’t go entirely to plan for the Cardinals.
Senior Madison Karten only scored in two of her three lifts, but still won a state title.
Senior Braylen Hoobler said some of his lifts weren’t as strong as he had hoped on the way to his state championship.
And despite finishing in second place, senior Brennan Moeckel set a state record on the hang clean with a lift 15 pounds heavier than the personal record she had just set.
“My mind is blown by how emotional today was,” head coach Scott Russell said. “There was a lot of little moments that happened today that, you know, for the good and for the bad, were great moments because it led to some pretty outstanding performances.”
Utter dominance on the hang clean and squat was enough for Karten to secure the win in the 165-pound weight class without a score on the bench press.
She squatted 355 pounds, a state record and over 100 pounds more than the next closest girl in her weight class. Add to that her 205-pound hang clean, 50 pounds more than the runner-up, and Karten snagged first overall with a total of 560 pounds.
After failing to record a score on the bench press, Karten said she was disappointed but didn’t let that stop her.
“It kind of just pushed me more,” Karten said. “Like, it gave me more energy of wanting to do better on hang clean, because I knew I needed to make up for not scoring anything.”
What could have been a disappointing last meet for the senior ended up being more impressive than her state championship last season. This year, she won the state title with only two lifts.
Russell said he was getting ready to console Karten on the fact that she wouldn’t be able to win. But when he found out she’d won state with only two lifts, he could barely believe it.
“This doesn’t make sense in my head,” he said. “And I told her, I said, you know that zero will be legendary for a lot of girls that will come after her. Getting a zero and still winning state, it’s unheard of.”
Karten said that more impactful to her than the state title was watching the program she helped build. She was the one who pushed for the program’s creation.
“It just means a lot to me seeing the team grow,” Karten said. “Seeing the team bond and then coming back, and following next year and the year after that.”
Hoobler took first in both the bench press and squat for the boys 220-pound weight class. He hit a personal record in squat with a 500-pound lift. A runner-up finish in hang clean was plenty to secure him first overall, hauling a total of 1,090 pounds across the three lifts.
Hoobler pushed through a 3 a.m. wake up and lots of waiting time to claim his second straight title.
“Obviously I was very nervous,” he said. “But it was something I knew I was capable of hitting because of the training that Russell had us do.”
Russell said some of Hoobler’s lifts weren’t as high as he was capable of. But the fact that he still won the state title shows just how talented he is.
One of the best parts of the day for Hoobler was getting to see the team environment flourish on the biggest stage.
“That’s what I love about our team,” he said. “We’re gonna cheer for our excitement as much as anyone else.”
In the girls power weight division, senior Brennan Moeckel finished second overall with a total of 645 pounds. She took first in the hang clean with a 200-pound lift and third in the squat with a 315-pound lift.
Russell said Moeckel had been chasing a 200-pound hang clean all year and finally hit it at state, but she kept going.
Because she hit all three lifts, Moeckel was allowed an extra lift to try and break the state record. She made the most of the chance, lifting 215 pounds, a new state record. The lift didn’t count toward her final score but helped the Cardinals head home with more awards.
“They gave her that opportunity, and holy cow did she hit it,” Russell said.
The seniors weren’t the only ones to find success for the Cardinals. Junior Reese Pattison claimed third overall in the girls power weight class, with a total of 615 pounds. That earned her a first-place finish in ratio, the total weight lifted divided by the lifter’s body weight. She finished third place in both the bench press and hang clean.
Sophomore Ethan Winton said last month he was hoping to bring home a state title by the time he was a senior. He proved he’s already on the verge this year, claiming third place for the boys 173-pound weight class.
The Cardinals had a handful of powerlifters who placed in individual lifts.
Junior Silvestre Janovec squatted 405 pounds to take second place in the boys 181-pound weight class. Sophomore Arianna Etter took second in the girls 140-pound weight class squat after lifting 225 pounds. She also claimed third in the hang clean, with a 135-pound lift. In the girls 148-pound weight class, sophomore Anna Bahr placed third in the hang clean, lifting 130 pounds.
The positive showing from younger wrestlers showed Russell the team is in good hands despite the departure of some powerhouse seniors.
“We have a super talented group that works hard and have bought into what we do in training,” Russell said. “The culture of the sport and the kids coming together I think lends itself for the sport to continue to grow in Eudora.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
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