Friday, March 29, 2024

Zacha captures regional powerlifting title

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The girls regional powerlifting meet March 4 in Dublin was especially successful for Gatesville High School’s Emmaleah Zacha, who was crowned regional champion to qualify for the state meet for a second year in a row.

Zacha advances because she was the only GHS girl to place in the top two of her weight class — winning the 259-plus class on three different types of lifts. Zacha squatted at a weight of 465, benched 260, and tallied 375 in the deadlift. She ended the day lifting 1,100 pounds in all.

The Lady Hornets placed ninth as a team out of 25 schools competing in the meet.

GHS powerlifting coach Jason Moffett is as proud as any coach would be seeing one of his athletes make it to the state meet. 

“I’m always grateful and excited when one of our kids qualifies for state,” Moffett stated in an email. “It is a big deal, and it is the result of a lot of hard work. I’ve been fortunate to coach some great lifters.”

Zacha is back where she wants to be. After finishing in second place last season at state, she wants to bring home the gold medal this time.

“Emmaleah’s motivation is largely based on her experience at the state meet in 2021,” Moffett said. “She got second place by five pounds. She told me before she even received her medal that day that she wasn’t happy about it, and she was going to win it all her senior year. She’s on pace to do just that.”

Even though the other seven who competed did not advance, they still supported one another to the end.

Moffett shared that Vielka Gonzalez accomplished a personal record, and the whole team gathered around her and “reacted like she had just won state.”

Lindsey Cummings placed fourth in her 105-pound weight class, squatting 190, benching 100, and deadlifting 205 pounds. Cummings combined for 495 pounds throughout the three competitions. Kasey Fitzer placed sixth in the 114-pound weight class, squatting a 205, benching 120, and deadlifting 205 pounds, finishing with 495 pounds. Marlee Williams finished in ninth place in the 123-pound weight class, squatting 235, benching 115, and deadlifting 250 pounds, totaling 600 pounds on the day.

Vielka Gonzalez competed in the 181-pound weight class, placing 12th, after squatting 300, benching 140, and deadlifting 230 pounds. Gonzalez totaled 230 pounds in all. Payton Dowling competed in the same 181-pound weight class and placed 20th. Dowling squatted 205, benched a 135, and deadlifted 205 for a total of 545 pounds. Brookelyn Byrd placed 16th in the 148-pound weight class, with a squat of 200, a bench press of 130, and a deadlift 210 pounds to end the meet with 540 pounds total.

Zacha will head to Corpus Christi to compete in the THSWPA State Championship, scheduled for Friday, March 18, starting at 8 a.m.