Spring Branch ISD Featured News

(Nicole Abbey, Stratford High School)

Students from Spring Woods, Stratford, and Northbrook High Schools excelled at regional powerlifting competitions earlier this spring, securing top ranking and earning the opportunity to compete at the state level.

What Is Powerlifting?

Powerlifting competitions involve students lifting progressively higher weights in three rounds of three types of lifts: bench press, squat, and deadlift.

Lifters choose an “opener” weight for each of the three lift categories before the meets begin. The openers serve as starting attempts in competition. These are critical because if they are unsuccessful in these attempts, they cannot try at a lower weight.

“Lifters have three total attempts at each lift,” explained Stratford powerlifting coach Shawn Jezek. “Their highest lift from each is added to create the total weight. The other six lifts are just dropped from calculations.”

Each powerlifting competitor lifts in all three movements. But if they do not complete the lift in the proper form and sequence, they cannot continue to try in that category.

“I wish more people understood that powerlifting is not just about lifting weight,” said Northbrook High School lifter Jennifer Jimenez. “It’s about pushing yourself past your limits and building up every time you compete from what you did in the past.”

SBISD Lifters Impress at State Competitions

Girls' Competition, March 12-15 in Edinburg, TX

• Nicole Abbey, a senior at Stratford High School (SHS), lifted 615 pounds in the unequipped competition at the 123-pound body weight level. She placed fifth against lifters from all school divisions across Texas (1A-6A).
• Jennifer Jimenez, an 11th grader at Northbrook High School (NHS), competed in the 114-pound weight class.
• Liliana Gonzalez, a Spring Woods High School (SWHS) senior, competed in the 132-pound weight class at the state meet against athletes from 5A schools and placed 16th in the state.
• Aaliyah Castillo, a junior at SWHS, lifted 525 pounds in the 123-pound weight class, placing 16th in her division at the state level.
• Belen Garcia, a SWHS senior, competed in the 242-pound division, lifting a total of 730 pounds. She placed ninth in the state.

Boys' Competition, March 22 in Abilene, TX

• Kam Rodriguez, a senior at Spring Woods High School, lifted a total of 925 pounds in the 114-pound weight class, setting personal records along the way. He ranks 17th out of 27 students competing at the state level in his category.
• Cristian Gonzalez, a SWHS senior, competed in the 220-pound division. He set a personal record of lifting 380 pounds in the bench event. With a total of 1590 pounds lifted, he placed 14th out of 46 in his weight class.
• Edgar Vite, a senior at SWHS, also competed in the 220-pound level. He lifted a personal best 630 pounds in the squat event. With a total weight lifted of 1460 pounds, he placed 32nd at the state competition.

 

(Jennifer Jimenez, Northbrook High School)

Character Development

SBISD powerlifting students must have good time management skills to practice lifting after school and on Saturdays. Many are involved in other sports and must also maintain good academic standing. Therefore, determination and focus are essential.

“I am very proud of how we carry ourselves outside of the sport,” said Northbrook High School (NHS) powerlifting coach Matthew Corwin. “My student-athletes have GRIT, meaning they show up, don’t make excuses, and just put in the hard work.”

SWHS powerlifting coach Charles Hoffman echoes his appreciation for the personal sacrifices his athletes make to excel in the sport: “Most people don't realize the dedication these athletes have to be successful,” said Hoffman. “You just can’t go up to a squat rack, bench press, or deadlift and lift to your maximum potential without spending many hours in the weight room perfecting the lifts.”

Life Lessons

Liliana Gonzalez is proud of her accomplishments in the sport of powerlifting and realizes she is learning about perseverance, one of SBISD's Core Characteristics of a T-2-4 Graduate. “I would say that lessons I’ve learned are that if you don’t get the outcome you want, you can’t change anything about the past … just keep pushing forward.”

For Kam Rodriguez, who took up the sport in his sophomore year to condition his body for baseball, he has learned to not give up and to boost his confidence.

“What I learned from powerlifting is to not let one bad attempt affect the rest of your meet and always push forward,” he said. He also said that getting into powerlifting was one of the best decisions he ever made for himself and plans to continue competing at the next level.

For Jennifer Jimenez, participating in powerlifting has helped her self-confidence.

“As a powerlifter, a lot of the time it’s you versus yourself because it is only you on the platform when it comes to lifting,” she said. “It has shown me that I am my only competition and to try to get better every time. This sport has also shown me how to have a growth mindset in order to keep believing in myself.”

Nicole Abbey from Stratford High School appreciates how powerlifting has inspired healthy habits. “Having a balanced lifestyle is challenging, but staying fit will always be a piece of my lifestyle,” she said. “I wish people didn’t have such a dreadful mindset about going to the gym or working out because it actually triggers the release of endorphins, boosting confidence, and improving overall well-being.”

 

(The Team - Spring Woods High School)

Beyond the Individual

Powerlifting is at its core an individual sport, but the sportsmanship, camaraderie, and support among peers and athletes from other schools are strong components that coaches and students involved in the sport are proud of.

“Athletes are almost always very supportive of one another,” said Coach Corwin. “You will always see lifters cheering each other on, especially during heavy lifts. Another way powerlifters demonstrate good sportsmanship is by shaking the hands of the officials at the end of the meet after all their attempts are done. This is a classic gesture showing respect for the officials (judges) and thanking them for their work.”

At the state meet, Nicole Abbey enjoyed celebrating the successes of other competitors. “I was surrounded by so many strong girls, and I felt empowered by all of their capabilities,” said Abbey. “When I witnessed other girls' tears and celebrations because of a personal record lift, it would bring tears to my eyes as well. Being around this community made me feel so fulfilled because all of them are impressive to me, so I felt accomplished realizing that I am one of them.”

Supportive Motivation

These top-level powerlifters from SBISD greatly appreciate the help their coaches have given them along the way.

About Coach Hoffman, Kam Rodriguez said, “My coach has helped me by pushing me past my limits, and he has always been there for me in my ups and downs in powerlifting.”

“My coach is one of the few people that I have felt truly look out for my best interest,” said Jimenez of Coach Corwin at NHS. “He is encouraging and supportive, even when times are hard. He listens and motivates me to keep pushing forward. He always finds solutions to all of our problems and challenges, whether it’s in the weight room or in our personal lives.”

Advice for Younger Students

“The way that I can encourage younger students to get into this sport is by letting them know that experience is learned along the way and to not be nervous to try something new because everyone starts somewhere,” said Gonzalez.

Jimenez added, “I would encourage people joining this sport to show up every day and not give up when they feel like giving up, because that is when it is more important to keep going!”

Congratulations to these powerful students for representing SBISD at the state powerlifting competitions. We are proud of your efforts and accomplishments.

#T24CoreCharacteristics