GENTRY — Members of Gentry's power-lifting team received their championship rings from Coach Sean Seligman on June 28 at Gentry High School. Lifters posed for a group photo showing their new rings and comparing them to rings from last year.
This was Gentry High School's second year to compete in the Natural Athlete Strength Association High School Power-lifting Nationals. Last year, Gentry had nine team members and won a national championship in two divisions. This year, there were 13 lifters who entered 15 team divisions.
The Gentry Pioneer power lifters traveled to Oklahoma City, Okla., to compete in the annual high school power-lifting competition on April 1 and 2.
"We competed for two days against a little more than 300 lifters and several teams from all over the U.S.," said Seligman. "We had 10 of our 13 lifters finish as national champions in their divisions," Seligman added. "Lawrence Caro set three national records in bench press, push-pull and power press in the 114-pound division. Khang Yang set two national records in power press and push-pull in the 123-pound class. Mason Clark set a national record for push-pull in the 242-pound class. Chance Cooper set a national record in push-pull in the 275-pound class.
Members of the 2016 GHS power-lifting team were: Tylor Lor, Peter Thao, Tyous Lor, Khang Yang, Tomas Gomez, Trey Welch, Lawrence Caro, Chance Cooper, Kong Lor, Mason Clark, Keeten Jones, Kaven Flesner and Tanner Christie.
Last year, the Gentry power-lifting team competed in the 31st annual NASA High School National Power-lifting Championships in Oklahoma City on March 28. The club had nine lifters that competed in power sports and unequipped bench press -- power sports is a combination of bench press, curl and dead lift. The Gentry athletes won a team national championship, with five bench-press national champions and two runners up. Gentry was the first high school power-lifting team to win a national championship in the state of Arkansas.
"Power lifting gives students who don't play other sports an opportunity to compete. And the students who do play sports, it makes them better in their sport," Seligman said.
"I am looking forward to next year to see if we can win another championship," Seligman said. "Overall, this was a great year in power lifting."
On April 19, Kathryn Gough, U.S. Senator John Boozman's field representative, traveled to Gentry to honor the Gentry power lifters with certificates from Boozman, saying it was a great accomplishment for Gentry High School and the individual power lifters.
While power lifting is a sanctioned sport in many surrounding states, it is new to Arkansas and only a few schools participate, making Gentry's accomplishments on the national level all the more significant.
Stan Hobbs is also a power-lifting coach for Gentry.
Sports on 07/06/2016