Riding the wave of several high individual finishes, the Durant Lion powerlifting team surprised host and pre-meet favorite El Reno to win the Oklahoma State Powerlifting Class 5A title last week.
The youth-laden Lions tallied points in seven of the weight divisions and medaled five lifters after going into the meet with only a couple competitors seeded in the top five. Durant finished with 54 total points while El Reno was second at 47.
“Going into the meet we felt like El Reno was the favorite, but we just had a great day and outpointed them,” said Durant powerlifting coach Mike Dills. “It was a great accomplishment for the boys. I knew we probably had a chance next year with 17 of our 18 qualifiers all coming back but they really arrived ahead of schedule and performed well.”
Durant’s top medalist came in the 181-pound division where Stephen Manhard placed third with 1,255 total pounds which included 470 in squat, 245 on bench and 540 in the deadlift. Axel Thurman checked in fourth at 198 pounds as he tallied a combination of 1,380 pounds with several outstanding lifts of 505 in squat, 325 on bench and 550 in the deadlift.
The Lions also had a pair of fifth place medalists in Jaxon Cuesta at 220 pounds and Jayden Rangel competing at 242.
Cuesta stacked together a 1,355-pound combination with a team-high 510 in squat, 320 on bench and 525 in the deadlift while Rangel racked up a 1,390-pound total after a 500 in squat, 305 on bench and monster 585 deadlift.
Critical points in the Lion championship came at 145 pounds where Juston Andrus initially scratched on his squat attempt but rebounded to notch a 500-pound deadlift, which was tops in his weight division to earn Durant six points.
Two other Lions finished in ninth place as Conley Tiffie checked in with 1,170 total pounds (465 squat, 250 bench, 455 deadlift) in the 168-pound division and Grant Bull posted 1,315 pounds overall (475 squat, 320 bench, 520 deadlift) for the 275-pound category.
