Power-Up: Belen, Valencia lifters medal at state

RIO RANCHO — The high school winter sports season concluded over the weekend, with Belen and Valencia each taking home an individual title in the State Powerlifting Championship at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Friday, Valencia’s Jaden Martinez-Flowers lifted her way to the championship in the 4A girls 259+ division.

On Saturday, Augustine Griego brought home Belen’s first title by winning the boys’ 4A 181-pound weight class.

Girls powerlifting championship

The victory for Martinez-Flowers, just a sophomore, was impressive because it was her first year in the sport.

Her total weight lifted in the three events — squat, bench and dead lift — was 840 pounds, the fourth highest total among all the entries.

“There’s a lot of great girls here. There’s a lot of great competition,” Martinez-Flowers said, but, “I have faith in myself.”

Part of that faith comes from competing in other sports, including softball, which, “gives me strength mentally and physically in order to be where I am today.”

Lilly Genson also earned points for VHS, taking fifth place at 259 pounds. The VHS girls were eleventh as a team in 4A.

In the team race, Lovington was first by a single point over Portales. Belen was seventh, led by Anida Clayton, who was runner-up in the 165 pound class.

“Definitely the waiting (between lifts) is the hardest part of this,” Clayton said after she received her medal. “It really takes a toll on my mind, but other than that it was good.”

Also scoring points for BHS was a trio of fourth-place finishers, Krishna Hernandez, 123, Valeria Banuelos, 132, and Kendra Sims, 181. Karlie Noblin rounded out the scoring for the Eagles, fifth at 198, setting a school record in the bench press.

“It’s an amazing experience,” Noblin said of the event. “To be able to understand where your competitors are coming from, how everyone works to get to this position.”

In 5A, Alamogordo took the championship. Los Lunas was 17th, with Emma Jones, 132, and Isabella Jojola, 259, making the top five.

Jones said she refocuses if struggling during a lift.

“I just think to myself keep pushing. I know I can do this, keep fighting through it.”

The Tigers qualified four athletes after just one reached state last season.

“Just to see their will to compete, the fire in their eyes,” said Nathanial Charley, LLHS coach. “It was really special to watch them attack a new environment and compete.”

Boys powerlifting championship

The accomplishment of Belen’s Griego, a junior, was noteworthy on several counts.

Not only is Griego the first BHS state powerlifting champion, but he qualified in both the 165 and 181 weight classes. With the encouragement of his coaches, Griego chose the higher division.

“I could put on more muscle,” Griego said. “I wouldn’t have had to cut (lose weight).”

Griego’s victory was also notable because he was in last place out of eight competitors after the first of three rotations in the dead lift, the final event.

“I was pretty confident because I did a big jump (in poundage) for my second,” he said. “I was able to get it, no problem.”

At the top of the 4A team battle, results were reversed from the girls’ championship. Portales edged Lovington by a single point, with Belen fifth.

Others earning points for BHS were Mikey Pena, second at 132, Gonzalo “Chalito” Cano, third at 132, and in fifth place were David Sedillo, 114, and Elijah Martinez, super heavyweight.

“We improved from last year and we’re going to keep improving,” said BHS coach Chris Peralta, citing a growing interest in powerlifting from the student body. “The numbers are going to go up.”

Valencia finished ninth in the 4A team race, with four lifters scoring points, Corbin Hill, 275, third place, Angel Lino third at 308, Robert Benitez, fourth at 308, and Chris Waseta, fifth at 220.

“I didn’t think there were going to get so many guys in this year” because of injuries, said VHS coach Jose Lopez.

The Jaguars qualified seven boys and five girls.

“I’m pretty excited for all that we can do,” the coach said.

Sandia won the 5A team championship, while Los Lunas did not score.

“Overall, the attitude, the way they approached the weight is right on where we want it to be,” said coach Charley. “We’ve got a good group.”