LIBERTY, Mo. – In the second competition in the history of the Concordia University Powerlifting program, four Bulldogs emerged with medals and two secured spots at the national championships as part of competition at the Midwest Regionals on Saturday (Nov. 19). Twelve Bulldogs made the journey to the event, which was hosted by William Jewell University in Liberty, Mo. It had been roughly a month-and-a-half since Concordia went to the Midland Open in October. Each athlete present in Liberty tested their strength in squat, bench and deadlift.
Head Coach Freddie Myles believes his program has progressed ahead of schedule. His group of mostly freshmen have shown they can compete with top competition in the region.
“I’m pleased with our improvement,” Myles said. “Not everyone had a perfect day, but we saw a lot of good performances. Almost everyone improved from the meet six weeks ago. Being able to get four medals at this meet is a big deal for us as a new program. A few people are really close to the national mark and a lot of our athletes took a step forward. We have 10 weeks before our next competition so I’m hoping we can close the gap and secure those national placements. As of now, we have five who are qualified.”
Medals were handed out to the top three finishers in each weight class at the Midwest Regionals. The four Bulldogs to reach the podium were Rylee Ladd (first at 52 kg), Pryce Ostermeier (second at 90 kg), Rylee Kara (third at 67.5 kg) and Hunter Powers (third at 75 kg). In addition, Kara and Dax Davis added their names to the team’s list of national qualifiers (and Ladd qualified in a second class). A native of Chetek, Wis., Ladd was able to outmuscle Midland’s Sindy Aguilera at 52 kg, 320 to 305.
At 90 kg on the men’s side, Ostermeier placed behind only Dawson Stebbins of McKendree University (Ill.), 630-580. The qualifying total for Dax Davis (67.5 kg) came in at 485 as he eclipsed the national standard by 10 kg. Myles also made special mention of Emma Singer (seven percent improvement) at 60 kg and Garin Gilmore (five percent improvement) at 140 kg for their significant gains compared to the season’s first meet. Singer is also a member of the Concordia Shooting Sports team.
Other Bulldogs who competed at the Midwest Regionals were Adrian Hernandez (110 kg), Mackenzie Houser (67.5 kg), Garrett Reimche (75 kg), Abigail Velten (67.5 kg) and Jacob Wagoner (75 kg).
Highlights from the Midwest Regionals
· Rylee Ladd – first place in the 52 kg class with a total of 320; improved by five percent.
· Pryce Ostermeier – second place in the 90 kg class with a total of 580.
· Rylee Kara – third place in the 67.5 kg class with a total of 340.
· Hunter Powers – third place in 75 kg class with a total of 530.
· Dax Davis – qualified for nationals while exceeding the national mark by 10 kg (seven percent increase from the season’s first meet).
· Emma Singer – improved by seven percent.
· Garin Gilmore – improved by five percent.
The next powerlifting event on the schedule will be the Nebraska State Championships hosted by Midland on Jan. 28. The event is slated to get underway at 8 a.m. CT from Fremont, Neb.