Cleburne will be coming out strong at Saturday’s Region II Girls Powerlifting Meet taking place at Elgin High School.

                  Individual rankings, based on performance at invitational meets leading up to the Division 1, Region II contest, have Cleburne’s lady lifters well within the top ten in their various weight classes. The Lady Jackets’ list of competitors includes Jetta Roye, Morgan Marvell, Lydia Guereca, Allison Perez, Jaslyne Santos, Maddie Hargrove, Avery Tapia, Mayte Martinez, Audra Parsons, Kylee Grigsby and Kyra Baker. The top two lifters in each weight class will advance to State.

                Martinez, who is a senior, is going into the contest ranked first in her class. This is her second year in powerlifting—and her first experience as a Regional qualifier.

                “Last year, Mayte worked really hard. You could see lifting was something she wanted to do,” Head Coach Jason Payne said. “The sport was new to her, but she showed her strength. Not getting to Regionals really hit her. She worked hard on the off season, totally on her own.”

                “When she came out this year, you could see she had really improved a lot,” Payne said. “She made a really big jump from that first year to her second. She’s been doing amazing at our invitational meets. Mayte is on pace to break the state record in the Squat, Deadlift and overall total. She is on a mission to make it on to State—and win.”

                Martinez says she was inspired by her older sister to try powerlifting. She also credits her sister for the success she has experienced this year.

                “My sister was on the Cleburne team with (state record holder) Lexi Harris,” Martinez said. “I just wanted to try it. Last year was a learning curve. My goal was to lift 400, and I never imagined I could actually do that.”

                “I got to the point that I am now in learning from my mistakes, and getting better from those experiences,” she said. “I haven’t let mistakes get me down, but used them instead, to get stronger.”

                Martinez, who is also in the Certified Nurse Aide program at CHS, says she is letting Payne keep up with her numbers and ranking going into Saturday’s contest.

                “I just don’t think about it,” she said. “I let Coach do the math. I just like to lift. I don’t let the pressure get to me—I just love what I’m doing. And I have definitely surprised my sister by how I’m doing this year. Last year, because of her, my mindset changed to become more strong, and not let things discourage me from doing what I love.”

                Tapia is ranked fourth in her weight class going into Saturday, led by the 385 pounds she has posted in the Squat. She has been a Lady Jacket Lifter since her freshman year. Now a junior, she is on track to beat the Bench Press record in her weight class.

                “Last year I missed State by one lift,” she said. “This year, my plan has been to rebuild and qualify for State. At each of our meets my totals have gone up, and I have hit my State goal, so now I’ve been adjusting and monitoring in getting ready for Regionals. I really want to go to State this year.”

                Tapia is a two-sport competitor who also plays third base on the varsity softball team.

                “I played every sport growing up,” Tapia said. “When I began going to the weight room in middle school, I saw I was stronger than everyone else. When I was told about powerlifting, I decided to join.”

                Payne says her experiences as a Regional competitor have been a major motivator in Tapia’s desire to grow in her lifting abilities.

                “Avery had a great freshman year and qualified for Regionals as a first-year competitor,” he said. “She has continued to work hard, to get stronger. I think the desire to compete at a higher level has been a driving force for her. She has focused on the lifts she wanted to improve on. If she lifts what’s she’s done throughout the season, she could move on to State. She has those expectations.”

                Perez, who was also a varsity cheerleader this year, is second in Regional rankings in her weight class. She was a 2020 state qualifier, only to see COVID cancel the competition.

                “She’s the cheerleader who lifts,” Payne said. “As a junior, in her first year of powerlifting, she didn’t know what she could do. She was a strong competitor at Regionals. In her second to last turn in the Dead Lift, she stepped up to the challenge. Powerlifting is a lot like Chess. We did some strategic planning in 30 minutes—with Allison painting the picture—and she lifted beyond expectations and qualified for State.”

                “This year, like a lot of our team, she’s had to build back to where she ended last year,” Payne said. “She has already posted new personal records in two of her three lifts. With the way she is going, I can see her performing at the level needed to take her to State.”

                Perez heard about the positives of powerlifting from those competing, and chose to learn more. She isn’t the first Jacket Cheerleader to join the program.

                “I knew girls on the team and they made it sound like a fun environment and an awesome sport,” she said. “They were absolutely right—powerlifting exceeded my expectations. Going to Regionals in 2020 and qualifying for State was an amazing feeling. I have never experienced so much joy over an achievement.”

                Her goals, in her final year of high school competition, are to hit the State-qualifiers list again. At a petite 5’1, Perez is lifting above 330 pounds on the Squat, 200-plus on the Bench and over 300 in the Dead Lift. She is also a member of the Certified Nurse Aide program at CHS and has been accepted into the diesel technician program at Lincoln Tech.

                Hargrove, who is a junior, will enter Saturday’s contest ranked second in her weight class. Now in her third year on the powerlifting team, she was a Regional qualifier as a freshman and was a contest alternate as a sophomore.

                “That was a disappointment for Maddie and she came back this year really committed to return to Regionals—and go beyond,” Payne said. “She has high hopes for State. She will ultimately finish high school as a four-year letterman. Lifting is all she does and she is very committed to the sport. Maddie has worked very hard from the start to learn and improve in her techniques.”

                Hargrove, who describes herself as a very busy student, enjoys what comes with being on the team.

                “I like the atmosphere and the girls are like my family,” she said. “The Dead Lift is my favorite. Powerlifting is so much fun, but sometimes you have to battle through the pain. I want to be really good at Regionals, then go on to State. I still have one more year in the program, but I want to go to State this year.”

                Payne will be taking a swarm of Lady Jackets to Regionals on Saturday, reflecting large steps in interest and program growth from just a few seasons ago. He credits team members who have doubled as recruiters.

                “We’ve grown over the past five years from 5 to 7 girls to a team of 27, with nine to twelve going to Regionals,” Payne said. “The girls who have competed in our program have been the driving force behind this growth. Three years ago we had a group of girls who won accolades individually and as a team. Lexi Harris and her notoriety in girls powerlifting started the fire in bringing recognition for our program—and Cleburne’s reputation as a competitor.”