By JJ MARSHALL

jjm023@latech.edu

 

For those who continue to think Louisiana State University is the strongest school in the state, Tech’s Iron Dawg powerlifting team has proven them dead wrong once again.

Tech’s powerlifting team, known as the Irondawgs and Lady Irondawgs,  walked away with both male and female team championships at the Collegiate National Powerlifting Chapionship Meet, which took place at the University of Miami-Florida over Easter weekend.

LSU finished behind Tech twice, finishing second in both competitions.

For the women, the win marked the first national title since 2003, ending a two year “drought,” if not winning the title every year is considered a drought.

The women were led by senior Kimmie Everett and junior Tina Carder, who both won individual national championships..

Everett currently holds collegiate records in all four of her lifting events.

The competition marked the fourth consectutive national title for Everett, and the second for Carder.

Sophomore Erica Ellis, graduate student Robyn Niederkorn, freshman Katie Nabors, senior Danielle Miller and freshman Tamara Walter all placed second in their weight classes for Tech.

Graduate student Shanette Woods placed fourth, and freshman Ardala Wigman placed fifth.

All nine lifters for the women received All-American honors.

“The girls took not winning nationals last year personally,” Tech head coach Zac Cooper said.

“Since the first day of practice until now coming in here and winning it all.

“They even managed to do it with only nine girls participating, when a team can have a total of eleven lifters on a team,” he said.

The men dominated the competition, beating LSU and Ashland University of Ohio by a landslide to win their 13th consecutive national title.

The Iron Dawgs’ National Championship streak dates back to 1994.

The men had five national champions, including senior Jeremiah Welch, sophomore David Summers, junior Mike Hafenbrack, junior David Villiafranca and sophomore Jesus Arevalo.

Sophomore Mike Houston finished second and was the National Runner-Up in the 165 lb. weight class.

The Irondawgs had eleven All-Americans.

In his first year as Tech head coach, Cooper was awarded the U.S. National Coach of the year.

“I was both intimidated and honored to take over the Number One program in the country this year,” Cooper said.

“To start as king of the hill and have to defend your position was intimidating.”

Twenty of the 23 Tech lifters for both squads were All-Americans in a dominating effort by the Irondawgs and the Lady Irondawgs.

“I’m thankful that I was able to lead such a fine group of lifters to victory at Nationals,” Cooper said.