Elk Mound boys take second at state powerlifing meet; Colfax girls finish fourth

LACROSSE — The Elk Mound boys’ powerlifting team had five members finish in the top ten at the 2016 Wisconsin High School Powerlifting Association’s (WHSPA) State Meet held March 11 and 12 at LaCrosse Central High School which propelled the squad to a second-place finish in the Division 3 (small school) team competition.

The Colfax girls’ team, highlighted by Mikaela Leibfried’s second-place finish in the 114-pound weight class, took fourth in Division 3.

Jordan VanSchoonhoven had the top finish for the Elk Mound boys placing fifth at 132 pounds. Hunter Burlingame took seventh at 198 pounds, Darren Svihovec was ninth and Ben Mack tenth at 165 pounds  and George Friberg also copped a tenth at 148 pounds helping the Mounders finish as the runner-up with 14 points. Necedah took the D3 championship with 46 points. Bloomer placed third with 12 points followed by St. Mary Central in fourth place with nine points and Wautoma was fifth with six points. Whitnall was the Division 2 boys’ titlist with 37 points and River Falls captured the Division 1 crown with 55 points.

Despite having just three competitors at the state meet, the Colfax girls finished fourth with nine points as Mikaela Leibfried finished as the runner-up at 114 pounds while teammates Makayla Mattson and Courtney Dressel finished 11th and 14th respectively in the 148- and 198-pound plus weight classes.

Necedah also won the Division 3 girls’ championship by a wide margin over runner-up Riverdale. Necedah scored 79 points to Riverdales’s 12. Whitehall was third with ten points followed by Colfax with nine and Independence with eight points. Cudahy was the Division 2 victor with 47 points and Racine Horlick topped the Division 1 girls’ standings with 39 points.

Elk Mound

Jordan VanSchoonhoven and Emily Ausman led the Elk Mound powerlifting teams with a pair of fifth place finishes.

VanSchoonhoven, competing in the boys’ 132-pound weight class, benched 160 pounds, squatted 360 pounds and deadlifted 460 pounds for a total of 980 pounds.

Ausman benched 120 pounds, squatted 345 pounds and finished with a best of 315 pounds in the deadlift for a combined weight of 780 pounds to take fifth in the girls’ 198-pound weight bracket.

Hunter Burlingame finished seventh in the 198-pound weight class after lifting a combined weight of 1,265 pounds in the bench press (230 lbs.), squat (505 lbs.) and the deadlift (530 lbs.)

Darren Svihovec and Ben Mack both competed in the 165-pound weight class and finished ninth and tenth respectively. Both boys finished with a combined total of 1,130 pounds of weight lifted but Svihovec edged Mack on a points system to take ninth. Svihovec benched 255, squatted 460 pounds and deadlifted 415 pounds. Mack had bests of 465 pounds in the squat, 200 pounds in the bench press and 465 in the deadlift.

George Friberg took tenth in the 148-pound weight class. He squatted 385 pounds, benched 185 pounds and successfully lifted 420 pounds in the deadlift to finished with a total combined weight of 990 pounds.

Other finishes for the Elk Mound boys included: Austin Owens, 14th place at 165 pounds, 445 pounds in squat, 235 pounds in the bench and 405 pounds in the deadlift for a total of  1,085 pounds; Bryce Kasper, 11th in the 181-pound weight class, squatted 445 pounds, benched 240 pounds and deadlifted 515 pounds for a 1,200 pound total;  and Andrew Benson, 14th place in the 198-pound weight class, had a best squat of 405 pounds, benched 230 pounds, and did 350 pounds in the deadlift for a total weight of 985 pounds; Tyler Sahm finished 17th in the boys’ 181-pound weight class after he squatted 505 pounds but did not complete his bench or deadlift requirements.

Taylor Deling was the Lady Mounders other top ten finisher. Deling copped a tenth place finish at 198 pounds after squatting 295 pounds, benching 120 pounds and deadlifting 280 pounds for a final tally of 695 pounds.

Elk Mound had several other girls compete at state. Hanna Hollister placed 12th at 105 pounds with a 160-pound squat, 70-pound bench press and a 235-pound deadlift for a total of 465 pounds and Sarah Sweeney came in 14th in the 114-pound girls’ weight class after lifting 215 pounds in the squat, 85 pounds in the bench press and 255 pounds in the deadlift for a total of 555 pounds.

Kristin Ploeckelman placed 17th in the 123-pound weight class with a total lifted weight of 515 pounds after lifting 190 pounds in the squat, 110 pounds in the bench and 215 in the deadlift.

A pair of Elk Mound lifters competed at 132 pounds. Karie Jo Nigon placed 19th with teammate Kirstin Dutzle taking 20th. Nigon had a 250-pound squat, managed 100 pounds in the bench press and did 295 pounds in the deadlift and finished with a 645-pound total. Dutzle, just ten pound back after a combined effort of 635 pounds, had a 260-pound squat, a 100-pound bench press effort and did 275 pounds in the deadlift.

Four Mounders competed in the 148-pound weight class – Jade Sorenson, Abbey Olsen, Abby Kasper and Allison Lindquist. Jade Sorenson was 15th after she squatted 280 pounds, benched 115 pounds and deadlifted 320 pounds to finish with a total of 715 pounds; Abbey Olsen lifted 255 pounds in the squad, 120 in the bench press and did 305 pounds in the deadlift for a total of 680 pounds and 20th place; Abby Kasper was 28th with a combined total of 635 pounds after lifting 225 pounds in the squat, 110 in the bench press and 300 pounds in the deadlift; Allison Lindquist had a 115-pound bench and did 290 pounds in the deadlift but didn’t have a score in the squat and finished 30th.

Finally, Hannah Hawkins was 15th in the girls’ 165-pound division with a 250-pound squat, a 115-pound bench and a 335-pound deadlift to tally a 700-pound score.

Mounders qualifying for the national competition in Orlando, Florida on April 1-3 were:  Darren Svihovec, Tyler Sahm, Ben Mack, Jordan VanSchoonhoven, Hunter Burlingame, Taylor Deling, Sira Shepard, Hannah Hawkins, Sarah Sweeney, Karie Jo Nigon, Jade Sorenson, Emily Ausman and Abbey Olsen.

Elk Mound is coached by Dylan Pronschinke.

Colfax

Although just three girls competed in the state meet for Colfax, the Viking girls brought home a fourth-place finish in the Division 3 competition.

Mikaela Leibfried led the Colfax ladies by finishing second in the 114-pound weight class. Leibfried squatted 290 pounds, had a personal best in the bench with 145 pounds and posted 290 pounds in the deadlift. Her 725-pound total gave Leibfried the silver medal. The effort qualified Leibfried for nationals which will be held April 1-3 in Orlando, Florida.

Courtney Dressel also set a personal record of 315 pounds in the squat, benched 100 pounds and had a best of 315 pounds in the deadlift to take 14th place in the 148-pound weight class at state. Dressel had a 730-pound total.

Makayla Mattson finished 11th in the 198-pound plus weight division. Mattson had a squat of 275 pounds, benched 135 pounds, and lifted 300 in the deadlift for a tally of 710 pounds.

Colfax also had two boys compete at state in LaCrosse.

Austin Dressel lifted 985 in all to take 18th in the 165-pound weight class. Austin was able to squat 375 pounds, cleared 205 pounds in the bench press and 405 pounds in the deadlift.

Hunter Leiffort came in 11th in the 198-pound weight division. Leiffort was able to squat 415 pounds, benched 220 pounds and deadlifted 550 pounds. The two latter weights were personal bests for Hunter.

“Overall, the Colfax Powerlifting team had a great showing at state and we look forward to Mikaela going to Florida for nationals, and the future of Colfax Powerlifting staying strong,” said Colfax head coach Matt DeMoe.