Powerlifting is similar to track. The further along in the postseason, the stronger the competition.At each level, the top three at a meet move on, along with the top three from another meet.The South State and the North State meets have been completed and six lifters for each weight in each MHSAA classification have qualified for the state meet.McAdams qualified seven lifters each for the boys 1A state meet and the girls Class I (1A and 2A) meet. The girls won South State and the boys were second.Ethel boys finished third at 1A with five qualifiers, and girls were fifth in Class I with three qualifiers.But the state competition will be very strong because performances were better at both North State meets. In 10 of the 12 boys weight classes and all 11 girls weight classes, North State winning performances were better.Based on those performances, Tupelo Christian is the favorite for 1A boys and East Union for Class I girls. East Union had seven individual winners at North State.“We have our work cut out for us,” said McAdams Coach Kenneth Newman.McAdams’ Tydarrius Williams in the 132-pound weight class is the only South State lifter to outdo the North State winner. He totaled 850 pounds for the squat, bench press and dead lift, five pounds more than North State winner Windell Cousin of Vardaman. (The super heavyweight North and South winners had the same total.)McAdams’ other South State male champions are Chaki Haywood at 148 and Jaylan Perteet at 220. Haywood’s 770 total was 115 pounds less than the North State winner and Perteet’s 1,140 total was 45 pounds less.Other McAdams qualifiers are Chris Harmon at 165, McKyle Riley (181), D.K. Williams (198) and Malique Greer (275). Anton Clark of Ethel won 198 with 855 pounds, 205 less than the North State winner. Other qualifiers are Kentrell Dotson (132), Ladarrius Hubert (220), Devin Granger (242) and Kesus Collins (super heavyweight).McAdams’ girls had five winners – Amber Harmon at 114 (550 pounds), Alyssa Newsome at 132 (455), Shawnessy Martin at 165 (695), Jailyn Riley at 198 (610) and A’gneshia Henderson at 220-plus (615). Other qualifiers are Kristal Wilson 123 and Kaloni Thurmand at 220-plus.Ethel girls had one winner, Zakiya Dotson at 123 with 495 pound and two thirds, Jesse Martin (148) and Jada Lambert (220-plus).The girls state meet will be Friday, Apr. 16, at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, followed by the boys the next day. In preparation, Newman is increasing workouts from three to four days a week, with a goal of improving bench press performances.“We have always been a pretty good leg team (squat and dead lift),” Newman said. “Now we are going to focus more on upper body strength.”The 2020 season was cut short by the pandemic before the state meet, so teams don’t have that past experience. “I’m going to try to show them what the Coliseum is like so they won’t be so nervous,” said the coach.In past years, the boys’ and girls’ meets were held simultaneously. Newman is glad they are separated this year.“It will take the pressure off of our coaching staff to focus on one team one day and the other team the next day,” he said.
