Three years in a row. Powerlifting as a team both girls and boys won state, representing Trailblazers with a win and team spirit. 

Charles Weatherford a junior powerlifter who went to state representing trailblazers.

“Our only recovery days are on Fridays or the weekend, and on Fridays if we have a lift in class it’s usually only upper body lifts,’’ Watherford said. 

Kamdin Manifold is also a junior trailblazer powerlifter who has gone to state.

“On recovery days we focus more on reps then heavy lifting cause we’re most likely competing the next day. We usually do roll outs at the end whether it’s with a form roller or we have a partner with a barbell rolling out our legs,” Manifold said. “Lifting kinda doesn’t really counter with school. In the mornings we get our lifts done or in class, so it doesn’t really take much time away from actual school work or any time we need to do our work. 

Weatherford notices on jammed packed days. 

“On the days the gyms are overcrowded, we still get our workout done but we have to do team runs during the start or some type of cardio,”said Weatherford. “When there’s a hundred people in a gym trying to do a run it gets pretty crowded, that’s one of the benefits we get to do our workouts in the morning cause less people have to do that. But on the workout itself, it’s usually not too bad, but the running outside on the field or the Mac it’s pretty rough.”

 Weatherford said that powerlifting can be mentally challenging.

“At state I was not doing well, I started off not great with my squat. I failed my first lift, my opener, and mentally it’s pretty nerve wrecking when you fail your opener,” Weatherford said. “When you fail your opener three times you get no lift on that. Knowing that I had to dounce back immediately and not get into my head about it and go to the next lift and I got my opener on my second lift. Having that mental ability to come back after you fail is a big deal.”

Manifold views powerlifting can

“Mentally strain you because you don’t always get to lift what you want. It kinda makes you a little sad because you don’t get to lift what you want to, but it could also be mentally good for you. Cause with weights, in powerlifting you get back what you put in,” Manifold said. “It’s not like there’s no luck or no nothing, it’s what you put in is what you get back. 

Weatherford wants to get out there that

“More people need to know powerlifting isn’t any easy thing to do,”said Weartherford. “I feel like people brush it aside that oh we’re the school that just wins state but, we have a group with some of the best powerlifters in the nation coming out of our school kids like: Trigo Paramo-Zamudio and Ryan Cole last year. They were absolute dogs and they were nationally ranked and it takes legit athletes the best of the best to win state.” 

Kamdin Manifold also feels that

“Personally I don’t think they see how much we do, we’re categorized under clubs not an actual sport,” Manifold said.  “Because of that other sport in how time off, but we don’t so we’re working hard getting our lifts in. We’re waking up early, doing four to five lifts a week, I just want people to see how much time we put into it. And when a lot of people start doing it they just brush it off and quiet.” 

Weatherford think through out his years of powerlifting the coaches

“Are great! Trowbridge is such a good up lifter, he tries to get people fired up, he’ll try to push you. Jill especially with some of the girls they were nervous, Jill was the one who pumped them up and got them excited. The one thing Trowbridge told me is, ‘You are the one, the individual lifter is the one who controls the workout.’ Trowbridge is very smart and he knows all the workouts, and makes all the plans. You’re only gonna get out of it, what you put into it, so if he puts in all the random stuff you don’t think are necessary. Random small workouts are so important and a big deal for the types of lifts you’ll do at your competition.”

Manifold adds and notices how

“Trowbridge is an outstanding coach. There are days you feel weak, you don’t feel very good and just lifting bear minimum,” Manifold said.  “Trowbidge is just there encouraging you and egging you on to put more weight whether it’s a small or big exercise. So I think Trowbrige is amazing at pushing you to your actual limit and making sure you’re putting in the work that you need.”