After weeks of working and practicing, powerlifting season is days away from their first meet of the year. The season opener will begin at home on Thursday Jan. 17.

Junior Kyle Arriola said that he has been preparing and getting ready for the first meet of the season.

¨As a team, we all work extremely hard in bettering our lifts and getting stronger because the coaches all encourage us and push us because we know that is what it takes to be a winner,¨ Arriola said. ¨We are all going to head into the first meet really confident and focused, and I am sure that we will all be super successful as a team.¨

Arriola placed 5th in last year´s regional powerlifting met.

¨Last year was a pretty successful year but this year I want to move forward on to the state meet,¨ Arriola said. ¨I just have to work extremely hard and believe in myself in order to make the state meet.¨

Last powerlifting season, three boy lifters competed in the state meet.

Senior Rudy Esparza said that he has big plans for his final high school powerlifting season.

¨I am hoping to do really good this season,¨ Esparza said. ¨I have been lifting hard and plan on having a great powerlifting season.¨

Sophomore and last year regional qualifier Jack Jerome will also compete for his second year of powerlifting.

¨Lifting and competing against people from other schools is always super fun,¨ Jerome said. ¨Hopefully this year goes great and the Lampasas Badgers win every meet.¨

Junior Koby Allen is also lifting in the first meet of the season.

¨Lifting should be fun and it will be really great to compete,¨ Allen said. ¨It will help me with my other sports and help me keep my competitive drive alive.¨

The Girls´ powerlifting team will also compete on Thursday.

Senior and last year state competitor Natalie Denoso will not compete due to a knee injury, but she will remain a part of the team.

¨It sucks to not be able to lift, but I believe in the team because they are a great group of girls,¨ Denoso said. ¨I am happy to be a part of such a great team and they work so hard to be successful lifters. I feel this year we will have a lot of girls that will compete hard and do everything to win.¨