02/09/2025
The Middle School Iron Hawk lifters wrapped up their season with an impressive showing at the New Richmond meet on February 1, 2025. Over the course of the 12-week season, these dedicated athletes have demonstrated remarkable growth, increasing their strength, confidence, and skill on the platform. Seventh-grader Lilly Jacobsen put in a strong effort in her second meet of the season with a 95 lb squat. She met her goal for the meet with a 125 lb deadlift, a 10 lb increase since her last meet only two weeks ago. Teammate and fellow seventh-grader Natalie Meckley delivered a strong performance in her second meet. She powered through a 105 lb squat, improving by 5 lbs, 65 lb bench press, a 10 lb gain, and a 160 lb deadlift. Her efforts resulted in a 330 lb total, a jump of 15 lbs from her last meet two weeks ago. Bryson Poppe, seventh grade, earned himself some hardware by placing 1st in his weight class. This up-and-coming new lifter increased his total weight lifted by 85 lbs from his first meet in December, for a total of 390 lbs! His squat totaled 115 lbs, up 15 lbs from his meet two weeks ago. Bench press held steady at 80 lbs, and his deadlift increased by 45 lbs to 195 lbs—another impressive improvement in just two weeks. It was all personal records for seventh-grader Easton Smetana, who finished with a 340 lb total, a 55 lb increase from his first meet in December. His 115 lb squat, up 15 lbs, 60 lb bench, up 5 lbs, and 165 lb deadlift, up 35 lbs, earned him hardware with a strong 2nd place finish in his weight class. Eighth-grader Joshua James had an impressive day with a 475 lb total, earning himself a 3rd place finish. This outstanding first-season lifter has increased his total by 80 lbs in under two months! His squat improved by 10 lbs in just two weeks to 140 lbs, his bench press held at 110 lbs, and his deadlift of 225 lbs showed the most improvement this season with a 65 lb jump and a 40 lb increase in just two weeks. Fellow eighth-grader Silas Chavez set personal records in all three of his lifts during his final meet of the season. His 105 lb squat was up 5 lbs from two weeks ago and 20 lbs from his first meet. His bench increased 5 lbs to 65 lbs, and his deadlift jumped 10 lbs to 165 lbs, up 30 lbs from his first meet. This dedicated new lifter increased his total by 60 lbs from his first meet, finishing with a total of 335 lbs. Second-year lifter and eighth-grader Sidney Prill had a dominant season, securing a first-place finish in every JV meet this season! Sidney added 25 lbs to his total from just two weeks ago, finishing with a 705 lb total. His squat of 230 lbs was up 10 lbs, his bench press was 140 lbs, and his deadlift of 335 lbs increased by 20 lbs from his last meet and 40 lbs since December. Benton Huber, eighth grade, saw a 15 lb jump in his squat to 120 lbs. His bench press remained strong at 75 lbs, and his 175 lb deadlift brought his total to 370 lbs in his second meet of the season.
Seventh-grader Evan Shadick set personal records in all three of his lifts. His 190 lb squat was up 30 lbs from two weeks ago and 75 lbs from his December meet. His bench press increased by 15 lbs, and his 165 lb deadlift was up 35 lbs. Evan’s total weight lifted reached 435 lbs on the day, marking an incredible 135 lb increase from his first meet! Leo Rihn, an eighth-grader and second-year lifter, earned himself a first-place finish with a 570 lb total. He set personal records in his squat at 210 lbs, up 15 lbs, and in his bench press at 125 lbs, up 5 lbs. A deadlift of 235 lbs capped off a strong performance for this lifter. In his first meet of the season, second-year eighth-grader Blaine Yeakey put forth a strong showing with a 150 lb squat, 135 lb bench, and 275 lb deadlift, totaling 560 lbs and earning a 4th place finish on the day. This dedicated group of young athletes has had an outstanding season, achieving impressive milestones and setting the foundation for future success. Their hard work, determination, and continuous improvement have shown the strength of the Iron Hawks Powerlifting program. With such a talented and motivated group of lifters, the future of Iron Hawks Powerlifting is brighter than ever!
