This past month, the AHMO Iron Powerlifting Team took on the state championships, where the equipped team won the first place title for the first time in the program’s history. After the unequipped team took a state title last year, and the team won their sixteenth consecutive regional title, the equipped team would win state with a combined score of thirty two points.
“It was amazing, I mean, last year we placed fourth and then the year before I don’t even remember, but we’ve just worked so hard to bond as a team together to get to an actual championship, and it was just an amazing feeling like all the teamwork because everyone competes individually, but you still encourage each other,” team captain Jolie Campbell (12) said.
On top of their success as a team, AHMO Iron had thirteen competitors place in the top twenty in their respective weight classes. Maya Boykins (12) and Thalia Gonzalez (11) were state champions, taking first place in their weight classes.
“It felt good because I’ve been working towards it, so it felt good to finally accomplish the goal I had set for myself,” Boykins said.
Gonzalez placed first in the 114 weight class with a 330 pound squat, 220 pound bench press, and a 325 pound deadlift. With her 220 pound bench press, she broke the previous state record of 215 pounds in her weight class.
“When I placed first, it felt like a dream,” Gonzalez said, “It was also a relief knowing that all the hard work I put in like preparing for this meet, it just felt so amazing.”
Campbell also broke a record for powerlifting in the state of Texas, breaking the record for bench press in her weight class with a lift of 210 pounds.
“I was actually really nervous…because my coach, she had asked me ‘are you sure you can do this,’ and so I was kind of getting in my head, but I just had to remind myself that it’s not that much like I’ve done it before,” Campbell said, “It’s just a lot having everyone looking a you and being announced and this is a lot, it means a lot.”
Although their win may have happened in the span of one meet, this achievement was earned throughout their entire year as they trained to meet this goal.
“What it really is, is you train all year around, like you don’t stop training because if you’re dedicated, you’re not going to be just lazy, lying around so I’d say I train all year,” Gonzalez said.
AHMO Iron’s 2025 team will be cemented in Wylie High School’s history not just for their state championship, but for all of their work that went into claiming the title.