SLIDELL — Varnado and Franklinton combined to have eight powerlifters reach the state meet during Saturday’s South Regional Meet that took place at Pope John Paul II.
Ten lifters per weight class in each classification made it to state. Six regionals took place. Winners from each regional automatically reached state and then the top lifters among the non-winners qualified.
The state meet takes place in Alexandria. Varnado competes on Thursday, March 15 while Franklinton competes on Friday, March 16.
Five Wildcats, who are in Class 1A, qualified, including Jaccourious Bickham, Jep Bonnette, T’Andrew Foster, Chris Kimball and Jadarrell Magee.
Franklinton, which is in Class 4A, had three qualifiers that included Randy Garza, Wyatt Hensley and Stevie Thompson.
Kimball and Bickham are in the 148-pound weight class.
Kimball took third in the regional after tallying a 1,020 between squat, bench and deadlift. Kimball had a 360 in the squat, 235 bench and 425 deadlift.
Bickham combined for a 755. Bickham, who was 11th in the regional, squatted 245, benched 230 and deadlifted 280.
St. Paul’s School’s Phil Nicaud won the event with an 1,190.
Bonnette took sixth in the regional after posting a 635 in the 114s. Bonnette squatted 240, benched 125 and deadlifted 270.
Covington’s Trai Chatman, who was the Outstanding Lifter for the Light Platform, won the weight class with a 1,225.
Foster was 11th in the 132s with a 645 after a 220 squat, 155 bench and 270 deadlift.
Pope John Paul II’s Brady Becker won with an 1,165.
Magee tallied an eighth-place finish in the 220s. Magee combined for a 1,050 with a 385 squat, 220 bench and 445 deadlift.
Also locally in the 220s, Franklinton’s Spencer Lambert and Jeremy Richardson tied for 11th as each posted a 965. Lambert squatted 375, benched 190 and deadlifted 400. Richardson was at 350 squat, 200 bench and 415 deadlift.
Northlake Christian School’s Wesley Brown won the event with a 1,635.
Franklinton’s Garza qualified in the 123s with a 570. Garza squatted 195, benched 135 and deadlifted 240.
Covington’s Logan Pennington posted a 1,050 to win.
Thompson and Hensley tied for eighth with Northlake Christian School’s Josh Holloway in the 165s with a 990. Thompson posted a 315 squat, 245 bench and 430 deadlift. Hensley tallied a 360 squat, 225 bench and 405 deadlift.
Also locally in the 165s, Darian Vargas had an 880 with a 290 squat, 205 bench and 385 deadlift.
St. Paul’s David Ricalde won with a 1,325.
Also for Franklinton, Mason Givens was sixth in the super heavyweight with a 935 after a 305 squat, 240 bench and 390 deadlift.
Holy Cross’ Andrew Centola won the weight class with a 1,435.
Josh Gubert was 12th in the 242s after combining for a 1,055. Gubert squatted 395, benched 210 and deadlifted 405.
Slidell’s Bryant Hawkins on at 1,385.
Dakota Gulsby was fifth in the 275s. He recorded a 995 after squatting 390, benching 200 and deadlifting 405.
Slidell’s Mason Dupuis was victorious with a 1,480.
Franklinton’s Drake Jenkins was 13th for the 198s after going for 1,000. Jenkins squatted 400, benched 225 and deadlifted 375.
Archbishop Rummel’s William Reed, who was the Outstanding Lifter for the Heavy Platform, was the winner at 1,725.
Covington won the meet with 36 points in a close one, as St. Paul’s was second with 32 points.
Holy Cross took third at 28, followed by Slidell’s 25 and Pope John Paul II’s 16, to round out the top five of the 14 teams that posted points.
Varnado and Franklinton were 12th and 14th with three points and one point, respectively.