POWER: Center's Small, Pitts headed to State

Jeremy Small didn't have his best lifting day of the season, but it
was good enough to win the 165-lb. class and qualify for the Class
3A State Powerlifting Meet in Abilene.

Two members of the Center powerlifting team will be representing the district at the State Class 3A State High School Powerlifting Meet in Abilene on March 27 after first-place showings at the Region III Meet Saturday at Rusk High School. As a team, Center finished 5th with 14 points.

For Jeremy Small it will be a return trip to State after posting a 4th-place showing in 2009. For Kevinski Pitts, it will be his first trip to face Texas' best.

Small competed in the 165-lb. class and took top honors despite not posting his best total weight of the year. He weighed in at 156.8 pounds, and then set personal bests with lifts of 560 pounds in the squat and 275 in the bench press. His best lift of 530 pounds in the dead lift was 15 pounds under his season's best, while his total weight of 1,365 pounds was five pounds lighter than his season's best total.

Small was 65 pounds better than second-place Terran Cooper of Texarkana Liberty Eylau.

Carthage lifter David Patterson placed eighth in the 165-lb. class, lifting 405 in the squad, 235 in the bench, 410 in the dead lift and posting 1,050 total pounds.

Pitts competed in the 198-lb. class and didn't have his best day of the year, but his total weight of 1,345 was still good enough to outdistance second-place Cantrell McKinley of Liberty Eylau by 15 pounds.

Pitts weighed in at 197.2 pounds, and then tallied 525 in the squat, 285 in the bench press and 535 pounds in the dead lift. He had a previous best of 580 in the squat, 295 in the bench and 545 in the dead lift for 1420 pounds. But he didn't need his best lift to outlast the competition and take top honors.

Center lifter Melvin Suell competed in the 123-lb. class, finishing eighth in the competition. He weighed in at 121.8 pounds, and then proceeded to lift a personal best of 320 in the squat. He had lifts of 160 pounds in the bench press and 360 pounds in the dead, which were not personal bests. He tied his personal best in total weight with 840 pounds.

Rone Ramirez of Carthage won the 123-lb. class with 1,010 total pounds as he qualified for the State meet. He posted weights of 390 pounds in the squad, 260 in the bench and 360 pounds in the dead lift.

Roughrider Justin Lovett competed in the 148-lb. class. He posted a personal best in the squat with 370 pounds, while tying his personal best in the bench press with 250 pounds However, he was disqualified was wasn't able to finish the competition.

Other Shelby County Competitors
Two other Shelby County lifters qualified for the regional meet. Shelbyville's Tyler West finished third in the 123-lb. class with a total weight of 895 pounds. He lifted 335 pounds in the squat, 195 in the bench press and 345 in the dead lift.

Joaquin's Jeremy McDaniel was scratched from the 242-lb. competition.