History was made Saturday by the West Marion boys powerlifting team, who traveled to compete at St. Patrick High School and earned the very first district championship in the history of the program. Now they're gearing up for an even bigger stage of competition with confidence to believe they can continue achieving great things.
Last year, the Trojans entered competition with only nine lifters, which handicapped their overall team score in comparison to other schools that had 12 lifters competing. But they still managed to compete at a high level, and the success of last year's state champion Cade Heurtin inspired a record number of 26 students to try out for West Marion's 2023 powerlifting team. Head coach Don Clanton said he knew they would be tough to beat with a fully-manned roster, which ultimately proved to be the case in a tremendous showing at the district meet.
"After last season, I told our kids, 'They better not ever let us get a full team because, if we get a full team, we're going to be a problem,'" Clanton said. "Not too many people signed up last year, but when Cade won state, it opened up the floodgates."
With only five lifters returning from last year's squad, the Trojans still had an uphill battle to fight in order to overcome inexperience. They worked tirelessly throughout the fall semester to do just that, and their efforts were rewarded by having a record nine lifters medal in various weight classes at their first competition.
Matthew Hammond, Conner Baughman and Marquise Mitchell each placed first in their respective weight classes. Sam, Jaydon Dickson, Carsten Jones and Devon Hutto each earned second-place finishes, and Conlan Parker and Zane Aultman earned their way onto the podium with third-place finishes.
Clanton said the most rewarding part of the experience was seeing the joy of triumph in the reactions of his students, who knew they had overcome all the odds to accomplish something really special.
"We were in the parking lot Saturday celebrating with the trophy, and we were so excited," Clanton recalled. "One of my kids, Devin Taylor, looked at me and said, 'You know, Coach, last year when we left, they all patted us on the back and told us to just hang in there, that one day we'd get there. This time around, we showed up and dominated everybody. That's West Marion.'
"We get a little emotional about it because we've always been the underdog. Even in other sports, our students have always just been tough and gritty. We've never really had that many four or five-star athletes, but I feel as if our kids have always had five-star heart. That was what they showed up and showed everybody at that competition on Saturday, and I couldn't be any more proud to see their hard work pay off in a big way."
The nine who reached the podium at Saturday's district meet qualified to advance and compete at South State, which will be held at St. Patrick as well on March 4. Just as last year's success sewed seeds of inspiration, Clanton said Saturday's first-place victory has stirred up even more excitement amongst his students, who are now working even harder on a quest for bigger and better things.
"As far as where this could go from here, I really don't think there is a ceiling for what these kids can accomplish," he said. "They've gotten a taste of what it feels like to put everything you have into something and watch it come to fruition, and that's a very powerful thing. Several have already come to me and said, 'We're ready for South State, Coach.'
"And that's why I love this sport so much. Powerlifting is not a major sport, but it gives an outlet to certain kids who don't compete in football, baseball or basketball and helps build confidence in them to know that, if they're willing to put their mind to it and put in the work, they can overcome any obstacles that come their way in life."
The Lady Trojans' powerlifting team, which competed for the first time last year with only three girls on the roster, will boast nine on the roster when they travel to St. Patrick to compete in their own district meet Feb. 11, with at least three members who are expected to contend for state championships. Clanton said regardless of any success to come or lack thereof, he couldn't be more proud of both teams for the work they've put in to earn respect amongst their peers. They're no longer the underdogs.
"Last year, nobody saw us coming. This year, everyone knows we're going to be walking through those doors," he said. "And I don't mind people knowing we're coming, but I just hope they understand what's coming with us. Our kids aren't going to be intimidated, and they're coming to compete, so I hope they're ready for us."
