SENIOR TRIBUTE

2011

     This is the first year of this new section on our site.  This year's seniors are the ones I have had the longest.  It is the graduating class that had the opportunity to compete all four years at Whitnall.  They say you never forget your first class, I can assure you I will not forget this class.  There are some of these lifters I have not been away from for more than a week in four years, one not more than three days!  This class has done so much for Whitnall powerlifting, and has taught me to be a better person and coach. 

     Thank you to the following young men, I will miss you and look forward to your visits in the weight room.

KENG XIONG

114 CLASS

3rd YEAR LIFTER

3 TIME 1ST TEAM ALL AREA

3 TIME STATE HONOR ROLL

2009 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 5TH PLACE

2009 JV NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE

2010 STATE CHAMPION

2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE

2011 STATE CHAMPION

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPION

STATE RECORDS HELD                                                              SCHOOL RECORDS HELD

SQUAT 380 LBS                                                                        SQUAT 380 LBS

DEAD LIFT 395 LBS                                                                   BENCH 204 LBS

TOTAL 940 LBS                                                                        DEAD 395 LBS

                                                                                               TOTAL 940 LBS

     Keng leaves the Whitnall program with a 114 record that will be hard to reproduce.  Undefeated in Regional meets, two time State Champion and this year's National Champion leaves numbers on the state's record books that have never been seen before.  His 2010 total would have won the World Championships. 

RYAN LEPKOWSKI

148 CLASS

3RD YEAR LIFTER

2009 1ST TEAM ALL AREA (132)

2010 2ND TEAM ALL AREA (142)

2011 1ST TEAM ALL AREA (148)

3 TIME STATE HONOR ROLL (132/142/148)

2009 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 7TH PLACE (132)

2009 JV NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE (132)

2010 STATE CHAMPION (142)

2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 6TH PLACE (148)

2011 STATE CHAMPION (148)

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2ND PLACE (148)

STATE RECORDS HELD                                   SCHOOL RECORDS HELD

SQUAT 500 LBS                                    132 CLASS          142 CLASS          148 CLASS     

BENCH 275 LS                                    BENCH 220 LBS   SQUAT 446 LBS        518 LBS

TOTAL 1235 LBS                                                          BENCH 265 LBS         303 LBS

                                                                                   TOTAL 1135 LBS       469 LBS

     In 2010 Ryan withheld moving from 142 to 148 class to win his second straight State Championship and place 2nd at the Nationals.  Known in the weight room as the guy with the big bench he brought it to the 2011 State meet and achieved the best bench in 148s.  His dedication to the weight room in the off season helped him continue to achieve his goals for this season.  He and his training partner, Alex Dellis, always kept us entertained during practice and will be missed. 

ALEX DELLIS

142/153/165 CLASS

4TH YEAR LIFTER

2009 FIRST TEAM ALL AREA (142)

2010 2ND TEAM ALL AREA (153)

2009 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE (142)

2009 JV NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE (148)

2010 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 3RD PLACE (153)

2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 3RD PLACE (165)

MEMBER OF 2010 WORLD BENCH PRESS TEAM

(WHITNALL'S FIRST WORLD TEAM MEMBER)

2011 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2ND PLACE (165)

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - 2ND PLACE (165)

SCHOOL RECORDS HELD

153 CLASS (weight class retired)                                                       165 CLASS

SQUAT 465 LBS                                                                                 SQUAT 529 LBS

BENCH 255 LBS                                                                                 BENCH 303 LBS

DEAD 465 LBS                                                                                   DEAD 207 LBS

                                                                                                        TOTAL 1339 LBS

     Alex is one of two lifters that competed since freshman year.  He is a true 153 class lifter that competed in 165.  "Always the bridesmaid never the bride".  For his whole career Alex has battle some of the best lifters in the hardest weight classes.  He always gave it his all, which is evident by his outstanding placements at State and National competitions.  As a freshman in his first meet, Alex qualified for state.  Unfortunately he was injured slightly after and was unable to compete as a freshman at state.  Always ready to lift, always improving every practice.  I could always count on Alex for needed team points.  He is truely a big meet lifter.

JAKE COURY

153/165 CLASS

4TH YEAR LIFTER

2011 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

26TH PLACE

     Jake has been on the team since his sophmore year.  Every year he has been close to qualifying for state.  This year he made it and competed with the team at State.  Anyone else would have quit but Jake worked hard, and stuck with it.  The whole team was happy to see him qualify and lift along side of them at State.

ROB HANSEN

165 CLASS

1ST YEAR LIFTER

2011 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 12TH PLACE

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 8TH PLACE

     2011 was Rob's first year, although watching him in competitions you would have thought he had been doing it for a much longer time.  Always wanting to improve, rob trained hard and qualified for both State and Nationals with only a few months of workouts behind him.  Like I told Rob, it would've been nice to see what he could have done with he had started as a freshman.

DANNY WAHL

153/165/181 CLASS

3RD YEAR LIFTER

2010 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 9TH PLACE (165)

2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 8TH PLACE (165)

2011 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 8TH PLACE (181)

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 6TH PLACE (181)

     Danny certainly came up through the weight classes in his powerlifting career.  These past two years he has improved greatly.  Always a team lifter, Danny was always concerned about the team and if we had enough points to win.  Always a pleasure to have in the weight room, always cheering for the team.

JUSTIN NAWROCIK

220 CLASS

3RD YEAR LIFTER

2010 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 17TH PLACE

2011 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 8TH PLACE

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 6TH PLACE

     Justin, like Danny Wahl his training partner, really come on this 2011 season.  Placing 8th in State and 6th at Nationals helped the team to solidify both wins.  We were all happy to see Justin qualify and accompany the team to Texas for the National Championships this year.  It wouldn't have been the same without him. 

NATHAN MARSHALL

220/242/275 CLASS

4TH YEAR LIFTER

ARROWHEAD/SOUTH MIL. MEETS, AWARDED BEST LIFTER

3 TIME ALL AREA (242/275)

3 TIME STATE HONOR ROLL (242/275)

2008 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 14TH PLACE (220)

2008 JV NATIONAL CHAMPION (242)

2009 STATE CHAMPION (275)

(WHITNALL'S FIRST STATE CHAMPION)

2009 JV NATIONAL CHAMPION (275)

2010 STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS – 2ND PLACE (242)

2010 NATIONAL CHAMPION (242)

(WHITNALL'S FIRST VARSITY NATIONAL CHAMPION)

2011 STATE CHAMPION (242)

2011 NATIONAL CHAMPION (242)

SCHOOL RECORDS HELD

                  242 CLASS                                                            275 CLASS

                SQUAT 710 LBS                                                    SQUAT 700 LBS

                BENCH 380 LBS                                                    TOTAL 1600 LBS

                 DEAD 579 LBS

                TOTAL 1659 LBS

STATE RECORDS HELD

242 LB CLASS

SQUAT 710 LBS

TOTAL 1595 LBS

             AMERICAN RECORDS                           NATIONAL RECORDS

               FOR 14-15 YR OLD                         SQUAT 556.6 LBS – 275 JV CLASS

               SQUAT 556.6 LBS –242 CLASS           SQUAT 706.6 LBS – 242 CLASS

               SQUAT 580 LBS – 275 CLASS

               FOR 16-17 YR OLD

               SQUAT 710 LBS – 242 CLASS

               TOTAL 1659 LBS – 242 CLASS

     It goes without saying that Nate is the most decorated lifter in Whitnall history.  He is a four year lifter than never took a day off throughout his career.  Nate's only problem was there was really never anyone to push him (except for state 2010).  His squat is in a league of its own.  Always counted on to give the team points a boost, Nate has always been a big meet lifter.