RIO RANCHO, N.M.
Miyamura earned the first team trophy in program history Friday night, placing third at the New Mexico Class 4A Powerlifting State Championships at the Rio Rancho Events Center.
The Patriots scored 21 points to finish behind state champion Lovington with 39 and Belen with 23 in the one-day meet, where lifters had three attempts in squat, bench and deadlift.
“This is amazing,” coach Roy Dallas said, “everyone’s hard work paid off. We brought six boys, and we got third. It’s a huge accomplishment for our team, our school and our community.”
“This is a long time coming for us,” he added. “We’re a small program, but we were still able to hang with the bigger programs.”
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Miyamura senior Angelo Zepeda placed first in the 148-pound weight class at the New Mexico Powerlifting State Championships on Friday. Zepeda finished with a weight total of 1,015 pounds by lifting 360 in squat, 195 in bench and 460 in deadlift.
Four Miyamura lifters scored team points, led by seniors Angelo Zepeda and Josh Hughbanks, who won their weight classes. Sophomore Steven Hester added a runner-up finish.
Zepeda won the 148-pound class, using a 460-pound deadlift to secure the title over Deming’s Andres Cereceres. Zepeda finished with a 1,015-pound total, while Cereceres took second at 1,010.
“Right now, all my emotions are flowing,” said Zepeda, who placed third last season. “I tore my ACL my sophomore year, and I didn’t think that I would be able to compete at this level against the best of the best.”
“You know, this whole meet was a grind between not hitting lifts and almost bombing out of my spot,” he added. “I mean, all the happy emotions are flowing right now.”
Zepeda also lifted 360 in squat and 195 in bench.
At 275 pounds, Hughbanks edged Hester for the state title after both lifters posted a total of 1,250 pounds. Under NMAA rules, Hughbanks won the title because he weighed less.
“It means a lot,” Hughbanks said of his state crown. “I mean, I didn’t come into the season expecting to be a state qualifier. You know, this means a lot for my town, and it means a lot for us to bring home medals.”
Hughbanks lifted 485 in squat, 270 in bench and 495 in deadlift, all new personal bests.
“How I got those lifts were through Jesus Christ, my Savior,” Hughbanks said. “I prayed, prayed, and prayed and He gave me the strength to get those lifts. I would not be here without Him.”
Navajo Times | Quentin Jodie
Miyamura senior Josh Hughbanks grimaces as he lifts the deadlift during the New Mexico Class 4A Powerlifting State Championships in Rio Rancho, N.M. Hughbanks won the state title at 275 pounds by lifting 485 in squat, 270 in bench and 495 in deadlift.
“Like I said, I give God all the glory but don’t sleep on my boy, Hester,” he added. “He’s coming for it the next two years because he’s only a sophomore. Great things are going to come from this guy.”
Hester lifted 460 in squat, 265 in bench and 525 in deadlift. He entered the state meet as the top seed with a total of 1,185 pounds.
“It means a lot for me to be placing second,” Hester said. “Sometimes things don’t go your way, but it means a lot to me in general. It’s gonna give me fuel to keep going the next two years.”
Josiah Howard added a fourth-place finish for Miyamura with a total of 1,200 pounds.
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