Bomber weightlifting season is officially underway and, with two meets under their belts, lifters are anxious to improve their totals and work towards qualifying for State.
December 16th marked the first meet of the 2023-24 season. It was held in Cannon Falls where approximately 100 lifters from surrounding towns came to compete. Because it was a home meet for the Bombers, when lifters weren’t on the platform lifting, they were cheering on their teammates and loading the bar with weight for the next lift. Cannon Falls ended the day with quite a few lifters on the podium.
January 6th was the second meet of the season. It was held at Lakeville South High School and is the biggest meet of the season that the Bombers attend, other than State. With over 200 lifters, coaches and lifters were there from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The team finished the day with an outstanding 17 lifters setting and breaking school records.
During the week, athletes lift on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with an occasional optional practice on Saturday. Each practice begins with a warm-up lap followed by stretching exercises and cardio. The lifters then head into the weight room and begin their workout for the day before school starts.
With seven seniors this season, Sara Auger and Bowen Maki were chosen as team captains. When asked how the Lakeville meet went, Captain Sara Auger explained, “For me, the Lakeville meet went really well. I made all my snatch attempts and finished in first place, which felt really good.” Further, she added, “I hit the total I was hoping to and set two new personal records. I was super satisfied with my performance and proud of everyone else on my team.” Auger has the highest total in her weight class, so she is currently qualified for state.
To qualify for state, lifters must either hit the qualifying total which guarantees a trip to State, otherwise, if they hit the minimum total, there is a chance other lifters in the weight class can beat them out.
The Bombers travel to Northfield on February 10th to compete against their personal bests and other weight-class lifters with hopes of a trip to state.
