Powerlifters finish fifth in state meet

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The 2023 Class D High School State Powerlifting Championships were held at Harvard High School, Saturday, March 25. It featured 125 lifters representing 12 of the top Class D powerlifting schools in the state.

"This was the largest Class D state powerlifting meet since 2005," said Jeff Shabram of Orchard.

Class D schools represented included Blue Hill, Boyd County, Bruning-Davenport-Shickley, Centura, Fullerton, Harvard, Johnson-Brock, Niobrara/Verdigre, Red Cloud, Riverside, Silver Lake and Summerland.

Three Summerland lifters competed in the championships.

"The small, but mighty, Summerland Bobcat team finished in fifth place overall in the co-ed division," Shabram said.

N/V scored 50 points to claim the boys' team title. Riverside finished second and Centura, third.

In the girls' division, N/V topped the field with 80 points. Silver Lake claimed the runner-up trophy and Boyd County finished third.

Co-ed team honors, which include a mix of the top boys' and girls' lifters, went to N/V. The Cougars scored 94 points. Fullerton finished second and Silver Lake, third.

According to Shabram, all three Summerland lifters set personal bests will earning individual state champion or runner-up honors.

Raina Krebs won the gold medal in the 198+ class and broke four Bobcat records.

"Raina broke her own records in squat, 255 pounds; bench press, 125 pounds; and deadlift, 360 pounds, with a total 740 pounds," Shabram said.

Connor Thomson struck gold in the 132-pound division. It is the fourth consecutive year he has won gold at the state meet in his weight division.

Matt Umphress competed in the 165-pound class and totaled 1,000 pounds, earning a silver medal.

Umphress broke the Bobcat strength index record, which is the total pounds lifted divided by body weight, with 6.43.

Gunnar and Wyatt Shabram, of Orchard, competed for N/V.

Gunnar Shabram won gold in the 242-pound class, with an 1,100 pound total.

Wyatt Shabram finished fifth in the 132-pound class.

The final meet of the school year will be the Orchard AAU powerlifting Meet, Saturday, April 1, at the Orchard Community Center gym.

"Because this is a sanctioned AAU event, the talents of both the high school and middle school Summerland girls' and boys' lifters will be on display, along with many other lifters from across the Midwest including numerous adult professional lifters," Shabram said.

The meet has grown into one of the largest sanctioned meets in the state over the past 15 years seeing numerous state, American and world records set each year.

"Hopefully we can have an amazing performance this year," Shabram said.

More than 160 lifters have registered for the meet.

Shabram added, "The Orchard gym will be rocking Saturday."

Lifting begins at 9 a.m.