Warriors Sweep Team Titles; Earn Six Individual Titles

ARLINGTON, Texas – Midland University joined lifters from around the nation down in Texas over the weekend for the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals. The Warriors ran away with both women's titles, winning the equipped and raw divisions for the third-straight season. Individually, six women won their weight classes.

Alexis Jones and Skyleigh Sears each were named the top lifters in their disciplines. Jones was the top female raw lifter, winning the 100+kg division. Sears was the top equipped female lifter, taking first in the 60kg division.

Other division winners included Alexis Iglesias (44kg equipped), Jennifer Benavidez (67.5kg equipped), Lagi Marina AhSang (100+ kg equipped), and Makenna Henderson (100kg raw).

Midland had five runners-up. That list included Lauren Pimentel (75kg equipped), Geri Fredrickson (82.5kg equipped), Marissa Slemmons (90kg equipped), Abigail Mitchell (100kg equipped), and Aaliyah Henry (100kg raw).

Several collegiate records were set by the Warriors. Slemmons set a new bench record (145kg), Sears had records for squat (220kg) and overall total (512.5kg), Benavidez in the squat (215kg) and total (522.5kg), Mackenzie Weaver in bench (126kg), and Jones in the squat (272.5kg).

Additionally, Henderson set a collegiate and open world record in the squat (230.5kg) while Jones did the same in the bench (168kg), deadlift (260.5kg), and total (701kg). Jones' grand total is the largest raw total by a female, regardless of age, in USAPL history.

Following the Warriors', who had 75 points, in the equipped team standings were the University of Texas-San Antonio (56), Blue Mountain College (55), Northeastern College (54), and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (40). In the raw standings, Midland (59) was followed by Texas A&M University (40), Ohio State University (30), Angelo State University (29), and UTSA (23).