SAN ANTONIO, TX -- The University of Texas Weightlifting team took to the platform at the 2024 Texas State Championships earlier this month
Saturday, 14 January 2024
Tara Chhabra and James Singhal got things started for the UTexas Weightlifting Team at the Texas State Championships. Both Chhabra and Singhal competed as junior lifters (classified as athletes 18-20 years old). This was only their second competition since joining the team in the fall semester. Singhal went 5 for 6, going 52/58/110. With PRs across the board, Singhal earned bronze in the 67kg class! Chhabra went 4 for 6 in her session, going 15/18/33 in the process of becoming the 49kg Junior State Champion! Chhabra joined four other UTexas Female Weightlifters that have claimed Junior Titlesat the Texas State Championships (Brie Gomez, Maddie Graham, Jamie Pearce & Riley Walsh)!
In the final session on Saturday, Amelia and Andrea got things going on the senior side (20y/o +). Amelia Kushner (64kg) went 5 for 6, snatching 58kg and clean & jerking a competition PR 75kg for a 132kg total. Andrea Spina made her way back to the platform after missing competing with her teammates last fall due to an ankle sprain. She hit 53/65/118 and looks strong heading into spring!
Sunday, 15 January 2024
Caroline Hittler (71kg) and Tyler Villarreal (102kg) kicked off Sunday morning early with a couple of 5 for 6 performances! Caroline went 54/77/131, and Villarreal went 87/110/197, barely missing a PR clean & jerk on his third attempt.
Luis Leyva followed up with an adventurous session. He snatched 91kg on his opener, barely missed 95kg on his second, and then literally ran off the platform with a competition PR attempt at 97kg! In the clean & jerk, Leyva came back with a huge 3 for 3 performance, ending with a competition PR at 127kg, and finishing with a 218 total in the 89 class. Joseph Clark came next and turned in a strong 5 for 6 performance. Joseph snatched 118kg (just 2kg off his competition best), and clean & jerked 140kg (just 1kg off his competition best). His 258kg total placed him 4th in the 96kg class!
In the last women’s session of the day, Maggie Dominguez (87kg+) had a tough go in the snatch, only hitting her opener at 51kg, but came back to go 3 for 3 in the clean & jerk, ending with 70kg and a 121kg total.
Finally, in an exciting back and forth men’s session, Fernando Miranda-Fred and Victor Delgado trad huge numbers in the 109 class! Fernando turned in the perfect day, going 6 for 6, 121/151/272, all new PRs, and a bronze medal winning total!Victor responded by going 5 for 6 with a top snatch of 125kg and a top clean & jerk of 153kg for a 278kg total to earn silver! Both Victor and Fernando recorded new personal bests in the 109kg classes and earned their first senior state medals!