Lifting with power

By Michael Brooks

Sports Writer

    Ganado Maiden Allana Sublett stood by and watched her competition, Deweyville High School’s Kaylee Hardin make one final attempt to do a clean 300 pound dead lift. If Hardin was able to lift it, Sublett would have had to pull 325 on her final lift attempt to walk away a state champion. Hardin was simply trying to tie Sublett’s 300 pound lift since the tie would have gone to Harden, who weighed less than Sublett. But Hardin was unable to pull the 300 pound dead lift and suddenly Sublett was a state champ.

    “The feeling was amazing,” Sublett said. “I am very grateful to have had the chance to do something like this.”

    Each powerlifter is given three chances at a squat, bench press, and dead lift, in that order. A lifter must cleanly make at least one of their three lifts at each event or they will “scratch out” and not be able to finish the competition. Also, if a lifter sets their initial mark at a weight they are unable to lift, they must lift the weight in one of their final two attempts, or they will also fall out of the competition. Once a weight is set, the lifter can not change to a lesser weight.

    Sublett finished her third squat, lifting 350 pounds, putting a 55 pound gap between her and all other competitors, except Hardin, who also lifted 350.

    On bench press, Sublett’s lead over the third place lifter fell to 30 pounds as she pressed 145, which Hardin again matched.

    “When it came to dead lift, I got 300,” Sublett said. Hardin got her initial lift of 290, but her attempt to again tie Sublett on her second lift was unsuccessful.

    “Both of us were so nervous the entire time. My adrenaline was pumping and I was nervous.”

    Sublett defeating Hardin was only part of her amazing state championship. Sublett’s previous best total this year was 740, placing her fifth headed to the state meet. In fact, at the Regional meet, Hardin had out-lifted Sublett by 15 pounds.

    Because of covid cancelling last year, a new rule was added that, in addition to the first and second place finishers in each region moving on to state, any senior lifter who lifted a preset total was also allowed to advance to state.

    “The night before I was thinking I would be happy to get fifth,” Sublett said. “Maybe I could move up to fourth or third.”

    When the meet started, Sublett’s weight class only had 10 lifters, instead of the 12 spots that were allotted. When the lifters got to the dead lift, the total count was down to seven.

    “It was moving so fast, (with so few lifters), we didn’t even stop for lunch,” Sublett said.

    This was Sublett’s third trip to state and her win brought kudos from another state champion.

    Former Maiden and 2018 state powerlifting champ Alexis Mojica reached out to Sublett.

    “She sent me a text this morning and told me she was proud of me.”     Although she would like to continue, the state meet was probably the last time Sublett will lift competitively.

    “I wish I could continue doing it, but I’m going to the Navy,” Sublett said. “I want to go to college, but I don’t want to be in debt.”