"Pretty good first meet," said first-year head powerlifting coach David Wilbanks.
The Arp High School "Iron" Tigers began their 2023 campaigns with strong showings by both boys and girls at the Tyler Legacy Red Raider Invitational tournament Thursday.
The Arp boys shined by taking home 2nd place out of eight teams that included five larger schools in Tyler Legacy, Lindale, Tyler High, Whitehouse, and Chapel Hill. The other three were Arp, West Rusk, and Troup.
Our Tigers had three lifters win their respective weight classes, two more take second in their division, and another nab a third place finish.
Take a look:
| Name | Place | Weight Class |
|---|---|---|
| Zach Garrett | 3rd | 132 lb. |
| Jacob Miller | 9th | 148 lb. |
| Clayton Williams | 10th | 148 lb. |
| Jaydon Spradlin | 2nd | 165 lb. |
| Wyatt Hurst | 5th | 165 lb. |
| Thomas Fuller | 1st | 181 lb. |
| Antonio Ponce | 2nd | 181 lb. |
| Will Sanford | 8th | 181 lb. |
| Hunter Nash | 1st | 198 lb. |
| Emmanuel Ponce | 5th | 198 lb. |
| Chris Jenkins | 8th | 220 lb. |
| Bryce Everett | 1st | Super Heavyweight |
The Lady Tigers wound up sixth overall as a team.
They had six participants with top five finishes in their weight class, including a second, and a third.
Below is how they fared:
| Name | Place | Weight Class |
|---|---|---|
| Journey Hawkins | 5th | 105 lb. |
| Presley Johnson | 5th | 114 lb. |
| Kate Paz | 5th | 123 lb. |
| Crimson Phipps | 9th | 123 lb. |
| Molly Mwamba | 2nd | 132 lb. |
| Brianna Hammack | 6th | 132 lb. |
| Eliauna Van Heise | 5th | 148 lb. |
| Lillie Haskins | 11th | 148 lb. |
| De'Asia Green | 7th | 165 lb. |
| Madelyne Eaton | 3rd | 198 lb. |
With a little hardware under their belt the Arp boys will have ten days to prepare for the Troup Quadrangular a week from Monday.
The girls head to Troup on Thursday Jan. 26 for the quad.
The Tigers and Lady Tigers host their own second annual invitational on Thursday Feb. 2 at Arp High School's John Mills Parker Gymnasium.