BonnerSprings.com

Justin Howe didn't create the Bonner Springs High School powerlifting team simply as a way to pump up BSHS students, but that's what has happened during its two-year existence.

The team boasted regular participants in the single digits last year and sent two lifters to nationals. This year it grew to 15 regular members and sent three lifters to the 2008 USA Powerlifting High School National Championship April 4-6 in Kalamazoo, Mich.

The national qualifiers were sophomores Trai Forshey, Max Barren and Jake Barren.

"Last year was our first year as a club, and Max and Anthony Ward, a senior, qualified and went to nationals," Howe said. "When they came back and told everybody, word spread."

Max placed fifth at nationals as a freshman.

His second trip to nationals was extremely promising in many regards, although he didn't return home with the result he wanted.

"He would've won nationals with his opening lift, but he couldn't get his first squat," Howe said. "They wouldn't give him depth on it, so he couldn't finish the tournament."

Three judges evaluate each lift, and two out of three must be in agreement about each lift. Only one judge ruled that Max's hip joint was below the knee on his squat.

Howe said that even without placing this year, he came away from nationals with great optimism about Max's potential for the future.

"He would've won it, hands down, if he'd just got that squat," Howe said. "It would've been a new national record for kids his age. He's looking forward to next year, and I think he's excited about training again."

Forshey was the Braves' top performer. He placed third in the 82 1/2-kilogram (181 pounds) weight class in the junior varsity division.

Freshmen and sophomores compete in the junior varsity division. Juniors and seniors are in the varsity division.

Forshey had a three-lift (squat, bench press, dead lift) combination of 505 kg (1,113 pounds). He set new Kansas state records for his division and weight class in each lift with a squat of 402 pounds, a bench of 440 pounds and a 505-pound dead lift.

Jake was a sixth-place finisher in the 90 kg division with a three-lift total of 467.5 kg (1,030 pounds). His dead lift of 202.5 kg (446 pounds) was a new state record.

Howe said having two top-10 finishers nationally was impressive.

"For them to get there and then to place in the top 10 is a pretty big accomplishment," he said.

Howe credited BSHS football coaches Lew Kasselman and Monty Bechard and girls P.E. coach Kerri Jennings with contributing to the athletes' success by working with them in the weight room beyond regular practice times.

"They play a big part of it as well," Howe said.

Howe said he hopes to see the program continue to grow in the future on both the boys' and girls' sides. He said Aly Espy became the first girl to letter in the program this year, and noted that "she missed qualifying for nationals by 19 pounds or she would've been there too."

In addition, Howe praised senior captain Katie Kobialka for helping the girls' program grow.

"This was her first year doing it, and she went to a meet and won her weight class," Howe said. "She was only able to go to one meet, but she was a great role model. I credit her with getting other girls involved and kind of making it OK for girls to be a powerlifter."

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