The Pittston Area Powerlifting Club’s boys team members: bottom row, Jackson Lymen and Brady Warnek. Top row: assistant coach John Warnek, Alex Neal, assistant coach Patrick Nelson, Colin Ankenbrand, head coach Ed Straub.
Submitted photo
The girls’ members of the Pittston Area Powerlifting Club, from left: Ella Rosiak, Gisseliz Martinez, Kara Mancini, Adriana Reeder, head coach Ed Straub.
Submitted photo
The Pittston Area Powerlifting Club recently capped off another strong season with their performance at the Pennsylvania High School state tournament meet in Jim Thorpe.
The Patriots finished in fifth place as a team, and four lifters won individual state championships: Brady Warnek and Colin Ankenbrand in the boys’ meet, and Gisseliz Martinez and Kara Mancini in the girls’ competition.
The club, led by head coach Ed Straub, managed these feats despite only sending a total of nine lifters down to compete in the state championships.
“I just told the team to have fun, to work on their form and to try for personal bests,” Straub said. “Midway through the tournament, the personal bests were flying.”
In addition to the state champions, Pittston Area had several more lifters come home with medals from the tournament.
Alex Neal, Jackson Lymen and Ella Rosiak each took third place in their respective weight classes. Adriana Reeder added a fifth-place finish for the Patriots.
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