The Pleasant Home Eagles recently earned the 2019 Alabama power lifting state championship in Brewton.

Pleasant Home’s boys picked up their third straight Class 1A state championship and the girls earned top spot in the state in all classifications.

“I was really surprised,” Pleasant Home power lifting coach Ron Yates said. “I just started recruiting girls in the hall that I thought would give us a good chance in weight classes that we didn’t have anyone. This is the first time we have ever won an overall girls title. I knew we had a good team, but I was totally surprised that they did such a great job against bigger schools.”

Yates said that he added several girls to this year’s team and nearly all of them placed in the top five.

“We had 15 girls this year and they all did very well,” Yates said. “Out of the 15 girls, we had 13 that placed in the top five in their weight class. My girls this year have been a great group.”

The whole team competed well and brought home many medals, Yates said.

“In total, we had six individual state champions,” Yates said. “I didn’t expect that many state champions. We had three girls and three boys win state championships. That’s pretty special for a small school like Pleasant Home.”

Yates said that the program has continued to grow in the past three years.

“Three years ago, we only had three boys competing,” Yates said. “Last year, we were up to 12 total kids and this year we had 20. The program is growing so fast and I’m excited to see this.”

The group of boys that initially helped get the program started have been big part of the program’s success, Yates said.

“This was the third year that the boys have won the 1A state championship,” Yates said. “I don’t have enough boys to get enough points for an overall state championship, but this group has done an amazing job. I don’t know what I will do when they graduate. Hopefully, we can get some more guys coming into the program.”

In small schools like Pleasant Home, Yates said you have to share your players with other sports.

“We all have to share players at Pleasant Home,” Yates said. “We share players and we help each other. A lot of my girls play softball, so we don’t have to worry about getting them in the weight room because they are already lifting. We are going to do what’s best for the kids.”

Yates said that he encourages kids to get into weight lifting.

“Weight lifting is something you can continue to do long after you finish school,” Yates said. “It’s a great thing to get into. I’m all about anything that helps you live a healthy lifestyle.”

PHS GIRLS TOP

FINISHERS

98 LB DIVISION

1st place: Haley Ward

105 LB DIVISION

3rd place: Meredith Wilson

114 LB DIVISION

2nd place: Addison Ralls

123 LB DIVISION

5th place: Dixie Cordle

4th place: Madison    McCullough

3rd place: Jaidyn    Lambert

132 LB DIVISION

3rd place: Emily Ruth

1st place: Seyuania Parker

148 LB DIVISION

1st place: Brianna Knoll

158 LB DIVISION

3rd place: Haley Smith

PHS BOYS TOP

FINISHERS

81 LB DIVISION

1st place: Gage Taylor

98 LB DIVISION

1st place: Cade Pittman

114 LB DIVISION

1st place: Colt Hinson

158 LB DIVISION

5th place: Grant Barton

165 LB DIVISION

2nd place: Eric Bradley

175 LB DIVISION

4th place: Stetson Bethea