Powerlifting season begins with Buckaroo Bash tonight

The Breckenridge High School powerlifting season is set to begin tonight as the Buckaroos seek to build on last year’s momentum, a campaign that saw eight girl lifters and three boy lifters qualify for the state meet.

This year’s opener will again be the Buckaroo Bash, taking place Thursday, Jan. 22 in the Breckenridge ISD Athletics and Fine Arts Center Main Gym. The meet will feature lifters from across the region and serve as a key early test for the Buckaroos. Bars will be loaded at 5 p.m.

Last year, both the girls and boys teams won the meet. Head coach Jarrod Shepperd said that they have added an additional rack this year to speed up the meet, allowing six racks to run simultaneously.

Last season’s postseason run was anchored by a strong senior class. For the Lady Bucks, Cabel Perkins, Joni Jackson and Maria Duran all closed out their careers on the state platform, with Duran earning a medal at the state meet in Edinburg.

Returning lifters Isabelle Biddison, Ashlyn Owen, Sofia Lopez, Rihanna Fuller and Rylee Fuller also represented at the state meet. On the boys’ side, Jack McKay and Nathan Roberts graduated after competing at the state meet in Abilene, alongside returning lifter Lesavier Gutierrez.

With those seniors moving on, the Buckaroos now turn to a new group of returners and newcomers expected to carry the program forward. Shepperd said he expects both the boys and girls teams “to be competitive at every meet,” noting that the program is entering what he described as a new era of powerlifting.

This season marks the inaugural year of the Unequipped division for the boys, a format the girls have tested in recent years. Breckenridge has not previously had female lifters compete in the category, but Shepperd said several young athletes – along with a few veterans – plan to give it a try. The division removes all supportive gear, replacing squat suits, knee wraps and bench shirts with a standard wrestling singlet.

“It is powerlifting in its purest form,” Shepperd said, adding that he is excited to see how the Bucks and Lady Bucks respond to the challenge.

Shepperd added that returning six of last year’s 11 state qualifiers is promising on its own, and many of last year’s regional qualifiers are also back in the lineup.

Breckenridge will compete in six regular-season meets before shifting into regional qualification. After the season opener, the Buckaroos travel to Dublin on Thursday, Jan. 29, Stephenville on Thursday, Feb. 5 and Munday on Saturday, Feb. 7. The team then heads to Comanche for the Indian Invitational on Thursday, Feb. 12, followed by the Bulldog Invitational in Wylie on Saturday, Feb. 21.

The girls’ regional certification and declaration deadline is Monday, Feb. 23, while the boys’ last chance qualifier is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 26 at Wichita Falls Legacy High School. Boys must complete their certification and declaration by Monday, March 2.

Postseason competition begins with the girls unequipped regionals Tuesday, March 3 in Sherman, followed by the girls regional meet Thursday, March 5 in Breckenridge.

“We have the privilege of hosting the girls regional meeting on March 5,” Shepperd said. “It will be much smaller than our invitational because it will not be co-ed and it is only the Big 3A division.”

The girls' regional meet will also take place in the Main Gym of the Athletic and Fine Arts Center.

The boys' regional meet will take place Thursday, March 12 in Decatur.

The season concludes with the girls state meet from Wednesday, March 18 to Friday, March 20 in Edinburg, and the boys state meet Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28 in Abilene, where the Buckaroos hope to return after last year’s strong showing.