Ebeling powers way to fifth, Gluck eighth at state meet

Jessica Ebeling was one of two from Stephenville who qualified to compete in the Texas High School Women's Powerlifting Association Championships in Waco on Saturday.

Flash Staff Report
TheFlashToday.com

(March 20, 2018) — Stephenville was represented by two qualifying competitors at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association Championships in Waco Saturday and both turned in personal bests to finish among the state’s strongest in their respective weight classes.

Jessica Ebeling finished fifth in the 198-pound class and Blaine Gluck eighth in the 105-pound grouping in Division II, which translates to Conference 4A. Ebeling totaled 955 pounds, 45 more than her previous season best one month prior at Stephenville. Gluck turned in a three-lift total of 665, topping by 10 pounds her prior best total posted two weeks prior in the regional competition.

Ebeling started with a bang, dropping to accepted depth then exploding upward with 410 pounds on the bar and green lights from the judges to set her personal mark by 25 pounds in the squat.

That proved to be just the beginning of a banner day for this multi-sport standout who also is a slugger for the Honeybee softball club.

Ebeling lied on the bench rack and slowly eased 195 pounds to her chest before pressing steadily skyward until her elbows were locked, all while keeping her feet firmly planted, the requirements for a successful bench press. She was judged as successful indeed, raising her personal best mark five pounds after finishing at 190 four times and beginning the season at 175.

Jessica Ebeling locks out a successful dead lift.

Deadlift concluded the day, and provided Ebeling another platform to show her improvement as her third and final attempt had her knees locking out to perfection with back arched brilliantly as 350 pounds completed the journey from floor to the top of her thighs. That’s 15 pounds more than she “pulled” in Stephenville, 20 more than her best at the regional meet.

The 955-pound total tied Ebeling with Brianna Sims of Fort Worth Castleberry. Ebeling weighed in at nine-tenths of a pound less than Sims, making her stronger pound-for-pound to break the tie. Lifters from only three schools finished ahead of Ebeling, including two competitors from Beeville Jones High School, home of state champion Mariana Botelo with an impressive total of 1,095.

Gluck opened missed her season best by 10 pounds in squat, finishing at 265, but made up for that by improving 20 pounds in deadlift, pulling 280. She improved a whopping 90 pounds – 80 by her state count – over the season in the squat, and 85 pounds in dead lift.

Blaine Gluck competes in the squat rack at the state meet.

Gluck matched her best by pressing 120 pounds on the bench, where she improved 20 pounds over the course of the season. Gluck did not even turn in a total at the first meet of the year, and her first 3-lift mark was 485. She improved 180 pounds to finish the year at 665, 10 pounds more than her Region II mark.

Gluck tied the seventh-place finisher, but lost the pound-for-pound tiebreaker. The 105-pound competition was tight from second to 14th, but there was a clear winner at the top of the group in Aaliyah Garcia of Crystal City. Garcia totaled 790 pounds, 45 more than the runner-up from HiIlsboro.