Senior Madigan Lee won the state title for the powerlifting unequipped division. Lee is ranked No. 1 in the state of Texas 1A-6A. 

Lee competed in the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting state championship and was awarded the Outstanding Squat award, after setting the state record in her weight class in which she squatted 445 lbs, benched 175 lbs and deadlift 395 lbs. 

“I went in with the goal of winning state and I achieved it,” Lee said. “It’s a big thing for me. I learned you have to be there for your team even though you compete individually.” 

Lee got involved in powerlifting when she was 10 years old. Then, she began competing in powerlifting her sophomore year. Lee ranked within the top women lifters in the state all three years she competed.

“Powerlifting is a mental sport,” Lee said. “ Lifting is a distressing tool and has shown me my true strength and that I can do anything I set my mind to. When I found out that Texas was going to have unequipped lifting this year, I was stoked. Raw lifting shows true strength.”

At any powerlifting meet, each lifter starts off by weighing-in.  Depending on their weight, they will then be categorized into weight classes. The competition consists of three lifts – squat, bench, & deadlift.  Each athlete is given three chances to lift as much as they can at each lift. Judges watch each lifter and score them on whether they completed the lift correctly or not. After all lifts are completed, judges will total the amount of weight lifted for each athlete on each lift and the highest total wins. 

“I’m definitely proud of my accomplishment,” Lee said. “I am proud that I am one of those women that set the future in Texas for unequipped lifting.”

Lee will be attending Midland University in Nebraska to major in Nursing and continue her powerlifting career. Lee hopes to make it to Nationals and plans to get her BSN for nursing.

“I met the Midland University powerlifting coach my sophomore year, but he told me to wait until my junior year,” Lee said. “I went back to state my junior year. I saw him and he remembered who I was and that meant a lot to me. Then I went to visit the campus in August right before my senior year. I felt at home there. It’s a small town just like Canyon.”