Burrows bound for state
By Jimmy Potts
After narrowly missing last year’s UIL state powerlifting championship by 15 pounds, Olney High School senior Wyat Burrows would not be denied again after taking second at last Saturday’s regional competition.
Burrows will compete at the state competition in Abilene March 25, becoming the second member of the OHS powerlifting team to make it to state following junior La’Anna Golden’s second place finish in the women’s regional earlier this month.
Olney could have three participants in the state meet with Raymond Carrasco earning a third-place finish Saturday and will be an alternative should another competitor not make weight or suffer an injury before the competition.
Although Carrasco's spot remains un in the air, Burrows second-place finish secured his place. He attributes his strong performance at regionals to his four years of experience and his zen-like mental state. Instead of driving himself into a frenzy from the roar of the crowd, Burrows said he accepts the crowd and calmly approaches the bar with a clear mind.
“Unlike most lifters, I’m a calm lifter,” Burrows said. “Everybody else wants to get up there and jump up and down before they lift it. I want to be the one that calmly walks up, lifts it, sits it back down and thanks the judges. I don’t really have a plan. Everybody is yelling around you and things are crashing to the floor, but if you’re calm, and collected, it makes everything better.”
Golden will compete this weekend in Waco at the state tournament. Olney Powerlifting coach Josh Holt said he is confident Golden place at state, despite this being her first year in powerlifting.
“She is very coachable and took to powerlifting quickly,” Holt said. “I’ve watched her make a lot of gains in the weight room. It’s been awesome ... I’ve told La’Anna, it’s not about us competing against anybody else for a medal, it’s what medal are we going to get.”