'Hawks' strength tested

Competition drives athletes to improve -- competition against others and competition individually for self improvement. That competitive spirit led 10 Blackhawks to the state weight lifting championships in Alma this year.

Head football coach and athletic director Tony Travis took 10 athletes to Alma on Saturday.

One of the Blackhawks, Cody Foltz, came in third in bench press in 4A and finished sixth overall in all classifications. Others scored well in both individual and overall competition.

"Cody had the best showing of all the guys as far as finish. He finished sixth overall, third in bench press with 335 pounds then came home and as a team came home and got 340. That's the strongest bench press we've had since I've been at Pea Ridge," Travis said, adding that there were close to 50 athletes in Foltz's division. Foltz had 580 pounds combined putting him in second place in 4A for total weight lifted. "A young man from Dover had 600 pounds."

"Cody -- he's compact, the way he's built, he's a powerful kid," Travis said.

The state weight meet was held in Russellville for many years and since it was in Alma this year, Travis said it was close enough to take a team. Schools are allowed to enter one athlete per weight division. There are 10 weight divisions.

"You take your strongest athlete in each weight class. We just do bench press and power clean," he said, explaining that an athlete can be an individual champion in either lift or a champion for combined weight. In addition, there are size classifications.

"This year we took three juniors, six sophomores and one freshman. Most of the schools that are finishing in the top spots will have some seniors who are maybe done with football, but wanted to compete."

Pea Ridge finished ninth in 4A; there were 15 or 16 4A schools.

"I think it was a good experience for our guys, especially our guys who are our strongest players."

"Those strongest guys might get satisfied. This adds a little fuel to their competitive nature. They will see guys out there from Star City, Junction City, Booneville, Fayetteville and realize, 'Hey, I might be the strongest on our team, but not in the class or state. It gives those guys a little motivation to continue to work hard," Travis said.

There were 53 teams total from 2A to 7A with more than 500 lifters.

"Our weight lifting program, everybody knows where're trying to get stronger; what we're really trying to do is gain explosive power -- power in your hips and explosion. That's what the weight room is important for," Travis explained. "In football, it could mean when you're making a tackle, and you want to explode into the tackle, you can bring the power from your legs and your hips into the tackle. It's really important into changing direction; you can really change and cut.

"In basketball, it's power off the floor, changing direction in basketball, stop and cut and move, be full speed again quickly."

"A lot of the things that we do in developing our athletes is based off of movement. They've got to be powerful while moving at the same time. a lot of the old weight lifting techniques -- bench, incline -- are not as important as power cling, push press, and some of the things that we do that are developing strength in movement versus a stationary movement like bench press. Bench press is important in lineman," Travis explained.

The Blackhawks' weight room is bigger than most, definitely bigger than what was had before the multi-purpose facility was built.

"Overall, the weight meet, going down there for the first time, I think our guys enjoyed it," he said.

For football coaches, the weight meet is motivational; it provides competition in the off season.

"January, February, March, April -- it's a tough stretch when you're trying to work hard and don't have that game to look forward to."

Travis said the athletes are excited and competing among themselves to have the opportunity to represent the school in the weight meet next year.