Ellender’s powerlifters set sights on Division II state title

In years past, Ellender powerlifting coach Corey Bourg would have been happy just to play the spoiler.

But after the girls’ team placed third in the Division II state finals last year, and the boys finished fourth, he has to set the bar a little higher.

“I’m still trying to be a sleeper, but I think I have the girls who either this year or next can win a state title,” Bourg said. “Most of last year’s team is back, so I put the challenge to them. Let’s get first place.”

Expectations for the boys’ team are not as grand after losing its three top lifters from last year: Billy Naquin Jr., James LeBlanc and Brad Bonvillain.

Naquin was the regional, state, national and USA Powerlifting mens’ open division champion in the 123-pound class in 2008.

“You don’t just replace athletes like him,” Bourg said. “You try and find the next kid who is as competitive and wants to win like he did. I got some promising freshmen, so we’ll see what happens.”

While Naquin is continuing his powerlifting prowess at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, younger sister Kelly is making her own mark at Ellender.

The 16-year-old, along with fellow sophomore and best friend Margaret Triche, 15, are the cornerstones of the girls’ team.

As a freshman, Kelly Naquin placed third overall in the 2008 state meet and first overall in the regionals’ 97-pound weight class.

She set the regional record in the squat and plans to sweep away all marks when Ellender hosts the South Regional powerlifting meet on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.

“I set the squat record at 205 (pounds), and I want to break it at 225 or even go higher than that,” Naquin proclaimed. “I want to break the bench press (95 pounds), dead lift (230 pounds) and the total points records.”

Her 100-pound personal best in the bench press exceeds the mark but not in the dead lift (225 pounds).

“I don’t know how it’s going to work, but she’ll probably eke out 235,” Bourg predicted. “Then we’ll go see what state records she can go nab.”

Triche, who placed third overall at regionals and fifth at the state meet in the 123-pound class, has more modest goals.

“I just want to win. That’s all I’m looking for right now,” she said. ” I want to break records, but I’m slowly getting there.”

“They’re the most fierce. They’re the ones who most want it. They’re probably going to go out and win state this year,” Bourg said of Naquin and Triche.

Bourg, who was an English teacher for five years before being appointed vice principal in August, started the powerlifting teams when he first arrived at Ellender six years ago.

A former prep, collegiate and competitive powerlifter who has trained with the likes of three-time world champion Jesse Kellum, Bourg thought it would be a good year-round activity for students who participated in seasonal sports.

“I just wanted to do something to inspire kids to get stronger, stay working out,” he said. “It’s fun. They get to compete against other kids to see how they stack up.”

Junior Tyler Guidry had no interest in the sport until his friend and former Patriot powerlifter Nicholas Saults told him about the team.

“I just came in the weight room one day, and I got really interested in it,” said Guidry, who competes in the 220-pound class. “I could barely lift 135 my freshman year. Now I bench press 225 and more regularly. I squat and dead lift 365.”

Senior Clint Cotton, 17, joined the powerlifting team his sophomore year to get stronger for football at the middle linebacker spot.

After not qualifying for the state meet his first year, Cotton worked even harder and qualified last year. He hopes to repeat this year.

“My level has improved so much because of coach Bourg,” said the 181-pound class lifter. “He’s all about technique – hand placement on the bar, where to put our feet apart for the squat – all the little specific stuff that we need to do to get better.”

“A lot of kids come in not knowing how to squat, bench press or deadlift, and I have to teach them,” Bourg said. “I’ll start a kid off with a broomstick if I have to just to get their technique down. If you have proper technique, you can lift anything. Squat is the hardest technique to learn.”

The Louisiana High School Athletic Association does not sanction powerlifting. The sport has its own governing body, the Louisiana High School Powerlifting Association.

Ellender is one of 60 to 70 schools in the state with a powerlifting team and the only one in the Tri-parishes.

This is the first year both Ellender’s boys’ and girls’ teams will field 11 members, one for each weight class.

While many people might think someone has to be big and buff to succeed at powerlifting, Bourg says the only attribute a person needs to flourish is mental toughness.

What makes it harder to recruit students for the team is that some have seen what the team goes through putting on the extremely tight lift suits and knee wraps.

“The suit is like a spring around your shoulders and legs,” Bourg said. “When you sit back in the squat form, it curves around your butt and tightens, so it wants to throw you up. When you wrap your knees, it’s like putting a tennis ball behind your knees, wrapping it in place with Ace bandages.”

To get in the suits, the lifters have to be wiped dry and ample powder applied to their torso. Even then, it may take help from several people tugging down on the suit to get it on all the way.

“There’s no bend to the suits. It looks like it’s all spandex, but it’s rough material,” Triche said. “You come out of the suit with bruises and scratches.”

“It’s a love/hate relationship. They hate the suit, but God you love them when you lift the heavy weight,” Bourg said. “It takes six weeks for a person to get used to the squat technique. Once we get to the squat suit, that’s another couple of weeks to adjust to it because they’re like, ‘Oh man, this hurts. It’s tight.’ When they say it’s too tight, it’s perfect.”

Kelly Naquin and Triche knew about the pain of the lift suits before they ever joined the team. While still at Oaklawn Junior High, the duo would drop by the weight room after school to watch Billy Naquin practice.

The pair said people are often skeptical imagining them as members of the powerlifting team.

“It doesn’t bother me, but it does intimidate some of the guys,” said the 4-foot, 9-inch Naquin. “A lot of people ask us about it.”

“And when they see us lift, they’re all surprised,” continued the 5-foot Triche. “They’re like, ‘Wow, you really can do that.'”

Last year, Naquin competed and finished third in the USAPL national powerlifting meet in Killeen, Texas. Only the top two in each class are selected to represent Team USA at the International Powerlifting Federation’s Sub-Junior World Competition, which her brother has achieved for the past two years.

“This year, nationals are in Texas again, so me and Billy will be there,” Naquin said. “We’ll both be going, trying to get to Worlds in Brazil.”

Until then, the regional meet on Saturday at Ellender will have to suffice.

Bourg is expecting a similar turnout to last year, which had 215 lifters from 18 high schools competing.

“It’s going to be exciting. We’re ready for this,” Naquin said. “I’ve been waiting this whole month to hurry so we can do it.”

After that, it is a mere five weeks until the state championship meet on March 7. Whether Ellender fulfills their lofty expectations or not, just being a part of this unique high school team is reward unto itself.

“You can tell we’re a team. When the boys lift, we fix their stuff, getting them ready, and when we’re lifting, the boys are getting everything ready for us,” Naquin said. “We’re always making sure everybody is OK, if they have enough of this or that. It’s like we’re a big old family.”

“I love working with the kids, being in the weight room, giving them a new experience, helping them reach new goals they never thought they could do,” Bourg said. “As an administrator, some days I see a lot of good things; some days I see a lot of bad things, but when I come in the weight room, I’ll always see something good.”

Working on their bench press are sophomores Daniel Landry (bench) and Jerry Martin (right) and freshman Rhett Authement. Landry competes in the 123-pound class; Martin in the 132 lbs.; and Authement in the 220 lbs. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF