ANTLERS -- February 7^, the Kingston High School Powerlifting team, coached by John Caraway and Dewayne Taylor, began its season by attending the Antlers Blue & Gold Power-lifting Meet.  Kingston was looking to repeat as team champions as they had won the meet the previous year.

The team had 17 members participate in 12 different weight classes ranging from 123 pounds to Super Heavy Weight.  TheRedskins finished 3^rd overall with 4 lifters placing in their respective weight classes.

Senior Dalton Williams placed fourth in the 198-pound weight class with 1,055 total pounds lifted.  Senior Keldon Risinger placed fourth in the 145-pound weight class with a total of 845 pounds lifted.  First-time competitor Garrett Hefner, a sophomore, placed second in the 132-pound weight class with a total weight lifted of 705 pounds.  He also set a meet record in his weight class by making a 195-pound bench, breaking the previous record held by Kingston High School alumnus, Aaron Jones.

For the fourth year in a row, the 123-pound champion was senior Jaime Furister.  Furister broke three records in his weight class by completing a 185-pound bench press, a 355-pound dead lift, and totaling 830 pounds.  All were records he had previously set at the meet in 2013.

Others competing in the meet were: Chance Williams, Danny Davidson, Chris Salas, Chris Miller, Bailey Rabie, Anita Sayerwinnie, Michael Rhea, Jimbo Droddy, Luke Smith, Hunter Fletcher, Isaiah Farias and William Jackson.  The next big hurdle for the team is February 20 when the Redskins will compete at the Newcastle meet.  Then comes regional competition  March 7 in Hartshorne and then on to the state meet March 15 in McCloud.  The team is hoping to better last year’s effort of sending five lifters to the state meet.