set to host powerlifting meets

The powerlifting season is not a marathon, it’s a sprint — and it’s rapidly approaching the finish line.

Vicksburg and Warren Central will host the Vicksburg-Warren Invitational on Saturday, the second and final regular-season meet for both teams. The first was last week at Natchez. The regional meet, when the road to the state meet starts, is Feb. 12.

Vicksburg coach Jackie Williamson said the need for recovery time between meets leads to the shorter season.

“The most you can have is three and we choose to do two. You don’t want to start them too early and overwork them, but you want to make sure you know what they can do,” Williamson said. “It’s a thin line.”

Especially with younger and more inexperienced lifters, which both Vicksburg and Warren Central will be relying on. WC had two lifters competing in their first meet, Deontae Stokes and Jimal Johnson, win their respective weight classes. Both are seniors, but are participating in powerlifting for the first time this season.

WC also had several other young lifters do well last week. Sophomore Jericho Harris won the 220-pound division, and freshman Brandon Bailey was second in the 114-pound class. Their emergence has McMullin thinking this could be a good season for the Vikings. Vicksburg, meanwhile is relying on some new faces as well — and some that haven’t been seen in a while. Jeremy Hamlin won the 181-pound Class 5A championship in 2006, but skipped last season because of a back injury. He’s lifting again this season. Super heavyweight Jarvis Holmes is participating for the first time.

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Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com.