LSUS weightlifting aiming for national titles at university championships

LSUS weightlifting aiming for national titles at university championships

SALT LAKE CITY - When coach Aaron Adams relaunched LSU Shreveport's collegiate weightlifting program two years ago, he envisioned a steady climb in which the program would reassert itself among the nation's elite.

He just didn't expect it to come so quickly.

When the Pilot men's and women's team set foot in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the university nationals this week, LSUS is in serious contention for individual national titles and could be in the conversation for men's and women's team championships.

The national university championships take place Thursday through Sunday in the Salt Palace Convention Center.

"I am kind of surprised at the pace," Adams said of the program's ascension. "We set goals for the program and collaborate with lifters on their personal goals - but I didn't expect to bring full men's and women's squads in Year 2.

"A couple of our kids are ranked pretty high, and we're probably going to have some university national champions this year."

Perhaps even more impressive is that of LSUS's 24 lifters, 17 of those are freshmen.

Freshman Bryson Brown is LSUS's best shot at a national champion in the 65-kilogram class.

Brown, who hit a qualifying mark for the Junior World Championships, logged 258 kilograms in the best snatch and clean and jerk lifts, earning best overall male lifter at the Southwest Regionals in November.

Brown joins Kyle Martin Jr. as Pilots who have qualified for Junior Worlds in their respective weight classes with Martin Jr. meeting his mark as part of a Pennsylvania club and transferred from Penn State University this spring.

Sophomore Grace Gonzales-Liz took home the best overall female lifter as her 171 kilograms dominated the 58-kilogram class.

Gonzales-Liz and Brown led men's and women's teams that placed 15 of their 16 lifters on the podium (top three) in their respective weight classes with 10 of those lifters winning their divisions.

"We definitely scared some people, and eye brows popped up," Adams said. "The kids took that competition by the horns really."

After toppling programs like the University of Texas, Texas A&M, and Rice in the regionals, LSUS aims to reinstate itself on the national stage.

After qualifying 10 lifters (the entire team) at nationals this past year, LSUS is bringing 15 lifters (eight men, seven women) while still leaving quality lifters at home.

And it's not like LSUS hasn't had its name atop the national leaderboard before.

Under the direction of now international hall of fame weightlifting coach Dr. Kyle Pierce, LSUS won at least one team national title from 2006-2011, including more than half of the 2011 individual national championships when Shreveport hosted the national meet.

LSUS's last weightlifter to set a university national record was Jared Fleming in 2014, snatching 165 kilograms in the 96-kilogram class.

That record still stands, as does four others by three-time Olympian Kendrick Farris in two separate weight classes and one by Cameron Stewart (2011).

Adams thinks LSUS might own more records following this week's nationals.

"Bryson will more likely than not open with a university national record," said Adams, who set four national records back in his LSUS lifting days in the 62-kilogram class. "It's been a long time since that's happened, and it'd be cool for the school as well."

Despite weightlifting being an individual sport, Adams said the program's quick success has been because of a team concept.

"Weightlifting usually isn't a team sport as most kids come from club programs where the only result that mattered was how the individual did and not the club as a whole," Adams said. "But once they figured out that we really are team-first here before we shoot for individual results or records, it brings that added element of team camaraderie in that it actually improves individual results.

"The team camaraderie has lit a fire under them."