Dayton High School hosted its annual powerlifting meet on Wednesday night, Feb. 12, welcoming teams from New Caney, New Caney West Fork, New Caney Porter, Splendora, Huffman, and Liberty. The competition took place in the Dayton High School gym, where athletes from across the region showcased their strength and determination.
The Dayton boys’ team delivered a dominant performance, securing first place with multiple top-five finishes. Leading the charge were Joseph Benavides, Grayson Weeks, Braeden White, Andrew Soliz, and Esteban Burns, who each claimed first place in their respective weight classes.
Other standout performances included Fabian Hernandez, who placed third; Kiran Simon, who finished fourth; and Aiden Pierce, who took fifth. Additional strong showings came from Yashir Villa, Joshua Spaller, and Aiden Soliz, who each earned second place, along with Angelo Hadley, who also secured a second-place finish.
The Dayton girls’ team matched the boys’ success, bringing home first place as well. Marley Miksch, Ameera Zeno, Lanie Whitehead, and Ariana Zuniga each took first place in their divisions, while Chloe Whitehead and Kira Jansen earned second and third place, respectively.
Hailie Mifflin and Madison Lucas rounded out the top-five finishers with fifth-place rankings, and Maci Belt secured fourth place in her class.
Several lifters were recognized with Best Lifter awards for their outstanding performances. Dayton’s Grayson Weeks was named Best Lifter for the Boys Light Platform, while his teammate Andrew Soliz claimed the honor for the Boys Heavy Platform.
On the girls’ side, Ana Sofia Abshire from West Fork took the Best Lifter title for the Light Platform, while Dayton’s Lanie Whitehead won for the Heavy Platform.
Photo credits to okflickss (Taryn okoro)