Trevians powerlifters finish strong once again

More than 300 student-athletes from across the state muscled their way into New Trier High School on May 24 for the annual state powerlifting championships, organized by the Illinois High School PowerLifting Association.

Participants from 29 high schools competed in the event, which was split into two divisions based on team size. Three lifts — squats, deadlift and bench press — are measured.

The New Trier girls team was the runnerup in the 2A field to Sandburg out of Orland Park, while the boys tied for third place with Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort) and behind Minooka and Sandburg.

Rowan Araujo (114 pounds) and Zoe Gerber (198) were New Trier’s two state champions, while Danny Friedman (220), Aiden Huh (114), Lola Bianco (114) and Ruby Awtry (132) placed second in their respective divisions.

“A truly impressive day overall, at one of the largest and most competitive competitions around,” Trevians head coach Jim Davis said in a message to The Record.

The competition also passed out other honors through the End-of-Season Awards program. New Trier was well represented:

• Beyond Strength (mindset, character, etc.): Ruby Awtry and Ruth Cases
• Resilience: Awtry and coach Hanna Cohen
• High Command Coach (creating enriching culture, equity in opportunity): head coach Jim Davis
• Start Fast (potential as future leader): coach Rijad Pekmez

New Trier’s powerlifting team was established 15 years ago, and both it and the sport have come a long way since under Davis.

Prior to the state competition, New Trier powerlifters participated in their 10th national championships in April in Oklahoma City, where the Trevians collected their fifth consecutive national team title.

The girls side placed first in the unequipped (no special equipment) category, and the junior-senior contingent first in the equipped category.

The boys took first in unequipped and second in equipped, led by Friedman’s first place finish at 220 pounds, Araujo’s at 114.5 and Francis Karp at 275.5, among others.

Davis expressed gratitude for his team’s efforts all season, especially seniors such as Bianco, Gerber and Awtry.

“Our staff could not be more proud of this team,” Davis said. “They embodied all that we expected from them: hard-working, high character, coachable, and supportive of each other. They proved that they could compete with the best athletes in the state and the nation — and more often than not, they came out on top!

He added, “We have a strong group of committed athletes coming back. Excited to see their commitment and watch them progress as a team.”

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