There was some heavy lifting in late April at Jim Thorpe High School, and much of it was done by the home team.

For just the second time in program history, the Jim Thorpe powerlifting team won the Powerlifting America Pennsylvania state championship in the PHSPA 4A-5A Division.

The Olympians totaled 79 points — winning by a wide margin over Abington Heights and Pittston — and tied Parkland (6A) for the highest team score in the entire competition.

A trio wears gold

Coach John McGowan’s squad includes 40 lifters, with the top 10 individual scores counting toward the team total across three events: squat, bench press and dead lift.

At the varsity level, junior Luke Bosi captured the individual state title at 140 pounds, lifting 260 in the squat, 160 in the bench press and 375 in the dead lift for a total of 795 pounds. Teammate Ian Walck was second with a 700-pound total.

Bosi, who began lifting in eighth grade, said he surprised himself by winning.

“Two years ago, I was third at nationals,” he said. “But I play baseball and am involved in several after-school clubs. I only started seriously training for states two weeks before the event, so I didn’t think I’d win.”

At 114 pounds, Aiden Bowman lifted 500 pounds to place second, while Colton Steigerwalt totaled 345 pounds at 99 pounds to finish third.

Another individual champion was Michael Solt, who won his second straight state title at the junior varsity level. Competing at 204 pounds, the Jim Thorpe freshman posted lifts of 435 (squat), 260 (bench) and 460 (dead lift) for an 1,155-pound total — more than 200 pounds ahead of the runner-up.

“It’s great to win two titles in a row,” said Solt. “Now I can focus on trying to win a national championship next year.”

Nick Hale added a third individual gold for the Olympians at the JV level. The sophomore, lifting in the 182-pound class, totaled 1,035 pounds.

“If you had asked me at 12 years old if I could win a state title in powerlifting, I would’ve said, ‘No way,’” said Hale, who started the sport four years ago.

Other top-10 performances that contributed team points came from Brady Skelly, Berenger Hess, Gavin Baker, Tobias Garner and Cole Harwood.

Lifting his lifters

McGowan started the Jim Thorpe powerlifting program 40 years ago with just a few students and borrowed equipment.

“We used the cage in the back of the football team room for workouts,” he said. “For our first competition events, my wife and I transported the kids in our minivan. Now we get a bus.”

He sets goal lifts for each athlete at major meets.

“For their first of three attempts in each event, we want them to hit 85% of their projected max. Sometimes, if we need a lifter to go beyond their max to win, we’ll ask if they’re comfortable attempting it.”

To prepare for high-level meets, McGowan has the lifters train with kettlebells to strengthen smaller muscle groups, which are key in supporting heavier powerlifting movements. A former Jim Thorpe football MVP at center and tackle, McGowan is now fully dedicated to the sport. He’s assisted by Dave Everett, who warms up the team before McGowan arrives from his job as a metal fabricator.

Asked why powerlifting continues to grow in popularity, McGowan said, “There are no benchwarmers like in other sports.”

His athletes are quick to praise him.

“He’s phenomenal,” said Solt.

“He believes in me more than any coach I’ve ever had,” Bosi added.

“From the little guy to the big guy, you don’t have to be the greatest athlete to powerlift,” said McGowan. “You just have to show up.”

Thanks to their effort — and McGowan’s guidance — Jim Thorpe’s lifters haven’t just been showing up. They’ve become the “big guy” in area powerlifting.