In the second year of powerlifting being a sponsored sport at Elkhorn North, junior Dakota Courtright wins her third state championship as well as best overall female lifter for the third time. 

Winning a title takes grit and hard work, spending multiple days in the gym, roughly 10-12 hours per week. Leading up to this point, Courtright participates in other weight lifting competitions that all help her succeed.

“Consistency always rules when it comes to getting as strong as possible,” athletic trainer and powerlifting coach Kyle Nadrchal said. “Motivation comes and goes, but dedication to be consistent is what gets you where you want to go.” 

Courtright competed in the 165lb weight class where she outperformed everyone else. The lifts she had to do during the competition were squat, bench press, and deadlift. She had three attempts for every lift starting lighter and building her way up to the max. 

Dakota squatted 350lbs, bench pressed 195lbs, and deadlifted 410lbs, the combination of all three lifts reached a total of 955lbs. Within these lifts she broke two state records, those being bench press and deadlift, which were also a new PR for herself. 

“I knew she had the potential to be a state champion when she first came to Elkhorn North,” Nadrchal said. “She also has a good work ethic and a passion for the sport which is a big factor.”