Weight Lifting will have Josh Almond Competing in Region this Week

(left to right) Alex Hardin, Caleb Almond, Patrick Almond, Derek Wiatrek (back left to right) Josh Almond, Braden Hodge, Javier Saucedo, Jacob Ruff. (photo Michelle Ruff)

Weight Lifting started as a sport at Canyon Lake after the football season last year and now the Hawks will have their first athlete competing in this Region Meet this Week-end.

Junior Josh Almond will represent CL with a chance of going to State with a top 4 finish.

“It was a last second decision after football,” Almond said. “I would have done it anyways, but I was told I volunteered. But you don’t want to lose your stamina.”

This sport helps bridge the gap between football and track season when in the past these athletes would be working out but without the competition aspect and the fun that goes with getting better.

Almond is in the 220-242lb classification and will be going up against 11 other weight-lifters as the top 4 will have an invitation to compete at State.

“I was seeded as the #3 person after two other lifters scratched,” Almond said surprisingly. “I don’t know why they did that.”

The protocol for doing your event is based on the 1st guy to lift is being placed their based on prior performances and being in that 3rd spot gives a good indication of just how good Mr. Almond is doing in his first try in this sport. That will mean Almond will see 8 other lifters before his time presents itself.

“I haven’t seen any of the guys I am competing against,” Almond said.

              Go Josh Almond!!

This is a Region 4 group of schools, so that area spans from the Valley to south of Austin. There were meets CL went to, but mostly in the San Antonio area.

“You have to have confidence in yourself,” Almond said when responding on how he will go into this Region Meet. “You just worry about what you can do.”

That question was based on being one of the last ones to perform after seeing several others lift before your chance presents itself.

This sport has some different aspects compared to football as the type of clothes being worn, as there will not be any pads in fact, it would be just the opposite. “You have to wear a very tight suit,” Almond stated. “It was in my second Meet, that my suit was so tight that it cut into my legs.”

Almond said this while showing The ReSporter the cuts on his leg that were still visible….”It took 6 guys from Blanco to help me get out of my suit…..that is how tight they are and the tighter the better off you are as that will help keep you up.”

                     Go Josh!!

The meet will rotate 3 times and each student will be gathering points on each turn.

“The ‘Dead Lift’ is the hardest…..you have to keep your grip and that is with three tries per lift.”

Just like any sport, there is someone that might not be showing you their best stuff during warm-ups, “The first couple of meets you would see the guy next to you sandbagging.”

On how Almond plans to attack this Meet, “I can only worry about what I need to do….there was a Meet that I chose a lighter weight and hedged and that one mistake could be the difference in making the cut….you have to be confident.”

This will be another First for Canyon Lake for a year that has been filled with Hawk Athletes that have risen in all areas of competing.

The Hawk Nation will be waiting to see just how far this young man can pull his weight for a chance of competing in the State Meet.

Do you know where the State Meet will be? “No…..I am just concentrating on competing at Bishop High School this week.”

Focus….Focus…Focus….you have to admire that.

Congrats and Go Mr. Almond!!