Mississippi High School Activities Association The place for high school sports in Mississippi 
Meet summary by Claude AI
Vardaman captured the Girls 1A Powerlifting State Championship on Friday, March 27 at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, finishing with 39 team points to edge Nanih Waiya (35) and Smithville (31) in one of the day’s closest team battles. The three schools were separated by a combined eight points, making the final weight classes critical before Vardaman secured the title.
Vardaman’s three individual champions drove the team’s championship total from the opening weight class. Senior Ashley Freelon claimed the 97-pound title to open the competition, totaling 565 pounds on a 235-pound squat, an 80-pound bench press, and a 250-pound dead lift. Senior Edna Sanchez matched Freelon’s total exactly — 565 pounds — to win the 105-pound class on a 225-pound squat, 80-pound bench press, and 260-pound dead lift. Junior Mari Armstrong added the 123-pound championship for Vardaman at 610 pounds, rounding out three individual titles in the lighter weight divisions. The Lady Rams also placed second in the 165-pound class (Haley Parker, 625) and second in the 181-pound class (Arwen Lucius, 555), generating consistent team points throughout the meet.
Nanih Waiya closed to within four points of the leader behind two individual champions and strong depth across several weight classes. Sophomore Cami Cowart won the 132-pound class at 645 pounds with a 260-pound squat and 290-pound dead lift. Sophomore Vanessa Fulton followed by winning the 148-pound class at 675 pounds, putting together a 250-pound squat, 105-pound bench press, and 320-pound dead lift. Nanih Waiya also placed second in the 242-pound class (Mimi Grierson, 755) and third in the 165-pound class (Abby Creel, 615), giving the team points from five of the 12 weight classes.
Smithville earned its 31 points through consistent scoring across the upper weight divisions. Sophomore Amandah Brooks delivered the team’s signature performance, winning the 181-pound class with a 715-pound total that included a 330-pound squat and 115-pound bench press. Smithville’s Bracey Gray finished second at 105 pounds, Madison Tyler was second at 132, and Sadie Mitchell placed third at 123, giving the Lady Bearcats a depth of top-three finishes that nearly caught the leader.
One of the day’s most notable performances came from junior Ahjahnae’ Washington of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, who won the 114-pound class with a 630-pound total — the largest in the weight class — totaling a 240-pound squat, 90-pound bench press, and 300-pound dead lift. Biggersville earned two individual titles: junior Mollie Willis won the 198-pound class at 675 pounds, edging Nanih Waiya’s Anna Grace Rigdon — who also totaled 675 — on lighter bodyweight, and senior Anna McNair claimed the 220-pound crown at 785 pounds. Senior Zykeria Phillips of Calhoun City won the 242-pound class at 765 pounds, and senior Olivia Cross of West Union won the 165-pound class at 740 pounds.
Junior Miley Pittman of Wheeler won the 242-plus-pound class at 730 pounds to close the competition. With Biggersville at 17 points for fifth, Calhoun City sixth with 12, Wheeler seventh with 11, and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science and West Union each scoring seven points, the 1A meet reflected strong depth throughout the classification. Vardaman’s three individual champions, combined with reliable secondary placements, gave the Lady Rams enough of an edge to claim the Girls 1A state championship.
