The 2022 Class D High School State Powerlifting Championships were held at Harvard High School, Friday and Saturday, March 25 and 26, featuring 11 of the top Class D powerlifting schools in the state.

Three Summerland lifters competed in the championships. The small, but mighty, Summerland Bobcat team earned fourth place overall.

Special trophies were awarded to the outstanding individual male and female lifters of the meet, based on the Wilkes coefficient index. The outstanding male lifter of the meet was Matt Umphress Summerland.

Niobrara/Verdigre scored 85 points to claim the team title. Boyd County placed second; Red Cloud, third; Riverside, fourth; Summerland, fifth; Harvard, sixth; Silver Lake, seventh and Lutheran High Northeast, eighth.

Niobrara/Verdigre earned its second team trophy, winning the girls' division with 56 points. Boyd County finished second; Red Cloud, third; Summerland, fourth; Silver Lake, fifth and Harvard, sixth.

The N/V Cougars took home the co-ed team trophy, with 94 points. Boyd County placed second; Red Cloud, third; Summerland, fourth, Harvard, fifth and Silver Lake, sixth.

All three Summerland lifters - Raina Krebs, Connor Thomson and Matt Umphress - earned individual state champion honors

Additionally, three Bobcat records were broken Saturday.

Krebs set two new records with a squat of 225 pounds and deadlift of 315 pounds.

Umphress broke the strength index record, with a 5.17. The index is calculated by the total pounds lifted divded by body weight.

The final meet of the school year will be the Orchard AAU powerlifting Meet, Saturday, April 9, at the Orchard school gym. Lifting begins at 9 a.m.

Because this is a sanctioned AAU event, talents of both high school and middle school female and male lifters will be on display, along with many other lifters from around the state, including professionals from the metro area.

Organizer Jeff Shabram said, "This meet has grown into one of the largest sanctioned meets in the state over the past 15 years, seeing numerous state, American, and world records set each year ... hopefully we can have an amazing performance this year. The Orchard gym will be rocking in two weeks"