On Saturday, March 16, the Bray-Doyle Donkey Powerlifting team will send two members to the 11-man state meet in El Reno. Bray-Doyle junior Joshua Poston will be the 16 seed in the 181 lb. weight class and senior Dalton Whitehead will be going in as the 6 seed in the 242 lb. weight class. Bray-Doyle coach Marcus Knight said both lifters have worked hard all year to get to where they are.

                “I’m really proud of both of them and the work they’ve put in,” Knight said. “They have worked hard all year, and powerlifting is one of those things where you have to put the work in to get better.”

                Both Poston and Whitehead competed in the 8-man state competition already with Whitehead winning state in his division. Whitehead said it was years of hard work finally paying off.

                “It felt really good finally winning state my senior year,” Whitehead said. “It is a great accomplishment and I’m excited to move on to the 11-man state meet.”

                Whitehead said it was a difficult road getting to both state meets not only in the work he had to put in, but the changes in coaching staffs over the years.

                “I had to work hard everyday no matter if I felt bad or not, I had to put in the work,” Whitehead said. “It was difficult working with a new coach every year, because every coach had a different workout program.”

                In a powerlifting meet each competitor does three different lifts, with the bench press, squat and deadlift. Poston lifted 415 lbs. on deadlift, 240 on bench and squatted 400. Whitehead recorded a 495 on his deadlift, 300 on bench and 495 on squat.