[Update 3-30-26] The girls competed on March 27-28 in Edinburg, TX. Mackenzie Voss, 11, placed fourth, Shelly Cole, 11, placed sixth and Mariah Bassett, 11, placed ninth in their respective weight classes.
After the region meet where eight athletes competed at Sherman High School on March 4, juniors Mackenzie Voss, Mariah Bassett and Shelly Cole advanced to state. They will compete in Edinburg on March 27-28. Voss finished region with a 380-pound deadlift, 355-pound squat, 155-pound bench press and 880-pound total, placing first in her weight class.
“It’s really competitive, but I wasn’t really worried about not making it. It was just about getting first,” Voss said. “I was competing with one girl, and she was bumping her weight, and it was like, ‘OK I have to get this, or I’m going to get second.’ So, at the end it was an ‘I did it’ type moment.”
Voss joined powerlifting last year to get closer to her friend who also joined. She decided to stick it out as she realized it helped her progress in track as a shotput and discus competitor. In her first year, she advanced to state, placing 10th.
“Last year, I did really well at region, then I kind of choked at state,” Voss said. “I’m just hoping to go into it with a better, more prepared mindset.”
Each athlete is given three tries to obtain the heaviest weight for each lift. Voss said the hardest part about powerlifting is clearing her mind between each set.
“I just try to go into it with the mindset that it’s just me. It’s the same thing as it usually is,” Voss said. “There will be times where I know I can make my lifts, but I feel like I’m not as good as I know I can be, so it’s really just a mindset thing. I just try to have a goldfish memory. I just go into the next one and forget what happened last time.”
Voss credits powerlifting coach Dustin Rotan for her success. She said they hold a relationship built on trust and support. Coach Rotan focused on building mental toughness and recognized the girls’ commitment to improving themselves this season.
“I have watched all of our lifters grow in maturity and physical strength,” Coach Rotan said. “All three of our state qualifiers had a good offseason and dedicated themselves to having a great year. I am extremely proud of our entire team, not just our state qualifiers. They are a special group of young ladies and I am proud to be their coach.”
Coach Rotan’s goal for the state competition is for the athletes to give their best and represent the program well. Voss’ role as team captain motivates her performance as she hopes to continue growing in both strength and leadership.
“I feel like I’ve become way more open with the growth that we have this year, and especially as captain, I feel like I’ve become more of a leader, more understanding, and more able to talk to everyone,” Voss said. “It’s not just as a person, like my numbers and stuff like that, I’m just really happy with the way that everyone’s performed.”
