POUND FOR PROUD
Tucked away in Worthen Arena's weight room one might find a group of people working on something special. This group, which includes men and women of a variety of ages and disciplines, holds itself together with one common purpose: perfection of the human body.
Some people call the group's members crazy for pursuing such a goal. They call themselves Ball State University Powerlifters.
Entering its sixth full year, the Ball State University Powerlifting Club Team is gearing up for the USAPL Collegiate National Powerlifting Championships, being held this year in Killeen, Texas, Friday through Sunday.
After a strong performance last year, the team is thinking positively going into this year's competition.
"As a team we got seventh last year overall," said Mike Robertson, club president. "Our women's team actually got second at women's nationals. We are looking to do even better this year. We have a really strong group team this year."
To improve on last year's performance, the Cardinals will have to do without six All-Americans from last year's team, three of whom were national champions. Nonetheless Justin Cecil, the group's founder and coach, is confident his team will perform well.
"I think we are going to come out, surprise a lot of people and let them know that, even though we lost all these people the last two years, we are a force to be reckoned with," Cecil said. "As long as we have smart motivated individuals, we always will be."
Robertson leaves no room for doubt when it comes to how he thinks Ball State could do this year.
"To be honest, we are looking for a national championship," Robertson said. "We have at least five or six guys that should be All-Americans. We have our eyes to the sky right now."
In the past, Ball State's women's team has been its strength. Robertson said the men's team is just as strong.
Among those expected to place highly are Andy Fry, Steve Kouimanis, Brendan Kavanagh, Matt Wenning and Torrey Stott.
Robertson said Ball State will be sending 14 lifters to nationals this year. Although it is a low number compared to other schools at the top of the collegiate powerlifting mountain, it will be one of Ball State's largest showings to date.
"I don't think we have ever had more than 15 lifters," Robertson said. "That means we are getting quality lifters and we just don't have the quantity that other schools do."
Cecil said, "We understand we are a small club, but pound for pound I believe we are the best club in the United States and there are a lot of people in U.S. powerlifting who are in full agreement with us."
Size is not the only thing that distinguishes Ball State from other schools when it comes to powerlifting. The team's preparation for competition is rare.
"Beyond just using heavy weights, we are training our nervous systems to work very fast," Robertson said. "A lot of (the training) is geared around lifting, but it is part of bringing the whole organism to a higher level.
"We are athletes who powerlift. We are competitive in everything. We pride ourselves on being athletes, as well as being strong."
This year's national competition will be the club founder's final meet.
Cecil, originally from Greenfield, decided in 1996 to create a powerlifting club after having lifted in high school and turning down a scholarship to lift at the University of Evansville, which had the defending national champion in powerlifting at the time.
"I was always a loner doing powerlifting," he said. "I always wanted to lift on a team."
Cecil drafted a strict club constitution in hopes of making the club unique.
"I wanted to make the team a legitimate team," Cecil said. "I didn't want us to be a typical club sport that would just let people lift and drink beer all the time. I wanted to make it so that if you were on this team, you were a student athlete."
After having his application to start the club rejected a few times, Cecil grew discouraged. In January 1996, however, BSUPL was recognized as an official club.
Since then, the team has produced 22 All-Americans, seven national champions, four world team members and a Pan Am Games Champion.
"I started the club to lift on a team, and it turned out to be a team I would have killed to get on coming out of high school," he said. "I came here and did more for myself and for powerlifting than I could have done going to the University of Evansville and just being another name in their program."
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