SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The Women’s ASU Ram Powerlifting Club at Angelo State University brought home a national championship along with other awards from the 2023 USA Powerlifting Collegiate National Meet in Arlington.

ASU shared in a release that lifters competed in raw contests. These contests are done without any special equipment including knee wraps, bench shirts and squat shirts. Contests will get three attempts at each deadlift, squat and bench press. The sum of the highest weight that is lifted on each event is added to make the qualifying total sum.

Monahans’ Melissa Nunez took home the gold this year in the Women’s Collegiate Raw 97-pound weight class after taking home the silver in 2022. ASU says that Nunez had a total sum of 600 pounds.

Natalie Walker from Greenville took third place in the 105-pound weight class at the Women’s Collegiate Raw contest. The women’s ASU Ram Powerlifting Club place fourth overall.

“I am very proud of Ram Powerlifting for continuing to compete and excel on a national level against big schools from across the country,” said Dr. Adam Parker, professor of kinesiology and club faculty sponsor. “I am especially happy that the women were able to bring home a fourth-place team win, as it has been quite some time since our club placed in the team competition. I congratulate all the club members who competed at Collegiate Nationals, and they couldn’t have done it without the excellent leadership of our club president, Annabelle Butts, and our former president, Michael Vargas.”

Marissa Nunez of Monahans, Annabelle Butts from Lubbock, Poteet’s Emily Ramos, Kira Palmer of San Augustine, and Kylie Bilton of Florence also competed at the national meet for ASU.