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RIO RANCHO 鈥� Legacy Academy on sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 West Side does not necessarily strike one as the type of campus that is birthing a powerlifting juggernaut, but the Silverbacks鈥� campus is proving to be precisely that vessel.

With 25% of the 12 individual weight brackets won by a Legacy Academy athlete, its girls program on Saturday won their second Class 1A-3A state championship in three years at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

The Silverbacks scored 26 points, 10 more than Estancia.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a process,鈥� Legacy coach Paul Chavez said. 鈥淭hese girls have put in the work, it鈥檚 not just an overnight success.鈥�

Seniors Arryanah Escalante (148 pounds) and Genesis Hernandez (220) were two of Legacy鈥檚 three individual state champions among the 12 weight divisions. Junior Rae Trujillo (97 pounds) was the third.

鈥淭hey did it,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淭hey showed up today. They had to fight for first place and they did it.鈥�

His seniors, in particular, were forced to perform to the end.

鈥淎rry and Genesis, they came through in clutch moments,鈥� Chavez said. 鈥淚t came down to the last lifts, where they either make it or break it, and they came through.鈥�

Despite its modest appearance, the Legacy campus houses a sufficient weight room 鈥� 鈥渋t鈥檚 kind of a dungeon,鈥� Chavez said with a smile, and they have a new training center as well 鈥� that has led the Silverbacks to win three blue trophies. The boys were 2025 state champs.

鈥淲e were given a task and I think we all put in the work over the season and locked in because we wanted to win,鈥� Escalante said.

And getting back on top of the 1A-3A standings was the prime focus.

鈥淓veryone is so determined,鈥� Hernandez said.

Legacy鈥檚 boys placed second on Friday.

In the girls鈥� standings, Cobre and Hot Springs both had 15 points, but Cobre was the third-place winner.

Legacy Academy joined Carlsbad (5A) and Lovington (4A) with blue trophies this year.

Lovington鈥檚 fifth straight championship has been far from a linear trip.

When powerlifting was made a sport, all the girls teams in the state were placed in a single classification and there weren鈥檛 many of them.

The Wildcats for a couple of years were an overall champion, then they have continued their dominance now that there are enough teams to separate into different classifications, as is the case with every sport (except swimming).

Lovington on Saturday won an extremely tight battle with Portales, 31-30. Grants (26) was a very competitive third.

Shaelyn Dunlap, at 148 pounds, and Daelyn Galindo, at 220, were Lovington鈥檚 two individual state champions.

The 5A race, like 4A, was close and top-heavy with teams from the south.

Carlsbad鈥檚 32 points were two better than Alamogordo, with Hobbs (26) in third. Those three schools combined to win half of the 12 weight divisions in 5A.

Campbell Foster (165), Cassandra Bielstein (181) and Atria Wells (259) won individual first-place medals for the Cavegirls.

The girl who moved the most weight in 5A was Allianna Cortez of Hobbs. The 220-pounder鈥檚 overall total was 930 pounds.

But she was not the overall top performer in this regard. That title went to Savannah Ortiz of Grants, in the 4A, 259-pound division where she recorded 1,005 pounds in the squad, bench and deadlift.

The metro area had two individual 5A champions: Janelly Gallegos of Atrisco Heritage at 114 pounds, and Rio Rancho super heavyweight Sarah Martinez.

There were a handful of metro-area 4A champions, led by repeat winner Rebecca Neal of Highland at 165 pounds were here 790-pound total was better than most every athlete in every other weight division.

Adrianna Berni (97 pounds) of Valencia won a state title in in 4A, as did Bella Perez of Bernalillo (114) and Kendra Sims of Belen (198).

Sheridan Yara of Cottonwood Classical Prep was the 1A-3A state champion at 132 pounds.

James Yodice covers prep sports for the Journal. You can reach him at jyodice@abqjournal.com or via X at .