By DAVE WOODALL
Slidell sports writer
SLIDELL — The Covington powerlifting team won the regional meet held last Saturday at Pope John Paul II High School. The defending state champion Lions racked up 44 points to finish ahead of St. Paul’s with 35.
Josh Bickham of Covington was the Outstanding Lifter of the meet in the 220-pound class with a total of 1,147.39. He set state weight class records in the squat (650), bench (450) and dead lift (700).
Bickham set the state 2013 records in the 198-pound class in squat (645), bench (395), and total (1,675).
Northshore’s Keaton Rodriguez topped the 198-pound class with a personal-best total of 1,575, hitting highs in the squat (585), bench (365), and deadlift (625).
The Lions were led by Shawn Warren (148.8), Tyran Garrett (181.8), and Bickham (220.3).
The top three finishers in each event are automatic qualifiers for the state meet:
(114.5) Nick Gordon, St. Paul’s, 910.0446; Chance Naquin, Rummel, 767.1419; Kobi Woodruff, Holy Cross, 759.3514
(123.5) Austin Grashoff, St. Paul’s, 928.9791; Montel Smith, Slidell, 855.6555; Jacob Nuebel, Northshore, 806.6023
(132.3) Jakob Gibbs, Northshore, 866.6263; Trey Foret, Ellender, 854.9014; Matthew Kuss, Covington, 828.6274
(148.8) Shawn Warren, Covington, 1062.7631; Celestine White, Holy Cross, 901.3483; Jacob Searight, Slidell, 882.4297
(165.3) Warner Moore, St. Paul’s, 977.6302; Draven Collins, Covington, 899.3916; Patrick Bolton, Covington, 828.0827
(181.8) Tyran Garrett, Covington, 1110.5728; Gabe Stapinski, Slidell, 913.1781; Blair Ivory, Holy Cross, 874.7456
(198.3) Keaton Rodriguez, Northshore, 1010.7551; Colt Grow, Covington, 941.7406; Dylan Phelps, Chalmette, 904.2896
(220.3) Josh Bickham, Covington, 1147.3927; Kahari Harris, Ellender, 895.2116; Deray Darensbourg, Covington, 852.4510
(242.5) Dylon Cook, Northlake Christian; Ryan Sullivan, St. Paul’s, 943.1789; Houston Taylor, Slidell, 927.8631
(275.5) Andrew Johnson, Chalmette, 927.1936; Dylan Erickson, Northshore, 806.4062; Jack Vinning, St. Paul’s, 785.4788;
(Super Heavyweight) Jace Ordone, Ellender, 757.6466; Alton Webb, East St. John, 738.1085; Rhett Lodrigues, Lutcher, 695.9864