Feb 26, 2024
The Woodlawn High School Lady Panther Powerlifting team dominated 25 other schools on their way to the first Regional Championship in school history. Woodlawn finished the meet with 42 points, besting Denham Springs and St. Joseph’s Academy with 25 points a piece.
Jadyn Barner and Amy Kirk were named Overall Lifters of the Regional Meet held at Woodlawn on February 24, 2024.
While winning the Region, 19 school records were broken. The Lady Panthers also broke six Regional records. Woodlawn High also had the two best overall lifters for the day: Jadyn Barner was named Best Overall Lightweight Lifter of the Meet and Amy Kirk was named Best Overall Heavyweight Lifter of the Meet.
Katelyn Reed broke the Regional record for the squat and deadlift. Reed, who lifts in the 97 pound weight class, squatted 235 pounds and deadlifted 285 pounds. Her total weight of 630 pounds was a Regional record for her weight class.
Krystel Amo broke the Regional record for the deadlift in the 105 pound weight class. She was able to deadlift 305 pounds to set the record.
Barner, who lifts in the 114 pound weight class, broke the Regional squat record with a 300 pound lift. Her total of 760 pounds in also a new Regional record.
In addition to the broken records, four girls won their weight classes, two placed second, and one finished third.
Reed, Amo, Barner, and Kirk (165 pound weight class) all took home first place medals. Finishing second were Kennedi Kullman (97 pound weight class) and Aerion Lange (SHW class). Rounding out the top finishes was Lacie Sierra, who placed third in the 132 pound weight class.
In addition to the seven lifters listed above, Jewel Wyman (220 pound weight class) will join her teammates as a qualifier at the State Championship Meet.
Our Lady Panthers will compete for the State Championship on Friday, March 22nd at the Cajundome in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Feb 20, 2024
Each week the Panther Play by Play will review the athletic contests from the previous week and look forward to the coming week’s action.
Want to come out and cheer on the Panthers? Tickets for all home events can be purchased online.
Bowling
Our Panther Bowling team had matches against both Zachary and Liberty this week. Our bowlers had two impressive victories, defeating Zachary by the score of 27-0 and Liberty by the score of 24-3.
The Panthers moved to 4-1.
Next up for Bowling: Our bowling team’s next match is against East Ascension on the 22nd at All Star Lanes beginning at 3:15 pm.
Girls’ Basketball
The Lady Panther varsity team played a nail-biting district game against Liberty on the 7th. In a close battle, the team lost 52-49.
However, on the 9th, the girls rallied for a win against St. Joseph’s Academy on their senior night. The final varsity score was 53-32, and seniors Tralyn Riley, Ranya Smith, Faith Thomas, and Kailee Washington were celebrated.
Next up for Girls’ Basketball: Our Lady Panthers earned a first round bye in the Select Division I playoff bracket by being named the 5th seed. Woodlawn will host Northwood-Shreveport in the regional round of playoffs on the 19th.
Boys’ Basketball
The Panthers fell to Liberty on Tuesday, with a varsity score of 60-53 and a JV score of 58-22. The team fought against Catholic High on the 9th, ending in a 62-54 varsity loss and a 60-40 loss for JV.
On the 14th, the varsity team faced another loss in overtime to Central, with a score of 64-56. The JV team lost 56-22.
On Friday, the boys rallied to a great win over Scotlandville. The varsity final score was 68-55. The boys finished their season at #22 in Division I Select.
Next up for Boys’ Basketball: Our Panthers earned the #22 seed in the Select Division I playoffs. Woodlawn will travel to Brother Martin on Friday, February 23rd for a 7 pm Bi-District game.
Tennis
On Tuesday the 6th, our tennis team displayed exceptional prowess on the court, securing victories against Walker across both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
In the boys’ division, Woodlawn asserted its dominance by clinching three out of four matches against Walker. Levi Lindsay and Jacob Hoang showcased their individual skill and determination, triumphing in their respective singles matches. The duo of Jacob Aime & Sam Marino displayed remarkable teamwork and coordination to secure a victory in the doubles match.
The girls’ division witnessed an equally impressive performance from Woodlawn’s tennis team. Miriam Lindsay and Kate Russell demonstrated their prowess by emerging victorious in their singles matches. The doubles pairs of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire and Bella Winter & Caitlyn Gruse secured victories in their respective matches.
Following this impressive performance, both the boys’ and girls’ teams maintain a flawless record of 1-0, setting a strong foundation for future matches and competitions.
On Wednesday the 7th, the teams lost to Dutchtown. Our boys’ team fell 2-1, while our girls fell 3-2.
Our Woodlawn Invitational took place on February 9th and 10th. On the 9th, Lily Ingalls and Levi Lindsay won their singles matches. The doubles teams of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire, Jacob Aime & Sam Marino, and Ryan Russel & Devin Sutor-Benfield defeated their various opponents as well.
On the 10th, several Woodlawn players made it all the way to the end of the tournament. Ryan Russell & Devin Sutor-Benfield finished as boys’ doubles quarterfinalists. The team of Jacob Aime & Same Marino finished as boys’ doubles semifinalists.
Levi Lindsay and Lily Ingalls were named boys’ and girls’ singles finalists, respectively. The team of Krystel Amo & Amelie LeMaire finished as girls’ doubles finalists
Next up for Tennis: The Panther tennis teams will play St. Amant on the 19th and Central on the 21st. Both matches will be played at Highland Road Tennis Center starting at 3 pm.
Track
On Saturday the 17th, several Woodlawn athletes competed at the Indoor State Track Meet held at LSU.
Woodlawn was represented by Caleb Cooper in the 60m, Alex Collins in the shot put, and both 4×200 and 4×400 relay teams.
Junior Caleb Cooper ran a 7.17, earning him 13th place.
Senior Alex Collins threw 42’9”, landing him in 13th place.
The 4×200 relay consisted of Caleb Cooper, junior Keylen Sonnier, senior Couren Norman, and junior Jay’Cob Jolla. The team ran a 1:33.79, earning them 5th place.
The 4×400 team consisted of Couren Norman, Jay’Cob Jolla, Keylen Sonnier, and junior Kydell Miner. They placed 9th with a time of 3:38.73.
Next up for Track: Outdoor track season will begin with meets at Brusly on the 28th and Denham Springs High School on the 29th.
Baseball
Preparation for the baseball season has ended, and games will begin this week. First year Head Coach Royce Holloway is excited to see his Panthers on the field for the first time this upcoming week.
Next up for Baseball: Woodlawn’s baseball season will begin on Monday, February 19th with a game at 6 pm at Walker High School. Their home opener will be the next day at 3:30 pm versus East Iberville. The Panthers will also host Slaughter Community Charter at 3:30 pm on Thursday, February 22nd. The Panthers’ busy week concludes on Saturday, when they host Independence High School at 1 pm.
Softball
On the 15th, the Lady Panthers absolutely dominated Northeast. The team started their season off with a run rule in only 3 innings. The final score was 17-0.
Next up for Softball: Our softball team will host Scotlandville on the 20th and then Northeast again on the 22nd. Both games will be at 4 pm.
Powerlifting
Our Boys’ Powerlifting team competed in the LHSPLA Boys East Regional Powerlifting Meet on the 17th.
Junior Rashad Batiste (198 lbs), junior Dwayne Beverly (275 lbs), and senior CJ May (super heavyweight) all placed 2nd in their respective weight classes.
Next up for Powerlifting: The LHSPLA Girls East Regional Powerlifting Meet will be hosted at Woodlawn High School on the 24th.
Mar 28, 2022
Senior Carolina Alvarado has brought the first State Championship in the sport of Powerlifting to Woodlawn High School. The Panthers have participated in Powerlifting for less than a decade, but Panther lifters have consistently qualified for the State Meet. However, no lifter has been able to be crowned State Champion until now.
Carolina Alvarado displays her State Championship medal.
Alvarado, who placed second in Regionals, competed in the 97 pound weight class. She posted three personal records on the way to the state championship. Her squat of 210 pounds and bench of 90 pounds each bested her personal records by five pounds. However, it was her dead lift that was the difference between first and second place. Alvarado had a previous record of 235 pounds. Lifting that weight again would have placed her second in the competition. First-year coach Knute Douglas knew she could lift more weight and went for the State Championship by listing 275 pounds as her final attempt. When Alvarado successfully lifted the weight, Woodlawn High had it’s first Powerlifting State Champion.
Alvarado was not the only bright spot in Panther powerlifting this season. For the first time in the history of the school, the boys’ team won the Regional Championship. The Panthers also placed 5th overall at the state competition. The Panthers were led by senior Amani Givens, who finished runner-up in the 198 pound weight class.
Amani Givens prepares to squat at the State Championship Meet.
Coach Douglas was extremely proud of all of his lifters this season.
“Year one has been a great ride, filled with fantastic moments,” said Douglas. “This year’s boys and girls teams have seen lots of first-time achievements in school history and will be a great foundation to build upon moving forward as we strive to make Woodlawn High School Powerlifting a Championship Program.”
Woodlawn was represented by four girls and five boys at this year’s State Meet. In addition to Alvarado, Krystel Amo (105 pound weight class), Celine Thomas (148 pound weight class), and Marie Sierra (165 pound weight class) also competed. All three Lady Panthers had top ten finishes. Freshman Amo finished eighth and juniors Thomas and Sierra finished fifth and fourth.
Willie Nunnery (123 pound weight class), Mason Watson (198 pound weight class), Hunter Thomas (242 pound weight class), and Devyn Jones (275 pound weight class) joined Givens to represent the Panthers. Juniors Nunnery and Jones placed sixth and fifth, and seniors Thomas and Watson each placed fourth.
Mar 3, 2021
Six student-athletes performed well enough at the 2021 LHSAA/LHSPLA East Regional Powerlifting Meet to qualify for the State Meet. The group was led by sophomore Celine Thomas, who was the East Regional Champion for the 148 pound weight class, senior Tim Bennett, who was the runner-up in the SHW class, and sophomore Devyn Jones, who was the runner-up in the 275 pound weight class.
Christian Jones (620 total pounds), India Morgan (595 total pounds), and Willie Nunnery (765 total pounds) also qualified for the LHSAA Division I State Championships. The Championships will be held March 18th through March 20th at Fant Ewing Coliseum in Monroe, Louisiana.
Coach Baronich was pleased with the overall effort of both the girls and boys team.
“Our kids did a great job of competing on Friday and Saturday at the Regional Meet. Many PR’s were set along with six of them earning spots in the upcoming LHSAA Division I State Meet in Monroe later this month. Our boys team scored well enough across all weight to finish as East Regional Runner-ups.”
The Runner-up boys team consisted of Bennett, Jones, Nunnery, Matthew Sant, Jaden Sylvester, Keenan Griffin, Marcus Stewart, Mason Watson, Devin Trim, Hunter Thomas, and Roy Brackins. Sant, Sylvester, Griffin, and Stewart are all alternates at the upcoming State Meet.
Outside of qualifying for the State Meet, Bennett, Jones, and Nunnery were all able to break several school records.
Bennett set a new Woodlawn High record in the squat (575 pounds), bench (395 pounds), and total (1465 pounds) in the SHW class. He goes into the State Meet only one hundred pounds behind the state leader.
Jones set new school records in the bench (395 pounds) and total (1295 pounds) in the 275 pound class. He is the only sophomore that qualified for the State Meet in the 275 pound class in Division I.
Nunnery set a new record in the 123 pound class with a bench of 190 pounds.
Thomas became the East Regional Champion with a total weight of 660 pounds. She successfully complete a 250 pound squat, 120 pound bench, and 290 pound dead lift.
Dec 10, 2020
With the powerlifting season starting this month, the Panther Powerlifters are in full swing with pre-season workouts. Coach Baronich, who is beginning his 37th year as a head powerlifting coach, is looking for his experienced lifters to set the tone for the multitude of young lifters who are expected to contribute.
Seniors Tim Bennett and Aaron Gooden, along with Juniors Matthew Sant and Mason Watson, will look to lead the boys team, which finished 7th in last year’s East Regional. Senior Christian Jones and Junior Isabella Schamber are the leading returning lifters for the girls team that finished 5th in the East Regional last year. Five lifters qualified for the LHSPLA State Meet last season before the season was shut down due to COVID-19.
Coach Baronich will depend heavily on a group of Sophomores to supplement the returning boy lifters. Devyn Jones, Keenan Griffin, Jaden Sylvester, and Willie Nunnery are four lifters that are expected to contribute to the Panthers this season.
On the girls side, Junior India Morgan will join Sophomores Victoria Alder, Lauren Earl, Marie Sierra, Kara Love, and Celine Thomas as newcomers that will help lead the Lady Panthers.
Coach Baronich says that he has high expectations for both teams.
“Expectations for the boys team is high. We are returning a lot of experience with a lot of young talent. For the girls, we are still a very young team experience-wise because of the early graduation of three regional team members this year. Christian Jones is the lone senior of the group, looking to improve on our Regional finish from last year.”
The Panthers will begin their season on the road at the Joey Chutz Invitational at Denham Springs High on January 23rd. The Panthers will also attend the St. Amant Invitational on February 6th, and will host a boys and girls Tri Meet on January 30th and February 11th, respectively.
The Panthers will return to Denham Springs for the LHSPLA Girls and Boys East Regional on February 26th and 27th, and those lifters who qualify for the State Meet will participate at Fant-Ewing Coliseum on March 19th and 20th.
Athletes who would like to join this year’s Powerlifting team can contact Coach Baronich in the gym before December 18th for information.
