In-house bench press record set

GONZALES — There is no “off” when it comes to “offseason training” for the Gonzales Apaches. The football season may be six months away, but athletes who may not be in spring sports are still hitting the weight room left open by the Gonzales athletic staff.

After school, Athletic Director Kodi Crane as well as a slew of other coaches such as powerlifting head coach Patrick Walker, leave the weight room open after school for Gonzales kids to come in and continue their training throughout the year.

The room is filled with athletes from the seventh grade up through high school. And with fairly new equipment, Crane believes keeping the weight room open after school is a big positive for the program.

The AD iterated the importance Monday afternoon, noting that coaches are able to teach proper lifting techniques as well as track progress.

Tracking progress is what led to last week’s accomplished, announced on Crane’s Twitter account @KodiCrane.

Junior athlete Jared Esparza, who played receiver and defensive end during the football season, set the in-house record for bench press, lifting 355 pounds in the Gonzales weight room on Feb. 22.

The record comes with a caveat, admittedly.

“[We] started [the leaderboard] when we got here,” Crane said. “We didn’t have any way to research past years. [Esparza] lifted 355 and beat Brandon Carrizales’ record of 350.”

Also, it’s important to note that the record is strictly within the weight room. Any lifts during powerlifting meets aren’t included on the leaderboard.

Nonetheless, the accomplishment is a big deal. And the Apaches will continue to announce athletes who top the leaderboard.

There’s no such thing as taking days “off” for the Gonzales Apaches.