Weight Training Story: Part Two
THE OLD MILL SENIOR HIGH WEIGHT TRAINING STORY PART TWO In our last issue, we featured Part I of the Old Mill Senior High Weight Training Story. Coach Ron Evans, an Upper Limit Coach, organized the program. Many of our readers were astounded to learn that 1041 students elected to enroll in weight training classes at the high school (753 Boys - 258 Girls). Coach Evans was very successful as the head football coach but retired in 1983. He then channeled his energies into the recruitment and development of girls through the weight program and track teams. The emphasis of this Part II article will OM devote itself to the outstanding achievements of the girl’s program.
Old Mill’s weight room in Millersville, Maryland is 2800 square feet and contains 20 olympic bars and a lot Old Mill Girls Power Club. of equipment with emphasis of free weights. Each Nine out of fourteen are Track Athletes. student is ranked on a computer printout based on their max lifts. There are nine instructors at Old Mill and all use Coach Evans’ special computer disc. To stimulate enthusiasm $1200 worth of Power Club and Liftathon shirts are given away each year. Body fat percentages are checked three times per year and lectures on nutrition, muscle identification, goals, visualization and terminology of weight training are given periodically throughout the school year.
Old Mill Lifting Records (Boys above line - Girls below Line) first 400 pound Dead Lifter!
Wt.
Wt.
* 2.
Misty has the school Bench Press record of 175 pounds.
3200 Meter Relay Team.
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Wt.
State title. :
* TRACK ATHLETE Notice the number of track athletes who hold lifting records. Coach Evans has been involved in track since 1968. Eight years at Arundell High School as Boys Track Coach 1968 to 1975 and from 1975 to the present time being involved with both Girls and Boys Track. His record is nothing, short of phenominal: 39 County Championships 14 Boys Outdoor — 9 Boys Indoor 8 Girls Outdoor — 8 Girls Indoor 40 District Championships 15 Boys Outdoor — 9 Boys Indoor 7 Girls Outdoor — 9 Girls Indoor 14 State Championships 8 Boys Outdoor — 2 Boys Indoor 4 Girls Outdoor The girls track teams have won the big school Maryland State Championship three out of the last four years.
Coach Evans states, “We're loaded again this year.” It should be obvious that the weight program with such immense participation will breed success in all sports. Besides the weights, Coach Evans uses a plyometric program. It helped Jalene Chase while an old Mill senior finish fifth in the 1976 Olympic Trials. Old Kathy Caldwell has a 380 Dead Lift.
OLD MILL WEIGHT TRAINING Continued from page 17 Katie Holthous and Debbie Zubalik having fun on the before the Homecoming game. beach. Katie has Deadlifted 300 while weighing only Mill graduate Ralph Spry went on to greatness at the 120 pounds. Debbie holds school lifting records and is a champion half miler.
University of Mississippi while winning the NCAA long jump title in 1978. He jumped 27' 5 1/2" which was 3rd best in the world that year. smart?” That's good! Now you're catching on. Yes!
Donna has a 3.88 GPA, ranked 5th in a senior class of Misty Parr has a lot going for her besides being the 560 and has been a National Honor Society Member school weight lifting record holder. She’s been an honor since her sophomore year. You say, “That's great but roll student since the ninth grade. You say, “So she’s now can you tell me if she’s good lo-” strong and smart but what does she look like?” Geez, do “Stop! What is it with you?”
I hate that! Well, Misty was the 1987 Homecoming Donna has been a semi-finalist for homecoming Queen and you can judge for yourself on page nineteen, Misty is also a great athlete. She’s been a varsity starter Queen the last two years. Her twin sister Debbie is pictured on page nineteen. They’re both good looking on both the soccer and softball teams. She made the but Coach Evans says it best. “They’re both muscular Coach’s All-County team in 1987 in both sports and the and beautiful with charming personalities. They’re soccer team won the State Championship in 1986 and intelligent and attain their goals through a strong work 1987. ethic.
Donna Zubalik has lettered all four years in track themselves in a way that commands respect.” and as a junior was on the State Champion 3200 Indoor Debbie is a high honor student with a 3.85 GPA. She Relay Team. She made the All-County Cross Country holds the 1986 Clean record at 155 pounds. Debbie was Team three years in a row. Donna has been Athlete-ofthe-Week twice by the local papers. You say, “But is she OLD MILL WT. TRAININGContinued from page 19 also the Cross Country Captain. She’s been on varsity even harder. That’s why we are going to be successful in track since ninth grade and anchored the 3200 meter life.”
State Champion Relay Team.
The lump grew. I resolved that if anyone called Coach Ron Evans seems to attract the best or maybe the program develops a person’s potential in many Columbia a bunch of losers I would physically fight them. They are winners period! areas. In all probability, it is perhaps a combination of At Ivy League schools, including Columbia athletic the two. We didn’t even mention Jennifer Berg: Lifting scholarships like Division I schools are not given out. I Champ, Honor Roll Student, Cheerleader and on the wondered how these three felt about a Division | player varsity gymnastics team; or mention Christy Tarbutton: not going to class and flunking out.
All three shook their Lifting Champ, 1150 SAT Score, perfect score in math heads, “We pay for our education. Division I players with a goal to be the first girl to squat twice her body have it given to them. You're really stupid if you don't weight. take advantage of that situation.”
We salute Old Mill High School and their admin- Iistrators for allowing a creative Upper Limit coach like unexpected. “You guys don’t have long hair, punk hair Ron Evans to develop a model for this nation to follow. cuts or earrings. You’re wearing what people back in We salute the many upper limit athletes who participate Utah might wear. I drove through some amazing streets in this program with total dedication and who are great in Manhatten to get to Columbia. Drugs, hookers, bag examples for us all. ladies and people eating out of garbage cans on street corners. New York City had it all: Highs and lows. Can you get caught up in the fast lane with such easy access?”
“Yes you can,” came the response. “A lot of kids get caught up in the big city. But the three of us believe in Editor’s Note: The following we was written in the God and try to maintain good Christian values. All three Old Mill School Paper by Power Club member| of us are Catholic. We also believe we have obligations Beth Ketchum. Beth weighs 112 and squats 175, to do the right thing because of our parents.”
Benches 115, Dead Lifts 265 and Cleans 135.
Bill added, “Drugs are also a waste. When you regulate yourself, you tend to do better in all things. We As | entered school October 30, the excitement was in the air. I was already looking forward to the day ahead. But, I was not thinking about our Homecoming Pep Rally or the football game other students. I would not be in school for that.
This year I had given up my pep rally along do better in school during football. Anyway, you can’t be the best when you're whacked out on drugs. I know for some people peer pressure is a big thing, but we associate with good people. We all hang out with each other so for us peer pressure is no problem. We like being around people that bring us up.” Pete and Jim nodded in agreement. with three other girls for a trip to Ocean City. Along with Mr. Evans, we were heading for a Maryland Athletic, Physical, Health, Recreation and Dance Convention Demonstration. On the way to the ocean, we talked about our lifts and spotting as well as our plans for the evening.
Once we reached the time of our demonstration, we set up our weights and began stretching as coaches and students found their seats. The entire demonstration took about 25 minutes. We scared some people with the amount of weights. One man offered to carry them in for us. Many were afraid one of us were going to get hurt.
We laughed about the people we stunned with our lifts. They could not understand or believe how many students at Old Mill, including girls, lift weights outside of class.
We all went home that night with a great feeling because we know everyone walked away that day with a different view of weight lifting. Some who | saw us were stunned but all were impressed. 20 As our interview drew to a close, I asked one final question and chuckled, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Jim smiled but replied seriously, “I want to be happy and have a nice family.” Bill responded, “I haven't given it a lot of serious thought but money is no big thing. I’ve never had it. I too want to be happy and have a nice family.” “The same for me,” Pete echoed, “My parents have been great. I’d take care of them. they’re older. I always want to be able to look myself in the mirror and be able to say that I'd given my best.” Jim is from Chicago and Bill is from Queens while Pete is from California. They met at Columbia. All three are political science majors and have 3.0 GPA’s or higher.
They are Upper Limit thinkers. Their responses were as powerful as a church sermon, as eloquent as a leading statesman and sagely profound. My heart will be with Columbia Blue Lion Football this fall rooting for a dedicated group of inspiring coaches and athletes.
Columbia University: A great place to go to schoolig A great place to play football.
From BFS Magazine — May/June 1988. Part of the BFS Magazine Archive (1980–2014).
