Powerlifting has been a Collegiate sport since the early 1970’s. For one season (1976-1977) it was even an official NCAA sport but returned to club-sport status the following season and has been offered through the intramural department ever since.
Powerlifting came to ULL in the Fall semester of 2000. Travis Werner, a junior at ULL, had been a competitive lifter in high school and had continued to compete individually during his first two years at ULL. During the summer of 2000, it was announced that the 2001 Collegiate National Powerlifting Championships would be hosted by Louisiana Tech and would take place in Alexandria, Louisiana. Due to the convenience of the location, Werner decided to organize a team for the 2000-2001 season with no intention of the team staying organized beyond that season.  2000 Fall Classic 1st meet ever for ULL. Travis is the one with ORANGE HAIR At the start of the Fall semester, Werner hung fliers throughout the campus and in local fitness centers to help locate potential student-lifters. Well over twenty students responded, but when Werner informed them that no coaching or team practices would be offered, only Werner and three other lifters showed up for the fist meet of the season that Fall. The lack of coaching was evident, as two of the lifters were unable to register any lifts within the parameters of the rules. One of the four lifters quit after the meet and the ULL powerlifting team was down to three members. At that point, Werner decided to organize team practices and serve as team coach, a position that he holds to this day.  2000 University Cup JONATHON JONES, TRAVIS WERNER, AND CHIP PERRIN Two lifters represented ULL at the Collegiate Championships in Alexandria that Spring, but the team grew by leaps and bounds after that. Since that first season, the quality of athletes and the quality of the ULL powerlifting program has increased exponentially. The team is now ranked among the top Powerlifting teams in the Nation and regularly competes for a top placing at the annual Collegiate National Powerlifting Championships. Since the 2000-2001 season, ULL has produced numerous Collegiate All-Americans and Collegiate Champions and continues to climb higher in the ranks with each passing season. |
