Mustang linemen finish in top 10 at challenge

DUNCANVILLE — The Marble Falls High School linemen finished seventh out of 24 teams at the recent state Lineman’s Challenge.

Senior Lauro Martinez  placed 18th overall in the athlete division, which gives a cumulative score in five individual events. He was fifth among Class 4A athletes.

IN PHOTO: The Marble Falls lineman’s challenge team includes sophomore Joel Camacho (kneeling, left), junior Nathan Short, junior Kevin Reed and sophomores Chance Armstrong and Josh Robles; coach David Woods (standing, left), seniors Justis Ribera, Lauro Martinez and Nathan Deitchler and sophomores Raul Martinez and Sean Parris, and coach Bob Deitchler. Not pictured is coach Christian Ribera. Courtesy photo

PHOTO 2: Nathan Deitchler is on his way to posting a time of 6.40 seconds in the farmer’s walk at the state Lineman’s Challenge.

PHOTO 3: Justis Ribera competes in the sled drag.

PHOTO 4: The Mustangs tug-of-war team includes Raul Martinez (left), Nathan Deitchler, Justis Ribera, Josh Robles and Nathan Short.

The Mustangs competed in eight events with five of them scored as individual times. They included the bench press, farmers walk, medicine ball throw, sled drag and sled pull.

The other three events were the tug-of-war, tire flip and truck push. Marble Falls was fourth in the tug-of-war, defeating many Class 5A schools, coach Bob Deitchler said.

“I will say the young men put their hearts and souls into every event,” he said.

The Mustangs were missing Chris Reaves and Vincent Campuzano, two key figures in the bench press, an event that measures the number of repetitions of lifting 250 pounds.

“Some of our younger men stepped in and gave it 110 percent,” Deitchler said.

In addition, the field temperature was more than 120 degrees, he said.

“All in all, I’m very proud of each and every young man on this team for their effort and improvement through the whole season,” Deitchler said. “I am already looking forward to next season.

Results from the challenge:

• Bench press — 13, Nathan Short, 14 repetitions

• Medicine throw — 6, Nathan Short, 32-2

• Farmer’s Walk — 12, Nathan Deitchler, 6.40 seconds

• Sled drag — 4, Lauro Martinez, 8.32 seconds

• Tug-of-war — 4, Marble Falls