Not long after Lane Revelle began lifting weights as a seventh-grader, he realized it was something he truly enjoyed.
Then when he broke the Houston High School record for deadlift by hoisting 650 pounds, Revelle realized power lifting was something he loved and wanted to pursue. Revelle has parlayed that love into receiving a college scholarship and next year will join the weightlifting team at Missouri Valley College in Marshall.
Missouri Valley director of strength and conditioning and power lifting head coach David Edwards said he identifies lifters worthy of scholarships in a variety of ways.
“I find them at local meets, on powerlifting websites or through Instagram,” Edwards said, “but sometimes they just contact me.”
At 6-foot-1, 310 pounds, Revelle will compete in the heavyweight division for the Vikings. He got the ball rolling himself with a phone call to Edwards.
“He’s a great kid,” Edwards said, “and that’s the most important thing to me. Having the biggest, strongest kids is important, but if I have a kid who’s going to bust his butt, make good grades and give me his full effort, I’m going to get more out of that kid than the strongest kid who’s lazy.”
There are no weightlifting leagues sanctioned by the NCAA, NAIA or other college sports organization, so schools basically host open competitions. A collegiate national championship is held each school year, and the 2020 version will take place at Penn State, Edwards said.
College weightlifting competitions involve three disciplines: Deadlift, squat and bench press. Revelle said he prefers benching, and has a personal-best of 375 pounds, which puts him atop the board at HHS this year.
Edwards said he has both men’s and women’s teams and has close to 30 lifters this year, about half of whom are female.
During a ceremony last week in Hiett Gymnasium, HHS senior Lane Revelle signs paperwork to attend Missouri Valley College in Marshall on a weightlifting scholarship. Seated next to Revelle is Missouri Valley weightlifting head coach David Edwards, and standing in back is Revelle’s mother, Misty Perkins.
The individual aspect of powerlifting is what draws Revelle to it.
“It’s not like football and most other sports where you have to rely on a team,” he said. “It’s individual, so if I mess up or if I do good I know it’s on me. I can focus on myself, and if I’m doing something wrong I can change me and not have to change a whole team.”
Lifting in front of a crowd will be new to Revelle, but he looks forward to it.
“I’ve lifted in front of kids in school a lot, but never in front of a big crowd in an arena,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun.”
Revelle will study kinesiology in college, which is the science of the mechanics of body movement. He wants to be an athletic trainer in either weightlifting or football.
“And when I retire, I want to open up my own gym and offer personal training,” Revelle said.
HHS officials said Revelle is believed to be the first student from the school to receive a weightlifting scholarship.
Lane Revelle works on bench press inside the Opti Fitness Center in Houston.
Lane Revelle works on squat lifting inside the Opti Fitness Center in Houston.
Lane Revelle completes a deadlift inside the Opti Fitness Center in Houston.