Billey, Chavez repeat as state powerlifting champions for McKinley County schools

Repeat state titles from Ethan Billey and Gary Chavez gave McKinley County schools another strong showing at the New Mexico Class 4A Powerlifting State Championships at the Rio Rancho Events Center.

Billey, a Kirtland Central senior, captured his third straight state title at 114 pounds with a 715-pound total. He backed it with a 240-pound squat, 135-pound bench press and 340-pound deadlift, a complete lift series that showed the kind of balance and discipline that separates one-time champions from athletes who stay on top year after year.

Chavez, a Grants senior, repeated as champion in the 242-pound division and finished with a 1,435-pound total. His performance stood out even in a meet filled with heavy lifts because he set state records in both the squat and bench press, adding another layer to a title defense that already marked him as one of the strongest lifters in the state.

For McKinley County, the results carried meaning beyond the medals. Kirtland Central remains one of the county’s flagship athletic programs, and Billey’s third title reinforced that reputation in a sport where consistency is hard to sustain. Repeat winners do more than collect trophies. They raise expectations for younger lifters, show what years of training can produce, and give nearby programs a standard to chase in the weight room and at the platform.

The titles also reflected the broader strength of the region’s wrestling and powerlifting pipeline, where athletes from northern and western New Mexico continue to test themselves against the best in the state. That matters in communities where high school sports help define school identity and where state championships often become a point of pride far beyond the gym. Billey’s run, capped by another championship at 114 pounds, and Chavez’s record-setting repeat at 242 pounds, showed that McKinley County schools are not just producing contenders. They are producing athletes who know how to defend what they have earned.