ETSU Weightlifting Program

05/13/2026

***Very Late Recap on 2026 University National Championships***

We’re incredibly proud of our ETSU Weightlifting team for their effort and resilience at University Nationals this year. While the results are exciting, what stands out most is the hard work, growth, and commitment each athlete brought to the platform. 💪

More highlights: https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18099488381074900/

🔥 ETSU Weightlifting – University Nationals Highlights 🔥

🌟 Leading the way:
🥇 Alexa Estevez set a new university record in the sn**ch (84kg), earned gold, and finished 2nd overall – All-American honors
🥉 Violeta Martino – 3rd place, All-American
🥉 Kevin Hill – 3rd in the sn**ch, All-American
🥈 Caleb Weakland – 2nd in the clean & jerk
🥈 Aidan Perez – 2nd place with strong PRs

👏 Proud of the entire team’s performances and progress:
• Will Prokop – 5th place, PRs
• Zeta Zachman – 6th place, PRs
• Ava Oteri – 6th place, All-American, competition PRs
• Sam Northcott – 6th place, PRs
• Marlow Nichols – 10th place
• Kaitlyn Sheppard – 11th place
• Jillian Jacobs – 13th place, PRs

This meet was a great step forward for our program, with many athletes hitting personal bests and gaining valuable experience on the national stage. Grateful for the effort this group continues to put in every day—we’re excited to keep building. We also want to sincerely thank all of the supporters, families, and friends of the program. This trip truly would not have come together the way it did without your encouragement and support—we are very grateful.

🔵⚪ Go Bucs ⚪🔵

05/11/2026

Huge congratulations to three of our team members who earned a degree this weekend!

Caleb Weakland - BS in Exercise Science
Will Easley - MA in Health Care Management
Trevor Owens - BS in Exercise Science

Farewell to Will Easley. So much appreciation for his major contribution to the team's success! We cannot be more excited for him and look forward to hearing his life story one day!

04/09/2026

***Livestream for 2026 University National Championships***

Follow us all along!!

USA Weightlifting event live streaming links

04/07/2026

The women’s team is set for University
Nationals!!

02/13/2026

✨ Handle Barbell 2026 Recap ✨
What an incredible weekend! We welcomed 38 athletes to our first-ever meet inside the Center of Physical Activity (CPA) on the ETSU campus. A brand new venue meant lots of learning during set-up and clean-up, but the competition itself ran smoothly—and we received tons of positive feedback from athletes, coaches, and spectators alike!

Another exciting first: our bake sale!
Huge thanks to Cakes By Angela, a fantastic local bakery here in the Tri-Cities. Thanks to Angela, we offered an amazing selection of baked goods alongside hot and cold drinks. Her coffee cakes, cinnamon rolls, and bagel bites were a massive hit and sold out quickly!

We also want to extend a big shoutout to our supporters:
💙 Emily Meade Danner and Steve Danner (The Power Agents) – amazing realtors in the Tri-Cities area. If you're looking to buy or sell property, we truly recommend them—not just for their expertise but because they are wonderful people.
💚 Derrick Pasuch (Modern Woodsmen) – a dedicated financial advisor who genuinely cares about helping clients reach their goals. Highly recommended!
🧡 iTrain Fitness – a fantastic local fitness gym that supports our athletes by providing training space. Thank you for backing our program and for attending the event to cheer on the lifters!

A special shoutout goes to the Mars Hill University Weightlifting Team for their continued participation in our meets. Their consistent support, energy, and sportsmanship help elevate the platform every time. We’re grateful to have them as part of our growing weightlifting community!

We would also like to give a heartfelt thank you to the CPA staff for allowing us to host the meet in their facility and for accommodating both early and late hours—even with the snowy weather. Your flexibility and support were essential in making this event possible.

The ETSU Weightlifting Team brought 16 athletes to the platform. Although we didn’t taper or peak as we would for a national event, seven athletes still walked away with new competition PRs! Congratulations to all our lifters for their hard work and strong performances.

🎥 For those who weren’t able to attend in person, the livestream of the event is now available on YouTube:
👉 https://youtu.be/4UL-Gm0r7j4
***Please note: due to technical difficulties, some of the early lifts were not recorded.***

Overall, the meet was a major success. Thank you to everyone who attended, supported, and especially those who stayed after the final session to help us clean up—we appreciate you more than you know!

Next up: 2026 University National Championships, April 9–12 in Utah!

And yes—we’re already planning our next home meet this fall. Stay tuned for updates!

💪🔥 Thanks again for making Handle Barbell 2026 unforgettable!
Cessce Etsu, ETSU Campus Recreation, Jessica Mould

02/07/2026

Bake sale items!!!

02/07/2026

Sneak peak of Handle Barbell Invitational 26!
Look forward to seeing everyone in a new venue!

02/06/2026

**🎥 Livestream for the Handle Barbell Invitational ‘26!**

Catch all the action and cheer on the athletes throughout the day.

**📺 Livestream**
https://youtube.com/live/4UL-Gm0r7j4?feature=share

**💛 Support your favorite ETSU athlete**
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KCNwSOC3MOF0lw3uUxO4b1d8MorLAmau6g3Z5RgT524/edit

**📅 Competition Schedule**
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xzyi28_uD9jGu6RZ1Du221BZCF5hMb4a1HNiXqT6NT8/edit?usp=sharing

02/05/2026

📣 Update!
Due to inclement weather, the CPA (our hosting facility) is adjusting their opening hours on Saturday to ensure staff can arrive safely. As a result, our competition schedule will also shift.

⏰ New Start Time:

Session 1 begins at 10:00 AM
Weigh‑in opens at 8:00 AM

Please check the updated Competition Schedule and Start List here:
👉 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xzyi28_uD9jGu6RZ1Du221BZCF5hMb4a1HNiXqT6NT8/edit?usp=sharing

Thank you for your understanding—stay safe and we look forward to seeing everyone on the platform!

02/05/2026

🎉 We’re only TWO days away from the Handle Barbell Invitational 2026! 🎉
Here’s everything you need to know before the meet day:



🕒 Competition Schedule
You can view the full schedule here:
🔗 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Xzyi28_uD9jGu6RZ1Du221BZCF5hMb4a1HNiXqT6NT8/edit?usp=sharing



🍪 Bake Sale
We’ll have an amazing selection of professionally baked treats from Cakes By Angela, plus drinks!

Treats:
Bagel Bites
Bagels
Muffins
Pop‑Tarts
Cinnamon Rolls
Brownies
Cookies
Whoopie Pies
Coffee Cake

Drinks:
Water (17 oz)
Gatorade (20 oz)
La Colombe (9 oz)
Reign (16 oz)
Bloom (12 oz)
Fairlife Protein (12 oz)
Keurig Hot Drinks

Come hungry and support the team!

💰 Kilos for Cash — Support Our Road to Utah & Colorado Springs!
We need your help to get our athletes to their upcoming competition trips in Utah and Colorado Springs! 💪✈️
Simply make a pledge, and for every kilo they successfully lift, your contribution helps fund our travel. Every pledge—big or small—makes a real difference!

👉 Complete your pledge using the form below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KCNwSOC3MOF0lw3uUxO4b1d8MorLAmau6g3Z5RgT524/edit

Thank you for backing our team and helping our athletes chase their goals on the national stage! 🙌🏋️‍♂️

🏫 Facility Access
IMPORTANT: The meet will be held in the CPA, not the Mini‑Dome.
📍 Address: 1244 Jack Vest Dr, Johnson City, TN 37614

Please mention you are attending the meet when you arrive. Facility staff will provide a wristband for entry.
We’re using only part of the CPA, so please be respectful of others using the facility.



🎥 Livestream
Yes—we will have a livestream!
The link will be shared as soon as it’s ready. Stay tuned!



❄️ Weather Update
Snow is possible the night before, but accumulation is expected to be minimal.

As of now, the CPA plans to operate normally, and so do we.
We’ll keep monitoring the weather and will update everyone across all channels if anything changes.

🏋️‍♂️ Special Shoutouts to Our Supporters
We want to give a huge thank‑you to the incredible people helping make this event possible:

Modern Woodsmen
The Power Agents
iTrain Fitness
Cakes By Angela

Your support means the world to our lifters and our community! 🙌