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The record books have been rewritten. On Saturday, where Jeffy Villatoro set the state record bench press for his weight class at the USAPL Georgia State Bench Press Championships . Villatoro competes in the 60kg (132lbs) class and broke the previous record by 5kg. The LaGrange High senior pressed 259 lbs and just missed the American record of 270 lbs.

“I feel really proud of myself,” Villatoro said. “I finally accomplished something I’ve been wanting to do. I knew I was a good bencher and I had it in me, and nobody knew that until we went to the USAPL competition and I got to prove myself worthy of a state champ.”

Villatoro meant business over the weekend. Having a year of powerlifting experience under his belt from his junior year, Villatoro went into Saturday’s competition feeling good about his chances of winning. 

“Honestly, I felt confident. I knew I was gonna do good,” Villatoro said. “I just didn’t know if anybody else was in my weight class. When we got there, I saw everybody, and I didn’t feel nervous or anything. And as soon as we started warming up, I felt good.”

Villatoro has only been powerlifting for a little over a year now, but has been lifting weights extensively since he got to high school. When Villatoro got to high school as a freshman, he was a scrawny 100-pound kid. A talented and skilled soccer player, Villatoro was looking for a way to improve on the pitch beyond his technical abilities.

“Honestly, it helps with legs. Whenever I squat, it helps develop my core and my legs, so it gives me more strength when I’m on the soccer field, and it allows me to hit the ball harder,” Villatoro said. “Around eighth or ninth grade I was about 100 pounds, and I kept talking to my counselor, can I get weight training? Can I get weight training for the next semester? And I finally got it. I was happy, and I started learning how to actually lift.”

“When I first started, I didn’t know what I was doing. I just wanted to get, like, muscle, stay lean for soccer,” he added.

Villatoro has expanded his knowledge of lifting since his early days. Coach Tyler Eady, the head coach of the powerlifting team, has been there practically every step of the way for Villatoro.

“Coach Eady has been nothing but a great coach,” Villatoro said. “He has motivated everybody and tries to help everybody out as much as he can, and honestly, he gave us the chance to prove ourselves as team state champs, and we’re just ready to go back again and prove ourselves again.”

It has not fully sunk in for Villatoro that this is his final year with the Grangers. The senior has big expectations for his final semester in blue and white. Villatoro wants to go out with a bang, winning another powerlifting state championship, break the American powerlifting record and help lead the LaGrange boys soccer team to another deep playoff run. With Villatoro’s work ethic, nobody is putting it past him that he can make all of his dreams a reality in the coming months.