A year after finishing in second place at the MHSAA 2A State Powerlifting meet last year, West Lincoln senior Jackson Taylor made sure he went out with a gold medal performance in 2022.

Taylor won the 308-pound weight class on Saturday in the Mississippi Coliseum and in doing so, won the first powerlifting state title in school history.

Taylor squatted 605-pounds, benched 315-pounds and deadlifted 550-pounds. His three-lift total of 1,470-total pounds was almost 1,000 pounds higher than the second-place finisher from Belmont High.

West Lincoln football coach Brad Bland also coaches powerlifting at the school. The 6-foot-5 Taylor might be done with high school athletics, but he’s signed to play football next season at Copiah-Lincoln CC as an offensive lineman.

Bogue Chitto senior Eli Cupit also made the podium as he finished in third place in the 275-pound class. Cupit is another CLCC football signee as a long snapper.

Cupit squatted 500-pounds, bench pressed 235-pounds and deadlifted 505-pounds for Bogue Chitto powerlifting coach Chad Norton.

Velma Jackson, Belmont and Lake High School finished first, second and third respectively in the 3A team competition.