Farmersville senior Conner Bakken poses for pictures with the awards that he won this season. Bakken won the 123-pound weight class division at the THSPA Div. II state meet in Abilene. He is the first state champion in boys powerlifting in school history. David Wolman / C&S Media
By David Wolman
At the beginning of his senior season, Farmersville’s Conner Bakken was told by his doctor that knee pain that continued to linger from an injury that he suffered while playing fifth-grade football would have to be re-evaluated.
The good news for Bakken is that he couldn’t further damage his knee. He was given an anti-inflammatory pill for pain relief as well as a list of stretches to help with his range of motion.
Before leaving the office, Bakken told his doctor one thing.
“I told the doctor that I’m going to keep lifting and do what I love and nothing’s going to stop me,” he said.
After the injury prevented Bakken from competing in powerlifting during his junior season, he came back with a vengeance.
At Farmersville’s first meet of the season at Commerce, Bakken won first place in his weight class and was recognized as the Best Lifter Award for the lightweight divisions.
That was just the start of even bigger things to come.
On March 27, Bakken became the first boys powerlifter from Farmersville to win a state title in program history. Bakken lifted a total weight of 1,275 pounds between the meet’s three events – squat, bench press and deadlift – to win first place in the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Division II state title in the 123-pound division.
“It feels great,” he said. “I came into this season from a knee injury. I wasn’t for sure how it was going to act, but I knew in my head this is what I was meant to do.
“Really, I was just praying to Jesus and I was like, ‘God, what do you have in store for me this year? What do you want from me so that I can exult you and make you feel glorified?’ And it was just, ‘Go and work,’ and I just went to work. Seeing it pay off was like a good ending to a storybook.”
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