Tyler Legacy's Mia Zuniga received the THSWPA regional scholarship.

Tyler Legacy senior Mia Zuniga has had a whirlwind of a high school powerlifting career.

As a freshman, COVID-19 wiped out the chance to compete at the state meet. As a sophomore, Zuniga qualified for the state meet but was disqualified at the competition.

“I’m so excited because my freshman year, I didn’t get to compete because of COVID, and my second year, my sophomore year, I got disqualified,” Zuniga said before going to state as a junior. “This will be my first time competing, and I’m planning on breaking a state record.”

This was after Zuniga won the 114-pound weight class at the regional meet with a total of 780 pounds, which tied the regional record. Zuniga also set the regional squat record (325 pounds) and regional bench record (180 pounds), and she had a deadlift of 275 pounds as a junior.

At state during her junior year, Zuniga earned a second-place finish in the 114-pound class in Class 6A with a total of 820 pounds (340 squat, 185 bench, 295 deadlift), finishing behind Los Fresnos’ Hailey Martin.

“It was the biggest heartbreak because I was so close to her, and they were kind of mean, so I felt really bad at the time,” Zuniga said. “It just made me want to work 10 times harder than I did the year before, which I did.

“And I focused on lifting for myself and not paying attention to a competition. Instead, I focused on just getting better myself, that whatever happens in the end is going to happen anyway. So I just focused on my lifting instead of beating her.”

What is that they say about two birds with one stone?

Not only did Zuniga improve on her total, she broke some records and won a state championship, defeating Los Fresnos teammates Martin and (850 total) and Alondra Salas (750 total).

Zuniga won the 114-pound class at the Texas High School Women’s Powerlifting Association State Meet in Frisco with a total of 885 pounds, which was a state record. She also set the squat record at 370 pounds and the bench record of 215 pounds.

“Last year, she (Martin) had the bench record, so I figured it was going to be a fight to get the bench record with her,” Zuniga said. “I really wanted to beat her. I was very excited to have the records, because it’s my last year, and it’s something I’ve been working for.”

She added 300 pounds on the deadlift to capture first place.

“It was very exciting,” Zuniga said. “I wasn’t expecting it. I just kept working and dedicating a lot of time to powerlifting. I realized before I graduated, I wanted to be a state champion.”

Mission accomplished.

Former Tyler Legacy head powerlifting coach Alan Copeland, who has worked with Zuniga throughout her career and still works with the program, said it’s great to see Zuniga fulfill her goal.

“I am over the moon excited for her and proud,” Copeland said. “She worked hard and is dedicated. It meant something to her, and you could tell that. She fought hard every day. She definitely enjoyed it and did everything during the journey to have that happen.”

Zuniga also earned the THSWPA Class 6A Region 3 scholarship.

Zuniga said she plans to pursue a pre-vet degree in college.