Strength shows in Clements' comeback
By KRIS BAGLEY sports@leader-news.com

C.J. Clements

September 14, in a football game against Ganado, C.J. Clements' senior season was in question.

He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear and was sidelined for the rest of the football season and possibly the entire athletic year.

A multi- ple-sport athlete, Clements had surgery on his knee to repair the torn ACL and worked hard to stay in shape.

This weekend, the difficult rehabilitation process pays off for Clements. He will compete in the state powerlifting championships Saturday in Abilene.

"I didn't really know if I was for sure going to make it anywhere," Clements said. "I didn't even know if I was going to make it to regionals. I was just hoping that I could still lift and try to compete."

Saturday will be his third time to step on the platform and lift on the state level. Clements made the trip his sophomore and junior year as well. He qualified as an alternate his freshman year.

The injury has only been a minor set back for his powerlifting goals.

"I still wish I had my leg like it was because I would probably be squatting a lot more," Clements said. "Other than that, I'm just glad to be back in the sport and lifting.

"I try not to baby it as much as possible. I do as much as I can with it and just do normal workouts."

Clements, who will compete in the 148-pound weight class, had his best outing this year at the regional meet where he qualified for state. He made a squat lift of 450, bench press of 285 and a deadlift of 410 for a 1,145-pound total.

"I'm a little surprised that he's done as well as he has because he got kind of a late start compared to everybody else," Mark Stevens, Louise's athletic director and head powerlifting coach, said. "One thing that C.J. did, when he was unable to lift with his leg, he was still in the weight room lifting upper body. He was still continuing to lift and stay in shape. Then it was just a matter of getting his squat back where it was. He's still not where he was last year, but his bench press has gone up, so he's improved in other areas."

Through surgery and rehabilitation, Clements has virtually eliminated the chance of re-injuring the knee so he should not worry when he takes to the platform.

"He's not at any risk," Stevens said. "His knee is actually stronger since he's had surgery than it was before. What's a little bit weaker are his quad and hamstring muscles. Eventually, they're going to get back to where they were. He's almost back to where he was before his injury on his muscular strength.

"His knee is more solid than it's ever been, so there's no risk of injury or anything like that. It's just a matter of him building his muscles back up to where they were."

Clements' goal is to finish in the top five for an individual medal, but Saturday will be about more than that. It will be a celebration of what hard work and determination can accomplish and it will be an example to all other Hornets to never give up when it seems like quitting is so easy.

"It was real important to C.J. to keep working out and keep competing," Stevens said. "I've been really proud of him."