Dalton LaCoe is a junior at Abington Heights and the newest member of the Comets powerlifting team. With only one month of instruction in March from Coach Claude Welcome, Dalton trained for the state championships in April. The results for the 17-year-old at 114 lbs. off the charts. 4 new state records including a 450lb deadlift and the most outstanding lifter.
"When I first started I thought my bench was going to be my best that's what I always like, then I started to excel at the dead lift and over time that became my favorite," said Dalton LaCoe.
"Dalton has some natural ability. These are tremendous weights. This is national and even world level lifting that he's doing right now. For someone to dead lift four times their body weight is really tremendous," said Claude Welcome-Abington Heights powerlifting coach.
Dalton powerlifts with a disability. Born with Klippel-Feil syndrome-a shortening of the neck. Dalton overcomes that with hard work and determination.
"My parents always brought me up and raised me not to use my disability as an excuse, and be the best that I can be at any aspect of life," again said Dalton.
"He just motivates everybody else. He tries so hard at everything else he does," again said Claude.
This isn't the only sport Dalton plays here at Abington Heights. He also runs Cross Country and plays on the Abington Heights baseball team and Dalton tells me he plays a pretty mean third base.
"Oh it's a great time. We all have fun and we're having a good season right now. So hopefully we'll win a district title," added Dalton.
Dalton starts his second year of powerlifting in January in hopes of winning a national title and making the world team.