By Tanner Turnquist 42Fifty Staff Writer
An Oswego High School athlete has set a new squat record in early February and will also possibly break the deadlift record this March.
Kolten Kapusinski, a baseball player here at OHS, has broken the squat record in his weight class. The weight class he is in is 149-165 pounds. The previous record holder was Charlie Jakubowski. Jakubowski had the record for a total weight of 405 pounds. This record was set in 2013. Kapusinski, who has been training for a while now, has finally broken the record at a weight of 410 pounds. “When I broke the record I was really excited. It’s something I knew I wanted to hit–wanted to break. I realized I was really close to the record a few months earlier so I figured I’d put in the hard work and try to reach that goal,” Kapusinski said.
Kolten was originally doing workouts for offseason baseball. He had increased the amount he was squatting and thought to go for the record. “When I first started working out my main goal was just to get bigger. All I wanted to do was get stronger, get in the weightroom, make sure I was as prepared as possible for this upcoming baseball season. So I just started working out and then I finally started to get my squat to the mid 300s and I realized I was really close to the record so I figured I’d shoot for it.”
After breaking the deadlift record, Kapusinski wanted to go after another. He made his mind up on the deadlift. “I was thinking about the deadlift record. The deadlift record right now is 435. I actually just attempted to break it and I attempted 445. I was really close to breaking it, couldn’t quite get it, but I’ve been told in the next 3 weeks I should be able to hit it so hopefully I can break that one too.” The record is still currently held by Zach Price with a total weight of 435 pounds from the year 2003.
Kapusinski was able to get to where he is today with the help of some others. These people are Nathan Ricken and Coach Hugunin. Coach Hugunin is a football coach and was previously a baseball coach here at the high school. “Whenever is in here, I can come in here and put in work, and he constantly gives me advice of how to get better. He has pushed me to the point where I am now. Nathan has been the person I have lifted with most often. Whenever I’m lifting, he’s there too.”
Many records in this school are still being broken, but there have also been many that have been very difficult for some to reach. These records have been there for many years. Jakubowski held the squat record for only about five years. Kapusinski thinks “it will last as long as the last one did, probably about five years, and then I think someone will probably hit it again. I already know a few kids that are younger than me that are telling me that they are going to break it, but obviously it takes a lot of hard work to get there.”
These records are very difficult to break, but Kapusinski hopes his success in breaking the record will inspire others as “ up there for a reason. Go and try to break the record.”
Student Publication of Oswego High School, Oswego, IL
