Powerlifting Added as New Sport
The Missouri Valley College Athletic Department announces the addition of men’s and women’s powerlifting to its lineup of sports, along with the hiring of the program’s first coach, and a director of strength and conditioning.
The sport of powerlifting will be added as the college’s 27th and 28th varsity sports. The program will begin competition in the fall of 2018. Powerlifting allows competitors to attempt three lifts each in squat, bench press and deadlift. The best lift in each discipline is added to each competitors total, and the competitor with the highest total is declared the winner in each weight class. In the event of two or more competitors achieving the same total, the competitor with the lightest body weight is declared the winner.
Hired as the program’s first head coach is David Edwards. Edwards comes to Missouri Valley after serving as associate head strength and conditioning coach/head powerlifting coach at NCAA Division II McKendree (Ill.) University from 2015-2017. Edwards coached a second place, third place and seventh place competitor at the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) 2017 Collegiate Nationals. He also served as assistant strength and conditioning coach at NCAA Division II Limestone (S.C.) College from 2011-2015.
In addition to his duties as powerlifting head coach, Edwards will also serve as director of strength and conditioning for the athletic department. At McKendree, Edwards oversaw strength and conditioning for the baseball, men’s basketball, women’s lacrosse and women’s wrestling programs, while assisting with football. At Limestone, Edwards oversaw tennis, track and field, baseball, softball, wrestling, swim, men’s volleyball and women’s volleyball, while assisting with football, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s lacrosse. Edwards also served as a volunteer assistant with NCAA Division I James Madison (Va.) University from 2010-2011 where he assisted with football, women’s lacrosse, swimming, diving and field hockey.
“There are many things that attracted me to Missouri Valley,” said Edwards. “First is the success of the athletics department without a strength and conditioning program. This demonstrates the quality athletes that we are able to bring in, and speaks volumes for the coaches. The next thing that attracted me here was the ability to create a strength department from scratch, and mold it into what I want it to become for success of the entire athletics department. The third is the ability to work closely with the Exercise Science department, and be able to give back to strength and conditioning the way my mentors have given to me. From a powerlifting standpoint, there is nothing more exciting than building something from the ground up. I had some success at McKendree before having this opportunity, and plan on taking what I have learned and bringing it to Missouri Valley. I am looking forward to building this program into consistent competitor on the national level.”
Edwards received a bachelor’s of science in kinesiology from James Madison, and a master’s of science degree in exercise science from California University of Pennsylvania. He has certification as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and for USA Weightlifting (USAW). He is a former powerlifting competitor at 163 pounds and 183 pounds, and holds a state record at 183 pounds.
“We are very happy to announce David’s addition to the Viking family,” said Associate Athletic Director Mike Machholz. “He brings experience and knowledge to our athletic department and allows us the opportunity to expand our strength and conditioning programs for all of our teams. We see this as a much needed position and the next step in the development of our exercise science department and its majors. Additionally, we are are able to add two more programs to our stable of athletics with a proven coach/recruiter which gives our student body more diversity and opportunities.”