Last weekend, Whitesboro alum Abigail Velten qualified to return to the USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals which will take place in early April in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She will represent the Concordia University Bulldogs as they return to Nationals in the hopes of improving their performance from last year. She left the powerlifting meet in Wichita, Kansas, last weekend with a first-place medal in her weight class and the Women’s overall best lifter medal for the raw division.
Velten graduated from Whitesboro High School (WHS) in 2021 where she was a multisport athlete for the school. Originally focusing on cross country running for the Bearcats, powerlifting was not a sport she was drawn to. She was recruited by then WHS Powerlifting Coach Brad Urban to pursue high school powerlifting and had some success as she qualified and competed at the regional level her junior and senior year. In fact, when Velten first visited Concordia College in Seward, Nebraska, it was to run with the cross country and distance teams at the school in the hopes of getting a spot on the team.
While the spot never opened for her on the team, she loved the college and community and decided to attend the school regardless. Her freshman year she heard that the school was adding a powerlifting team and was excited to eventually become one of the founding athletes in the program.
Last year the team traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, for Nationals, where Velten was part of the women’s team that finished ninth in the nation. Collegiate powerlifting sees all colleges compete together regardless of size or NAIA/NCAA classification, and her women’s team finished ahead of collegiate powerhouses like the University of Texas and Ohio State University.
She is very thankful for the support and lessons she learned while in Whitesboro.
“The coaches and teachers in Whitesboro pushed me as a student and an athlete, giving me the drive and dedication to never give up on myself and what has been set in front of me,” Velten said.
She is very thankful for the continued support of the school and Whitesboro community as she pursued collegiate powerlifting.
“I’ve always got a space to workout when I come home, and the encouragement I continue to receive years later helps encourage me to keep moving forward with goals and accomplishing things I never would have imagined possible,” she said.
Velten's faith has played a big part in her success as well. Concordia is a Christian University and she is a Director of Christian Education major, with a goal to eventually work with youth in the church. She spent her summers working at a Christian youth camp in South Texas. While most lifters spend the summer working out and prepping for the fall season, she prioritized sharing her faith at camp and experiencing her passion.
“God deserves all the glory for the successes I have had throughout the years. I try to always keep my eyes on the One who gave me the strength and ability to step on the platform and represent Him,” Velten said.
Velten extends a special thanks to Patterson Real Estate, 56 Deli and Flowers by Faith who were hometown sponsors of her powerlifting endeavors this year.
