Princeton senior Daniel Tyutyunnik lifted a total weight of 1,900 pounds between the squat, bench press and deadlift at the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Class 6A state meet. Photo by Jerry Winfrey / C&S Media
By David Wolman
Less than a year before Princeton senior Daniel Tyutyunnik won his first Texas High School Powerlifting Association state title, he was breaking world records.
Tyutyunnik broke the record in the 16-17 year-old unlimited equipment division in the bench press with a lift of 826.7 pounds last August at the American Powerlifting Association’s Mike Womack Bench Press Nationals in Victoria. He’s also the world record holder in the squat in the 220-pound unlimited fully tested 16-17 year old men’s federation.
Last weekend, Tyutyunnik attempted to break the all-time record in the bench press in the 18-year-old boys division at the North Dallas Open at Dallas Market Hall.
Those records have come despite Tyutyunnik having only competed in powerlifting since late in his freshman year.
Football was Tyutyuunik’s favorite sport growing up. A two-way standout for Princeton in the ninth grade, he played running back and nose tackle. After the conclusion of the 2023 football season, two of his teammates and friends, Grady Upchurch and Tanner Williams, told him he should give powerlifting a try.
After competing in meets in Commerce and Forney, Tyutyunnik was hooked on powerlifting.
“I did a lot of sports growing up, but never lifting,” he said. “I was wanting, as a teenager, to try something new, get in some new experiences. I would say it was love at first sight.”
Tyutyunnik gave up football when he was a sophomore to focus all of his energy on powerlifting.
It was a decision that has paid off in a big way, and it came with quick ascension. After placing 24th at the regional meet during his sophomore season, he finished as the state runner-up in the 219-pound weight class division as a junior.
All the hard work paid off for Tyutyunnik March 28. He won the Texas High School Powerlifting Association Class 6A state title in the 242-pound division, lifting a total of 1,900 pounds between the squat, bench press and deadlift.
“It felt good,” he said. “I worked my butt off for it. I finally got what I wanted after four years.”
Tyutyunnik is not only relatively new to powerlifting, but also new to Texas after he moved from near Seattle, Washington, in the eighth grade.
It was also during the eighth grade when Tyutyunnik was given the nickname “Titanic,” which many people call him to this day more than his birth name.
“Coach (David) Lammers gave it to me because he couldn’t enunciate my last name,” he said. “Honestly, I found it kind of funny because Titanic and my last name are really similar.”
Tyutyunnik now considers himself to be a gym rat. He has trained four days a week for the last 1 1/2 years. And he has good mentors to lean on. He considers Xander Womack to be his biggest mentor. Womack holds the International Powerlifting Association world amateur men’s record in the bench press in the teen 18-19 boys division, having lifted 705.5 pounds on June 18, 2022.
Tyutyunnik also trains with Braydn Smith, who is a defensive lineman at the University of Central Oklahoma.
“Xander pretty much laid the foundation of how to properly bench press for me,” Tyutyunnik said. “It means a lot. I put my time and effort into the sport.”
A breakout junior season ended with Tyutyunnik earning a spot on the medal stand at the state meet for earning second place at 220. He lifted 1,895 pounds, including a squat of 780 pounds, bench press of 535 and deadlift of 615.
The only person that topped Tyutyunnik was Argyle’s Aaron Gomez, who recorded the strongest bench press in THSPA history with a 730-pound lift. Gomez finished the day with a 2,145-pound total.
Tyutyunnik was thrilled for Gomez.
“Me and him are really close,” Tyutyunnik said. “This year, after the bench press at state, we had a 30-minute break before my next event, and I chatted with him about my bench press and how I tried to break his mark but came up short. He told me how I could do better and gave me some insight.”
Tyutyunnik heeded Gomez’s advice.
Before the end of the day, Tyutyunnik won the state title.
“Placing 24th sophomore year gave me a view of powerlifting at its highest level in Texas high school,” he said. “My junior year showed me there a lot of things to improve on. Going and winning state this year showed me all the problems I had back in the day paid off. It was a very good feeling of success and hard work and dedication.”
For more stories about the Princeton community see the next print, or digital edition of The Princeton Herald. Subscribe today and support local journalism
0 Comments