Kasson-Mantorville Powerlifter Brings Home National Title With Clutch Lift

Killeen, TX (KROC-AM News)- Clutch performances in March don't just take place on the basketball court; they also occur on powerlifting platforms. 

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That was showcased by Kasson-Mantorville Senior Leila Galloway. She was one of five KoMets and one of 17 Minnesotans who competed at the High School Powerlifting National Championships in Killeen, Texas the last weekend in March.

Galloway, who holds multiple Minnesota state powerlifting records, took to the Lone Star State with her eyes set on the USA Powerlifting national title.

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Kasson-Mantorville Senior Takes Home National Powerlifting Title

The 2026 Minnesota State Champion had three sets of lifts between her and a national title. She weighed in at 111 lbs and competed in the 52-kg weight class.

Galloway's quest for gold got off to a smooth start with the squats. She completed all three of her lifts and set a new personal record of 215 pounds.

The first set of lifts put the Division 2 McKendree University (IL) powerlifting commit in gold medal position, but the competition was just getting started.

Bench Press Puts K-M Powerlifter's Dream of Gold in Jeopardy

Galloway struggled in the bench press, which was the middle portion of the competition. She opened with a 121-pound lift but failed to complete her final two attempts, each at 132 pounds.

“This sport isn’t easy. It’s not forgiving. It’s you against a bar, a number, yourself,” said Kasson-Mantorville Powerlifting Coach Jason Murphy.

The bench press knocked Galloway out of the top spot on the podium, but gold was still in reach as she prepared for her final lift.

Clutch Deadlift Gets Galloway Gold

Galloway had three chances to claim the national title during the deadlift portion of the competition. She started with a clean 281-pound deadlift.

With two lifts remaining, Galloway had to do something she had never done before in competition: deadlift over 300 pounds.

Galloway's first attempt at a personal best to maintain the lead over the lifter ahead of her did not go as she had hoped. She was unable to get the 303-pound bar and weights off the ground. Another lifter briefly took the lead, completing her final deadlift of 281 lbs.

Up next, and in the final lift of her high school career, Galloway summoned everything she had left and completed the 303-pound deadlift to capture the gold with a 3-lift total of 639 pounds (best squat, bench, and deadlift combined).

Video of Galloway's final lift captures the full intensity of the moment, from the strain of the pull to the raw reaction from her, her coach, and her parents.

"To go out there after being passed up and have to hit a lift you just missed... Unless you've done it, I can't explain the mental toughness that takes," Coach Murphy said. "She nails it. The end of this video is what it's all about."

“Safe to say this was a great way to end my high school powerlifting career. If you would have told me freshman year that senior me would become a national champion I wouldn’t believe it,” Galloway said of her national title-winning lift.

Galloway began her prep powerlifting career as a Sophomore and ended it as a national champion. Her next competition will be her first as a college athlete this Fall.

Kasson-Mantorville had several other seniors close out their high school powerlifting careers with strong performances at nationals, according to information shared with KROC News by coach Jason Murphy.

Bevin Klampe bounced back from a tough start on squats to finish with 3-for-3 marks on both bench and deadlift, setting new PRs and a career-best total. Jensen Claffy capped off a consistent four-year run with a solid meet and a 25th-place finish in a large, competitive class, while Adrian McManimon, a dual-sport athlete, battled through and placed 37th. Aiden Long also showed resilience, pushing through a challenging meet to finish his lifts.