Riley Pecheos Closes Out High School Career as State Champion

After making her presence known on the national stage in March, Bonney Lake's Riley Pecheos returned to Washington with something to prove—and she did just that. On May 3rd, at the Washington State High School Powerlifting Championship held at Olympia High School, Pecheos capped off her senior year with a historic performance, becoming the state champion in her 60-kilogram (132-pound) weight class.

The day was more than just a victory—it was a record-breaking finale. Pecheos shattered two state records, tied a third, and set a personal best in the fourth event. She raised the squat record from 270 pounds to 295 pounds—breaking her own previous record. She tied the state deadlift record at 325 pounds and hit a new personal best on bench press at 135 pounds. But it was her total lift that truly turned heads: a combined 755 pounds across all three lifts, obliterating the previous state total record of 700 pounds.

Her dominance extended beyond her weight class. Pecheos finished as the top overall female lifter in squat (pound for pound), the second-best in deadlift, and the third-best overall female lifter pound for pound—an extraordinary feat for any athlete, especially in the final meet of her high school career.

Riley Pecheos' high school powerlifting journey may have come to an end, but she leaves behind a legacy of strength, determination, and inspiration that will lift others for years to come.