Columbus East High School

Forging Olympians: Four Years of Unmatched Strength Under Coach Eagleman: As the curtain falls on the 2024–’25 school year, Head Strength Coach Karl Eagleman can’t help but beam with pride. What began as an ambitious vision four seasons ago—to build a weight-room culture worthy of our Olympic-inspired mascot—has blossomed into the main cog for the Columbus East Olympian athletes and their ability to compete on the field, court, pool, pitch, and mat. Here’s a look at the standout takeaways from this year’s season-ending max-out: 1. A Milestone Big 3 Average: 607 Pounds and Counting An effective coach is able to identify the potential within their athletes, and guide them to reaching it. When Coach Eagleman set foot in the East weight room four years ago, he saw massive potential, but knew it was going to take a lot of hard work. “When I started, our first max out yielded an average of 454#. I knew we could do a lot better.” The combination of years of experience working with the East students, and gaining knowledge from some of the best Indiana high school strength coaches, Eagleman created a program that focused on keeping athletes accountable to improving their lifts each session. “My goal at the beginning of this year was for us to finish with a Big 3 Total of 600#. Through progressive programming—emphasizing technique, injury prevention, and individualized loading—our Olympians didn’t just meet that mark; they crushed it. The 2024–’25 class finished with an average Big 3 total of 607 pounds, the highest average within the last four years - likely longer. This milestone reflects not only raw numbers, but years of dedication, teamwork, and relentless pursuit of progress. 2. Record-Breaking Feats: Eleven New School Records in Two Years Elite strength performances have become the norm under Coach Eagleman’s watch. This spring’s max-out session alone saw three more school records fall— pushing the two-year total to eleven. Highlights include: NAME |CATEGORY | CLASS| SCORE GRACE McMAHON BENCH GIRLS 190# MONICA McMAHON CLEAN GIRLS 210# KEEGAN FIELDS CLEAN 140# & UNDER 240# CAIDEN TALKINGTON CLEAN 140# & UNDER 240# RENDEN SCOTT BENCH 141-160# 285# GARRETT LASURE SQUAT 141-160# 450# ERVIN BRISENO CLEAN 141-160# 285# ERVIN BRISENO BIG 3 141-160# 960# ERVIN BRISENO RATIO 141-160# 6.19 ERVIN BRISENO RATIO 161-180# 6.05 BRODY MILLER CLEAN 161-180# 315# JARED BROOKS CLEAN 181-200# 327.5# (*Set at the 2025 Spring Max-Out) 3. A Community of Power: 80 Olympians on the Board Strength isn’t just about the elite few—it’s about lifting together. This season, 80 students earned their spot on the Pound Club (Big 3 totals between 700 and 1,000 pounds) or the Lady Olympians board (400+ pounds). That ties for the program’s second-best showing in four years, highlighting depth alongside top-end excellence. Athletes have their names and Big 3 Totals displayed on the Pound Club and Lady Olympians boards in the East weight room. Looking Ahead: Building on a Legacy From humble beginnings in 2021 to this spring’s showcase of might, Columbus East’s weight-room culture has been transformed. Coach Eagleman credits the athletes’ commitment—showing up, putting in the work, and lifting each other up. As summer training begins, the goal is already clear: raise the bar again. With a foundation of technique, camaraderie, and unwavering determination, the next four years promise to be even stronger. Stay tuned to Columbus East Athletics for ongoing updates on offseason programs, weight-room WRAP (Recovery, Accountability, Performance) sessions, and next year’s record-chasing max-out!