2007 – 2008 Tri-Captain Chris Garcia Commits to Weight Training at Rowan
2007 – 2008 Tri-Captain Chris Garcia Commits to Weight Training at Rowan
Showing strength: Rowan’s Garcia shines in the weight room…and in the classroom
April 07, 2011
Chris Garcia won the title of “Rowan’s Strongest Student” during a competition presented by Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity
Chris Garcia, a tight end on Rowan University’s football team, is no stranger to being the best. He was a part of Rowan’s 9-1 football team this year. At Montgomery High School, he was an All-State football star his senior year. And at Rowan, he is known by his teammates as a strong competitor.
Recently, Garcia showed his strength another way. He won “Rowan’s Strongest Student” competition sponsored by Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. To gain the honor, Garcia bench-pressed 365 pounds for two repetitions.
Garcia, a sophomore from Belle Meade, is not one to brag, but he never doubted he could win the strength competition.
“I’m one of the better benchers on the [football] team,” he said with a smile.
He is also a strong student. A Rowan Scholar-Athlete, Garcia has a 3.4 GPA and is majoring in Health & Exercise Science in the College of Education
His high school football and basketball couches taught him about having a good work ethic, he said.
Garcia, who is 6-2 and 225 pounds, weight trains regularly but did not intentionally train for “Rowan’s Strongest Student” competition.
“I was playing an intramural basketball game downstairs and, after the game, a friend of mine on the other team said he was competing. So I went upstairs with him to compete just for fun. I already knew I was stronger than him,” he said.
Garcia began weight training in eighth grade and now it is something he enjoys in his spare time.
“Lifting relieves stress, and clears my head,” he said.
It also helps him focus on his long-term goals, such as his degree, which includes a special education endorsement.
Garcia is involved in other activities off the field, such as the Health & Exercise Science Club and the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
He has weight lifting goals, too.
“I hope that by the time I graduate, I will be able to lift 430 pounds,” he said.
