Mason Groehler making noise as a powerlifter

DENMARK - Mason Groehler is only 15 years old but the Denmark High School student has his eyes on making it big some day.

Groehler is ranked as one of the best powerlifters in the country under the age of 18 and one of the reasons he likes the sport so much is it’s all on the individual to see how far he can go.

"I like that it's an individual sport and how hard you work is how far you go," said Groehler.

Recently, Groehler has gone pretty far. Last week at the Youth National Championship in Dearborn, Mich., Groehler won the clean-and-jerk title with a lift of 242 pounds, en route to setting 18 state records. He was named the top lifter in tournament for his age bracket, 14-15.

When Groehler talks about the state records, as you can imagine, a smile covers his face.

"You break your first state record and you're like, 'This is cool,’” said Groehler, who wrestles for the high school team. “You want to break more and more state records. Over the last two tournaments I think I've broke 38 or so."

Considering Groehler’s weight, 142 pounds, his achievements have been quite impressive. How does someone his size lift 100 pounds over his weight?

"It's a combination of a lot of variables; talent, the fact he's so young,” Groehler’s coach Dave Gremore said. “He's got good balance, he's got a good low position when he's lifting. And he's kind of developing into a more fiery competitor."

Groehler has already accomplished plenty in his young career, but he's far from being done. The 15-year-old has many more goals to reach, including a big one.

"I want to go further,” he said. “My goal is to make it to the Olympics, hopefully, in Rio De Janeiro in 2016, if not then, four years down the road."

Lofty goals for Groehler, but then again why not dream big?

Follow Doug Ritchay on Twitter @dougritchay

doug.ritchay@wluk.com