Nebraska Football, Creighton basketball, UNO Hockey – all high-profile sports programs in the state with national aspirations. Now, you can add Midland University’s powerlifting program to that list – not just for its aspirations, but its accomplishments. It's sending ripple effects across the country.

An update to this story:

The Midland University men’s powerlifting team won the 2019 University World Cup in Tartu, Estonia. They ran away with the men’s title, with a score of 41 – the second place team notched 23 points. Powerlifting teams from all over the world competed in the competition. The women's team placed in 5th place. Midland lifter Austin Perkins won the Best Lifter of the entire tournament, breaking two collegiate world records in the squat and deadlift. Perkins broke the World Junior Record in the squat with 275 kg (606 lbs) and in the deadlift with a lift of 307.5 kg (678 lbs) in the 75 kg (165 lb) weight class.

In a weight room on the campus of Midland University, in Fremont, Tim Anderson shows the technique that made him a record holder and International Powerlifting Federation world champion in the bench press in the last decade.

Anderson won four titles, the last in 2017. Three years ago, he got a call from Midland University.

Jodel Patino (standing) talks with head lifting coach Tim Anderson (sitting) about that day's practice. (Photo by Brandon McDermott)

It was the athletic director asking him to coach the newly created powerlifting program. From 10 students in a club sport three years ago, the program has really taken off.

"We've grown exponentially, Anderson said. "Last year we fielded a team of 46 athletes. This year we're looking at a team of almost 60 athletes."

Anderson is no stranger coaching or building world class athletes. He coached the U.S. national bench press team for 12 years. The roster at Midland has lifters from all over: Nebraska, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and California.

Jodel Patino was on that first team three years ago. She just graduated and is now getting her MBA at Midland. She’ll be a grad assistant coach next year.

"There was a small gym by Rise and Shine Donuts (in Fremont)," Patino said. "We used to work out there and then we got a gym here. So that growth from those three years has just been huge."

The size of the roster has grown and with Anderson’s help the team has gotten much better in a very short time.

"Here at Midland, we have such drive and we have such a powerful team that we take on those big schools," Patino said.

Lifter Samantha Jayes practices the bench press at Midland. (Photo by Brandon McDermott)

In 2018, they took on those big schools – all of them – at the USA Powerlifting Collegiate Nationals in College Station, Texas. The men’s team finished 1st to take home the raw national title in only their second year. This past April, the men’s team repeated as national champions with in-state Nebraska-Lincoln finishing in 8th place.

In 2019, the women also brought home the national title, their first, after finishing eighth the previous year. There were four men and four women on the team who finished first in their weight class as individual national champions.

"When we first (started) at Midland, people were like ‘Powerlifting is a sport? I can't believe that y'all compete against other (big) colleges as a team,'" Patino said. "Now everyone knows our name on the campus."

Patino says Coach Anderson has helped the team grow and understand what it takes to be winner day in and day out. Henry Diers, a junior powerlifter from Omaha, echoes Patino when it comes to what Anderson has done for the program in three short years.

“You don't come in for an hour and train and then leave," Diers said. "It’s kind of like a thing you do all day. You have to be about it like a lifestyle.”

Diers visited UNL as a high school senior when looking at potential colleges. He says he found out Midland was the only one offering powerlifting scholarships in the state of Nebraska. When he got to Midland, he says it was daunting.

Austin Perkins squats during practice. (Photo by Brandon McDermott)

"I'm being surrounded by a bunch of people on the team who are just leaps and bounds better than I am," Diers said. "It was it was definitely a humbling experience and then it keeps you on your toes though."

Midland offers 34 athletes partial scholarships and this has opened many doors for the program.

"I mean we're getting some kids to school that like wouldn't go to school normally because we do offer to pay for parts of their college," Diers said.

Diers says success breeds more success, and a winning culture.

"I think it makes us closer as a team to know that we can really bust our asses and put together a national championship team in small Fremont, Nebraska," Diers said.

With all this success, the team is also getting new digs. The current facility is about 2,400 sq. ft. Anderson says with 60 athletes the team grew out of it in just two years. Now the school is remodeling a former retail store in Fremont to give the growing program more space -- about 7,500 sq. ft.

"Obviously having a world class facility was one of my goals when I started the program. When you're going to bring in world class and top division-I type athletes, you have to have a facility for those type of athletes."

Jodel Patino (left) and Henry Diers (right) prepare for practice. (Photo by Brandon McDermott)

Not only are they getting a bigger space – but there also getting first class Eleiko equipment. The success has gotten the attention of people around Fremont and also the attention of other schools around the country.

"I've recently been contacted by athletic directors, head coaches, assistant coaches from other programs, wanting to either come here and visit or want to know what we have done to be so successful," Anderson said.

Patino knows this is just the beginning for Midland Powerlifting.

"We're going to bring home more national titles and I hope that Midland and Nebraska really recognizes that, because we really want to represent Nebraska and Midland in the best way we can," Patino said.

They’ll get a chance to represent Nebraska and the country as they are going to be competing in the World’s Collegiate Cup next week in Estonia. Midland was one of five schools in the United States invited to participate.