University of Louisiana’s National Championship Weightlifting Teams

Part Four: Powerlifting

The History of Powerlifting at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

By Travis Werner

The origin of UL Powerlifting can be traced to the arrival of Travis Werner in the spring semester of 1999. Werner had competed independently as a raw lifter in the AAU throughout his high school years in Pennsylvania. Werner enrolled at UL and immediately began training at the small student weight room housed in Olivier Hall. It didn’t take long before Werner’s 500-pound squats caught the attention of UL freshman Erik Bonneval, a 1998 high school state powerlifting champion from St. Amant High School. The two became fast friends and In March of 1999, Bonneval took Werner to the Louisiana High School State Meet, introducing Werner to one of his former St. Amant teammates who had recently joined the newly-formed LSU Powerlifting Team and to the St. Amant Coach (Paul Fletcher, 1999 USA Powerlifting State Chairman). The LHSPLA State Meet was unlike any powerlifting meet Werner had experienced as an independent lifter – the camaraderie, the noise, the hair-raising electricity of powerlifting as a TEAM sport! Werner returned home to Lafayette after that weekend, hooked on the idea of forming a team of his own at UL. A seed had been planted by the St. Amant team and soon it would sprout. Ragin’ Cajun Powerlifting would come to fruition in fall semester of 2000.

The first meet for UL Powerlifting was the 2000 USA Powerlifting Fall Classic at St. Amant High School. The team was a rag-tag group of 4 athletes that trained separately. Of the 4, two were unable to finish the meet. One quit the team immediately and the UL Powerlifting Team was now barely holding on – Travis Werner, Chip Perrin of Henry, and Jon Jones of Carencro. They put their backs together and forged ahead. Werner took on the role of Coach, Jones the team President. They trained together and dreamed of what their team could become. They trio attended the 2001 USA Powerlifting National Championships and scored enough points to defeat several full teams. The experience was exhilarating and they doubled down on their efforts to grow in size and skill in the years that followed. Werner graduated in 2002, but stayed on as Head Coach – a position that he would hold for 14 of the 20 seasons that would follow and a position that he holds presently.

In 2003, the Cajuns took a full roster to Collegiate Nationals in St. Louis and by 2005 the team was a serious contender, placing third at Collegiate Nationals in Baton Rouge.

The later half of the 2000’s decade introduced two passionate and dynamic student leaders to the program – Kirk Lavergne and Cameron Barrilleaux. Lavergne possessed tremendous organizational skills and Cameron’s ability to motivate and recruit were unparalleled. Through their contributions, the team captured its first Collegiate National Championship in 2009 and repeated in 2011 and 2012. 

Since the team’s inception in 1999 as a rag tag trio wearing iron-on shirts, the UL Powerlifting Program has grown to become a National Powerhouse. Over the past 20 years, UL Powerlifting has produced 88 Collegiate All-Americans, 27 individual Collegiate National Champions, and dozens of international competitors. 

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The old Olivier Hall weight room, centrally located at Cypress Lake, was as much a training facility as a gathering spot for UL powerlifters. At any time, you would find a collection of lifters there. Some training, others hanging out.

Preston Savoy, the modern era superstar bench pressing 500 pounds in 2020.