about

Texas A&M Weightlifting

The Texas A&M Weightlifting Club was founded in 2014, originally training out of Crossfit Aggieland. In 2016, the team partnered with Brazos Valley Barbell (BVB) to provide our athletes with a more dedicated training space. At BVB, the team grew and improved under the coaching of Zach Telander, Dylan Cooper, and Sam Dollar, becoming a strong university team between 2016 and 2020.

Between 2020 and 2022, the team's numbers shrank, breifly losing it's Texas A&M Recognized Student Organization status. The team reapplied for RSO recognition in 2023, and began growing and competing again throughout 2024. Austin Widmer, the team's current head coach, took over in early 2024, and has since helped guide the team back to competing on the national stage. Since then, our men's team has achieved a 7th place finish at the 2025 University National Championships, and will be returning to that competition in April of 2026 with an even stronger team.

Austin Widmer

Head Coach

Since January 2024, Austin has been the head coach of the Texas A&M Weightlifting team. Originally from Fargo, North Dakota, Austin started weightlifting in high school as a founding member of a club called Legendary Barbell. In his undergraduate years at North Dakota State University, Austin also began coaching for Legendary Barbell, helping expand the club through recruiting collegiate athletes. In 2022, Austin completed his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, and after spending a year working in industry, he moved to Texas to pursue a Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Since moving to Texas, Austin has been an integral part of the Texas A&M Weightlifting team, helping to rebuild and strengthen the program. He has also become a two-time university regional champion, competed at the Junior, University, and U25 national championships, and has earned his USAW Level 1 and 2 coaching certifications. He is currently pursuing his Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, while working as a weightlifting and strength coach.