Iowa-Nebraska WSO Instagram post
SEWARD, Neb. – In conjunction with the Iowa-Nebraska State Championships held in Ralston, Neb., on Oct. 18, Concordia University, Nebraska’s Freddie Myles was recognized as the 2025 Iowa-Nebraska Weightlifting State Organization (WSO) Coach of the Year. The honor awarded was based on accomplishments during the 2024-25 academic year. Myles was presented with a plaque by the WSO for the honor.
In a post on the WSO’s Instagram account, the organization stated, “Coach Freddie Myles continues to raise the standard for collegiate and youth weightlifting as head coach of the Concordia University Weightlifting Team and Myles Ahead Weightlifting. His programs emphasize consistency, discipline and performance, producing elite athletes across all levels.”
Myles is in his fourth season as head coach of the Bulldog weightlifting and powerlifting programs. In weightlifting specifically, Myles has now led Concordia to back-to-back WSO Iowa-Nebraska State Championships. At the 2025 University Weightlifting National Championships in Columbus, Ohio, the Bulldogs earned national place finishes of fourth for men, sixth for women and fifth in the co-ed breakdown. Kaiden Mima won the national title at 61 kg and Evan Fukuhara placed second at 73 kg. This past year, Fukuhara also competed internationally at the FISU Pan American Games.
The WSO went on to state the following about Myles, “Under Coach Myles’ leadership, Concordia and Myles Ahead athletes continue to excel nationally and internationally. His technical precision and athlete-first approach have established him as a leading force in the Iowa–Nebraska weightlifting community and a model for program excellence.”
In his first three seasons at the helm of the powerlifting and weightlifting programs, Myles quickly guided the Bulldogs to national relevance. His programs have produced a combined three individual national titles while Rylee Ladd broke the American collegiate bench press record within her weight class. At 2025 national championship events, Concordia came away with team placements of fifth for women's powerlifting, 14th for men's powerlifting, fourth for men's weightlifting, fifth for co-ed weightlifting and sixth for women's weightlifting. The Bulldogs qualified a total of 30 athletes for the 2025 national championships between powerlifting and weightlifting.
For more information on Concordia’s powerlifting and weightlifting programs, follow these links: Powerlifting | Weightlifting.