And she’s a power lifter who will compete today in the Pennsylvania High School Powerlifting Association’s 2025 State Championships, about four hours from here, at Jim Thorpe Area High School in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

“I started weightlifting in the fall of 2023,” said Maddy. “Volleyball had just ended and I wanted to stay in shape and become stronger for track. My cousin, Landon, had been training with Alex Shaw, my now powerlifting coach. I decided I wanted to try it out as well. Within the first session, Alex saw potential in me and asked if I ever thought about competing in a weight-lifting competition. So I started training for my first competition. After the first meet, I fell in love, not only with the sport, but also the environment.”

Madison’s drive to be better day in and day out — in everything she does — is apparent in her expectations for today’s Female 15-and-16-year-old Raw Lifter Division.

“For this upcoming competition, my only goal is to push myself to do the best that I can,” she said. “In every competition, I always try to set a new ‘PR’ in at least one lift, if not all three.”

Submitted photo With Madison Snell’s past recorded lifts, and looking through results in her age and weight classes, she has the potential for an amazing day today in Jim Thorpe, Pa.

That would mean besting 135 pounds in the bench press, 315 in squat, and 325 in deadlift.

“For a 16-year-old girl, I’d say pretty phenomenal,” said her uncle and Sheffield track and field head coach, Jason Snell. “According to the roster, there are 13 girls in the age 15-16 girls’ Raw division. By ‘Raw,’ it means she is not wearing any of the special lifting jackets or squat suits. There is also an Equipped Division as well.”

Madison competed in her very first Raw event in March of 2024 — the first day of a new addiction.

“That was the day she began winning many big trophies, sculptures, a Super Bowl-looking ring, and even a sword,” said Uncle Jason.

Madison became a member of the Erie County Metal Militia (MM) Club with Shaw as her trainer and a member himself. She has since competed all over Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York, having yet to come home empty-handed. She’s finished first at least five times, including the top overall female Raw powerlifter at the MM Nationals on March 30, 2024, in Youngstown, Ohio. She won the Female Amateur Teen 13-15 Division at the MM World Championships in August in Glen Falls, N.Y. She finished first in the Female Amateur Teen 14-15 Division in November at War for the Sword in Salamanca, N.Y. She finished first in the Female Amateur Teen 16-17 Division in January at Winter Warzone 2 in Horseheads, N.Y.

“This Saturday, in a somewhat different atmosphere, Snell will be competing with all high school kids her own age in the Pennsylvania High School Powerlifting State Championships hosted at Jim Thorpe High School in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania,” said Coach Snell, who has been in attendance for the majority of her meets and will similarly attend today.

“You can’t give enough credit to Alex Shaw, Carl Seeker, and Powerplant (Gym in Warren), and especially the Metal Militia Powerlifting family for the encouragement, knowledge, and confidence they have given Maddy to compete always, but especially this Saturday for a state high school championship,” said Jason Snell. “Alex and the other Metal Militia members are these big and gruff, tatted-up, massive individuals. You would think a young girl, who started this at 14, would have been intimidated by these ginormous, tough men and women, but I am here to tell you, if you have never been to a powerlifting event, the Metal Militia events are the most supportive, positive, and encouraging sporting events I have ever attended in my life, and I have attended a lot of sporting events. It’s very competitive, but everyone is everyone’s biggest fans. It’s an amazing thing to witness.”

With Snell’s past recorded lifts, and looking through results in her age and weight classes, she has the potential for an amazing day.

“With the closure of Sheffield in the near months, getting to represent a school she loves and cares so much about is a huge honor for her,” said Coach Snell, who Maddy runs the 100-meter dash and 4×100 relay for. Maddy throws the shot put and discus as well. “The success must also be hugely credited to her parents, Justin and Stephanie Snell, who have taken her all over the northeastern United States for events, and supporting, financing, and transporting wherever her next endeavor might be. Without them, none of these accolades would have been possible.

“She just got done playing travel volleyball last weekend,” said Jason.

Maddy’s division gets underway at 9 a.m. today at Jim Thorpe High School.