IHSPLA
Yesol An
Communications Coordinator
Yesol is currently a Strength & Conditioning coach at New Trier High School, helping both athletes and open gym lifters to grow in their technique and form safely. Yesol competed in Powerlifting during her senior year of high school at New Trier and won first place in her weight class in every competition, including a regional meet, NASA Nationals, and the IHSPLA State Meet. As an alumni of the school, she enjoys being able to give back to the community that helped her gain the amazing experience of Powerlifting. Yesol is excited to be on a part of the IHSPLA team and to serve the high school Powerlifting community.
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Brian Buglio
Board Member
Brian is a Physical Education teacher with 22 years of experience at Amos Alonzo Stag High School, in Palos Hills, Illinois. He possess a B.A. in Physical Education from Aurora University with an M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of St. Francis. "I have been fortunate to be involved with our strength and conditioning program at Stagg High School from the time I started my career and I have spent the last 12 years to the current day specifically teaching our strength and conditioning classes. I have 22 years of coaching experience coaching various different sports and levels, coaching Football and Powerlifting for the majority of that time. An integral part in developing our Powerlifting Club at Stagg High School that became an official club in 2011 and has been running strong since. I have been involved with the IHSPLA since its inception and have held various roles in the association since that time. I am currently the IHSPLA Meet Director for the IHSPLA South Suburban Regional Powerlifting Meet."
Jim Davis
Board Member
Jim is a former professional football player and champion powerlifter turned nationally recognized coach, author, and speaker.
Jim is a graduate of Harvard University, Northwestern University and Knox College. In addition to his work as the Director of the Good Athlete Project, he is proud to be the Staff & Student Wellness Coordinator at New Trier High School. At New Trier, Jim leads one of the largest and most successful strength programs in the nation. He is also the Founding Director of the Illinois High School Powerlifting Association.
Jim has been honored as a 2020 Semper Fidelis All-American Mentor, 2018 NASA National Coach of the Year, the NASA National Coach of the Year Runner-Up in 2019.
While Jim’s research focuses on human development and psychology through sport, it is the human connection that keeps him coaching. “To be embodied, healthy, active, and working toward a shared purpose - there’s nothing else like it.”
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Greg "Coach Mo" Moisio
Board Member
"HS Powerlifting has been the most positive teaching and learning experience in my 34-year career."
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Coach Mo was the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Waukegan High School for 20 years. After 34 years of teaching at Waukegan HS, he retired in May of 2023.
Coach Mo graduated from Waukegan HS in 1983, the University of Illinois in 1988, and is also a CrossFit Original.
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Rijad Pekmez
Board Member
Rijad has been a member of the IHSPLA as well as a certified referee since 2017. "I attended NTHS where I was a powerlifter for four years and have now coached powerlifting at New Trier for 4 years. Throughout college I competed in three collegiate powerlifting meets and placed 1st in the Bench Press Division at Knox College."
John Beerbower
Board Member
John currently serves as the Director of Strength & Conditioning for McHenry District 156, as well as the Assistant Divisional Chair for PE, Health, and Driver's Education. McHenry was recently honored as a top physical education program in the state of Illinois. The McHenry Strength program consists of 26 sections (approximately 815 student-athletes) enrolled during the school day, as well as multiple off-season sport specific training groups after school. John is also an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School at Carthage College teaching Sport Leadership, Sport Psychology, and Summer Internships. He is a regular presenter on topics related to physical education, technology, and leadership. John has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership (Concordia University), Masters (Eastern Illinois University), and a Graduate Certificate (Moody Bible Institute). He and his wife (Jeanna) have 4 children (Riley, Brett, Trace, Brady).
Dan Carrier
Board Member
"I am honored to have been a part of the IHSPLA since its inception. I have served the association as a member of the board of directors, meet director, coach, judge, and volunteer. I am a full time Strength & Conditioning teacher and coach at Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park, lL. The excitement and growth of high school powerlifting in Illinois continues to create opportunities for lifters to experience a highly competitive environment governed by the principles of Character, Culture, Equity, and Service."
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Romar Paul Harayo
Board Member
Paul has been a part of the powerlifting community for over 6 years. After competing in the IHSPLA when he was in high school, he would go on to compete in the USAPL and eventually transferred to the IPF where he would become the powerlifter and coach he is today. Throughout this time he has dedicated himself to helping others progress in their own training along with spreading the sport of powerlifting by becoming an online powerlifting coach, the head powerlifting coach of Maine West High School, and now as a member of the board of directors in the IHSPLA.
Whether it be at the local, national, or international level, he has dedicated his efforts to sharing his joy of powerlifting by showing others the physical and mental benefits that powerlifting can offer to their lives. Paul recognizes the positive impact IHSPLA can have for students and is ready to apply his knowledge of powerlifting for the association’s continued growth.
Paul has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois at Chicago, a personal training certification from NASM, and over 6 years of experience in the sport.
David Payne
Board Member
I have been a part of the IHSPLA for 5 years going on 6, hosting multiple meets at Herscher High School and now Clifton Central High School.
Before getting into High School Strength Coach I graduated from Olivet Nazarene University where I played college football while getting my Bachelor’s in Recreation, Sports, and Fitness. During that time I also worked with Adam Vogel as an intern at BBCHS. After graduating I worked as a personal trainer and Graduate assistant at Greenville University for a short time before moving back to Iroquois county and then getting my teaching license. My first strength position was at Herscher High School where I took over during school and after school as the Strength & Conditioning coach, and developing a powerlifting team. After 5 years at Herscher I took a position in my home town of Clifton Central, where we developed a class for Strength & Conditioning as well as a powerlifting team. I appreciate all the amazing mentors and other strength coaches that I have encountered over the years and how they have helped me to develop as a Strength & Conditioning Coach.
Krystal Santaniello
Board Member
Krystal is an Industrial Tech teacher and the Powerlifting Coach at Crystal Lake South High School. She has been part of the powerlifting community since her time in the military and has competed while in college. Her passion for powerlifting drives her to support athletes in the weight room and in sports and to continue giving back to the powerlifting community.