Francis Karp showed up to freshman football at New Trier as one of the biggest guys on the field. By his own account, he was also one of the weakest.

Four years later, the 2026 graduate helped the Trevians win the IHSPLA 2A State Team Championship on Saturday, May 30, at New Trier's Winnetka Campus, capping a transformation that started with a single sentence from head coach Jim Davis: "You don't know it yet but you're going to be a powerlifter."

Karp took that seriously.

"I got into it right after freshman year of football," Karp told The Record North Shore. "I was one of the biggest guys out there but by far one of the weakest guys. I saw that and said, 'So now I know I need to get strong.'"

He found his identity in the squat rack. The squat became his signature lift, the one where he moves the most weight and feels most confident. His mental approach before every attempt is blunt: whatever is on that bar, just do it.

But Karp says the sport's culture matters as much as the numbers. He pushed back on the meathead stereotype, describing powerlifting at New Trier as built on camaraderie, patience, and collective improvement rather than smelling salts and shortcuts.

That culture traces directly to Davis. A New Trier alumnus, former professional football player, and champion powerlifter himself, Davis founded the Illinois High School Powerlifting Association and has been named the Natural Athlete Strength Association's National Coach of the Year twice. He received the U.S. Marine Corps Excellence in Leadership Award in 2020.

Davis has said his philosophy is simple: "Any recognition is a product of the people who you work with."

For Karp, the mentorship runs deeper than technique. He plans to study kinesiology at Michigan State University beginning this fall, with the goal of becoming a strength and conditioning coach for a high school or college team.

He wants to do what Davis does.

The program competed at NASA High School Nationals in Oklahoma City in April before hosting the state finals on its home turf at 385 Winnetka Ave. Karp's individual weight class and totals from the state meet have not been published by the IHSPLA.