JONESBORO -- Georgia IronDawg Tim "T" Moon of Gainesville got a little bit out of his comfort zone lifting in the Global Powerlifting Alliance (GPA) "raw" World Championship Meet Thursday. Lately Moon has been lifting in "equipped" meets, which allow lifters to use special shirts and suits in competition. Raw meets only allow wrist and knee wraps and weight belts.<br />
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"It was different," Moon said. "(It) messed with my psyche a little bit. The groove coming down's a little different in raw than it is with the shirt on. I had to focus a little more mentally on trying to get that right."<br />
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The groove may have been different, but the result was the same-another World bench press title for the 47-year old Moon. Lifting in the Master's Men' s125 kilogram (275.56 pounds) class, Moon at a bodyweight of 268.5 lbs. successfully lifted 215 kg. (473.99 lbs.) to set a new World Record in the class. He also helped Team USA bring home the Team bench title. For Moon, it was his fifth World Championship since late September. He earlier had won both Master's and Open Championships in the World United Amateur Powerlifting (WUAP) and the World Association of Benchers and Deadlifters (WABDL). At the GPA meet Thursday, He attempted a fourth lift, but missed 227.5 kg. (501.55 lbs.). He was a bit disappointed at that, but overall, said he couldn't complain.<br />
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"Real good day. Exciting," Moon said. "I thank God. He's made me strong. I liked winning the team trophy as well. All my buddies bringing home (for) the USA (the) team trophy; so I was happy about that. I had a really good time with the guys."<br />
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Hampton's Chris Foster was second to Moon in the class with a press of 195 kg. (429.9 lbs.); while Rocky Tilson of Indianapolis, Indiana was third with 117.5 kg (259.04 lbs.)<br />
Fellow Jefferson High alumnus and IronDawg, Team USA Bench Captain R. Garry Glenn of <br />
Oakwood won his second World title of the year and fifth in his career with a victory in the Master's Men's 55-59 90 kg. (198.41 lbs.) class. Glenn was successful on his second lift of 145 kg. (319.67 lbs.) before missing the lock-out at 154.5 kg (340.61 lbs.) by a few inches in an attempt to break his own World Record. Robert Kuhn of Peoria, Illinois was runner-up at 142 kg. (313.05 lbs.)<br />
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"I knew what Robert was doing," Glenn said, "so I was trying to stay ahead of him first. Bumping the record up would have been great, but that left arm just would not lock out. I'm disappointed in that; but pleased with the win. I guess you can't set a record every time out and the good thing out of that is it gives me something to shoot for next time. As for T Moon, what can you say? The man is an awesome lifter. The fact that he holds titles and records in so many associations speaks for itself."<br />
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Glenn also was happy with Team USA.<br />
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"This gives us a sweep of the equipped and raw bench championships of the World Associations which the APC (American Powerlifting Association) is affiliated with, so we've had a great year."<br />
Glenn also pointed out Team USA collected three Best Lifter Awards.<br />
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The Women's Master's Best Lifter went to Dana Tripp of Grayson, Georgia who took the Master's Women's Best Lifter plaque after winning the Women's Sub-Master 52 kg. (114.64 lbs.) class, beating her own World Record with a new mark of 40 kg. (88.18 lbs.) The Men's Open BL Award went to Trey Hague of Grovetown, Ga. in the 82.5 class with his lift of 157.5 kg. (347.22 lbs.) The Master's men's BL went to Woodstock, Georgia's Tom Sisk. In the 75-79 90 kg. class, Sisk lifted an amazing 140 kg. (308.64 lbs.), a personal as well as World Record.<br />
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"Tom tells me he's the only man in the world over 75 years old, as far as he knows, at any weight, that's ever had a competition bench over 300 pounds," Glenn marveled. "I'm proud of all the lifters and the effort they gave today."<br />
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Dana Tripp's husband, Russ, also got in on the World Records with a press of 130 kg. (286.6 lbs.) in the MM 40-44 75 kg. (165.35 lbs.) class. The Tripps are also members of the IronDawgs, headquartered at Iron Beast Barbell in Gainesville.<br />
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Also on Team USA, Pinelake, Georgia mayor Greg Zarus won the MM 45-49 82.5 kg. class and was second in the Open division with his lift of 102.5 kg. (225.97 lbs.). Commerce's Kendall Dean won the MM 45-49 100 kg. (220.26 lbs.) class by pressing 127.5 kg. (281.09 lbs.). Uwe Thormann of Tampa, Florida took the MM 50-54 140+ kg. (308.64 lbs.) with a lift of 145 kg. Jefferson's Trey McConnell won the 110 kg. (242.51 lbs.) Men's Open Class by pressing 135 kg. (297.62 lbs.) Dustin Minks of Booneville, Indiana won the Open and Sub-Master's 140 kg. class with a lift of 182.5 kg. (402.34 lbs.); which set a Sub-Master World Record for the Weight Class. Zack "Z-Man" Presley of Griffin won the MM 50-54 110 kg. weight class with his lift of 172.5 kg. (380.39 lbs.); and Jody Seabolt of Banks County took the Men's Junior 125 kg. weight class with a bench of 190 kg. (418.87 lbs.), a world record for the class.<br />
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Marilia Coutinho of Brazil won the Women's Open Best Lifter by taking the 60 kg. (132.28 lbs.) class with a lift of 105 kg. (231.48 lbs.)<br />
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The GPA Word Championships continue through Sunday with Full-Power Competition each day at the Clarion Hotel in Jonesboro.
