ATHENS — Led by the smallest man in the meet, the Gainesville-based "OnePercent Krew Powerlifting" team held off strong challenges to take the championship in full power competition at the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) National Championships on Sunday at the Holiday Inn Express in Athens.
Lifting in the raw men’s open 60-kilogram (132.28-pounds) weight division, Dahlonega’s Eric Head totaled an amazing 575 kilograms (1,267.65 pounds). That total included a full power world record benchpress of 192.5kg (424.39) -- well over three times his bodyweight. Head also squatted 190kg (418.87) and deadlifted 192.5kg (424.39). His scoring coefficient ratio of bodyweight to weight lifted was 818.225, more than enough to earn a national title and the men’s open best lifter award, as well as the overall David Pasanella Champion of Champions plaque as well. The award was named after the legendary Georgia Tech strength coach who was killed in an auto accident 25 years ago this year. Pasanella was coach during Tech’s run to a national title.
The Marietta Barbell Club finished as national runners-up, while the Venice Island Powerlifting Team from Florida was third. It was the second team title for a Gainesville-based team in the course of three days. Friday, the Georgia IronDawgs, also headquartered at the Iron Beast gym, won the bench-only team championship. The 'Dawgs' push/pull team, lifting short-handed, wound up second. Venice Island captain Steve Kylis was master’s men’s best lifter with world records across the board in the master's men's, 60-64, 100kg (220.46) class with his squat of 230kg (507.06), bench of 155kg (341.71), and deadlift of 529.1kg, for a total of 625kg (1,377.88).
Head, a former state champion wrestler at Lumpkin County, has a number of national and world bench press titles to his credit, but this is his first major championship in full power. He does it with the overall Best Lifter and team title to boot.
“Honestly, it's probably one of my favorite ones (awards) up until the point,” Head said, while admiring the Champion of Champions plaque. “It's more than just a medal or a little plastic trophy. This is something that a lot of thought went into. I’m really honored to be able to achieve it.
"As for winning the team championship. It means a lot. We all train together. That means a lot. A lot of hard work’s put into it. It’s just nice to see it pay off.”
Head dropped a lot of weight to make the 132 class and later posted on his Facebook page, “"Finishing my second full power meet was a great learning experience. I'm very honored to have won the best lifter award along with the champion of champions award. What I learned is that it's time to move up to the 148s, my squat and deadlift suffered from my weight cut... With that I was still able to hit 424.5 on my bench, which beat my previous all-time bench record by 21 pounds. I'm blessed to have such a great support system of my family, friends, and my team the Onepercent Krew. Now it's time to get ready for the GPA worlds."
Krew Team Captain Marcell Allen wound up in a spirited battle with Hunter McClesky out of the Macon area for the national title in the men’s open 100kg division. They both finished with totals of 785kg (1,730.61), but McClesky took the national title by virtue of lesser bodyweight.
Nevertheless, Allen, a Jefferson High alumnus, was pleased with everything else, especially the team championship.
“We cut it kinda' close this time; but I still think we had a really good team,” Allen said. “Eric pulled it through for us.”
Allen called Head’s total and score "pretty incredible at (a bodyweight) of 132," and gave a lot of credit to Krew team members Angie Centeno, Charity Witt and Tyler Cummings, who each won championships and best lifter awards in their respective classes Saturday.
“Man, it was battle between me and Hunter today,” Allen added with a somewhat rueful smile, before calling the competition, an honor. "The team did amazing today. We had a really good weekend. I’m just excited to see what’s going on for the world’s for us.”
Athens’ Classic Center will host the Global Powerlifting Alliance (GPA) World meet in October.
Allen’s day included a squat of 305kg (672.4), a benchpress of 200kg (440.92) and a deadlift of 280kg (617.29). Another Krew team member contributing to the win was Winder’s Steve Shepherd, who set master’s men’s, raw, 45-49, 125 kg (275.58) American records in the squat and total and a world record full power bench with his lifts of 282.5kg (622.8) in the squat, 198kg (436.51) in the bench and 247kg (545.64) in the deadlift for a total of 728 kg (1,604.95). He bumped the bench world record to 202.5kg (446.43) on a fourth lift. (Fourth lifts are for records only and do not count toward the regular meet total.)
The Krew also got a second place from team alternate Cody Thornton, Shepherd’s occasional training partner in Winder, who totaled 682.5kg (1,504.4) in the men’s open 110kg (242.51) weight class.
The IronDawgs did not field a full power team, so Kylis recruited a couple to lift with the Venice Island bunch. Gainesville’s Dwon Johnson was national runner-up in the raw men’s open 140-plus kg (308.64) with his total of 885kg (1,951.07) -- the same as champion Justin Barnes, who lifted for Marietta but, like Allen, finished second because Barnes was weighed less. Cornelia’s Gary Hatfield, the Brenau University strength coach and assistant softball coach, won the raw master's men's 55-59, 110kg class with his total of 667.5kg (1,471.57). Hatfield had an American record deadlift of 227.5kg (501.55). He also bumped the fullpower benchpress world record to 190.5kg (419.98) on a fourth lift.
Lifting unattached, Georgia IronDawg Mike Kidd of Gainesville had a national record squat of 190kg (418.87) in winning the master's men's raw 55-59 year-old, 100kg weight class with his total of 437.5kg (964.51).
Complete results will be posted on the APC website: americanpowerliftingcommittee-usa.com.
