COMMERCE — Lifters ranged in age from 11 years old to 83 as Day One of the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) National Championships at Titanz Fitness in Commerce saw world records fall in a number of age and weight classes.
Members of the Gainesville based Georgia IronDawgs also came away with national championships in the benchpress-only category.
Brandon Bostick of Athens had the day’s heaviest total with his national title in the Men’s Open fullpower, 82.5 kilogram/181.88 pound weight class at 635 kilos/1,399.92 lbs. That total included a whopping pull of 275kg./606.27lbs. on the deadlift. That also earned him national records in the fullpower deadlift and in the deadlift- only class.
The heaviest bench of the day was turned in by Russ Tripp of Monroe. Lifting in the Master’s Men’s 50-54 year-old, 82.5 kilo class, Russ pressed 145/319.67 and just missed a National Record 148/326.28 on a fourth lift. Russ’s wife, Dana, set the national record of 53/116.84 on a fourth lift in the Master’s Women’s 45-49 age group, 67.5/148.81 weight class. (Fourth lifts are granted if the lifter is successful on the third lift and is shooting for a record on number four.) Their daughter, Brynna Tripp set World Records across the board in girls’ push/pull with her bench press of 37.5/82.67; deadlift of 72.5/159.83; and total of 110/242.51.
Hometown lifters from Commerce also had success on their way to National Titles. Dean Allen in full power in the MM 55-59, 100/220.46 class set American records in squat (207.5/457.45); bench (147.5/325.18) and total (550/1,212.53). His total was helped out by fourth lifts in squat and deadlift. Commerce’s Karley Perez put her name in the World Record deadlift-only class in the girls’ 13-15 year old, 75/165.35 weight category with her pull of 130/286.6 on a fourth attempt. The day’s youngest lifter was also from Commerce as 86-pound, 11-year old Jake Williams won the 13-15 boys’ 52/114.64 class.
The oldest lifter on the day was 83-year old George Matthews of Alpharetta, who pressed 95/209.44 to win the Title in MM 80-84, bench-only. Also in bench- only, the ageless Tom Sisk of Woodstock pressed a National 80-84 and a world 80-89 record 127.5/281.1 in taking the 90 kilo class championship for his age class. Charles Levinge of Canton set the NR in the 70-74 and the WR in the 70-79, 75 k class with his press of 115/253.53.
Winder’s Seth Gaston entered full-power and deadlift-only in the 16-17 year-old, 90kg. class. That paid off for him with a world record in deadlift only (228/502.65); which was also a national mark in full-power deadlift. His squat of 197.5/435.41 on a fourth attempt and total of 548/1,208.12 were also new national Records.
Other IronDawgs who took national championships included Uwe Thormann from Palm Harbor, Florida in the MM 60-65, 110/242.51 push/pull class with his total of 290/639.33; Kendall Dean from Orlando, Florida, who battled through a training injury to win the MM 50-54 100 k bench-only class with a press of 100/220.46; and George Bradley in the Equipped, MM 60-65, 67.5 k bench class with his lift of 92.5/203.93. (Bradley was the only Equipped lifter of the day, the other competitors lifted raw, or without the special benchpress shirts and squat suits.)
Also winning a title on day one was Flowery Branch’s Stephany Martinez, who totaled 315 kilos/694.45 in winning the Women’s Open 67.5 kg. class in raw full-power.
The competition resumes Sunday at 10 am at Titanz Fitness in Commerce. Complete meet results may be found later at www.americanpowerliftingcommittee-usa.com.
