Moon sets all-time record, as IronDawgs win bench press National Champ

ATHENS -- On a Saturday when three Georgia IronDawgs set individual world records, the team thought they had to settle for second place at the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) National Championships in Athens at the Holiday Inn Express, but a re-check of the scoring rules on Sunday led to another National title for the 'Dawgs. <br /> <br /> The Venice Island Iron Works team out of Florida finished second. The Knockout Crossfit team from Lilburn won the combined Benchpress/Push/Pull team championship on the day, which was devoted to single lifts in the bench and deadlift and the combined push/pull category.<br /> <br /> The IronDawgs are headquartered in Gainesville at the Iron Beast Gym.<br /> <br /> IronDawg Gainesville's Tim "T" Moon established the all-time world record in the master's men's 50-54-year-old 125 kilogram (kg) / 275.58 pound raw/unequipped division with his benchpress of 240.5 kg / 530.21 pounds. According to Moon, no one over 50 in any association in that age and weight division had ever benched that much weight raw. He took a fourth lift which can count towards a record, but is not part of the regular meet, at 245 kg / 540.13 pounds, but failed to get the weight. Still, it was a great day, for Moon who normally lifts in the equipped division which utilizes the special benchpress shirts. <br /> <br /> "I enjoyed being part of the competition today. I feel very blessed and humbled <br /> that God has made me strong," said Moon, who had to drop some weight to make the class. <br /> <br /> The effort was good enough for him to win the Benchpress Best Lifter award on the men's side. Svetlana Baker of Bogart won the bench Best Lifter women's side with her record-setting lift of 51 kg / 112.43 pounds in taking the title for the master's women's 60-64, 52 kg / 114.64 pound class.<br /> <br /> Push/pull Best Lifters went to Cleveland's Dylan Wagoner with world records across the board in the 140 kg / 308.64 pound junior men's division. The 21-year old Wagoner benched 222.5/490.52 and totaled 555/1,223.55. He got a deadlift world mark on a fourth lift at 338/745.15. Christina Yeager from the Atlanta area took the female push/pull Best Lifter title and established those world marks with her total of 217.5/479.5 in winning the women's open class at 67.5 kg / 148.81 pounds. She had a benchpress of 70/154.32. She also had a fourth deadlift of 152.5/336.2.<br /> <br /> Other world marks were turned in for the IronDawgs in the master's women's 40-44 age group, 52 kg / 114.64 pound raw class by Dana Tripp of Lawrenceville with her lift of 45/99.21 and Zack Layfield of Flowery Branch with his press of 87.5/192.9 on a fourth lift in the master's men's 70-74, 75 kg / 165.35 pound raw class.<br /> <br /> "(It) could have gone better," said Tripp, noting she missed her next two lifts after getting her opener. "I'm pleased at least I set a world record. I'll come back and get 'em next time."<br /> <br /> Weight-lifting she says enables her to continue "challenging myself and growing- bettering myself I suppose."<br /> <br /> Layfield said he had to lose some weight to make the class and doesn't know how that might have affected him, but overall he was quite pleased with the day.<br /> <br /> "(I'm) very happy," Layfield said, and it's nice to know that "even this late in life, you can still get stronger. Being able to participate in a meet like this, it's really great."<br /> <br /> In the master's men's 100 kg / 220.46 pound class in the 60-64 year old raw division, Joshua Herrsko of Venice Island beat IronDawg bench team captain, R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood. Both men missed their last attempts at 155 kg / 341.71 pounds but Herrsko had made his second lift at 150/330.69 pounds. while Glenn had taken a second lift at 145/319.67.<br /> <br /> "Turns out that was a strategic mistake," Glenn said after falling an inch or so short of locking out close to 342 pounds. "I thought about going for the 150, and based on how close I came to 155 kilos, I probably would have gotten that, and won on the basis of my being lighter in body weight. I talked it over with 'T' and we agreed that he (Herrsko) looked really strong at 150 and would probably get the 155, so I went for what would have been a personal record and fell just a smidgen shy. You know, no guts, no glory. I shook his hand, because that's what you do. Normally, he said, he does get that weight, but he missed it today. Turns out if I had gotten the 155 or the 150 I win. Hindsight is always 20/20. I'm just glad when we re-figured the scoring, based on co-effiecents versus first places, the team won and didn't suffer for my finishing second. Steve Kylis, who won his class today, and who put together the Venice Island team, is a class guy and they were all very gracious when we re-figured the scoring." <br /> <br /> Both Glenn and Herrsko bettered the previous world record for the class. Both Glenn and Moon are alumni of Jefferson High.<br /> <br /> Other IronDawgs who won raw championships included Dana Tripp's husband Russ, master's men's 45-49, 75 kg / 165.35 pound class with a lift of 145 kg; Oakwood's Duane Manning, master's men's 40-44, 90 kg / 198.41 pound class, press of 140/308.64; Winterville's Andy Williamson, master's men's 45-49, 100 kg class with a lift of 137.5/303.13; and Trey Hague of Augusta, who won the bench press title in the men's open 90 kg class with a lift of 170/374.78 and added a deadlift of 215 kg / 473.99 pounds to total 385/848.77 and win the push/pull contest in his division as well. Jefferson's James Houston took a second to Hague in push/pull with his total of 362.5/799.16 pounds.<br /> <br /> Two IronDawgs lifted equipped in the meet. Gainesville's George Bradley won the master's men's 55-59, 67.5 kg class with his press of 105/231.48, while Mt. Airy's Joey Murphy locked out 320/705.47 to win the master's men's 45-49, 125 kg class. His was the heaviest bench press of the day.

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