GAINESVILLE -- When Dawsonville's Charity Witt decided to try her hand at competitive powerlifting, it came at the urging of her boyfriend, powerlifter and Georgia's Strongest Man winner Landon Jameson, as well as a personal desire to get stronger. But she had no idea the type of success she would have in her first meet ever -- Saturday's Iron Beast Invitational at the Iron Beast Gym in Gainesville. <br />
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Not only did Witt set personal records, but when the totals were posted and the lifting scores calculated, she defeated everybody else for full-power best lifter, the first time in the history of the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) a female lifter accomplished the feat. <br />
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On the way to the title in the junior women's 75 kilogram (kg)/165.35 pound raw or unequipped class, Witt posted a squat of 280 pounds, a bench press of 170 pounds and an amazing deadlift of 345 pounds for an impressive total of 795 pounds.<br />
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It may have been Witt's first meet, but she says it won't be her last as she has "several more" planned for this year.<br />
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Other local winners included Gainesville's Jordan Clark in the junior men's 82.5 kg/181.88 pound class (squat 360, bench 215, deadlift 390, total 965 pounds), Murrayville's Aaron Finks in the junior men's 90 kg/198.41 pound class (squat 345, bench 305, deadlift 455, total 1,105 pounds) and Gainesville's John Dunagan in the master's men's 45-49-year-old 125 kg/275.58 pound class (squat 365, bench 290, deadlift 345, total 1,015). All full-power competitors competed raw. Dunagan had the heaviest squat of the day, while Finks' benchpress and deadlift was tops in the full-power categories.<br />
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All-time equipped benchpress champion in the 60 kg/132.28 pound class, Lumpkin County graduate Eric Head, now living in Suwanee, is training in raw full-power and performed as an exhibition lifter. At a bodyweight of 140 pounds, Head totaled a strong 1,070 pounds (squat 350, benchpress 370, deadlift 350).<br />
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In the bench-only category, a number of Georgia IronDawg team members came home with gold. Lifting raw, James Houston of Jefferson led the way with his press of 320 pounds in the sub-masters 100 kg/220.46 pound class. Winterville's Andy Williamson in the 110 kg/242.51 pound class, pressed 315 pounds in the master's mens 45-49 age group; and Flowery Branch's 73-year-old Zack Layfield lifted 180 pounds to win the 70-74 82.5 kg class at a bodyweight of around 167 pounds. <br />
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Among Equipped lifters, Gainesville's George Bradley was credited with 205 pounds to take the medal in the 67.5 kg/148.81 pound masters mens 55-59 age group. Oakwood's R. Garry Glenn, lifting in the masters mens 60-64-year-old 100 kg group at a bodyweight of just under 201 pounds had the heaviest equipped benchpress of the day when he pushed 370 pounds to take the title in his division. He fell short of the lock-out when he attempted 390 on his third lift.<br />
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"(The 390) got out of the groove, and that happens sometimes when you lift with gear," said the 60-year old Glenn. "It went back over my face and then I'm trying to do a nose-breaker with 390 pounds. Ain't gonna happen. It had been awhile since I had competed in a (benchpress) shirt, and I just wanted to see how it would go. Maybe next time I lift equipped I'll do better. It was a decent start to the year.<br />
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"We're all really proud of Charity. She gets a lot of coaching from Landon and a lot of guys in the gym and she did great. She's as pretty as a model and strong as a bull -- a unique combination to be sure."<br />
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The APC will host the State Powerlifting Meet in Athens on March 28.
