GAINESVILLE — Northeast Georgia lifters led the way in the 25th Georgia Games Powerlifting Competition on Saturday at The Iron Beast Gym in Gainesville. It was the fifth straight year for the Iron Beast to host the games but the first at their new location on Grove Street.
Helen’s Robert Morrison, who trains at the Iron Beast, paced the fullpower (squat, benchpress and deadlift) field with the heaviest squat/deadlift and total for the day. Lifting in the men’s open raw, 275-pound weight class, Morrison squatted 565.5 pounds, benchpressed 321.5 and deadlifted 615.5 to total 1,504.5 pounds.
Georgia IronDawg teammates George Bradley of Gainesville and R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood took gold in their respective bench-only categories. Bradley lifted in the equipped master’s men’s, 148-pound, 55-59-year-old class and pressed 226.5. Glenn lifted in the raw master’s men’s, 60-64-year-old, 220-pound class at a bodyweight of 204.5 and lifted 331.5.
“I think that’s an age-group PR (personal record),” said Glenn, the Team Captain of the IronDawgs. “I don’t remember doing any better since I turned 60. I was very happy with that today.”
Both Bradley and Glenn are coming off national championship performances just three weeks ago at the American Powerlifting Committee Nationals in Athens, Bradley winning another benchpress championship and Glenn winning his first national title in the combination push/pull (bench and deadlift) category. Glenn, a 1972 alumnus of Jefferson High, set push/pull world records in the bench and total and established an American record in the deadlift at the APC meet.
“I decided to just benchpress today,” Glenn said. “George and I are long-time supporters of the Georgia Games. We’ve lifted in most of them over the years and we’re happy to help support them.”
Glenn’s press was the second-heaviest bench of the day. Brookhaven’s Igor Rudik in the men’s open, 275-plus, raw fullpower weight class pressed 356.5 on his way to a 1,229.5-pound total.
Also in bench-only, Helen’s Thaddeus DiPasquale won the raw men’s open, 165-pound gold with a press of 316.5, and Clarence Smith of Cleveland took first in the raw master’s men’s, 70-74-year-old, 242-pound class with his lift of 246.5 pounds.
The fullpower meet featured two husband/wife teams. Atlanta’s Christy and Martin Deen won the raw women’s, open, 198-plus and raw master’s men’s, 40-44-year-old, 220-pound class with their totals of 754.5 and 849.5, respectively. Christy Deen’s was the heaviest total lifted for any of the women’s divisions.
Marietta’s Rylee and Jered Johnson also won the raw, women’s open, 165-pound class and the men’s raw, open, 181-pound class with totals of 689.5 and 1,244.5, respectively.
The meet’s morning session featured competition from the Abilities Unlimited Special Olympians out of Savannah. Leading the way for that group was Chuck Ries in the raw, 275-pound class with a push/pull total of 608 (231.5-bench, 376.5 deadlift).
Complete results will be posted at www.georgiagames.org.
