COMMERCE — Area lifters set the pace on Day Two of the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) National Championships on Sunday.
Gainesville’s Robert Morrison took home three Best Lifter trophies along with a number of records on the day. The 37-year old Morrison lifted over a ton of weight Sunday as he entered three different divisions in the Men’s Raw Open 125 kilogram/275.58 pound class, and won National Championships and Best Lifter in all three: full-power (squat, benchpress, deadlift); push/pull (bench/deadlift);and deadlift-only. His national record full-power total of 957.5 kg/2,110.9 lbs., included a national record squat of 377.5 kg./832.24 lbs. He also benched 200/440.92; and deadlifted 380/837.75; which gave him the world record total in push/pull.
Gainesville’s 20-year old Zack Patton broke national records across the board in squat (310/683.43); bench (205/451.94); deadlift (308/679.02); and total (823/1,814.39) in winning the 125 kilo junior class, and finishing second overall to Morrison in the full-power standings. (Best Lifter awards are figured on the basis of a ratio of bodyweight to weight lifted.)
The Gainesville-based Georgia IronDawgs won another bench-only team title to add to their collection of team National Championships. Helping the ‘Dawgs win this time were the wife/husband team of Dana and Russ Tripp of Monroe, who also took home bench-only Best Lifter Awards. Dana won the Master’s Women’s 45-49 age group, 67.5/148.81 weight class and set the national record of 53/116.84 on a fourth lift. Russ, lifting in the Master’s Men’s 50-54 year-old, 82.5 kilo class, pressed 145/319.67 and just missed a National Record 148/326.28 on a fourth lift.
The Tripp’s daughter Brynna won the women’s push/pull BL trophy in taking the girls’ 13-15 age class in the 82.5/181.88 weight class with her total of 115/253.53. The day before, the youngest Tripp thought she had deadlifted and totaled less, but officials discovered that calculations for Saturday neglected to include the heavier deadlift bar, so everyone’s deadlifts and totals in full-power, push/pull, and deadlift only were adjusted up 5 kilos/11.02 pounds. That also affected the weight for the women’s deadlift-only Best Lifter, Karley Perez of Commerce, who set the national and world records with 135/297.62,as she won the girls’ 13-15, 75/165.5 class.
Other IronDawgs who lifted Saturday included Orlando, Florida’s Kendall Dean, 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 of Gainesville in the Equipped, MM 60-65, 67.5 kilo 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 bench shirts and squat suits.)
Gainesville’s Tim Moon of the ‘Dawgs, coming off an exhausting mission trip to Costa Rica, did try to lift equipped Sunday, and after missing his opening attempt of 332.5 kilos, around 733 pounds, declined to continue, fearing injury. All of the other lifters in the meet lifted raw. IronDawg team captain, R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood is still in rehabilitation physical therapy after multiple surgeries; but hopes to be back in competition soon. He did serve as meet announcer.
The women’s full-power Best Lifter award went to Flowery Branch’s Stephany Martinez, who totaled 320/705.47 in winning the Women’s Open 67.5/148.81 division. Other record setters on Sunday included Fannin County’s Jason Banks from Morganton, GA, who came out of a recent hospitalization and fought through some serious health issues to win the sub-master’s superheavyweight class fullpower and push pull with national records in both categories in the bench (182.5/402.34); and in push/pull deadlift (292.5/644.85); and total (475/1,1047.19). Banks also had a squat of 307.5/677.91 and a fullpower total of 782.5/1,725.1).
Commerce’s Zack John broke his own junior national record in the 110/242.51 deadlift-only class with a new world record pull of 285/628.31; and after the meet was taken to the hospital with a hip injury. IronDawg, Andy Williamson of Jefferson s broke his own national records in the Master’s Men’s 50-54, 125 kilo push/pull class for deadlift (242.5/534.62) and total (380/837.75). Williamson benched 137.5/303.13. Thomson’s Michael Lloyd broke the bench national record in full power in the MM 50-54, 125 k class with a press of 165/363.76. Lloyd also squatted 205/451.94 and deadlifted 212.5/468.48 for a total of 582.5/1,284.18.
Commerce’s Tim Day won the junior superheavy class national championship in fullpower with his total of 687.5/1,515.66.
Complete meet results from both days may be found later at www.americanpowerliftingcommittee-usa.com. The next competition for many local lifters will be the Georgia Games powerlifting at the Iron Beast Gym on Grove Street in Gainesville on Saturday, July 14. Information and on-line registration are available at www.georgiagames.org
