GAINESVILLE, Ga. — It is a common trope in athletics that youth is served – that is, unless you found yourself at Saturday’s Georgia Games Powerlifting Championships in Gainesville at The Beast Sports Center.
The youngest gold medalist of the day was 39-year-old David Solomon of Jasper, GA., while the oldest was 80-year-old Clarence Smith of Cleveland. Also getting the gold were 73-year-old Frank Sanders of Marietta and 71-year-old R. Garry Glenn of Oakwood.
Solomon took his medals in the four classes offered on the day, full-power, push/pull, bench-press-only and deadlift-only, with his squat of 505 pounds; his bench-press of 285; and his deadlift of 515 (!,305 lb. total) in the sub-master’s 35-39 age-group, 220-pound weight class. Smith, a Georgia Games veteran, won the Master’s bench-only 80-plus age group, 220s, with a press of 175 lbs. Sanders competed in the Master’s Men’s 70-74, 181 lb. full-power class, totaling 880 lbs. on the day with a squat of 240, a bench-press of 190, and an amazing dead-lift of 450 lbs.
Glenn, who also served as meet director again, entered the Master’s Men’s 70-74-year-old, 198-lb. class and took gold with his lift of 280 pounds. He pressed 285 on a fourth lift to “sort of” tie for the heaviest bench of the day. Fourth lifts are for record purposes only and don’t count in the meet itself.
“David had just done the 285 (bench-press), so I said ‘just leave it on there and let me see if I can do it,’” Glenn said. “It actually went up easier than the 280. It was a true, ‘thank you Jesus’ moment, as I had a knee replaced in February, which hampered my training some. I had done 300 last year, but at a year younger and in a higher weight-class, so I am extremely pleased with today as that was a PR (personal record) at this age and bodyweight.”
“David had just lifted a couple of weeks ago in a major meet, and to total over 13-hundred pounds today was great,” Glenn said. “This is not a sport you can do every day, or even every week; and what Frank did on that 450-lb. deadlift at 73, and a bodyweight of a little over 177 lbs. is amazing. He says he's a one-trick pony. I told him, 'It's a pretty good trick.'”
The meet also attracted top-flight judges with multi-time national and world champion lifters Tim Moon, Valerie Smith, and George Bradley serving. Moon is a seven-time Mr. Olympia Bench-Press champ as well. Smith serves as the GM and head trainer of The Beast Sports Center. Bradley is a George Games veteran as well as a veteran of national and international competitions.
Glenn said he would also like to thank the spotters and loaders: Luis Suarez, Kiara West, and Carlos Mendoza; as well as Georgia Games reps Kaisean Roberson and Joretta Kelly.
“These are the people who keep us on track and safe; and the Georgia Games folks furnish our awards and meet t-shirts,” he added. “ A huge thanks to Valerie and her folks here at The Beast for stepping up and offering to host. We hope to be back here next year.”
The meet also serves as a qualifier for the national State Games of America Meet, to be held at State College, Pennsylvania, July 28-August 2, 2026.
