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Powerlifters set records during regional tourney
Eight members of the Mountain Home Barbell Powerlifting Team won in their respective divisions while setting four state records in the process, during the USA Powerlifting meet held May 23 in Boise.
Lissa Hall started the team's award-winning momentum by finishing first in the masters 125-pound weight class, breaking three state records in the process.
Hall set new state records in the squat with a 135-pound lift, tied the record for bench press at 85 pounds and a 215-pound deadlift for a three-lift total of 435 pounds.
Vanessa Berger took the team's second first-place honor in the women's 158-pound weigh class. She broke her personal records during the event with a 240 pound squat, a 115 pound bench press and 320 pound deadlift.
Mountain Home's teen lifters took home more honors for the local team.
"I am very impressed with our teen lifters. They are some of the most dedicated athletes in the high school and almost never miss a training session," said team coach Wes Beach. "All three saw gains of up to 100 pound in their squat and deadlift and 50 pounds in their bench press. That deserves a lot of respect and is a true testament to what consistency in training will do for an athlete."
Parker Tismo won the 130 pound weight class with a 215 pound squat, 115 bench press and 275 pound deadlift. Brandon Beach took second place in the 182 pound division by squatting 315 pounds, bench pressing 200 pounds and deadlifting 390 pounds.
Tyson Coles finished up the teen lifters by winning the 205 pound division with a 285 squat, a 210 pound bench press and a 370 pound deadlift.
Tyson and Brandon each deadlifted 405 pounds on their third attempts. While both of them were able to pull the weight up and lock it out, they were given three red lights and a "no lift" for not having a strict form on their lifts.
"That's the thing about a powerlifting meet that people don't realize," Beach said. "The rules are very strict, and there are three judges watching every lift to make sure you stay true to the rules and form. Squats have to be below parallel, the bench press has to be paused for two seconds at the bottom of the movement and the deadlift has to come up without any bumping or stalling."
Finishing out the meet were Mountain Home's senior men, all of whom set some milestone personal records during the day.
Lucas Marthaller won the 145 pound division and broke a long standing state record in the bench press. Marthaller had a 340 pound squat, a 270 pound bench press, and finished with a 440 pound deadlift.
Jan Amutan also competed for the team in the 182 pound weight class but had an off day and was unable receive a total due to being unable to lift any of his bench press. He did however redeem his day with an all-time personal best in the deadlift with a pull of 525 pounds.
Garry Matthews had the best day on the team. This was Matthews' first meet and he was able to go nine-for-nine, hitting all of his lifts and ended up having the biggest bench of the day.
He finished second overall in the 264 pound division with a 445 squat, 435 pound bench press and a 460 pound deadlift.
The team is now preparing for the state championships, scheduled for November in Boise.
"I am very proud of our team," Beach said. "They are all doing very well, and everyone is working hard to reach their potential. The environment we have created in our club is one where everyone has the same goal: To get better.
"Everyone in the club believes that training and results come first, everything else is secondary," the coach added. "It is an extremely positive club to be a part of. There are no egos in the club; we only compete against ourselves and the iron."
The Mountain Home Barbell team meets every Friday at the high school weight room from 6 to 8 p.m. and is free to anyone ages 14 and up.
USA Powerlifting is the nation's leading powerlifting organization and a member of the International Powerlifting Federation. The governing body of powerlifting internationally, the IPF includes of member federations from 83 countries on six continents.
Distinct from weightlifting where weight is lifted above the head, powerlifting features three lifts: the squat, bench press and deadlift. Powerlifting competitions can include one, two or all three of these lifting disciplines.
Athletes are categorized by sex, age and body weight. Each competitor is allowed three attempts at each lift with the best lift in each discipline added to their total. The competitor with the highest total is the winner. In cases where two or more lifters achieve the same total, the person with the lightest body weight wins.
In the United States, USA Powerlifting has representative chairs in 44 states. Each state chair is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of USA Powerlifting's local competitions, state championships and state records.
"These drug-free, amateur athletes are powerful role models in the world of competitive sports," association representatives said. "Their dedication, hard work and winning attitudes are a testament to the purity of competition for the love of their sport. In a world where steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have become the norm, USA Powerlifting stands apart."
More information is available online at www.usapowerlifting. com.