Illinois Powerlifting

It was fun, and it didn’t take long.

The 2008 Natural Athlete Strength Association’s annual Tri-State Regional Championships in Flora drew a new record for fewest number of entries this year with just eight bodies competing.

The result, everybody – including spotters and loaders, was at the local Pizza Hut by noon with plenty of energy left to attack the buffet bar.

Despite a record low number of lifters, the percentage of lifters setting records remained high.

Perhaps the story of the day was the record-setting effort by Flora High School cheerleader Amy Poole, who made the most of her debut with four State and three American records in the 114-pound, unequipped high school division.

Amy, who just began lifting at the beginning of the summer, opened with a State record attempt of 65 pounds in squats. She was in the meet and increased the weight to 85 pounds before loosening her abs and leaning forward at 95 pounds for no lift.

She cruised through the bench press with State and American record efforts of 50, 60, and 65 pounds. The 65 pound effort also represented a Personal Best.

Amy capped off her day with three-strong deadlifts of 125, 135 and 140 pounds. All State and American records. She opted to take a fourth and hoisted a successful 145-pound final attempt to boost her record total to 295 pounds.

Also lifting in the High School Division was incoming FHS freshman Harley Davis, who made her debut a year ago in this same meet. Harley has had to train basically on her own with her lifting coach spending most of his summer at his other job.

She did well on her own, setting State and American records for squat, bench press, deadlift and total, plus putting together her first 10-for-10 day when she successfully pulled a fourth attempt deadlift of 200 pounds.

Harley cautiously opened with a 95-pound squat, then increased it to 100 pounds before finishing with a 105.

She stayed perfect with bench press efforts of 80, 85, and 90 pounds to give her a 195-pound sub-total going into deadlifts.

The tall freshman was rock solid on her 185-pound opening deadlift, then made five-pound increases on the next three efforts to finish the day with a 200-pound lift and a 395-pound total.

The two high school lifters were close, but it was Amy taking the Outstanding Lifter trophy by less than five-tenths of a point.

Harley’s younger brother, Zach, opted to enjoy the meet and do Push-Pull to skip squats. The result was he set State records in Bench Press, 90 pounds; Deadlifts, 205 pounds and Total, plus claimed the Push-Pull Outstanding Lifter award with a 295 pound total.

Olympic lifter Jon Racklin made the short trip from Olney to Flora to train light for the day by doing a Power Sports meet. Jon lifted well within his capabilities with the State record holder for Masters 3 cruising through the day and going eight-for-nine.

Curls were easy at weights of 75, 90, and 100 pounds, while his first two Bench Press efforts of 155 and 170 pounds jumped off his chest before 190 stalled just before breaking over the top.

He came back with easy, overhand Deadlifts of 255, 270 and 285 to post a solid 555 total and claim the Power Sports Outstanding Lifter trophy.

Part of the H&B Fitness crew was able to attend the meet, although they admitted moving the meet up a week resulted in several liters not being able to attend.

H&B’s big guy, Deputy Sheriff Mark Rose, was making his return to the platform after a work-related injury took him out of action for nearly a year. The big guy opted not to put too much pressure on himself, so he lifter RAW and the result was State Records in the unequipped Sub-Masters, Pure, and Open divisions where the 302 pounder easily pushed up a 415-opening attempt before running into trouble with the pause at 440 and getting it stuck twice.

Anthony Decker increased his 198-pound State Record in the Police and Fire Division with his opening lift of 405 pounds, 10-pounds more than last year’s effort. Twice he had trouble getting his shirt in the right groove at 430 pounds, so he had to settle for the one lift. His 430 would have also given him the American Record, plus allowed him to dislodge teammate Jerry Wood as the Outstanding Lifter. Instead, it stuck just short of breaking over the sticking point.

Jerry Wood just continues to get better with age. The H&B lifter has his name scattered throughout the record book for several age and weight divisions and added it to another level on July 19 with lifts of 405 and 410 pounds in the Masters 3, 181-pound class.

The meet went quickly without anybody being rushed. The first lift was made a 9 a.m. and everybody was eating pizzz by 11:30 a.m A total of 49 attempts were taken with 39 of them successful and 37 lifts taken toward either State or American records.

Most importantly, the event generated more than $1,000 for the Flora High School cheerleading activity fund. Next year, the meet returns to its regularly scheduled last Saturday of July time. Before then, NASA President Rich Peters returns to Flora for the annual Christmas meet on Dec. 20.

NASA TRI-STATE

July 19, 2008

Flora, IL

BENCH PRESS

181, Masters 3- Jerry Wood, 410 AR

198, Intermediate- T.J. Burge, 290 SR

198, Police & Fire- Anthony Decker, 405 SR

308, (RAW) SM-1, Pure, Open- Mark Rose, 415 SR

PUSH PULL

165, Teenage- Zach Davis, 90 BP (SR), 205 DL (SR), 295 Total (SR)

POWER SPORTS

198, Masters 3- Jon Racklin, 100 Curl, 170 BP, 285 DL, 555 Total

UNEQUIPED POWERLIFTING

114, High School- Amy Poole, 85 S (SR), 65 BP (SR, AR), 145 DL (SR, AR), 295 Total (SR, AR)

181, High School- Harley Davis, 105 S (SR, AR), 90 BP (SR, AR), 200 DL (SR, AR), 395 Total (SR, AR)