East Hall's Brown sets records in weightlifting championships

ATHENS - It was a good day for Hall County local weightlifters at the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) Georgia State Powerlifting and Bench Press Championships as three local lifters came home with state titles in the men's divisions.

Leading the charge was East Hall high school junior Tyler Brown, who set APC state and national records in the squat and bench press for his age group and weight class on his way to two State Championship plaques in the Bench-Only and Full-Power classifications.

Lifting in the 140 Kilogram+ (308.65 lbs. +) class 16-17 year old class; Brown, 17, set the record in the squat at 272.5 Kg (600.76 lbs.) and bench 192.5 Kg (424.39 lbs.). Brown also had a dead lift of 182.5 Kg (402.34 lbs.); narrowly missing a possible record there, due to a technical infraction on his last two lifts. His total for the day in all three lifts was 647.5 Kg (1427.49 lbs.)

Gainesville's George Bradley set a personal record in winning the Master's 50-54 year-old, 60 Kg (132.28 lbs.) Bench-Only class with a lift of 110 Kg (242.51 lbs.). Oakwood's R. Garry Glenn took the Master's 50-54, 82.5 Kg (181.88 lb.) Bench-Only class with a final lift of 155 Kg. (341.72 lbs.)

Glenn, who won the GPC World Bench Press title last year at 82.5 Kg, noted that this was more than he had benched all of last year, even in a higher weight class.

"This (155 Kg) was the weight I missed at the World's last year," he said. "You've got to be pleased with getting that in the first meet of the season."

Glenn is an honor graduate of Jefferson High and the University of Georgia, as well as a former award-winning sportswriter with the Jackson Herald and Director of News and Sports for WRFC, Athens.

Also winning a State Title was Jefferson's Kendall (Keith) Dean. Lifting in the Master's 40-44 year-old, 100 Kg (220.46 lbs.) class, Dean finished with a lift of 160 Kg (352.74 lbs.).

Tyler Brown and highlights of the Hall County lifters will be featured this week on Hall County Sports Television at 9 pm Thursday and 10 am Saturday on Charter Communications channel 23.