GAINESVILLE — An 800-plus pound bench press and an 1,800-plus pound full-power total highlighted the American Powerlifting Committee (APC) State Championships this weekend at the Iron Beast Gym in Gainesville.
Tony Carlino hit his opener of 365 kilograms (kg) /804.68 pounds to take home the APC State Title in the Men’s 110 kg/242.51-pound equipped, open division. The Dallas, Georgia, based Carlino also earned the Men’s Best Lifter trophy in the bench-only division. Rossville’s Justin Bethune totaled 837.5/1,1846.35. to win the Championship of the raw Men’s full-power 100/220.46 weight class, as well as the full-power Best Lifter for the men. Bethune’s three lifts were also the heaviest full-power efforts of the day with a squat of 330/727.52, bench of 185/407.85, and deadlift of 322.5/711.
Area strength athletes also won state championships in various age and weight categories. The Georgia IronDawgs team, headquartered at the Iron Beast, entered several individuals and each came out winners. In bench-only, Jefferson’s Andy Williamson won the raw title in the master's men's, 50-54, 110kg class with a press of 140/308.64. George Bradley of Gainesville competed in the master's men's, 60-64, equipped, 67.5/148.81 class and won with a press of 102.5/225.97. The husband/wife 'Dawg duo of Russ and Dana Tripp of Monroe took raw titles in their master’s categories of 45-49 and 40-44-year-old, respectively. In the 56/123.46 weight class. Dana pressed 47.5/104.72, while at 75/165.35, Russ benched 314.16.
R. Garry Glenn, the dean of the 'Dawgs at the meet at 62 years old, totaled 312.5/688.94 to win the push/pull state championship in the raw, master's men's, 60-64 year-old category. Glenn, who weighed in Friday at 207.45 pounds, benched 142.5/314.16 and deadlifted 170/374.78.
Other Best Lifter Awards went to Bogart’s Svetlana Baker in the raw, women’s 60-64, 52/114.64 weight class with a lift of 52.5/115.74 for the state championship and the women’s Best Lifter in bench-only. Marietta’s Jennifer Cahall won in the women’s, raw, open, 82.5, full-power class with a total of 330/727.52 in women’s full-power. Watkinsville’s Jeff Bittner won in the 110 open class with his push/pull total of 450/992.07. And, in deadlift-only, 11-year-old Tristan Puckett of Suwanee won his 56, raw, weight class with a lift of 100/220.46. Puckett was the day’s youngest competitor. He bumped the state and national record to 105/231.38 with a fourth deadlift. His was one of a number of state and national records set Saturday. World records may only be set at world and national meets in the APC and its affiliates. Puckett also won his push/pull class with 147.5/325.18. Tristan was also a member of the state championship push/pull squad, Team CKI, coached by his dad, Payse Puckett. The women’s BL in push/pull went to Dacula’s Luynh Bui who won the BL and her raw, 60/132.28 class with a total of 210/462.97. The oldest competitor at the meet was 82-year-old George Victor Matthews of Alpharetta with a state and national record, setting a bench-only press mark of 101/222.66 in the master's men's, 80-84, 90/198.41 raw class.
Other area competitors who won state titles included Buford’s Eduard Sidorus in the male, 18-19, raw, full-power division with a total of 572.5/1,262.13, Winder’s Seth Gaston in the 90kg, 16-17, push/pull class with a 330/727.52 total, and Gainesville’s Jordan Henderson in the men’s, raw, 90kg, open push/pull category with a total of 227.5/501.55.
The APC Nationals will also be held at the Iron Beast later on this summer. Complete Meet results will be available on the APC website, americanpowerliftingcommittee-usa.com.
