COMMERCE — It’s not often you see an 800-pound deadlift or a 700-pound benchpress. Those who attended Saturday’s Global Powerlifting Alliance (GPA)/International Powerlifting Organization (IPO) IronDawg Invitational meet in Commerce saw both.
Two Gainesville lifters took top honors in push/pull (bench and deadlift) as well as bench-only competitions in the meet which also featured deadlift only.
Robert Morrison enjoyed the heaviest total of the day, a raw (unequipped) push/pull world record 577.5 kilograms/1,273.16 pounds, which included a push/pull world record deadlift of 380/837.75 in winning the Open 125/275.58 weight class. Meanwhile, Tim “T” Moon of Gainesville's Georgia IronDawgs, completed a rare double on the day. After setting a raw world record lift in bench only in the Master’s Men’s 140/308.64 weight class with a press of 230/507.06, only two flights later, Moon lifted equipped with his benchpress shirt, and pressed 327.5/722.01. He fell shy of an equipped world record of 352.5/777.12 when he could not quite hold the weight at the top. Their efforts earned Morrison and Moon "best lifter" medals and a Texas Power Bar for each man, plus a trophy for Morrison as the top push/pull athlete of the day. Morrison’s efforts also helped the host team, Titanz Fitness win the team push/pull trophy for the day. Moon is a 1982 graduate of Jefferson High.
The women’s best push/pull went to Roswell’s Gina Malik in the raw women’s sub-master 100/220.46 weight category with her total of 200/440.92. Her bench of 60/132.28, deadlift of 140/308.4, and total were National sub-master records and GPA Open world marks. Malik increased the deadlift record to 142.5/314.16 on a fourth lift. (Fourth lifts do not count in the regular meet totals and are for record purposes only.)
Amber Williams of Maysville won the women’s deadlift only best lifter with her win and lift of 125 kilos/275.56 lbs. in the raw Open 90/198.41 weight class. The women’s bench-only trophy went to IronDawg Dana Tripp of Monroe in the raw Master’s Women’s 45-49 60/132.28 weight class with her press of 47.5/104.72. Fellow IronDawg and husband Russ, set a National Record in the raw 50-54, 75/165.35 class with his lift of 135/297.62. Other IronDawgs who won include Gainesville’s George Bradley (equipped, BO, MM 60-64, 67.5/148.81) with a lift of 90kg and Athens’ Kevin Eubanks (equipped, PP, MM 45-49, 100/220.46) with a total of 468/1,031.75. His deadlift of 275.5/607.37, after missing his two previous attempts at a lower weight, was an IPO push/pull world record.
Other NE Georgia athletes who won first-place medals in raw bench-only included Byron Kramer of Cumming (MM 60-64, 90kg class-105/231.48) and Kevin Ridley of Lula (MM 40-44, 140kg class-220/485.01). In raw push/pull, winners included a number of lifters from Commerce: Jonah Ingram (Open, 100kg class, total 412.5/909.4); Timothy Day, (junior, 125kg class, total 400/881.84); Tad Whitfield, (junior 67.5 class, total 285/628.31); and Zachary John, (junior 110/242.51 class, total 395/870.82). Others taking titles in raw push/pull included Cumming’s Logan Barrett (Open, 140kg, total 457.5/1,008.6); and Winder’s Seth Gaston (raw M 16-17, 90kg class, 343/756.18; with a new world record total; and breaking his own national records across the board with a 122.5/270.06 bench and bumping the deadlift world mark to 227.5/501.55 on a fourth lift.)
The youngest competitor was 12-year old Tristan Puckett of Suwanee. He established national and world records across the board and deadlift and push/pull in the youngest posted class, the raw 13-15, 60kg weight class with his total of 182.5/402.34, and fourth lifts in the bench (162.5/137.79) and deadlift (125/275.58). There were two lifters over 80 in raw bench-only, and both benched 100/220.46 to set national and world records in their respective weight classes: 81-year-old Gerald Lindas of Middleton, Wisconsin, and 83-year-old George Matthews of Alpharetta.
More results will be posted on the APC web-site (www.americanpowerliftingcommittee-usa.com.) The APC State Championships in full-power, push/pull, benchpress-only, and deadlift-only will be held March 24 at the Titanz Gym at Banks Crossing in Commerce.
